Sports Performance

Course Overview

Michael Phelps’s 23 Olympic gold medals. Margaret Court’s 64 Grand Slam titles. Usain Bolt’s 9.72s 100m. It takes real talent to do something incredible in sport. But none of it would happen without the scientists and support teams pushing the boundaries of what the human body can achieve.

This course develops your scientific knowledge and creativity in solving performance problems. With opportunities to test your skills on placement, you’ll come away with a strong understanding of competitive sport, and all the tools you’ll need to work effectively with athletes, coaches and support staff.

• We have strong links to sports organisations – for example, we’re a Swim England National Performance Centre
• Many elements are flexible, so you can learn at home or fit classes around your other commitments
• Use our Human Performance Laboratory and work with the professionals hiring our services and facilities
• The ideal way to build on your sports science undergraduate degree
• Our teaching team are experts in sports science and related disciplines, with experience in a range of different sports

You can also choose to study this course full-time.

More placements, more choices

Bucks is a Placements Plus university. So, whatever degree you do, you can be sure there’ll be plenty of industry-relevant opportunities on offer, to help you get into your chosen field.

We’ll also prepare you for work beforehand, with special skills for work training, further boosting your CV, and building skills employers will value. In recognition of the value we place on these skills we have incorporated this experience into your study time.

Placements Plus is all about helping you get some valuable experience under your belt while you’re a student. To increase your choices later, and help you get the graduate-level job you want.

Course Details

We’ll explore current practice, as well as the future direction of applied sports science. Throughout the course, we’ll help you develop evaluation skills to really understand your results and data.

Become an expert

While lots of the course is practical, we believe a solid understanding of the field is vital. So you’ll debate ethics, evaluate current practice, and learn the research and analysis skills you’ll need to really get to grips with the subject.

With your research project, you’ll identify an issue in the industry and complete an in-depth study. Looking at academic literature and scientific results, you’ll become a real expert in your subject.

Take your first steps in the industry

During the course, you’ll complete 200 hours of work experience. This will include managing the commercial work at our Human Performance Lab, which works with professional sports players and teams to advise on training, nutrition or psychology. You’ll also have the chance to work with one of our partner organisations, which include governing bodies and professional clubs.

What are the course entry requirements?

Potential students will normally hold a a minimum of a second class honours undergraduate degree in sport and exercise science or a related subject, including discipline specific awards (e.g. physiology, strength and conditioning etc).

Applications from athletes, coaches and support staff who have extensive experience of the competitive sport environment are welcomed and will be considered on a case by case basis.

For further details of our international English entry requirements, please visit our international pages.

How do I apply?

For application details please visit bucks.ac.uk/applying-to-bucks

Teaching team

• 

  Dr Fiona McCormack

  Associate Professor

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