Behaviour Change and Health (Taught)

This innovative course brings together the fields of behaviour change and health, opening up a host of career options where you can apply your expertise to promote health, modify behaviour and engender real change. Aligned with current public health policy, the course equips you to apply behavioural, social and sport sciences systematically to design, implement and evaluate impactful health interventions. Through placements and research project units, you gain practical skills and forge invaluable connections with a range of relevant organisations, researchers and clinicians.

Intermediate qualifications available:
Postgraduate certificate – 60 credits at Master's level
Postgraduate diploma – 120 credits at Master's level

If you would like more information, please contact:
Dr. Julia Fruer at julia.fruer@beds.ac.uk
Professor Angel Chater at angel.chater@beds.ac.uk

Course accreditation / industry endorsement
We increase the employability of our graduates by being a Higher Education Partner of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).

Facilities and specialist equipment

• BASES-accredited laboratories including molecular and cellular labs and a biomechanics lab with 3D camera system

• Community exercise clinic

• Human Performance Centre with environmental heat chamber

• Sports therapy and rehabilitation centre

• Virtual-reality resource centre

• Strength and conditioning suite

• Nutrition research kitchen

• Equipment includes industry-leading equipment such as Woodway and h/p/cosmos® treadmills; hydrostatic weighing tank; echocardiogram machines; breath-by-breath gas analysers; blood analysers; 3D high-speed motion-capture camera system; and a range of force plates

Industry links
We are official education partners of Luton Town FC and Bedford Blues RFC as well as other sporting organisations in the region, giving you opportunities to improve your employability through work placements. In addition, there are opportunities to develop personal and professional networks through our links with Sport England, governing bodies, active partnerships and health-industry experts. We also host a hub of the Policy Research Unit in Behavioural and Social Sciences.

Your student experience
Learn from a highly experienced academic team of behavioural scientists, exercise practitioners, nutritionists, physiologists, health psychologists and more, including internationally recognised behaviour change expert, Professor Angel Chater.
At our on-campus community exercise clinic, work with people experiencing conditions that impact their quality of life including cancer palliative care, stroke rehabilitation, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental health concerns and older age.
Access our Human Performance Centre, which helps train professional athletes and sports people including Team GB and junior Formula 1 racing driver, Frederik Vesti; the heat chamber is regularly used to acclimatise athletes taking on competitions and marathons in places with high temperatures.
Take up external placements at a range of relevant organisations within sport and health, putting knowledge into practice in the real world.
Develop personal and professional networks through our links with Sport England, governing bodies, policy partners, relevant associations, active partnerships and health-industry experts.
Our academics offer supervision in a range of topics for your final major research project, which includes working in real-world environments such as with Premier League football clubs; the Football Association (FA); rugby clubs; elite athletes; integrated care services; occupational health; the police and fire services; the NHS; public health; cardiac rehabilitation; and government bodies.

Please refer to our website for details on the course modules:
https://www.beds.ac.uk/courses/behaviour-change-and-health/