Health & Performance Science

Program Overview

The Health & Performance Science program at UCD provides a comprehensive foundation in exercise physiology, nutrition, biomechanics, psychology, and conditioning. It equips students with the knowledge and skills to promote, enhance, and assess human performance in healthcare and sports settings. Graduates pursue careers in sport and exercise consultation, health promotion, and academia, or continue their education in advanced degree programs.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This program, DN425 Health & Performance Science (MDS8), is a three-year full-time undergraduate program offered by the UCD School of Physiotherapy & Performance Science in conjunction with the National Institute of Sport and Health. It aims to provide a foundation of scientific and evidence-based knowledge and skills in the assessment, promotion, and enhancement of human performance in health and sport.

Objectives:

The program aims to equip students with:

• Knowledge: A deep understanding of key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in exercise physiology and nutrition, biomechanics, sport and health psychology, and strength and conditioning.
• Research Skills: The ability to plan, design, execute, and report a piece of independent research of high scientific merit.
• Practical Application: The ability to design and deliver tailored training programs in the domain of sport and/or health that adhere to professional standards of safety and established principles of training.
• Performance Evaluation: The ability to monitor and evaluate sport and exercise performance in laboratory and field settings with due regard for safety and risk assessment.
• Communication Skills: The ability to communicate scientific concepts, experimental results, and analytical arguments clearly and concisely in verbal, written, and digital formats.
• Ethical Practice: The ability to apply ethical standards in the evaluation and implementation of sport and exercise science and practice.
• Problem-Solving: The ability to engage in innovative and integrative thinking and problem-solving across various disciplines, both within and outside of health and performance science.
• Collaboration: The ability to collaborate respectfully and effectively within peer groups, with members of other professions, and with athletes/coaches/clients.
• Professional Development: The ability to develop a meaningful professional direction for life after graduation through personal professional development activity that can be tracked and assessed throughout the program.

Outline:

The program is structured into three stages:

Stage 1:

• Focus: Basic, applied, and social sciences as they relate to human function in sport and health.
• Introduction: Concepts of physical fitness and exercise physiology.
• Modules:
• BIOC00010 Chemistry-Biochemistry (Autumn)
• PERS10120 Science of Human Performance I (Autumn)
• PHTY10080 Applied Physics Principles (Autumn)
• SMGT10100 Theory of Coaching (Autumn)
• SMGT10150 Health, Fitness and Nutrition (Autumn)
• PERS10010 Fundamentals of Strength & Conditioning (Spring)
• PERS10060 Introduction to Exercise Science (Spring)
• PERS10090 Science of Human Performance II (Spring)
• PHTY10040 Functional Anatomy and Kinesiology (Spring)
• Option Modules:
• PHTY20240 Tai Chi for Sport & Health (Spring)
• SMGT10060 Sociology of Sport (Spring)
• OR
One general elective module (5 credits) for the Spring Trimester.

Stage 2:

• Focus: Continued study of social and applied sciences, building upon knowledge of exercise science, training, and evaluation of human performance.
• Modules:
• PERS20010 Advanced Strength & Conditioning (Autumn)
• PERS20020 Introduction to Nutrition for Health and Exercise (Autumn)
• PERS20170 Optimisation of Human Performance (Autumn)
• PERS20200 Exercise and Public Health (Autumn)
• SMGT20250 Psychology of Sport & Exercise (Autumn)
• PERS20190 Testing and Evaluation of Human Performance (Spring)
• PERS20230 Neuromuscular & Biomechanical Laboratory Testing (Spring)
• PHTY20020 Applied Physics and Biomechanics (Spring)
• PHTY30120 Research Methods (Spring)
• SMGT20260 Applied Sport Psychology (Spring)
• Option Modules:
• PHTY20250 Tai Chi for Sport and Health II: Qigong (Autumn)
• PHTY20280 Born to Run: The Science of Human Endurance (Spring)
• OR
Two general elective modules (5 credits each), one module for each trimester.
• OR One option module below and one general elective module (5 credits) ensuring there is one module for each trimester.

Stage 3:

• Focus: Specialized areas of exercise and sport science, including injury management, sport nutrition, and molecular exercise science.
• Modules:
• PERS30060 Research Thesis with Biostatis (2 Trimester duration - Aut-Spr)
• PERS30020 Molecular Exercise Science (Autumn)
• PERS30260 Sports Injury Management (Autumn)
• SMGT30270 Changing PA behaviour (Autumn)
• PERS30010 Appl Nutr Health Ex & Sp Perf (Spring)
• PERS30070 Skill Acquisition (Spring)
• PERS30250 Case Study in Sports Science (Spring)
• Option Modules:
• SMGT10070 Sports Management (Autumn)
• SMGT10240 Sport Development (Autumn)
• BMGT10140 Business Plan (Autumn and Spring - separate)
• FDSC20110 Food Diet and Health II - Making Healthy Food Choices (Autumn and Spring - separate)
• PHTY20240 Tai Chi for Sport & Health (Spring)
• PHTY20280 Born to Run: The Science of Human Endurance (Spring)
• OR
Two general elective modules (5 credits each), one module for each trimester.
• OR One option module below and one general elective module (5 credits) ensuring there is one module for each trimester.

Assessment:

The program utilizes a variety of assessment methods, including:

• Experiential Learning: Practical application of knowledge through engagement with UCD Sport and the wider community.
• Group Projects: Collaborative work on projects.
• Reflective Learning: Critical analysis of personal experiences and learning.
• Critical Reading and Writing: In-depth analysis of scientific literature.
• Oral Presentations: Public communication of research findings and arguments.

Teaching:

• Teaching Methodologies: The program emphasizes excellence and innovation in teaching and learning methodologies, aiming to deliver an intellectually stimulating learning experience.
• Faculty: The program is taught by experienced faculty members with expertise in their respective fields.
• Unique Approaches: The program provides access to exercise physiology and biomechanics laboratories of the highest professional standards, in addition to high performance sports facilities.

Careers:

Upon graduation, students will be skilled in the prescription and management of therapeutic exercise interventions in healthcare and sporting settings. They will also be experts in the analysis and evaluation of human sports and exercise performance. Graduates can find employment in:

• Sport and Exercise Consultancy: Providing expert advice and services to individuals and organizations.
• Health Promotion: Promoting healthy lifestyles and physical activity in various settings.
• Professional Athlete/Team Support: Working with athletes and teams to optimize performance.
• Strength and Conditioning: Designing and implementing strength and conditioning programs for athletes and individuals.
• Education and Research: Pursuing careers in academia or research.
Graduates are also eligible to apply for MSc and PhD programs in the UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science.

Other:

• International Study Opportunities: Students may apply to study abroad for either a semester or a year through the Erasmus program or on a non-EU exchange.
UCD has over 200 Erasmus partners in Europe and an increasing number of non-EU exchange agreements with universities in the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, and elsewhere.