Applied Exercise Physiology MSc (PGCert PGDip)

The four pillars

Practitioner focused
The course aims to develop you as an applied physiology practitioner, with the necessary skills to work with clients who are exercising for health benefits or who have clinical complications, although some graduates work in sport and performance settings after completing the degree.

We develop the hard skills needed to assess physiological function, but also the softer skills essential when working with people. Practitioners need to have emotional intelligence, where they are self-aware and able to manage themselves, but also able to read the needs of clients and different situations.

We recognise that our students come with a variety of skills and experiences and we'll draw upon these as we develop you into a well-rounded practitioner. 

Physiology skills
Physiology is core to every module of our course with most sessions taking place in one of our six sport and exercise science laboratories, or our new teaching and research strength and conditioning gym.

You will learn how to use new equipment such as 12-lead ECG, spirometers, breath-by-breath gas systems and blood sampling analysers, and advance your practice with equipment you have already used. You'll develop your laboratory skills during your two-week induction which includes the intensive Skills for Physiological Assessment module. The module is 90% practical and fully immerses you into the course, postgraduate study and university life. Subsequent modules deepen your understanding of integrative exercise physiology through advanced laboratory practicals and enquiry-based learning with discussions of real-life case scenarios you could encounter as a practitioner.

The core Clinical Exercise Physiology module will reinforce key physiological concepts covered in the first part of the course, with an added layer of complexity and application to different disease states. Being able to implement different exercise protocols such as cardio-pulmonary exercise testing, spirometry exercise challenge test and hypoxic fit-to-fly challenge test, will be a strong feature.

Science in practice
Science is at the heart of our MSc and embedded in a manner to enhance your applied practice. We'll develop your scientific rigour to assess, interpret and disseminate physiological data and information.

Of great importance is the confidence you will gain in your ability to critique your own scientific work and that of others, so that you become a life-long, independent and critical thinker.

Personal and professional development
You will gain 100 hours of real-world experience in areas relevant to your interests by working alongside experienced practitioners. Some placements take place within the university and others with external partners.

Past exercise and clinical-based projects within the university have included working with participants in cardiac rehabilitation, falls prevention and those recovering from cancer. Students have also helped to develop university guidance and policy for a heatwave health plan, while others worked with altitude awareness charity, Para-Monte to develop altitude illness guidance. Health-based placements external to the university have included working with Respiratory Healthcare NHS Trusts, Long-COVID specific NHS Trusts, Cancer rehabilitation, Cardiology wards, as well as charities focussed around mental health.

Projects for students wanting to keep a blend of sport and exercise have included working with our satellite British Triathlon programme, Brighton & Hove Albion FCs Albion in the Community, hypoxic training to mountaineers linked to Para-Monte, leading our annual Marathon des Sables Environmental Extremes Programme, and the International Paralympic Committee ahead of Tokyo 2020–21 Games preparing heat mitigation resources.

Many of our students choose to take opportunities across multiple placement experiences and outside of the university, working across the public, private and charitable sectors.

Course structure

The first two weeks are an intensive course induction where you'll also complete the taught element of the first physiology-based module.

All your modules can have an exercise physiology focus. You will take four 20-credit core modules, each finding their root in at least one of the course’s pillars. In addition, you will take two 20-credit option modules and complete a 60-credit final research project. Modules are delivered in different ways to enhance your learning. 

You will learn through a mixture of taught sessions, tutorials, online learning, group work, independent study and through work-related activities. There is a strong practical element, with most classes taking place in either our exercise physiology laboratories, research and performance gym, or a computer class with a ratio of 2:20, staff to students.

You will work in groups of four or five on problem-based situations; learning by doing in our well-resourced laboratories.

Our course is taught on two days, normally on a Tuesday and a Wednesday - see the part-time and full-time tabs for more details.

Most modules are delivered across one semester although the Personal and Professional Development module is delivered over the entire academic year to allow time for vocational experience.

The research project module is delivered over five, two-day blocks as you prepare to carry out your own research study later in the academic year.

Module assessment will aim to provide opportunities for you to show your understanding through informed, reflective, critical and analytical application of ideas. Depending on the approach judged most suitable to test the learning outcomes, assessments could include written assignments such as essays, critiques, laboratory reports, presentations, practical laboratory technique exams and reflective documents.

