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Overview
Advance your career with this Clinical Exercise Physiology Master’s degree. Learn how to support people with long-term health conditions to help improve their quality of life from experts in clinical exercise physiology.
On this MSc Clinical Exercise Physiology course, you’ll be equipped with practical and professional skills in pathophysiology, clinical assessment, pre-exercise screening, clinical exercise testing and interpretation, the design and delivery of clinical exercise interventions, and physical activity education and behaviour change.
Read more about our amazing sports science researchSports science at the University of Portsmouth is ranked 3rd of all post-1992 universities for research quality.
You’ll develop your understanding of key clinical applications, including the relationship between exercise and chronic disease, the psychological effects of exercise and the importance of testing, and put this into practice through practice-based learning in industry.
When you graduate, you’ll be in a strong position to pursue a career in a variety of clinical settings and have the opportunity to work towards becoming a registered clinical exercise physiologist.
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Scholarships for sports students
We award around 20 student-athletes bursaries of between £500 and £3,000 per year.
Eligibility
This course accepts UK, EU, and International students.
Course highlights
- Connect with clinicians from Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and learn real-life practical skills in clinical assessment
- Practice your skills in our clinical simulation suite and Physiology and Biomechanics laboratories
- Learn how to communicate with clients in a professional and approachable way from experienced academics and practitioners
- Build expertise and professional skills in clinical management, clinical exercise testing and interpretation, clinical exercise intervention and exercise and physical activity behaviour change
- Take the first steps towards registering as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist with research and practice opportunities clinical exercise physiology, in independent learning projects in clinical exercise, assisting clinical research projects or begin the development of your own clinical exercise enterprise
Accreditation
This programme is accredited by the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS), with students who successfully complete the core competencies, as well as 140 placement hours, being eligible to register with the AHCS as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist.
Number 1 in the UK for student support
Our sport and exercise sciences courses are ranked first in the UK for student support in the 2024 Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES)
Contact information
Contact AdmissionsEntry requirements
Eligibility
This course accepts UK, EU, and International students.
January 2025 start
Qualifications or experience
- A minimum of a second-class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject. Professional experience and other qualifications may be taken into consideration for applicants not meeting this requirement.
- All offers are subject to Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance and Occupational Health clearance.
Please get in touch if you're not sure if your undergraduate subject is relevant to this degree.
Equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will also be considered, such as previous study, employment, voluntary work and training courses, including courses and qualifications you didn't complete. Learn more about our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
If you're applying as an international student with a non-UK degree, you’ll need to show you meet the UK entry requirements listed above.
To find out if your non-UK degree or other qualification is accepted, please visit our page for your country and view the UK equivalent of your qualification.
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5, with a minimum score of 6.5 in Reading and Writing components, and a minimum score of 6.0 in Speaking and Listening components.
You do not need an IELTS or equivalent certification if:
- you have a UK degree
- you have a degree from a majority English-speaking country (not taught by Distance Learning)
- you are a national of a majority English-speaking country
Degrees taught solely in English from non-majority English-speaking countries will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Find out more about our English language requirements.
If you do not meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
September 2025 / January 2026 start
Qualifications or experience
- A minimum of a second-class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject. Professional experience and other qualifications may be taken into consideration for applicants not meeting this requirement.
- All offers are subject to Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance and Occupational Health clearance.
Please get in touch if you're not sure if your undergraduate subject is relevant to this degree.
Equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will also be considered, such as previous study, employment, voluntary work and training courses, including courses and qualifications you didn't complete. Learn more about our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
If you're applying as an international student with a non-UK degree, you’ll need to show you meet the UK entry requirements listed above.
To find out if your non-UK degree or other qualification is accepted, please visit our page for your country and view the UK equivalent of your qualification.
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5, with a minimum score of 6.5 in Reading and Writing components, and a minimum score of 6.0 in Speaking and Listening components.
