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University of Bedfordshire
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
UK, LU1 3JU
The MSc in Sports Performance is an innovative course designed to meet the needs of students who are interested in the optimisation of performance in sport. It is designed to provide the necessary theoretical and practical skills for those who wish to work with performers as a coach, strengthener and conditioner, or in sports science support.
The course provides an avenue for elite performers to study their own performance and to develop the necessary skills to help their future performance, or prepare them for work opportunities after retirement from sport. This could be linked to the University's sports scholarship scheme, from which funding for elite sports performers is available. The course also provides the necessary foundation knowledge and skills for professional accreditation with a number of bodies including the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Assocation (UKSCA) or appropriate higher coaching awards (Stage 2 or above).
Career opportunities in the sports field have expanded greatly in recent years. The professionalising of many sports through the National Lottery process and increased governing body investment has opened up opportunities in many areas of sports including coaching, sports science support and strength and conditioning. Growth has been particularly encouraging in female and Olympic sports, opening up employment opportunities for graduates with the necessary higher qualifications and professional accreditation.
During the course you will:
Areas of study you may cover on this course include:
Assessment forms an integral part of the learning process and will allow your progress to be monitored during the course and your achievements to be graded at the end. The assessments for levels M will be carried out using several methods including oral and poster presentations, course work essays/reviews, end of unit examinations, laboratory reports, case studies and practical demonstrations.
The course team believes that there should be a clear relationship between the course objectives and the assessment of your performance. Assessment not only provides you and staff with information on performance of teaching and learning in the units but, through feedback, you will be guided towards improvements.
For you, assessment indicates:
For lecturers and course team, assessment provides:
Particular assessment activities include:
Practical work is an essential component of the course and provides an ideal vehicle for assessing progress and ability. Laboratory reports/ portfolios will be assessed for:
Practical exercises are designed so that they assist in the understanding of theoretical aspects of the course. This is particularly true of the Research Methods, Performance Analysis, Exercise Testing and Prescription and Strength and Conditioning units.
In addition assessment of projects (laboratory and field based) will reflect the your ability to work independently and as part of a group. Oral and visual presentation of the results of such projects will test your ability to communicate and present information in a clear and logical way.
All assessed work will be marked on the 16-point grade system used throughout the University of Bedfordshire. In order to achieve a PASS (5) grade in a unit the average grade must be equal to or more then 5. In addition where a unit has more then 1 assessed element, then all elements must be attempted and to demonstrate this at least a mark of 4 must be secured in each element.
The assessment strategies are consistent with the Field as a whole and conform to those indicated in the Benchmarking statements being adopted for this subject. Vocational Skills will be assessed through out the course, by imbedding practical competency assessment in a number of units.
Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:
1. Demonstrate a depth of knowledge across strength and conditioning, coaching and sport science support, and be critically aware of, and deal with complexity, gaps and contradictions in the current knowledge base with confidence.
2. Autonomously synthesise information and ideas and create responses to problems that expand or redefine existing knowledge or develop new approaches to changing situations.
3. Demonstrate ability and understanding in manipulating, interpreting and presenting complex physiological, biomechanical and research data.
4. Critically appraise the physiological and metabolic responses to different types and intensities of exercise (e.g. potential effect of different training methods on sport & exercise performance).
5. Appreciate and critically analyse the multifactorial nature of optimising sports performance.
6. Demonstrate theoretical and practical skills in developing specific fitness components related to optimising sports performance.
7. Develop and apply critical understanding of research methodology and identify and critically appraise the limitations of the methods used in sports performance research evidenced by conducting a piece of self-directed research and effectively communicating the outcomes in a manner which contributes to the body of knowledge.
Demonstrate systematic knowledge and understanding of:
8. The underpinning principles of coaching in a performance setting and how this impacts on athletic performance.
9. Determine the most appropriate tests, physiological and biomechanical, of sports performance in a systematic, valid and reliable way.
