Program Overview

International Foundation Year in Health Sciences

The International Foundation Year in Health Science is a preparatory academic programme designed for international students aspiring to pursue undergraduate degrees in a field of health science.

This foundation year equips students with essential knowledge and skills in subjects such as biology, mathematics, and English for academic purposes. You will study core modules, which are general skills subjects, and specialised modules tailored to your chosen area of study, all of which are important for your academic development.

Upon successful completion and achieving the required grades, students are well-prepared to enter a range of degrees in fields related to health science, such as nursing, physiotherapy, sports science and podiatry.

Why study Health Science at Huddersfield?

• Degrees typically include placements, such as clinical practice in local hospitals and NHS trusts, to gain practical experience in a real-world setting.
• Access a range of specialist facilities, including a new £250m National Health Innovation Campus, a biomechanics laboratory, simulated children’s ward and physiotherapy practical rooms.

Leading to: Sport and Exercise Science BSc (Hons)

The course aims to develop your scientific and critical understanding of issues relevant to sport and exercise to improve both performance and health. It brings together a diverse and fascinating range of subjects including anatomy, biomechanics, physiology, psychology and nutrition.

This course prepares you for a highly rewarding career including sports science support, physical activity coordinator, health advisor, sports development officer, personal trainer, exercise referral specialist; or after further training, a teacher in educational settings or a researcher.

How will you learn?

• You’ll learn how the body responds and adapts to exercise, how to optimise sport performance and how to promote positive behaviour change to improve health.
• You’ll be able to use the fantastic range of facilities and specialist equipment in our biomechanics and physiology laboratories: from measuring fitness through gas analysis, to measuring reaction forces on the Kistler Force Plate, and capturing high-speed movements on our 3D motion analysis system.
• In your second year, you’ll go on a work placement, which will provide you with the opportunity to apply your skills in a real-world context.
• In your final year you’ll select a discipline specialisation and you will complete a student led research project.
• This course is endorsed by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) ensuring that you are exposed to the interdisciplinary nature of sport and exercise science, in addition to a focus on research.
• This course is also endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), the professional development body for the UK’s sport and physical activity sector. This will enable you to gain industry recognised standards and qualifications, including Gym Instructor, Personal Trainer and Working with People with Long-Term Conditions, which are recognised by major employers in the sector aligned to your degree. You’ll also be able to apply for annual student membership of CIMSPA, and graduate membership upon successful completion of your course