You do not need an IELTS or equivalent certification if:
- you have a UK degree
- you have a degree from a majority English-speaking country (not taught by Distance Learning)
- you are a national of a majority English-speaking country
Degrees taught solely in English from non-majority English-speaking countries will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Find out more about our English language requirements.
If you do not meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Course costs and funding
Tuition fees (January 2025 start)
- Full-time: £8,900
- Part-time: £2,970 in year 1, £5,930 in year 2
(including Transition Scholarship)
- Full-time: £8,900
- Part-time: £2,970 in year 1, £5,930 in year 2
- Full-time: £17,200
- Part-time: £5,730 in year 1, £11,470 in year 2
Tuition fees (September 2025 / January 2026 start)
- Full-time: £9,400
- Part-time: £2,970 in year 1, £5,930 in year 2
(including Transition Scholarship)
- Full-time: £9,400
- Part-time: £2,970 in year 1, £5,930 in year 2
- Full-time: £17,200
- Part-time: £5,730 in year 1, £11,470 in year 2
University of Portsmouth graduates may receive a 20% alumni tuition fee discount.
Fees are subject to annual increase. Read our tuition fees terms and conditions.
You'll be able to pay your fees in instalments. Find out how to pay your tuition fees.
Tuition fees terms and conditions
Funding your studies
Find out more how to fund your studies, including the scholarships and bursaries you could get. You can also find more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.
If you're a UK student, you may be eligible for a Government postgraduate loan, which you can use to help with course fees and living costs.
Applying from outside the UK? Find out about funding options for international students and our international student scholarships.
Sport scholarships of up to £3,000 for student athletes
If you're competing at national standard or above in your sport, you may be eligible for funding. Around 20 student-athletes are awarded bursaries between £500 and £3000 per year.
Loans, scholarships and bursaries
Browse funding such as the Government Postgraduate Loan, our scholarships for new and returning students, and subject specific loans.
Funding for international students
Learn more about sponsorships, scholarships and loans for students applying from outside of the UK.
Fees and funding for Master's courses
Explore Master's funding options, including loans, scholarships, bursaries and more.
Additional costs
These course-related costs aren't included in the tuition fees, so you'll need to budget for them when you plan your spending. Additional costs could include:
- Accommodation: Accommodation options and costs can be found on our accommodation pages.
- Recommended reading: You can borrow key texts from the library and if you choose to purchase these texts they may cost up to £60 each.
- General costs: Such as photocopying, memory sticks, printing charges, binding and specialist printing. We suggest budgeting £75 per year.
- Final project transport or accommodation: where necessary, which related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.
Read more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.
Modules
Full-time
All modules on this MSc Clinical Exercise Physiology Master's are core.
Learn to understand fitness levels, using this to provide functional and prognostic information and create exercise plans as you assess the methods used to interpret health statuses in adults and children.
You'll build your understanding of the baseline assessments conducted on those undergoing clinical exercise testing and learn to implement suitable exercise testing protocols for people with chronic disease.
Discover how to undertake, perform, interpret and report the clinical cardiopulmonary exercise test and functional field tests, a key employability skill for an applied clinical exercise physiologist and researcher.
You'll critically assess research in clinical exercise physiology to uncover best clinical practice for managing complex, long-term health conditions.
You'll analyse research in physical activity and exercise interventions, using evidence to support the management of these conditions and explore how exercise physiology is used in healthcare.
Explore the causes, frequency, diagnosis, and treatment of long-term conditions using clinical guidelines and frameworks.
You'll analyse how both primary and secondary diseases affect the symptoms, diagnostic data, presentation, and management of complex long-term conditions, evaluating current literature and clinical guidance.
You'll examine different sets of symptoms to identify what diseases may be present and analyse treatment options for a range of long term conditions.
Gain an in-depth understanding of the factors that affect physical activity adherence and how the field of exercise and physical activity contributes to population health.
Develop your knowledge of theoretical and evidence-informed perspectives within exercise psychology and acquire skill sets that enable you to adapt research so it benefits applied practice.