10. The principles behind physiological fitness in sports performers, while critiquing commonly used training modalities in light of related research.
QAA Masters Degree Characteristics
BASES Accreditation Competency Profile
UKSCA Competencys
Outside of the normal University support mechanisms, as detailed in the Course Handbook; there are a variety of support mechanisms available for you within the Faculty.
You will have a formal one-week induction program on starting the course. Covered in this are: welcome to the Faculty, tours of the laboratories and facilities, introductory sessions to introduce you to staff. Academic advice, tutors and other support systems; student reps and their roles in the Faculty; what to do if you have a problem or complaint, and the Induction process, courses and enrolment explained. Other talks and sessions include: Learning Resources (LRC), including tours, Student Services, Study Skills & plagiarism, Introduction to Laboratories and Practice areas and several training sessions on basic laboratory skills; the Student Union; BREO (VLE) and use of the internet in teaching in the Faculty and talks from the Universitys Career Services. There is also a skills audit incorporated into Week One to assess if any additional learning needs have to be addressed and subsequently supported. Thereafter, support is available at the level of the Unit, the Course and the Faculty.
All units will have specialized tutorial sessions when you can further explore subjects or issues related to assessment or the content of the Unit(s).
If you have a general academic or administrative issue you can book to see an Academic Advisors in one of the sessions. If you have an issue related to the Sports Performance Course, then you can arrange to see the Course manager through email, phone or use of the office hours system.
The Course also employs a Personal Tutor system whereby you are assigned a specific tutor to oversee your progress on the course, they are the first port of call should any problems arise. Should they not be able to give you guidance they will be able to direct you to another appropriate sources of help. Specialist advice and assistance may come from the Student Services and through Professional and Academic Development (PAD).
Student Services is available to give you independent and confidential advice if you are having difficulties. If you have extenuating circumstances then the service can provide you with extra time to complete work or postpone an exam with out penalty.
The PAD team is available to help you through the use of study skills workshops, or one-to-one sessions to help the quality of written assignments, understanding statistical concepts, enhancing organisational skills, language skills and much more. PAD can be contacted via the PAD BREO site that you are automatically enrolled on.
The LRC provides valuable resources to enable you to develop essential information literacy skills, knowledge and understanding of the range of online databases available to be able to effectively expand knowledge of the relevant disciplines encompassed with Sports Performance.
The Course will have its own student representative(s) to take up any specific or general student issues that are not resolved through any of the above support mechanisms (see Course handbook for further details of student representatives).
Additionally, if you are an international student, the International Students Support Team will be available to assist in providing specific advice and guidance (including language support).
Throughout the course you will be required to work on collaborative projects / tasks with other students in the preparation of course materials, assessment items and practical scenarios. Developing team based communication skills is critical to working in an applied sports setting and will be reinforced in the placement unit. Role-play and group projects / tasks will assist in achieving these key communication skills.
The core philosophy of the course revolves round using a scientist-practitioner model to equip you with both research and practical skills to work in a sports performance setting.
Throughout the course you will be actively participating in relevant practical sessions designed to increase your skills. Since the course has a real world focus, these taught practical elements will need reinforcing through additional opportunities such as voluntary support work with sports performers, supervised practice sessions, where time could be spent working alongside University sports teams and outside performers. This may also entail providing supervised scientific support for local teams, or athletes through short duration voluntary work placements during the course. Shadowing of more experienced practitioners will be encouraged to enhance learning opportunities. You will be given opportunities to develop the necessary practical and theoretical skills to achieve relevant vocational awards, with guidance provided for accreditation / awards with bodies such as the British Association of Sport and Exercise Scientists (BASES), United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) or relevant Sports National Governing Bodies (NGB).
Career opportunities in the Sports field have expanded greatly in recent years. The professionalizing of many sports through the lottery process and increased governing body investment has opened up opportunities in many sports in terms of careers in the coaching, sport science support and strength and conditioning areas. This process seems to be ongoing with an emphasis, particularly in female and Olympic sports, continuing to grow for the foreseeable future.
