Master of Science in Sports Science and Physical Activity

This course is designed to familiar students with major research methods of postgraduate level that are applicable to Exercise Science. Knowledge acquired in this course will assist students in (1)understanding the nature of the research process and the various types of research methods; (2) developing the skills necessary for conducting an research project in Exercise Science; (3) reading, interpreting, analyzing and examining research findings from journal articles in the areas of Exercise and Sports science. At the end of the course, students should be able to demonstrate the knowledge and understand the principles and practices of acquiring knowledge and solving problems through research. They are also expected to be able to use various research methods in examining a topic in Exercise and Sports Science that will lead to the successful completion of the Research Project.

This course is designed to facilitate the development of postgraduate students’ research interests and ideas, and to build a community of collaborative research projects. The course provides a platform for teachers and graduate students to discuss and generate ideas on issues related to a variety of sports science and physical activity research topics. Students will present an in-depth study of a research topic of their choice, discuss issues among postgraduate students, teachers, and with invited experts in the field of research. Class formats include research presentation, discussion, debate and problem solving on selected issues. In the Research Colloquia, students are given an opportunity to integrate their knowledge, skills and practical experience gained in the program.

The aim of this course is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to collect, input, manage, analyze, and present research data using quantitative and qualitative approaches. By providing students with key concepts and methods of a range of study designs and data analysis approaches, another important objective is to help students understand the methodological details provided in scientific publications. Common quantitative (e.g., analysis of variance, multiple regression approaches) and qualitative methods (e.g., inductive and deductive approaches) will be covered in this course. More advanced methods, such as systematic reviews and meta-analysis, will also be introduced. After completing the course, students will be able to complete data entry, cleaning/coding, select the appropriate analytical methods and conduct analyses independently. Students will also be equipped with the basic skills to present the analyzed data in different modes (e.g., scientific writing, poster presentation, and verbal presentations). Students are expected to possess basic knowledge in research methods within the field of sports science and physical activity, and basic computer skills, prior to taking this course.

The aim of this course is to provide the students with up-to-date and research-based information for understanding the physiological aspects of exercise. This course will examine the current concepts of energy metabolism and other physiological responses to exercise and training. Emphasis will be placed on the application of such knowledge upon the improvement of exercise performance and upon the promotion of exercise. The students will be provided with hands-on experience of conducting laboratory work which examines the metabolic responses to exercise.

The aim of this course is to provide students with a sound understanding of the basic principles of human nutrition, and to build on this to cover in greater depth issues relating to the interactions between nutrition and exercise. The course will cover both the role of nutrition and exercise in a healthy lifestyle and nutrition for sports performance. Contents will include factors influencing sports performance, food intake and energy balance during rest, exercise and recovery; influence of nutrients on exercise performance; fluid balance and performance; protein nutrition and strength; and nutritional supplements. Practical work will be used to illustrate the topics covered in lectures, and written practical reports will be required.

This course is intended to provide students with knowledge on health benefits of physical activity/inactivity from a behavioral epidemiological perspective. Students’ learning experience will be oriented on original research and significant authority reports. In addition, students will be enlightened in relation to assessment of lifestyle physical activity as well as the multilevel influencing factors of physical activity behaviors not only in a global but also in a local perspective. The practical part of this course enables students to get acquainted with the widely applied objective physical activity measurement monitors in the field. By applying the knowledge, students will be able to understand the significance and difficulties of promoting physical activity in our daily lives.

Keeping physically active and fit has been proven to be an effective strategy for improving one's quality of life, as well as preventing and treating chronic diseases. Physical fitness assessment is an indispensable part of an athletes training regimen. Hence, periodical assessment and evaluation of one's physical fitness level, becomes a fundamental part in maintaining and evaluating one's health. Knowledge, skill and the ability to conduct advanced fitness testing are essential requirements for most sports science research. This course is designed to enhance students' understanding of current trends in physical fitness evaluation, as well as to ascertain the skills and abilities needed to conduct advanced fitness testing. Subject matter related to theories, rationales, laboratory skills, and measurement techniques in current health and fitness evaluation will be discussed. This course is particularly useful for postgraduate students, as it will provide the fundamental and advanced knowledge and competency needed for their future health-related research projects. Lectures, group discussion, and laboratory experience are all expected.

