HEALTHY OPTION: Dr Gareth Davison, MSc course director, Professor Hugh McKenna, Dean of the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Stephen Wilson, Senior Manager, Planning and Coordination at the HPA, Dr Marie Murphy, Head of the School of Sports Studies, and Professor I-Min Lee,from the Harvard School of Public Health 

With the increasing recognition that regular physical activity is essential to lifelong health and wellbeing, the University of Ulster is introducing a new postgraduate programme that will help shape the future for Northern Ireland's health promotion professionals of tomorrow.

The Masters degree in Physical Activity and Population Health represents a new initiative from the School of Sports Studies, and has received support from the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA).

The programme - which will be delivered at Jordanstown – will begin in September on both a full-time and part-time basis, and has been developed as a response to increased interest in exercise and health. 

With modules covering issues from leadership and management in promoting public health, to the psychology of physical activity, and exercise and nutrition, course director Dr Gareth Davison (pictured), says the new post-graduate opportunity offers much more than any other course in its field.

“The important thing is to begin making people aware of the health benefits of taking part in even a small amount of physical activity. What this new MSc. programme will do is provide people with expert knowledge to become exercise and health promotion officers in local communities, adding continued professionalism to these positions.

“People who graduate from this course will go on to become the people who shape and form the future of physical activity in our society.”

Stephen Wilson, Senior Manager, Planning and Coordination for the HPA said: “This is the first course of its kind in Northern Ireland and we are delighted to have been involved in advising on the content. The need for such a course reflects the increasing recognition that physical activity is so important for our overall health and wellbeing.”

The course has also gained the backing of internationally acclaimed expert on physical activity Professor I-Min Lee, from the Harvard School of Public Health.

At a guest lecture at the University’s Jordanstown campus on the problems faced through inactive lifestyles, Professor Lee lent her support to the programme: “The importance of educating people on the benefits of physical activity can not be under-estimated.

"This new and exciting course is testament to the excellent ongoing research that the University of Ulster has carried out on exercise and health, and will benefit the future health of society immensely.”

For further information, please contact:

David Young
Telephone: 028 90366074
Email: David Young