All students will engage with continuous assessments. Students will be assessed during each semester by continuous assessments and end of semester exams. In module 7 in semester 2, students will attend a three week long hands-on training workshop to gain practical experience in exercise testing and physiological methods of evaluating performance and exercise prescription and application of their knowledge. Students will also attend a two-day workshop on professionalism and learn about the roles and responsibilities of an exercise specialist.

Students must have completed BSc (NFQ Level 7) in Physiology, Biomedical Science, Exercise Science, Nursing and Health Science, Physiotherapy, Podiatry or any other relevant biology or medical science area with at least a 2nd class. (Students who have received a BSc Honors qualification or equivalent will be given preference in the shortlisting process.) Adult learners seeking additional qualifications are also welcome. Work experience in the relevant area will be an advantage. This course is suitable for students interested in a career in exercise prescription and graduates upon completion of this course will be eligible to register with REPs Ireland and American Association of Personal Trainers (AAPT). For applicants where English is a second language, we will adhere to NUIG guidelines of requiring IELTS scores of 6.5, TOEFL scores of 88 and/or Pearson PTE scores of 61 with no less than 6.5 in any component. Selection criteria: Initially a shortlisting procedure will be applied to prioritise applicants. Those who do not meet the primary entry criteria as described above will be declined entry into the program. The remaining applicants will be reviewed in closer detail. Significant weight will be placed on A) the applicant’s essay describing their motivation for applying for this course and their career aspirations following the successful completion of the MSc, B) the applicant’s referee’s comments and C) the applicant’s previous academic performance.