Fitness Testing and Exercise Prescription
In a nutshell
This foundation year programme will provide a solid foundation and a pathway into our Exercise, Nutrition and Health degree programme. The key areas of study will be effective communication and study skills and you will be introduced to basic theories and concepts within the discipline.
You will:
- Develop the skills and knowledge to successfully study at Level 4
- Learn about the basic theories and concepts relating to Exercise, Nutrition and Health
- Be taught by a multi-disciplinary programme team with experience in a range of professional health care, sports and exercise settings
All about the course
The Foundation level aims to provide an understanding of the key subjects at level 3 in order to meet the prerequisites for level 4 study on BSc (Hons) Exercise, Nutrition and Health.
You will develop:
- An understanding of fundamental theories that will be developed further within the associated degree programme
- The necessary skills and knowledge to study successfully at level 4
- An awareness of the importance of communication and collaboration within the sports, exercise and health fields, and develop these skills over the duration of the programme
- Numeracy skills and competencies required for your subject area
There are six modules of 20 credits each on this course, as detailed below.
This module will provide a firm grounding in both testing and prescription principles applied in sport and exercise science contexts. You will develop a holistic view of the different aspects that contribute to performance in sport and exercise, and transfer to general health and wellbeing, and determine how best to test for changes in fitness level via the application of appropriate testing and methodologies. Fitness testing and exercise prescription forms the basis of study in the areas of sports science, exercise, nutrition and health. The assessment for this module will be a 1,500 word laboratory report.
Allied Health Professions
The module is designed to act as an introduction to the health care professions and the required skills and competencies to undertake specific roles. This will include a comparison of a specified profession alongside other associated professions to identify areas of similarity and overlap whilst also identifying distinctive elements of the profession. Core skills and competencies will be highlighted to provide an outline key working practices to ensure you are confident in their choice of this professional area as a future career. The assessment for this module will be a 1,500-word skills analysis essay.
Study Skills
Studying Healthcare at University necessitates the development and completion of essays and presentations, measured against the academic rigours of Degree level studies. This module helps you to develop skills in writing, referencing, presenting information, etc, all of which will be assessed via an essay at the end of the module.
Foundation of Physical Health
In this module, you will be introduced to how we function physically. You will look at what happens when our bodies' systems breakdown and how we try to influence people’s lifestyle choices to give them the best chance of a long and healthy life.The assessment is looking at providing a session (usually a powerpoint presentation) which will aim to look at one lifestyle issue, how it contributes to poor health, and provision of a health promotion strategy which can be used with service users.
Introduction to Applied Sciences
This module will provide a firm grounding in the key applied sciences needed to study for a degree in a range of professions. You will be provided with a focused review of key biological, biomechanical and anatomical principles, allied to key applications in the vocational setting. A grounding in these applied sciences will ensure you are able to cope with the transition to level 4 studies. The assessment for this module will be a two-hour multiple choice exam.
Numeracy
This module will help you become aware of the need to consider numeracy as an important skill in many professions pertinent to healthcare. You will get many opportunities to hone your numeracy skills, using evidence based strategies, recognized in healthcare education as providing the best resources for the job. Your assessment is a one-hour numeracy assessment where you are given 20 calculations to work out in class.
Innovations in Physical Activity and Health
You will explore innovation in the exercise and health industries and use a critical approach to assess the effectiveness of fitness-based products and services.
Human Physiology
The aim of this module is to encourage an awareness of the physiological nature of life in humans and develop an understanding of form, function and adaptation in organ systems central to the maintenance of life and interaction with the environment.
Exercise Design and Fitness Instruction
This module provides you with the knowledge that underpins all forms of physical exercise and fitness development in order to design suitable, safe, well-structured exercise sessions.
Physical Activity and Health Monitoring in Practice
The module aims to provide you with the skills to be able to educate communities and groups about the importance of leading a healthy and active lifestyle, intervene with related interventions and to measure, monitor and interpret physical activity related data of individuals and groups.
Bioenergetics and Nutrients
This module aims to present foundation knowledge which is fundamental to the study of energy metabolism and nutrition for human performance.
Practitioner Skill Development
You will learn to differentiate between the concepts and roles associated with careers in the exercise, physical activity and sports industries.
Exercise Programme for the Recreational Athlete
You will learn how to create effective, individualised exercise programmes based on an analysis of information gathered from fitness assessments, exercise counselling and goal setting.
Exercise Physiology
This module examines the theoretical and practical aspects of the physiological responses to exercise.
Nutrition for Exercise and Health
You will develop an understanding of the scientific principles that underpin the nutritional requirements for health and exercise.