Career Possibilities:
subject to additional qualifications
Further study:
The research design/research methods units, combined with the other core course units, will imbed the necessary research skills preparing you for potential study at PhD level.
This will encompass a knowledge base including research design and ethics, statistics and laboratory skills (based around validity, reliability and accuracy of measurement).
Admission for this award are in accordance with standard University policy (Section 3.1.3 University of Bedfordshire Regulations) which states that the minimum level of attainment for entry to postgraduate programmes is defined by the benchmark entry qualifications listed below:
Entry route:
Non-Standard Entry:
(All non-standard entry candidates will be required to attend an interview with the Award Manager)
- The applicants motivation, maturity and realistic approach to their studies
- The nature and level of life/work experience and prior study, and the learning that has resulted from such experience
- The clarity of the applicants educational goals and objectives
- The extent to which the applicant can provide evidence of the threshold skills and knowledge required for a given programme
As a result of this interview candidates may also be required to bridge gaps in their current knowledge by taking additional units from within the undergraduate modular degree scheme.
AP(E)L:
Credit may be given for prior (academic/professional) learning against some of the units. A portfolio of evidence and attainment of equivalent learning outcomes is required.
Procedures for considering APL applications are determined by the Academic Board and issued by the Registry.
English Requirements:
Evidence of a reasonable standard of written and spoken English (at least IELTS 6.5 or equivalent) This level of English is paramount to attempt this course, due to the technical and scientific language common to science based courses.
The IELTS test comprises a speaking, listening, writing and reading test an average of 6.5 is required, with no less than 6 in each component to ensure that you have a well rounded understanding of English, capable of understanding and interacting in the complex language vital to this course.
A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.
Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.
Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.
We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.
We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.
The general requirement is one of the following:
Postgraduate applications (MA/MSc) should be made direct to the University using the standard University application form. There are some exceptions, please see individual course descriptions for details.
As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.
We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.
(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)
We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.
Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.
Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section
APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.
Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `
The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.
We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.
Return your completed application to:
University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk
The teaching and learning strategies outlined below are designed to expose you to the full range of teaching methods normally expected at Masters level and aim to provide you with the skills outlined in the QAA National Qualifications Framework for Masters Degrees (See Section 7).
Since the course is primarily designed for graduate entry or equivalent, you will be expected to have already developed ability for independent study. Nevertheless the philosophy and thus the structure and assessment strategies of the research methods units ensure a very solid grounding in the approaches, techniques and methods that would be required for a successful completion of the dissertation.
In the taught part of the course, lectures would not normally exceed 50% of class contact time. In line with the expectation of greater independent learning at masters level the remainder of the time will consist of seminars, practical sessions, laboratory sessions, oral presentations, case studies and poster presentations.
Laboratory based sessions will be formally timetabled to ensure appropriate supervision. These sessions are specifically designed to create a learning environment where both group and individual learning will take place, involving observation, demonstration, participation, problem-solving and reporting. Other practical sessions will be field based providing necessary practical skills to successfully intervene in an athletes physical development. You will be able to practice the practical skills outlined in laboratory and practical sessions at your own convenience to imbed the practical aspects of the course, vital in working in a performance setting.
A Virtual Learning Environment (BREO) framework will additionally support delivery of all units and their various activities supplemental to formal classroom-based work.
The course will follow the general guidelines set out by the Universitys policy on disability.
The Faculty has already had experience of working with disabled students. If you have a disability the Faculty will consult with you prior to, or during enrolment as to how such disabilities can be accommodated so your course of study can be completed. The Faculty will then also be able to contact the Universitys Disability Advice Team, if that has not already happened. If this is applicable to you, you are thus strongly advised to enter into such discussions with the Course team at the earliest possible opportunity.
Communication
To help with the development of this you will:
Be encouraged to discuss and explore key ideas from lectures and readings, and to communicate your understanding of these in a number of formats including written reflections on the literature, oral discussion, poster presentations on set topics, group work and a range of assessed written assignments.