Through feasibility and ethics reviews, you’ll design and undertake substantial independent study. You'll analyse your career development needs to inform a short-term and research-informed development plan.
You'll independently apply specialist research methods to critique, analyse, evaluate and report on your findings.
Through reflection, you'll evaluate your newly developed knowledge, skills, behaviours and experiences and assess their relevance towards a postgraduate career.
When you finish, you'll be equipped with the skills to blend research with practice and enhance your professional development.
Part-time (September start)
All modules on this MSc Clinical Exercise Physiology Master's are core.
Learn to understand fitness levels, using this to provide functional and prognostic information and create exercise plans as you assess the methods used to interpret health statuses in adults and children.
You'll build your understanding of the baseline assessments conducted on those undergoing clinical exercise testing and learn to implement suitable exercise testing protocols for people with chronic disease.
Discover how to undertake, perform, interpret and report the clinical cardiopulmonary exercise test and functional field tests, a key employability skill for an applied clinical exercise physiologist and researcher.
You'll critically assess research in clinical exercise physiology to uncover best clinical practice for managing complex, long-term health conditions.
You'll analyse research in physical activity and exercise interventions, using evidence to support the management of these conditions and explore how exercise physiology is used in healthcare.
Explore the causes, frequency, diagnosis, and treatment of long-term conditions using clinical guidelines and frameworks.
You'll analyse how both primary and secondary diseases affect the symptoms, diagnostic data, presentation, and management of complex long-term conditions, evaluating current literature and clinical guidance.
You'll examine different sets of symptoms to identify what diseases may be present and analyse treatment options for a range of long term conditions.
All modules on this MSc Clinical Exercise Physiology Master's are core.
You'll critically assess research in clinical exercise physiology to uncover best clinical practice for managing complex, long-term health conditions.
You'll analyse research in physical activity and exercise interventions, using evidence to support the management of these conditions and explore how exercise physiology is used in healthcare.
Develop a scientifically and ethically sound outline research proposal and conduct a project that will enhance your knowledge in your chosen area.
Apply appropriate research philosophy and design as you use qualitative analysis tools to produce a written report and poster that reports on your research findings.
Gain an in-depth understanding of the factors that affect physical activity adherence and how the field of exercise and physical activity contributes to population health.
Develop your knowledge of theoretical and evidence-informed perspectives within exercise psychology and acquire skill sets that enable you to adapt research so it benefits applied practice.
Part-time (January start)
All modules on this MSc Clinical Exercise Physiology Master's are core.
Learn to understand fitness levels, using this to provide functional and prognostic information and create exercise plans as you assess the methods used to interpret health statuses in adults and children.
You'll build your understanding of the baseline assessments conducted on those undergoing clinical exercise testing and learn to implement suitable exercise testing protocols for people with chronic disease.
Discover how to undertake, perform, interpret and report the clinical cardiopulmonary exercise test and functional field tests, a key employability skill for an applied clinical exercise physiologist and researcher.
You'll critically assess research in clinical exercise physiology to uncover best clinical practice for managing complex, long-term health conditions.
You'll analyse research in physical activity and exercise interventions, using evidence to support the management of these conditions and explore how exercise physiology is used in healthcare.
Explore the causes, frequency, diagnosis, and treatment of long-term conditions using clinical guidelines and frameworks.
You'll analyse how both primary and secondary diseases affect the symptoms, diagnostic data, presentation, and management of complex long-term conditions, evaluating current literature and clinical guidance.
You'll examine different sets of symptoms to identify what diseases may be present and analyse treatment options for a range of long term conditions.
All modules on this MSc Clinical Exercise Physiology Master's are core.
Gain an in-depth understanding of the factors that affect physical activity adherence and how the field of exercise and physical activity contributes to population health.
Develop your knowledge of theoretical and evidence-informed perspectives within exercise psychology and acquire skill sets that enable you to adapt research so it benefits applied practice.
Through feasibility and ethics reviews, you’ll design and undertake substantial independent study. You'll analyse your career development needs to inform a short-term and research-informed development plan.