Each module will be assessed separately and have formative assessments that aim to provide you with feedback on your progress as you prepare for summative assessments.

You are able to book individual tutorials with every lecturer. Group tutorials are also scheduled into our teaching programmes.

In addition to the course leader, who is responsible for your education and development, you will be assigned an academic tutor to support your academic progress and your employability.

The course is flexible in that it allows you to exit with a postgraduate certificate at the end of one semester (three 20-credit modules) or a postgraduate diploma at the end of two semesters (six 20-credit modules). You must complete the 60-credit research project to qualify for the MSc.

Areas of study

A core value of our course is ‘learn in the doing’. We want you to gain confidence in your ability to interact with clients, design and conduct exercise testing, explain physiological responses to exercise and training, and prescribe effective exercise interventions.

In taught physiology modules, you'll experience and discuss the responses of the human body to various stimuli, including acute and chronic bouts of exercise, effect of environmental changes (using our thermal and hypoxic chambers) or of ergogenic aids which can be used to simulate peculiar clinical conditions and help you better understand human physiological responses and ultimately the benefits of exercise in healthy and clinical populations.

Our commonly used ‘solution to the problem’ approach to learning and teaching integrative physiology will help you to develop a host of laboratory skills while providing guiding principles to apply to any exercise physiology situation you encounter in the future.

Most of our modules are taught in our sport and exercise science laboratories where you’ll learn to be a practitioner of tomorrow.

With Personal and Professional Development, you'll also gain vocational skills to give you a competitive edge in the job market. Placement opportunities and chances to network in the world of exercise physiology, will ensure you graduate with a foot firmly in the industry. You will spend around 100 hours with one or more an organisations related to the practice of exercise physiology, which will allow you to apply your academic knowledge in an applied setting. We use lectures to introduce themes around emotional intelligence and ethical and moral dilemmas in the workplace and action learning sets as a teaching vehicle for you to reflect on your experiences, and hear the experiences of others, as you develop to being a practitioner.

To complement the physiology you'll learn, the client and your safety as a practitioner are discussed from a health and safety and risk stratification perspective, but also with awareness towards the ethical implications. This is an important feature as you move towards your own research project, where you'll embark upon a project that links to your chosen employment route.

You will be able to choose to write a dissertation, a research paper or a case study report - many of our past students have published their own work. Your ability to work with data and illuminate the meaning by using different statistical approaches is another important feature of the course and we will guide you to be able to use a range of concepts and techniques on physiology data you collect.

Modules

Core modules

• Skills for Physiological Assessment (20 credits)
• Science in Practice (20 credits)
• Personal and Professional Development (20 credits)
• Clinical Exercise Physiology (20 credits)
• Final Research Project (60 credits)

Option modules (20 credits each)

• Exercise Tolerance (Integrative Physiology)
• Applied Environmental Physiology
• Science of Physical Performance and Training
• Professional-based Learning

While there is an expectation for you to share the position of physiologist and exerciser during laboratory practicals, this is not compulsory, making the course suitable for those with a disability or health condition.

Find out how we support students with disabilities.

Full-time route

Our course is taught over two days, usually Tuesdays and Wednesdays, however days are subject to timetabling and may change from one year to the next. In addition you are expected to practice skills and carry out exercise testing outside of the taught element of the course.

Example timetable for full-time study:

Semester 1

• First two weeks of the course: Skills for Physiological Assessment module
• Throughout the 10 weeks: Science in Practice module and option module

Semester 2

•  Throughout the 10 weeks: Clinical Exercise Physiology module and option module

Throughout the year

• Final Research Project
• Personal and Professional Development module

Part-time route 

Our course is taught over two days a week; usually Tuesdays and Wednesdays. In addition, you are expected to practice skills and carry out exercise testing outside of the taught element of the course.

As a part-time student you will discuss your personal circumstances and progress on a regular basis with the course leader. Most part-time students complete their course in two years and some in three years. Some select a part-time mode of study if they want to spend longer gathering relevant experience to improve their employability.

Our approach is to accommodate you in the best way we can and optimise your learning throughout your study. The choice of modules taken each year may therefore depend on your own unique circumstances.

We can adapt your timetable to fit with your other commitments. Some students have attended taught sessions just one day a week for the majority of their time with us.

