BSc Hons Sport & Physical Activity

This module introduces you to the study of sport within an academic context. It will develop your understanding of the social, historical and cultural context in which sport has emerged and in so doing will provide you with the ability to contextualise your own sporting experience, and that of others. The module will help you develop a wider understanding of sport outside of your own experience and prepare you to work with others, at all levels, in sport and physical activity environments. Topics include the history of sport, the relationship between sport and politics, and why hostile behaviour is often found in sport.

Physical activity and health is a fast growing field in terms of research and employment, offering significant opportunities for influencing people and policy worldwide. This module provides an introduction to the academic study of physical activity and health. You'll cover topics such as health promotion, public health, epidemiology, and socioecological approaches to physical activity and health.

This module introduces students to the core psychological principles of sport and physical activity. You'll develop an understanding of the key psychological issues individuals encounter in sport and physical activity contexts, including self-efficacy and motivation. You'll also develop an understanding of behaviour change theories and discuss current issues in sport and physical activity psychology, including addictive and unhealthy behaviours.

This module introduces you to the key fundamental concepts required for understanding human anatomy,  physiology and nutrition. By exploring the structures and functions of key organ systems of the human body, it provides the basis for further development of knowledge, understanding and application of physiology and nutrition as it relates to physical activity.

This module provides you with an introduction to carrying out research in sport and physical activity. You’ll learn about the research process, the different types of research that are conducted in the area, and how you can use academic literature effectively in your work. You’ll also learn some fundamental skills in using software to analyse data. By the end of the module, you’ll also have a strong understanding of research ethics and how we can evaluate the quality of research.

This module is designed to provide students with experience of a range of practical sporting activities, especially those that are commonly found in Primary and Secondary Schools in Scotland. As well as practical engagement, you will also develop your understanding of coaching strategies, methods of delivery, and group management and safety. You'll also learn about approaches to performance evaluation and resource management within applied sporting contexts.

In this module you’ll build on your coaching knowledge and experience, learning more about national and international perspectives and their impact on local practice in Scotland. There will be a focus on increasing participation rates, as well as enhancing performance.

By the end of the module you will have a strong understanding of sports policy and planning in the UK and specifically to Scotland. Your own skills and expertise in coaching will have been extended, and you'll be able to engage fully in the discussion around coaching for performance and coaching for participation.

The purpose of this module is to increase your understanding of the importance of physical fitness to health, and why and how to assess and improve the components of health-related physical fitness (for example body composition, muscular strength & endurance, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness). You’ll gain practical experience of assessing the components of health-related physical fitness, which are valuable skills for future careers in this field.

This is the second module in the degree that explores the relationship between psychology, sport and physical activity. In this module, you’ll learn how psychological concepts can be applied to support athletic performance, and to increase the physical activity levels of everyone, not just athletes. You’ll learn about goal-setting, self-talk and imagery, and by the end of the module you’ll understand how psychologists work to improve performance in sport. You’ll be able to refer to current research to support psychological interventions in sport, and show a good understanding of the ethical issues involved in such interventions.

In this module you’ll learn about the physiological responses that occur following endurance training and how to evaluate different testing procedures for assessing maximal aerobic capacity and lactate threshold. You’ll be able to describe the principles of endurance training and identify potential causes of fatigue during prolonged exercise. The module will help you better understand key concepts relating to exercise physiology relating specifically to aerobic exercise.

Building on the skills and knowledge introduced in the Year 1 Sports Practice module, you'll continue to engage in a range of different practical sports activities and extend your knowledge of the nature of the coaching process and the relationships between physical education and sport.

This module provides you with an opportunity to gain practical, work-based experience in an area of sport and/or physical activity that is professionally relevant to you. You can complete your placement at a range of different agencies including sports clubs, local authority facilities, private companies and so on. By the end of the module you'll understand the major managerial policies and describe the established management structure within your placement agency and evaluate and critically discuss the placement and university experience with regards to your personal and professional self-development.

This module is designed to teach you how to confidently handle the large and unstructured data sets that are increasingly common in sport and physical activity. You’ll gain an understanding of the challenges and complexity of such data, as well as develop a basic set of technical skills in handling, analysing and presenting large datasets. By the end of the module you’ll be able to produce compelling visual representations of the data, and add elements of user interaction to your analysis.

Building on the skills and knowledge introduced in the Years 1 and 2 Sports Practice modules, you'll continue to engage in a range of different practical sports activities and extend your knowledge of the nature of the coaching process and the relationships between physical education and sport.

This module offers you the opportunity to engage in a range of current and multi-disciplinary issues within the area of physical activity with a specific focus on the application of key principles in relevant settings, contexts and populations. It introduces current trends and debates within physical activity and sedentary behaviour, provides you with the opportunity to advise and encourage physical activity behaviour change for individuals and groups, and encourages you to identify, reflect on and address the physical activity needs of specific client groups.

In this module you’ll learn about the kinematics and kinetics of walking, running and jumping. You’ll find out how to process and analyse movement data collected during these activities and explore how these techniques can be applied to other forms of sporting movement, like balance and throwing.

Through this module you'll develop your knowledge of the fundamental principles of nutrition including nutrient requirements, dietary recommendations, and the functions of selected vitamins and minerals. You'll understand the extent to which the general population and those in sport are following dietary recommendations & meeting their nutrient requirements. You'll also develop your understanding of how to apply this knowledge to improving performance and minimising harm to health in sport.

This module supports your work on your dissertation by giving students an opportunity to enhance and extend their research skills, think carefully about ethical aspects of conducting research, and learn more about the relationship between theory and research in sport and physical activity.

The final-year dissertation provides you with the opportunity to develop independent learning skills in the context of a substantial, individualised piece of scientific enquiry. You'll demonstrate an in-depth understanding of your chosen topic and build your technical knowledge of the research process. You'll use a variety of methods of gathering primary and secondary sources of information and demonstrate an ability to critically evaluate a wide range of relevant sources of material. You'll perform a substantial research project from conception of the problem, through design of appropriate methodologies to completion of a final report.

This module offers a natural progression from the Year Three placement class by encouraging you to demonstrate autonomy and innovation within a placement agency setting. Students are encouraged to draw together learning from the thematic areas of psychology, physiology, sports coaching, sports development, physical activity and health promotion, pedagogy and measurement/evaluation in a single project. The module can be completed in a wide range of placement agencies including community sports clubs, schools, and professional and amateur sports clubs.

In this module you’ll develop your understanding of physical education, building on your primary school placement in year 2. You'll cover relevant topics including physical education curriculum, assessment, and teaching methods. Through practical hands-on experience in school you'll gain practical understanding of current issues in physical education, and of the relationship between sport and physical activity.

This module gives you the knowledge and skills to work with clients who have special exercise needs. You’ll learn about a range of different health conditions and how physical activity can be an effective strategy for prevention or treatment of these conditions. You’ll gain a thorough understanding of the research literature in this area, and gain confidence in selecting appropriate exercise interventions.

This module provides scientific underpinning of sports injury, with a particular focus on the equipment designed to prevent injury and the principles of rehabilitation once an injury has occurred. You'll learn the epidemiology and mechanisms of sports injuries to understand how to optimise prevention and rehabilitation.