You'll independently apply specialist research methods to critique, analyse, evaluate and report on your findings.
Through reflection, you'll evaluate your newly developed knowledge, skills, behaviours and experiences and assess their relevance towards a postgraduate career.
When you finish, you'll be equipped with the skills to blend research with practice and enhance your professional development.
Changes to course content
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry.
Facilities and specialist equipment
Biomechanics Laboratory
Use equipment including force plates, pressure plates and our electromyography system to explore the impact of exercise on the body in this lab, from the limits of human endurance to the effects of chronic health conditions.
Physiology Laboratory
This lab includes treadmills, a swim bench, ergometers and a physiological monitoring kit for analysing athletes' blood, heart rate, and urine.
Our £50m sports centre
Train and play in one of the UK's greenest sports centres, including an 8-lane swimming pool, virtual skiing, climbing wall and more.
How you'll spend your time
We recognise that you'll probably be juggling more demands when you do your Master's degree, as you may be working or you may have family responsibilities.
We'll give you as much indication here as we can of how much time you'll need to be on campus and how many hours you can expect to spend in self-directed study, but please note that these indications are always subject to change. You should receive your full timetable several weeks before you start with us.
Course structure
This Master’s degree will take:
- 1 year (full-time study)
- 2 years (part-time study)
You can expect:
- 6–10 hours of teaching time every week if you study full-time, or 3–5 hours each week if you study part-time. At the moment, this happens on-campus and on various days during the week
- 30 hours of independent study each week
In the last 3 months of the course you'll be focusing on your independent study project.
Master's study is deeper and more specialised than an undergraduate degree. This means you'll focus on something that really matters to you and your career as you work closely with academics committed to the subject.
You'll spend more time in independent study and research than you did for your undergraduate degree, but the majority of your teaching time will be in-person and face-to-face.
Teaching methods on this course include:
- seminars
- workshop and practical sessions
Assessment
You'll be assessed through:
- practical assessment
- research reports
- applied essays
- case studies
- project report
- poster presentation
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
Teaching staff
These are some of the expert staff who'll teach you on this course.
Dr Andrew Scott
Term dates
September start
The Master's academic year runs from September to the following September. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter. Over the summer you'll be writing your project / dissertation.
January start
Courses that start in January have the same amount of teaching as September-start courses, and run from January to the following January. There are breaks at Christmas, Easter and in the summer. In the last few months you’ll be writing your project / dissertation.
Joining us as an international student
You'll feel at home in our international community and our diverse city. You'll be joining over 5,000 international students from more than 150 countries who are studying with us.
Learn more about international student life and how we can help you with visas, applications, arrival and settling in.
Career development
Careers this Master's prepares you for
Once you graduate from this MSc Clinical Exercise Physiology degree, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to operate successfully in a clinical environment.
Depending on your choices during the Professional Development module, you'll also be able to work towards becoming a Clinical Exercise Physiologist. You’ll be set to provide services in physiology, health and fitness, exercise and science support in both the public and private sector – with the option to pursue professional certification and gain further training and experience in clinical physiology. Alternatively, you could proceed to a research degree.
Graduates of this course have gone into roles such as:
- Health and wellbeing physiologist
- Clinical exercise physiologist
- Exercise referral coordinator
- GP exercise referral coordinator
- NHS trainee clinical scientist
- Health advisor
- Cardiopulmonary exercise testing research technician
- Mental health exercise instructor
- NHS physical activities adviser
- Private exercise physiologist
Career outcomes shown are sourced from the latest available graduate outcome surveys. The data shows career outcomes at 15 months after graduation.
Career planning
During your course you'll have expert careers advice from our Careers and Employability Centre, your tutors and our Student Placements and Employability Centre. You can access support from our Careers and Employability Centre for up to 5 years after you graduate.