This course examines the structure and function of the human body with a particular emphasis being provided on the aetiology of various common sporting injuries. Mechanical properties of connective tissue and muscle will be reviewed with a focus on: (1) tissue adaptation with physical activity and exercise, and (2) tissue failure in response to improper acute or chronic mechanical loading during sporting endeavors. Approaches that are used to examine the mechanisms of various sporting injuries will be discussed.

This course provides an overview of the key biomechanical concepts that are important for improving physical functioning and sports performance. A background of common quantitative biomechanical measurement techniques (motion analysis, electromyography, force plates, and other measurement devices) is provided so that students can understand background concepts and also read the related literature with confidence.

This course aims to help students acquire knowledge of sports injury and rehabilitation; as well as basic practical skills in assessing, managing and preventing common musculoskeletal injuries associated with sports and exercise participation.

Effective exercise prescriptions are an essential part of improving one's physical fitness and overall health. However, in order to provide an effective exercise program, exercise prescriptions must be individualized and specific to the participant's unique health conditions. As chronic illnesses, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and lower-back disorder, become increasingly prevalent in modern urban settings, exercise prescriptions for the general population should be modified in order to cater to the specific medical indications of specific populations. Given that a regular exercise training program is recognized as good preventative medicine for chronic diseases, this course is designed to introduce information about specialized exercise prescription to meet the needs of general citizens and people with particular medical conditions. Students will be expected to become familiar with exercise prescriptions for general healthy populations and to use this knowledge to design exercise programs for targeted populations with specific chronic diseases.

This course includes the principles and theories on fitness training for health and sports performance and the teaching will use an integrated approach. Emphasis will be placed on the understanding of the fitness components, training and its teaching with the up-to-date science and technologies. In addition, the learning regimes will be applied together with the planning and implementation of the appropriate fitness programmes.

The implementation of digital solutions in physical education embraces the basic fundamentals present in various aspects of modern education reform. This undertaking entails using technology to empower students and restructuring the learning process to enhance student engagement. Wearable technology, such as bracelets, adds a visual element to physical activities, thereby providing students with a digital representation of their activity levels. Furthermore, access to online resources enables physical educators to substantially expand what constitutes physical education. Numerous online instructional materials are available for different types of sports and physical activities that can be implemented in class, thereby providing students with a break from the norm. However, digital solutions go beyond merely enhancing the levels of student engagement and altering the curriculum by facilitating the extension of the educators’ influence outside the gymnasium and into the classroom. This course aims to explore and conduct experiment on the benefits and limitations of using technology as a pedagogical tool to conduct sports classes and physical activity sessions in contemporary society.

The course aims to introduce the principles of motor skill learning and how these principles apply in the areas of sports science and physical activity. Emphasis will be placed on the essential concepts in the acquisition of motor skills using a developmental approach. The course will address the overall questions of how people learn motor skills.

This course is designed to cover current topics and issues relevant to psychology of sports and physical activity. Topics include personality, motivation, stress and anxiety, eating disorders, overtraining, aggression, and psychological skills training. Based on key issues, students will learn how to apply theoretical principles and research findings in the sport and physical activity contexts.

This course is designed to examine a number of key areas on how social and cultural influence on physical activity and its related issues. A range of sociological perspectives is utilized in which students can critically examine contemporary concepts of physical activity, physical literacy, sport, exercise and physical education. These areas are chosen to highlight the role, function and meaning which physical activity play in society.

The aim of this advanced course is to examine the theoretical and practical issues surrounding school physical education from a sociological perspective. The objectives are to increase the depth of understanding of what is meant by a critical sociology of physical education and to familiarize the student with the sociology of physical education literature. In addition, the course will critically examine physical education practices in Hong Kong.

The course begins by defining sport and other forms of physical activity and discussing the relationship between sport and society, both past and present. The course then examines the difference between sports management and sports development and, in more detail, the scope, purpose, principles and framework of sports development. The course then looks at various sports delivery systems and, in detail, the process of strategic planning for sports development. Strategic planning and sports development models are evaluated during the course. The strategic and developmental plans of selected organizations in the public and private sectors will be discussed.

