Behaviour Change and Health

Entry requirements

Take a look at the latest entry requirement information on our website: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/guide-to-applying-to-uob/before-you-apply/entry-requirements/

Months of entry

October

Course content

This innovative course brings together the fields of behaviour change and health, opening up a host of career options where you can apply your expertise to promote health, modify behaviour and engender real change. Aligned with current public health policy, the course equips you to apply behavioural, social and sport sciences systematically to design, implement and evaluate impactful health interventions. Through placements and research project units, you gain practical skills and forge invaluable connections with a range of relevant organisations, researchers and clinicians.

Intermediate qualifications available:

Postgraduate certificate – 60 credits at Master's level

Postgraduate diploma – 120 credits at Master's level

If you would like more information, please contact: Dr. Julia Fruer at julia.fruer@beds.ac.uk or Professor Angel Chater at angel.chater@beds.ac.uk

Facilities and specialist equipment

• Facilities include BASES-accredited laboratories including molecular and cellular labs and a biomechanics lab with 3D camera system
• Community exercise clinic
• Human Performance Centre with environmental heat chamber
• Sports therapy and rehabilitation centre
• Virtual-reality resource centre
• Strength and conditioning suite
• Nutrition research kitchen
• Equipment includes industry-leading equipment such as Woodway and h/p/cosmos® treadmills; hydrostatic weighing tank; echocardiogram machines; breath-by-breath gas analysers; blood analysers; 3D high-speed motion-capture camera system; and a range of force plates

What will you study?

Studying our Behaviour Change and Health MSc course aims to equip you with in-depth knowledge and skills around behaviour change theory integrated with public health policy. Your application to behaviour change will be underpinned by an in-depth understanding how physical activity and nutrition can prevent and manage a range of long-term adverse health conditions. A major component of this course includes our Behaviour Change and Health Placement unit where you will be able to develop your skills and knowledge in the application process and practice employability skills for a work-based environment.

To provide a platform for understanding the role of behaviour change in health, Metabolic Health will develop your critical insights into the interconnections between physical activity and nutrition for preventing and managing a range of conditions, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. You will build on this knowledge using a more clinical and practical approach in our Exercise and Nutrition Prescription unit, which will allow you to explore how exercise programmes and nutritional interventions can treat and manage such conditions. From this, you will learn to formulate recommendations for exercise prescription and nutritional advice based on a diverse range of patient needs. In health psychology-focused areas of study, you will look at the role of Behavioural Science and Public Health in unit relating to the promotion of health and prevention of disease and illness.

This unit will guide you in the use of cutting-edge behaviour change intervention methodologies and tools to optimise health and wellbeing outcomes. You will learn to apply your knowledge of behavioural science, health psychology and behaviour change to research and practice in our Professional Skills for Healthcare Providers unit, focusing specifically on communication skills such as motivational interviewing. Finally, you will complete a Sport and Physical Activity Master’s Dissertation where you will undertake a research project into a topic of interest relevant to your subject area. To help you with this, our unit in Research Methods will facilitate your ability to understand, evaluate and conduct research, while also enabling you to collect and analyse data.

Careers

This MSc is affiliated to the Research Centre for Health, Wellbeing and Behaviour Change within the Institute for Sport and Physical Activity Research (ISPAR), and the Bedfordshire hub of the Policy Research Unit (PRU) in Behavioural and Social Science, both led by Professor Angel Chater. Students will be supported to secure placement and research opportunities in areas that match their career aspirations. Graduates will be equipped to work in a variety of settings with career prospects in public health; the NHS; governmental departments; the charity sector; sport, physical activity, fitness and health industries; education; and academic research.

You may also choose to continue to further research-based study with an MSc by research or MPhil/PhD.

Information for international students

Please see our website for the latest fee information.

Fees and funding

Take a look at the latest fees information on our website: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/money/fees/fee-schedule/