Information Literacy
To help with the development of this you will:
Be able to develop your use of information drawn form a range of source materials in books and journals and the various search technologies that provide access to information. These include academic sources from the library and other sources in the public domain such as the internet.
Research and Evaluation
To help with the development of this you will:
Be set learning and assignment tasks that will require you to further develop your ability and skill at searching for, identifying and evaluating relevant material in a range of units.
Creativity and Critical Thinking
To help with the development of this you will:
Be provided with frequent seminar set readings, learning tasks and assignments. They will seek to provide a supportive learning context in which you will practice and develop your ability to critically examine, assess, compare and contrast a range of coaching, physiological and biomechanical debates and perspectives. An essential component of this is the development of your informed and grounded understanding of the multifaceted issues informing current and established sports performance practices.
Throughout the course you will be given instruction and direction on how to become a more critical and reflective thinker. Seminar tasks will be used to encourage engagement in M-level skill repertoire development. Through these tasks and appropriate feedback (formal & informal) you will be able to:
During this course the teaching team proposes to guide you towards actively developing your reflective skills through informal reflective practice components that will be embedded into each unit. This may take the form of a reflective diary focused on professional benchmark components or individual goals. The plan is that you as an M-level student will:
At the end of the period of study, your student progress file will contain the information that you will need to draw upon, for example, in making job applications, having successful interviews or becoming a better and more successful practitioner. This will be because it has allowed you to consider the wider relevance of the knowledge you have learned and the skills you have acquired on the course. While, being a more reflective practitioner has been show to improve professional performance in a range of job roles, including coaching and sport science support.
Organised sessions on career development will be integrated into the course timetable once you have settled in and become accustomed to the required workload. These will include professional CV development, production of professional communication materials (such as CDs and flyers). These items will be formative in nature to ensure engagement and dovetailed with the proposed course teaching structure. These sessions will involve utilization of other professional groups in the University e.g. Media department, CETL (Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning) workshops / opportunities.
In line with the subject specific benchmark statements being adopted for this course the benchmarks specified in the documentation have been defined in terms of there intellectual attributes, the knowledge and understanding, interpersonal, practical skills and the professional competencies which will allow you to function effectively as a practitioner and develop as a professional.
Additional professional standards which are expected of you on the course include:
The representation of the University and Faculty is specifically addressed during Induction with a presentation by teaching staff in a session entitled Professionalism.
At all times the teaching staff seek to embed and demonstrate the professional standards underpinning their teaching / practice in all taught units. This is a result of the extensive experience of the teaching team that draws upon their commercial / professional experiences, which informs their teaching.
The course has been designed to impart appropriate professional and personal attitudes and behaviour, including critical evaluation, curiosity and lifelong learning skills as well as the ethical and legal framework of your chosen career pathway. You should acquire and demonstrate attitudes necessary for the achievement of high standards of practice, both in relation to the provision of help to individuals and populations and to your own personal development. These attitudes will be assessed formally and informally during the course (often via practical components and placement feedback).
Good study habits will be monitored through formal attendance data; if you miss 2 consecutive sessions on any 1 unit an intervention letter will be sent, allowing you to know that this has been noted, asking for an explanation.
To ensure that your written work does not contain any plagiarized material, the online Turnitin plagiarism detection tool is used on all written assessments. Relevant ethical issues are explored in a number of the core units, were you will be required to consider the ethical implications of your study (of particular relevance in terms of the dissertation process).
If you are considered to be underperforming, this will be highlighted at the StaR board, were you will be requested to see your personal tutor to determine any underlying course, or to see what additional support you may require.
The language of competencies which are meaningful to employers, will be explained to you and used as assessment criteria on a number of assessments and will form the core ethos behind the practical assignments included in a number of the units.
The overall experience on this course will allow you to develop a professional identity in line with industry standards, creating a benchmark for your future working/studying life.
