Course details

Summary

For students with an interest in pursuing a career in the sport field, this new coursework-based master’s degree allows students to specialize or broaden their expertise.

Courses will draw on sport science research, as well as experts in the field from within and outside UC, to provide students with historically and culturally grounded knowledge and skills. Students will have flexibility to choose courses in biomechanics, exercise physiology, sport psychology, sport nutrition, strength and conditioning and performance analysis.

This one-year master’s degree could lead to a career in high performance sport, or allow established professionals to upskill and update their sport science knowledge.

Subjects and courses

MSS requires 180 points of coursework, with some compulsory courses.

Compulsory courses:

SSCI 403 The Competitive Edge: Innovation in Sport Science (30 points)

HLTH 464 Research Approaches for Health (30 points)

SSCI 404 Advanced Internship for Sport Science (30 points).

Optional courses:

A minimum of 30 points selected from a list of courses in Schedule B. Courses cover areas such as exercise science, biomechanics, sport psychology, nutrition or health behaviour change.

Project or dissertation

SSCI 680 Sport Science Research Project (30 points) or SSCI681 Sport Science Dissertation (60 points).

Further study

Students can go on to study a PhD in Health Sciences or Biological Sciences.

Career opportunities

Graduates of this new applied master’s degree will have a well-rounded view of sport science. Potential roles for graduates include:

• Sports Scientist/Strength and Conditioning Specialist positions in professional sport, working with teams or individual athletes, or in national and international sporting organizations
• Development officer for professional sporting and health orientated organizations
• Corporate and community health and fitness consultant
• Health promotion/lifestyle consultant
• Athletic/sports programme coordinator.

Graduates from the MSS would be eligible for accreditation with Sport and Exercise Science New Zealand (SESNZ).

Entry criteria

Normally the minimum requirement is a three-year bachelor’s degree from a New Zealand university, or a qualification or combination of qualifications considered to be equivalent.

If you gained your qualifications overseas, these will need to be assessed to make sure they are of an equivalent standard.

You should have completed a sport and/or science-related New Zealand degree, or equivalent, and normally should have achieved at least a B average in 300-level courses in this degree.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 575 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum B+ grade; CAE or CPE score of 176 with a minimum of 169 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 64 and no PTE communicative skills score below 58.