Example timetable for part-time study over two years.

Year 1

• First two weeks of course: Skills for Physiological Assessment module
• Tuesdays throughout Semester 1: Science in Practice module
• Tuesdays throughout Semester 2: Clinical Exercise Physiology module

Year 2

• Wednesdays throughout Semester 1: Personal and Professional Development module and Option module 1
• Wednesdays throughout Semester 2: Personal and Professional Development module and Option module 2
• Throughout the year: Final Research Project

Facilities

Our British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) accredited facilities include:

• two exercise physiology laboratories where aerobic/ anaerobic endurance, power and strength assessments, as well as body composition, cardiac and pulmonary screening can be carried out
• an environmental physiology laboratory with purpose-built environmental chamber where you can simulate different climates by controlling the temperature (-20 to +50°C) and relative humidity (20 to 95%), and a 1.13m x 1.13m x 1.5m water immersion tank
• a research-based laboratory with an oxygen-controlled chamber to simulate altitude (hypoxia)
• a molecular genetics laboratory with biobanking
• a biochemistry laboratory
• a biomechanics laboratory with motion analysis equipment, various EMG systems,
• a psychology laboratory with an immersive screen and eye-tracking equipment.

We have worked with a range of symptomatic individuals and groups in our laboratories as well as sports governing bodies including the English Institute of Sport (EIS), Team GB athletes, charities and industry partners. Our labs have also appeared in numerous TV productions, for testing products and to prepare athletes for the Olympics and Paralympics.

Our facilities also include a new teaching and research performance gym that includes a three-camera system to analyse weight-lifting actions and an isokinetic dynamometer and leg press to allow measurement of muscle strength.

The campus also has a performance gym over two floors with free weight and multigym fitness equipment, a large sports hall, two smaller gyms, a swimming pool, outdoor artificial sports pitch and climbing wall.

Find out more about the facilities available to our sport and exercise students.

Click image to view a virtual tour of our labs.

Click image to view a virtual tour of our new teaching and research gym.

Why Brighton?

Four reasons to study with us

• You will get your hands dirty. Hands-on in the lab, you will have access to all our equipment and we will teach you how to use it and how to analyse and interpret the physiology numbers.

• We will make you think. We will challenge your knowledge and your beliefs, and get you to find solutions to the problems and challenges that are relevant to today’s exercise physiologists.

• We will make you more employable. We’ll offer you opportunities to take on responsibilities, learn within a workplace and develop the hard and soft skills needed to be an effective practitioner.

• You will be surrounded by experts. Our staff include internationally recognised researchers, many of whom are active practitioners themselves, and who are willing to share their knowledge with you.

Staff profiles

Dr Neil Maxwell, course leader
Dr Neil Maxwell is a Reader of Environmental Physiology within the School of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Brighton.

Through his research and innovation, Neil aims to inspire health, occupational and sporting communities to engage in safe and effective exercise in environmental extremes and reduce the incidence of illness. He leads the Environmental Extremes Laboratory, where his research focus is towards heat reactions during exercise and evaluating practical heat mitigation methods (e.g. heat acclimation, pre and per cooling and hydration manoeuvers) across sport, health and clinical  populations. He also investigates how to determine altitude tolerance while working with altitude awareness charity, Para-Monte.

He believes that his experience in education has engendered an empathy when working with the different needs of students and he is prepared to try unorthodox teaching methods in the context of sport and exercise science, and particularly physiology, to stimulate their interest and make learning enjoyable.

As course leader for the MSc in Applied Exercise Physiology and Applied Sport Physiology degrees, Neil believes his primary role is to facilitate the development of those hard and soft skills that are essential for practitioners who work in the field.

Other key members of the teaching team

• Dr Martin Bailey
• Dr Louisa Beale
• Dr Gary Brickley
• Dr Jeanne Dekerle
• Bill Filby
• Dr Ifigeneia Giannopoulou
• Rob Harley
• Dr Mark Hayes
• Flo Pietzsch
• Professor Yannis Pitsiladis
• Dr Nick Smeeton
• Dr Jim Wallis
• Dr Peter Watt

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you’ll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

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Sports Scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

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Course fees

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students. Bursaries and loans may also be available to you.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2022–23.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

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