This course aims to help students to acquire knowledge of the basic concepts in sport marketing and sport sponsorship and the skills required in drawing up marketing plans and strategies in organizing sports events and sponsorship deals. Topics including the special nature of sport marketing, marketing management in sport, customer relationship management, sports pricing strategies, sport event as a product, customer’s and sport organization’s buying behaviour, sport market research and marketing information systems, sport sponsorship packages, public relations and promotion, ambush marketing and legal aspects in sport sponsorships will be covered. Other than lectures, students are requested to conduct case studies in sport marketing and to draw up a sport event marketing plan to earn hands-on experience.

With the rapid development of global economies and technology, modern information technology has been entering the field of sports and physical activity. At present, within international and domestic sports organizations and management structures, supporting athletes training through the use of sports specific equipment, research and development facilities, sports information networks and sports utility software applications have become commonplace and indispensable.This course will examine the professional needs of practitioners involved in using digital technologies and their applications within the sport, exercise and health contexts. A key element of this course will be to develop a deeper understanding of recent emerging technologies that can aid with improving health from clinical devices to active lifestyle aids, how they are developed, how they can be used and how to utilize them in research and practice.Maximising the usage of IT for the advancements of various disciplines within the Sports Science sector will be involved in this course, investigating issues such as Motion Analysis of Human Movement, Sports Biomechanics and the use of Big Data metrics in assessing performance, both during competition and in training. The use of biomedical software in monitoring every movement in an athlete’s or individual’s kinetic chain - their muscles and joints, so as to fine-tune technique for performance/health/safety enhancement will also be examined.

The course of Professional Attachment is designed to expose students to their professional role by completing hours of field experience and a specialized project in the actual setting of the sports science industry. Such experience is important for clarifying and broadening career goals. Through practical attachment, students would be provided opportunity to apply what has been learned from the programme into a real industry setting; to extend and deepen the knowledge gained from the programme; to conduct critical analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of knowledge; and to develop skills and values that were acquired both in the classroom and the practicum. The essence of the course is to put theory into practice. Due to the nature of the application, students are required to complete at least 12 credits of course work with minimum GPA of 2.7. Students enrolled in the attachment will continue their other course work during the regular terms, and could simultaneously engage in practical attachment at any time during the course of the MSc study, with mutual agreement between the course supervisor and the field tutor. Opportunity and selection of the interested industry can be initiated by the students and/or recommended by the course supervisor. Students should engage in not less than 100 hours of field placement to be agreed upon by your supervisor and field tutor. During the attachment period students are required to conduct a specialized project and submit a project report at the end for grading purpose. Performance observation report from the field tutor is also an integral part of the course assessment. This course is suitable for part-time students only and the course implementation is arranged in the 2nd term of the 2nd year of the part-time programme. Students must have obtained written approval from the Programme Director at least one term in advance before being accepted to the course.

The purpose of this course is to allow the students to pursue advanced guided individual study in selected areas of Sports Science and Physical Activity. It will provide the opportunity for students to review the literature of their fields of interest and to prepare for the writing of their Project proposals. Examples are topics within the areas of exercise promotion, health related fitness, psycho-social application in sports and physical activity, physical activity measurement and evaluation, surveillance, sports training and coaching, administration, physical education as well as health and wellness education, etc. A student is expected to read according to a reading list prescribed or approved by the supervisors and to confer regularly with the supervisor. Assessment is based on the completion of reading and course requirements.

The Research Project aims to develop the student's ability to conduct independent research in the area of Sports Science and Physical Activity. It represents a step beyond the tutor directed Research Colloquia and Guided Study conducted in previous course. The Project will be expected to be an original research within the student's area of interest. Any relevant topic may be the subject of research, subject only to the agreement of the course committee, the availability of the necessary facilities, and the identification of a suitable supervisor. The Project must address a clearly identified problem and show evidence of familiarity with relevant literature, an appropriate experimental design and methodology, and a satisfactory interpretation of the results. At the conclusion of this course, students should be able to: 1) plan a research project; 2) conduct research in a professional and ethical manner; 3) present research effectively in written form; and 4) demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a relevant area. (Part-time students who obtain accumulative GPA of 3.0 or above in their first year of attendance are eligible to take the course).