Applied Sport and Exercise Nutrition
MSc or PGDip or PGCert
Key facts
Start dates
September 2024 / September 2025
Location
Course length
Full time: MSc: 12 months, PGDip: 8 months
Part time: MSc: 24 months, PGDip: 20 months
Accreditation(s)
Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register
Overview
Our MSc/PGDip in Applied Sport and Exercise Nutrition is designed for students who want to work with a range of people to improve their health, fitness or sporting performance. We encourage applications from graduates with a background in sport and exercise science or human nutrition.
Nutrition has profound effects on both human health and athletic performance. So we have based this course on the latest scientific research and contemporary practice.
Our staff come from a wide range of sporting and nutrition backgrounds. They conduct first-class research and bring it to the classroom and some are actively involved in coaching.
To provide you with subject specialist knowledge we also invite guest speakers from:
- industry
- other universities
- research organisations.
Our research groups and consultancies have strong links with Oxfordshire hospitals, elite athletes and food organisations. This gives you opportunities to conduct internal and external research projects. As well as develop potential career opportunities.
How to apply
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
To successfully complete this postgraduate course, you are usually expected to have (or be about to attain) at least a first or upper second class honours degree in a related scientific subject from a recognised institution of higher education.
Applicants with a lower second class award may be accepted if they can provide a transcript to show that they performed near to the upper second class level. If you do not have these academic qualifications, you could still be offered a place on this course if you can show evidence of the potential to succeed based on professional and/or related experiences.
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
For applicants whose first language is not English, an Academic IELTS score of 6.5 (with 6.5 in Reading and Writing, and 6.0 in Listening and Speaking) is required.
Please also see the University's standard English language requirements.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
We offer a range of courses to help you meet the entry requirements for your postgraduate course and also familiarise you with university life in the UK.
Take a Pre-Master's course to develop your subject knowledge, study skills and academic language level in preparation for your master's course.
If you need to improve your English language, we offer pre-sessional English language courses to help you meet the English language requirements of your chosen master’s course.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Application process
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.
The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page
Financial support and scholarships
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.
When possible, we provide financial support for you to attend conferences (subject to availability). Where financial support is unavailable, you will need to pay to attend the conferences.
Learning and assessment
We expect that you will have a strong understanding of either human nutrition or sport and exercise science.
In the first semester, depending on your background you will take either the Human Nutrition or Exercise Physiology module. This enables you to progress to advanced-level classes.
Semester one emphasises theoretical and research issues.
In Semester two you will apply the theoretical underpinnings in applied settings (field and laboratory settings).
For your research project (MSc only), you will complete a substantial piece of independent research. This will incorporate your theoretical and applied knowledge from the taught section of the course.
For an MSc award you need to gain 180 level 7 credits.
For a PGDip you need to gain 120 level 7 credits. This involves successfully completing either the Human Nutrition or Exercise Physiology module and all the remaining modules. You do not need to complete the Research Project.
Study modules
The modules listed below are for the master's award. For the PGDip award your module choices may be different. Please contact us for more details.
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Learning and teaching
You will learn using a variety of methods. These reflect the wide variety of topics associated with applied sport and exercise nutrition, including:
- lectures
- directed reading
- workshops
- seminars
- practical exercises
- laboratory sessions
- project work.
You will develop the skills to understand and communicate advanced theoretical and research-based knowledge of nutrition to people who participate in sport and exercise.
Each module requires 200 hours of student input in each twelve week semester. There are approximately 36 hours of staff contact time.
Field trips
We encourage you to attend relevant industry and academic conferences. This will help to further your subject knowledge and take advantage of networking opportunities.
Assessment
Assessment methods used on this course
Your performance in each module is assessed by:
- evaluation of your written or design work
- verbal presentations.
We use a range of assessment methods, including:
- essays
- seminar papers
- formal written examinations
- in-class tests
- project case work
- design and verbal presentations
- workshops
- simulations
- practical exercises.
Research
Our research areas and clusters include:
- immediate physiological and psychophysical exercise performed at different intensities
- effects of restricted fluid intake in people with MS on temperature control, energy levels, balance and cognitive and physical performance
- feasibility of supporting people with long-term neurological conditions to exercise in the community
- exploring exercise responses in children with physical disabilities with plans to explore delivery of community exercise and sports programmes
- exploring novel exercise delivery techniques for people who find it hard to move, including the use of mental imagery
- effect of fluid and carbohydrate intake on rowing skill and performance
- relationship between levels of physical activity and blood levels of neuroactive proteins induced by exercise
- effect of green tea on competitive cycling performance
- effective nutritional strategies for enhancing post-exercise rehydration.
After you graduate
Career prospects
Many sports are becoming increasingly professional in their approach to training and nutrition. For example, many sports clubs now employ full-time nutrition consultants. Career prospects outside sport are also exciting.
The NHS offers an increasing number of opportunities for students with specialist training in exercise nutrition to support GP referral schemes and other healthy living programmes. The growing awareness of health within society, coupled with misconceptions of the relationship between physical activity, nutrition and health has led to an increasing demand for graduates who can deliver evidence-based solutions and advice at all levels.
Research or teaching within further or higher education also provide potential career opportunities.
Our graduates progress to a diverse range of careers including exercise and lifestyle consultants based within hospitals and private practice. Various graduates have secured full time and part time work with professional sports teams as well as the Institutes of Sport in the UK.
Some of our graduates have also gone on to work in major international companies such as GlaxoSmithKline or are employed as industry consultants, dieticians and nutrition counsellors. Graduates have also successfully gained funded PhD positions.
Our Staff
Dr Peter Wright
My research has developed in the past from elite training and space medicine to chronic diseases (CHF, COPD, diabetes, cancer, and depression), occupational medicine, gerontology, tissue perfusion during exercise and more lately adult neurogenesis (neuroscience) and military medicine.
Read more about PeterRelated courses
Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been
published on the website. For more information, please visit our
changes to programmes page.