Bachelor of Science (Honours) Physical Activity and Health Science
Course Overview
-
4
Year
-
8
Level
-
306
Points
-
US957
CAO Course Code
Why take this course?
Physical inactivity, and sedentary lifestyles have caused the incidence of chronic disease in our society to increase in recent decades. Although there is strong evidence emerging that lifestyle changes can prevent and manage these chronic diseases, individuals face many barriers and challenges in changing their behaviours and achieving a physically active lifestyle. It is for this reason that there is currently a need for trained individuals to tackle this problem.
This unique degree will provide individuals with the opportunity to enhance the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to embark on a career of promoting physical activity and health and facilitate behaviour change across Ireland and beyond.
The programme draws upon expertise of psychologists, dietitians, exercise specialists, clinical exercise physiologists, public health professionals and active researchers to ensure that the curriculum is current and that graduates are fully equipped to enter the workplace. The degree also has links with local health, educational and exercise delivery services and organisations providing students with practical experience throughout their time in the course, with a six-month work placement forming an integral part of the programme. The experience and skill acquisition from both the applied nature of numerous modules and the work placement provides graduates of this course with enhanced career opportunities.
If you would like to pursue a career in an area related to improving the health and well-being of others, then this is the course for you.
What will I experience?
This degree is led by experts in the fields of health behaviour change, physical activity, nutrition, psychology and sports science. Students will become equipped with the knowledge and skills to pursue careers in a variety of health promotion and public health domains. More detail on future career opportunities are outlined below. Students will
participate in a range of teaching and learning methods focusing on both theory and practical skills development. Throughout this degree students will collaborate with organisations in the local area such as local schools, community-based organisations, sports teams and public health services to apply their knowledge in a practical setting.
In semester 2 of 3rd year, student complete a six-month work placement. Work placements offers students an invaluable opportunity to gain experience working in an organisation in the area of your degree. A range of organisations advertise for placement opportunities directly with the students. However, students also have the
option of setting up their own placement site in an area of their particular interest at this point in their degree.
Throughout this degree students will develop skills as researchers. In 4th year students have the opportunity to make an original research contribution to the field by completing a final year research thesis. Students can collaborate with faculty members and external organisations to conduct their final year thesis. This final year thesis is a unique opportunity for students to explore a specific topic and extend learning beyond the classroom.
What opportunities might it lead to?
This unique, practical and innovative course supports graduates to pursue employment opportunities across a variety of industries and sectors. Further detail on some of the career prospects open to graduates upon successful completion of this course are outlined in
detail below.
- Health promotion officer (HPO): In this role, employees seek to enable and encourage individuals, communities and populations to improve their health through programmes, services and policies. Such positions can be within both public and private sectors.
- Sports development officer (SDO) within a local sports partnership or other sporting organisation: In this role, employees seek to support and provide opportunities for increased physical activity and sport participation among all members of the community.
HPOs and SDOs work with a number of key partners (e.g. local authorities, schools, governing bodies), to ensure that suitable programmes and training services are available to support increased physical activity and sport participation. Further details about working in these types of roles can be found here.
- Employment in Research Settings/Further Education: Graduates can transfer to a wide range of postgraduate programmes at both M.Sc. and PhD level in AIT, nationally or internationally. Through applied research projects embedded within the course, students gain skills and expertise in a wide range of research methods. The fourth year final year thesis project in particular, supports students to design, implement and evaluate a research study in full, and write an undergraduate thesis. This experience provides students with an excellent insight into the research environment and can inspire students to pursue a career in this area. Graduates can complete research as part of further study (e.g. research Masters or PhD), or through employment as a funded research assistant/researcher post.
- Physical Activity Programme Co-Ordinator: In this role, employees are responsible for the development, delivery and evaluation of physical activity initiatives and programmes that have been designed to improve the health and well-being of different members of society (e.g. those living with chronic conditions (e.g. cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes as part of GP referral schemes), special populations (e.g. youth populations, retirement groups). Such programmes may be based in a variety of settings, including within hospitals, community environments (e.g. health and fitness centres), charitable trusts and voluntary organisations (e.g. Irish Heart Foundation).
- Physical Activity and Health Intervention Co-ordinator/Physical Activity and Health Coach /Community Wellness Programme Coordinator/ Lifestyle Manager: In this role, employees may work in large multi-national companies, hospitals or primary care centres to support the optimisation of employee or patient health and well-being through initiatives and programmes.
Additional Information
Students on this programme will experience a broad range of practical and applied modules, which will provide them with settings-based opportunities to develop skills
necessary for a career in Physical Activity and Health Behaviour Change. This will include the opportunity to work with young people, clinical populations and to develop interventions in specific settings. Students will be provided with First Aid training as part of their programme. Additional opportunities for CV development are available to students, such as competitive research internships to support work being undertaken by the Department. Furthermore, external internships with one of the many collaborators or partner organisation are available to students on the B.Sc. Physical Activity and Health programme.
