MSc Applied Sport Science

In this module you will learn how to develop your professional practice skills in order to enhance your applied sport science practice. You will explore key skills that are fundamental building blocks in your development as an applied sport scientist. These will include leadership approaches, styles and values; advanced communication skills and reflective learning. This module will also include significant research time, where you will work independently with a supervisor to develop the methodology for your own research project (this will be completed in trimester 3). Within this section of the module, you will develop skills relating to assessing risk, safeguarding, project planning, scientific methodology and consideration of limiting factors, data management and ethical considerations. Contemporary issues within the discipline will also be explored and you will develop a skill set of understanding how research contributes to existing knowledge and practice in the applied sport science setting.

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Through engaging in a work placement or work based learning experience related to the module you will explore issues such as, evidence based-practice, engagement with partners and people, resources and reporting, professional relationships, effective communication, self-reflection, observation and evaluation of practice with respect to contemporary literature, quality assurance, governance, monitoring and evaluation of injury and/or performance, physical activity and health or sport opportunities, terminology, exercise screening, exercise assessment, functional assessment, targeted and tailored interventions, person-centred interventions, data collection and reporting, monitoring athletes, safety considerations; delegated responsibility, professional boundaries, continuing professional development. These components may be related to the area in which you are working. You will relate your work experience to the academic content of your MSc programme and reflect on the value of prior learning. You will focus on self-assessment, write personal learning outcomes, and engage in reflective practice to enhance confidence and employability. Reflective practice and critical thinking are key to your submissions for this module.

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In this module you will learn about the process of knowledge construction and evaluation in contemporary sport and exercise science. You will examine a range of epistemological approaches and explore the philosophical implications of adopting different methods of constructing knowledge. You will look at issues around research design, including an examination of ethical and governance issues. You will critically examine the methods by which research is conducted, looking at the internationally accepted guidelines for randomised controlled trials and other prominent methodologies in the sport and exercise science literature. You will examine the contemporary debates around null-hypothesis significance testing (NHST) and magnitude based statistics and also examine the anticipated development of data synthesis techniques. Sport and exercise science is also an applied endeavor and students need to be capable of effectively disseminating complex technical data to a lay audience.During hands on laboratory sessions you will use the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) and learn how to make decisions about the use of appropriate statistical tests and how to interpret the analysis outputs.

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In this module you will conduct an independent piece of research, either as a practical laboratory or field based project, or a piece of qualitative research (e.g. interviews, focus groups, surveys). This involves the design, development and implementation of a programme of research in a particular field of study relevant to your programme of study. You will critically analyse data/information generated, and communicate the outcomes in a written report, which will develop your skills in scientific writing. This will give you experience in summarising information and presentation skills. This module includes: Structured on-line literature searches. Literature review. Project formulation. Hypothesis generation. Experimental design. Development of practical skills/research technique. Data generation/collection and analysis. Use of appropriate statistical analysis. Evaluation of findings, critical analysis, synthesis and conclusions, with reference to supporting literature. Communication of original research results in a report written in the style of a scientific paper.

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In this module you will be provided with an understanding of the philosophical basis of science and how scientific knowledge is constructed. Building on this, the core theoretical and applied skills in the discipline areas within sport science will be contextualised in relation to performance enhancement in sport. This will be achieved by you learning about the perspectives of different disciplines within sport science and also the perspectives of specialists from the broader sport science support team, such as strength and conditioning coaches, technical coaches, video analysts and sports medicine specialists. This module will help you develop competencies that will enable you to apply for BASES supervised experience and ultimately accreditation.

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