Course Catalogue

Provide an honours level, multi-disciplinary, scientific degree in Sport and Exercise Science which integrates theoretical and practical knowledge relevant to employment opportunities. Equip students for postgraduate study and/or research in the field of sport and exercise science. Provide opportunities for students to engage in peer-to-peer co-operative learning thereby cultivating and participating in communities of practice. Encourage appreciation and reflection on how protected characteristics (such as ethnicity, gender, religion, sexuality, socioeconomic status),and intersections thereof, contribute to experiences in Sport & Exercise Sciences and what action can be taken to promote a more equitable society. Develop employability skills and mindset throughout the programme that are aligned to the LJMU Employability Strategy. Transform student employability skills, self-awareness, agency and aspirations to be able to make a difference to professional practice through exercise and sport. In addition to the aims for the main target award, the sandwich programme aims to provide students with an extended period of work experience at an approved partner that will complement their programme of study at LJMU. This will give the students the opportunity to develop professional skills relevant to their programme of study, as well as attitude and behaviours necessary for employment in a diverse and changing environment.

All programmes are delivered with a mixture of formal contact time, directed study and private study. Students are encouraged to develop their learning skills and to become progressively more independent in their learning. Core knowledge and understanding is acquired through a wide range of teaching methods including lectures, seminars, tutorials, laboratory based practical work, online tasks, group work and guided independent study. State-of-the-art laboratories, a sports hall and specialist IT facilities are provided by the School of Sport and Exercise Science and the wider university. Assessment methods, marking criteria and deadlines are specified in advance and supported by formal feedforward sessions. A range of assessment methods are adopted throughout the programme including, examinations, multiple choice exams, individual and group coursework, presentations, reflective assessments, laboratory reports, vivas, practical skill evaluations and research projects. There are several key enhancement themes in relation to the learning, teaching and assessment on this programme which include: Student employability Equality, diversity and inclusion Research-informed teaching Collaborative and peer learning Authentic skills and assessment Student employability is central to the structural framework and programme design.  The ‘Professional Practice’ modules at Level 4 and Level 5 were designed to address the core aspects of LJMU’s Student Employability, Enterprise & Employment Strategy, while also developing programme specific skills and practices. These are both part-assessed by a portfolio to allow for a diverse range of assessment covering employability and mind-set topics. These two modules also prepare students for the core ‘Placement’ module at Level 6. In 2021, an ‘inclusive curricula team’ was formed and this working group successfully secured internal funding to enable student interns to lead an audit of our programmes in relation to decolonising the curriculum, with the support of our academic team. We recognise that a colonial curriculum is an inaccurate curriculum, characterized by an unrepresentative, inaccessible, and privileged nature. Decolonising the curriculum is about being more accurate, more inclusive, and more interculturally responsive. Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is an increasingly important focus for our School (the school also have Athena SWAN bronze status). We recognize that to truly embed EDI into the fabric of what we do, we need to focus our curricula. The curricula are, truly, the heart of our School and involves everyone; all our staff and students. As a project team, we agreed very quickly that this needs to be considered in three ways- i) what we teach, ii) how we teach and iii) how we assess. This process has both provided broader insights into issues around equality, diversity and inclusion within the curricula, both in relation to content and inclusive delivery and has led to diversification of our module/programme design, delivery, and assessments. Research activity and research informed teaching is a significant strength within the School.  The School was named the 12th best department, 2nd in the UK and the 9th best in Europe in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2020 for the Sports Sciences subject area, highlighting the School’s global research influence.  Such level of research has had a big impact on the curriculum design and delivery.  Most of the modules on the programme are based on areas of considerable research excellence within the School, for example cardiovascular physiology, clinical biomechanics, exercise metabolism and motor behaviour. Development and assessment of authentic skills has underpinned assessment development.  Assessments are context specific and develop relevant experiences and skills that students are likely to encounter in employment. 

Preparation for work related learning is developed in the first two years primarily through the Professional Practice modules where self-awareness, mind-set and skill development are all taught. The formal work-related learning opportunity comes in the Level 6 Placement module where students can source an external placement opportunity in an area of their interest. All these modules have been benchmarked against the LJMU Employability Strategy to ensure graduates develop the relevant knowledge and skills. The placement is supported by an academic supervisor at LJMU as well as a placement supervisor in the workplace. Outcomes and the nature of the assessment are agreed upon with the student and placement provider to ensure a realistic and relevant experience. There is close liaison between the programme team and the Faculty Placement Learning Support Unit (PLSU). The PLSU play a key role in supporting the sourcing, quality assurance and communication with placement providers for both the Level 6 Placement and the optional Sandwich year. The Sandwich Year is an optional year-long, credit bearing work-based learning experience. This takes place in the third year of the programme and is based on a pass/fail assessment submitted at the end of the placement. For sandwich year placements, students primarily self-source opportunities. All placements are quality assured by Academics and PLSU based on the Placement Learning Code of Practice (PLCoP) processes.