With this, all students on this programme must undertake a vetting procedure through the National Vetting Bureau during the course of the programme. Failure to disclose
previous convictions may result in students being dismissed from the programme.
Graduates can transfer to a wide range of postgraduate programmes at both MSc and PhD levels in TUS, nationally and internationally. An honours degree is an effective basis for postgraduate training and research leading to Master’s and PhD (Level 9/10) qualifications.
Assessment Information
Students will be assessed using a variety of assessment approaches, including individual and group presentations, project work, practical’s, written reports, as well as final exams. Assessments will be carried out individually and in groups, and will incorporate experiential and applied learning. For prospective students that may struggle or have no previous experience of science subjects, additional supports through our science and mathematics tutors will assist in successfully completing these modules. For students that may have additional learning needs, TUS also hosts a broad range of support services to assist while studying, all of which are implemented as needed within the B.Sc. Physical Activity and Health Sciences programme.
Course Details
- Course Duration:
- 4 Year
- CAO Course Code:
- US957
- Cut Off CAO Points:
- 306
- Course Award:
- Bachelor of Science (Honours)
- Course NFQ Level:
- Level 8
- Department:
- Dept of Sport & Health Sciences
- Minimum Entry Requirements:
-
Minimum of Grade H5 at higher level in two subjects plus a minimum of grade O6/H7 at ordinary level in four other subjects in the Leaving Certificate examination. Two of these six subjects must be Mathematics and a language (English or Irish).
QQI: Any major QQI award with three distinctions and a pass in 5N1833 or 5N0556 or Leaving Certificate Maths at O6/H7.
Lecturer Testimonial
Dr Kieran Dowd, Lecturer
Students will study the important factors that influence physical activity and nutritional behaviours, and learn how to effectively change these behaviours. Graduates will be specialists in behaviour change.
Student Testimonial
Jenny Fitzpatrick
I completed my internship in a priority research centre for physical activity and nutrition, in Australia. I was involved in large scale research studies, analysing physical activity levels and health indices.
Student Testimonial
Elle Coen
I have to say I love everything about this course, my favourite aspect are the practical side of things, the labs etc. You grab a good idea of literally everything. The lectures do an outstanding job of keeping it interesting and make it easier to learn.
Course Facilities
Careers & Opportunities
Career Prospects
This unique, practical and innovative course supports graduates to pursue employment opportunities across a variety of industries and sectors. Further detail on some of the career prospects open to graduates upon successful completion of this course are outlined in
detail below.
- Health promotion officer (HPO): In this role, employees seek to enable and encourage individuals, communities and populations to improve their health through programmes, services and policies. Such positions can be within both public and private sectors.
- Sports development officer (SDO) within a local sports partnership or other sporting organisation: In this role, employees seek to support and provide opportunities for increased physical activity and sport participation among all members of the community.
HPOs and SDOs work with a number of key partners (e.g. local authorities, schools, governing bodies), to ensure that suitable programmes and training services are available to support increased physical activity and sport participation. Further details about working in these types of roles can be found here.
- Employment in Research Settings/Further Education: Graduates can transfer to a wide range of postgraduate programmes at both M.Sc. and PhD level in AIT, nationally or internationally. Through applied research projects embedded within the course, students gain skills and expertise in a wide range of research methods. The fourth year final year thesis project in particular, supports students to design, implement and evaluate a research study in full, and write an undergraduate thesis. This experience provides students with an excellent insight into the research environment and can inspire students to pursue a career in this area. Graduates can complete research as part of further study (e.g. research Masters or PhD), or through employment as a funded research assistant/researcher post.
- Physical Activity Programme Co-Ordinator: In this role, employees are responsible for the development, delivery and evaluation of physical activity initiatives and programmes that have been designed to improve the health and well-being of different members of society (e.g. those living with chronic conditions (e.g. cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes as part of GP referral schemes), special populations (e.g. youth populations, retirement groups). Such programmes may be based in a variety of settings, including within hospitals, community environments (e.g. health and fitness centres), charitable trusts and voluntary organisations (e.g. Irish Heart Foundation).
- Physical Activity and Health Intervention Co-ordinator/Physical Activity and Health Coach /Community Wellness Programme Coordinator/ Lifestyle Manager: In this role, employees may work in large multi-national companies, hospitals or primary care centres to support the optimisation of employee or patient health and well-being through initiatives and programmes.
Work Placement
In year 3, students undertake a six-month placement between early January and late June. During this time, students accumulate approximately 35 hours of work experience per week. Students get the opportunity to focus on a specific aspect of the course working with Local Sports Partnerships to promote physical activity participation in communities, working in community-based physical activity rehabilitation programs, such as Exwell Medical, to design and deliver physical activity interventions in people with chronic disease, working in physical activity and health research centres and working with HSE-based health promotion units to promote physical activity in the community.
Further Study
Graduates can transfer to a wide range of postgraduate programmes at both MSc and PhD levels in AIT, nationally and internationally. An honours degree is an effective basis for postgraduate training and research leading to Master’s and PhD (Level 9/10) qualifications.