Career support
You'll benefit from:
- Networking events
- Applied projects with employers
- 1-to-1 appointments
- CV and cover letter advice
- Interview preparation and practice
- Workshops to enhance your employability skills
- Recruitment events including the Student and Graduate Opportunities Fair
- Support starting your own business
Supporting you
Master's study is more focused on independent learning than undergraduate study, but you'll get lots of support via video, phone and face-to-face from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:
Types of support
Your personal tutor helps you make the transition to postgraduate study and gives you academic and personal support throughout your course.
As well as regular scheduled meetings with your personal tutor, they're also available at set times during the week if you want to chat with them about anything that can't wait until your next meeting.
You'll have help from a team of faculty learning support tutors. They can help you improve and develop your academic skills and support you in any area of your study.
They can help with:
- improving your academic writing (for example, essays, reports, dissertations)
- understanding and using assignment feedback
- managing your time and workload
- revision and exam techniques
All our labs and practical spaces are staffed by qualified laboratory support staff. They’ll support you in scheduled lab sessions and can give you one-to-one help when you do practical research projects.
During term time, Faculty Academic Skills Tutors (AST) are available for bookable 1-to-1 sessions, small group sessions and online sessions. These sessions are tailored to your needs.
Support is available for skills including:
- University study
- Getting into the right study mindset
- Note-taking and note-making skills
- Referencing
- Presentation skills
- Time management, planning, and goal setting
- Critical thinking
- Avoiding plagiarism
If you have a disability or need extra support, the Additional Support and Disability Centre (ASDAC) will give you help, support and advice.
Our online Learning Well mini-course will help you plan for managing the challenges of learning and student life, so you can fulfil your potential and have a great student experience.
You can get personal, emotional and mental health support from our Student Wellbeing Service, in person and online. This includes 1–2–1 support as well as courses and workshops that help you better manage stress, anxiety or depression.
If you require extra support because of a disability or additional learning need our specialist team can help you.
They'll help you to
- discuss and agree on reasonable adjustments
- liaise with other University services and facilities, such as the library
- access specialist study skills and strategies tutors, and assistive technology tutors, on a 1-to-1 basis or in groups
- liaise with external services
Library staff are available in person or by email, phone, or online chat to help you make the most of the University’s library resources. You can also request one-to-one appointments and get support from a librarian who specialises in your subject area.
The library is open 24 hours a day, every day, in term time.
The Maths Cafe offers advice and assistance with mathematical skills in a friendly, informal environment. You can come to our daily drop-in sessions, develop your mathematics skills at a workshop or use our online resources.
If English isn't your first language, you can do one of our English language courses to improve your written and spoken English language skills before starting your degree. Once you're here, you can take part in our free In-Sessional English (ISE) programme to improve your English further.
How to apply
Unlike undergraduate applications, which go through UCAS, applications for this Master's course are made directly to us.
There's no deadline for applications to this course. We accept applications right up until the start dates in September and January, as long as there are places available. If you wait until your start month to apply, you may find that the course is full.
If you're applying as an international student, remember that you'll need to leave plenty of time to get your visa organised.
You can find more advice about applying in our Master's application checklist. International students and current students and recent graduates of the University of Portsmouth also have some different application options, which are detailed below.
Extra information for international students
If you're an international student, you can apply directly to us using the same application form as UK students.
You could also get an agent to help with your application. Check your country page for details of agents in your region. To find out what to include in your application, head to the how to apply page of our international students section.
If you don’t meet the English language requirements for this course yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Ready to apply?
Start this course in September 2025
Start this course in January 2026
I'm a current Portsmouth student, or a recent Portsmouth graduate
If you're currently in your final year of study at Portsmouth, or you graduated since July 2024, you're eligible to make a fast track application. You'll have:
- a shorter application form to complete
- access to the 20% Alumni fee discount
- a guaranteed conditional offer, for most Master's courses
After you apply
Once we receive your application, we may ask you for further information. We will then either make you an offer or suggest alternatives if your application is unsuccessful.
You'll usually get a decision within 10 working days, so you shouldn't have to wait too long. Some courses have an interview stage – we'll let you know if you need to prepare for one.
Learn more about how we assess your application.
Admissions terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.