Exercise Contexts and Training
You will explore a range of established exercise training techniques and how they might be applied, and consider their role in the development of an active lifestyle.
Research Methods and Study Design
Introduces you to research design and analysis to allow you to critically appraise evidence and to plan your own research.
Healthy Behaviour and Promoting Change
You will develop a critical understanding of health behaviour and health literacy, evaluate health behaviour models to explain individual and population health behaviour and develop an understanding of different approaches used to engage the public on health issues.
Dissertation
You will be expected to conduct an in-depth evidence-based study on a topic of your choosing.
Practitioner Placement
This module will introduce you to related areas of employment by practical experience, whilst applying academic knowledge to practice and enabling a range of key and transferable skills within a placement setting.
Measurement and Evaluation of Fitness and Health
You will learn the theoretical and practical skills associated with the measurement of fitness, the prescription of exercise and the process for delivering feedback to client groups.
Cardiovascular Rehabilitation
You will learn about the role of evidenced-based cardiac rehabilitation in the management of cardiovascular disease. You will gain a detailed knowledge of conditions such as coronary artery disease and heart failure, and the physiological and psychological impact these can have on people. You will also gain knowledge and experience of how to prescribe safe and effective exercise for this clinical population.
Exercise Prescription for Special Populations
You will learn about the normal and abnormal function of selected organ systems, the pharmacological management of disease and how to safely prescribe exercise for special population groups.
Eating Behaviour and Dietary Interventions
You will explore the behavioural basis for food choices and eating patterns, which will enable you to then address the implications of inadequate food consumption.
Please note that it may not be possible to deliver the full list of options every year as this will depend on factors such as how many students choose a particular option. Exact modules may also vary in order to keep content current. When accepting your offer of a place to study on this programme, you should be aware that not all optional modules will be running each year. Your tutor will be able to advise you as to the available options on or before the start of the programme. Whilst the University tries to ensure that you are able to undertake your preferred options, it cannot guarantee this.
SCHOOL OF HEALTH AND SOCIETY
In the School of Health and Society, we are focused on enhancing the health and wellbeing of patients, service users and athletes, and our commitment to public involvement helps us retain our strong focus on real-world issues.
Human Performance Laboratory
Our world-class human performance laboratory contains almost every type of physiological, performance analysis and biomechanical testing equipment, including a 30-metre sprint track with inbuilt force platforms, motion capture systems, blood and gas analysis and speed guns.
We also have a separate physiological testing laboratory and fully equipped strength and conditioning suite, which includes an isokinetic dynamometer and portable force platforms.Take a 360 tour of the facilities here.
We also have extensive equipment in our exercise and physiology laboratory including:
- Portable and static online gas analysis systems for breath-by-breath cardiopulmonary exercise testing, including VO2 max tests.
- A Lode Cycle Ergometer to provide isokinetic testing conditions within cycling.
- An Analox G37 Multi-Assay Blood Analyser to study blood lactate concentration. We also have a range of field-based Lactate Pro Analysers, which have been used to test professional athletes as part of our partnerships.
The university is also home to three gait labs, which, together with the human performance lab, are used to conduct research by the Centre for Health Sciences Research that underpins your learning.
What you need to know
This course isn’t suitable for international students. If you are an international student and interested in studying a foundation year, please visit our International Foundation Year course page.
APPLICANT PROFILE
The Foundation Year pathway is designed for students who do not have the standard entry requirements to enter university at degree level. Due to the nature of the industry, we aim to recruit confident, hard-working, organised individuals who have a passion for exercise and activity. If you could see yourself working with a range of people in a range of different settings, this course is for you.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
International applicants will be required to show proficiency in English. An IELTS score of 6.5, with no element below 6.0, is proof of this.
GCSE
English Language and Maths at grade 4/C or above (or equivalent). You must fulfil our GCSE entry requirements as well as one of the requirements listed below
UCAS tariff points
64 points.
GCE A Level
64 UCAS points, from a minimum of two A Levels or equivalent.
BTEC National Extended Diploma
MPP
Scottish Highers
64 points
Irish Leaving Certificate
64 points
European Baccalaureate
Pass of at least 75%
Access to HE
64 points
How much?
Please view the relevant degree programme information to the view the fees for the remaining years of your course.
Type of study | Year | Fees |
---|---|---|
Full-time home/EU | 2019/20 | £8,250 for Foundation Year and £9,250 for subsequent years. |
Full-time home/EU | 2020/21 | £8,250 for Foundation Year and £9,250 for subsequent years. |
Additional costs
You should also consider further costs which may include books, stationery, printing, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits.