Whether you want to work with your sporting heroes, with children, or the general public, this subject area offers access to a range of rewarding, active, and hands-on jobs.
With a qualification in sport and exercise science, you may want to work with athletes on sports performance, become a sports coach or teacher, or manage a gym or fitness centre. You might be employed by a professional sports team, a local authority, the NHS, or a private fitness company, among others. You could also work for yourself. Some roles, like coaching and teaching roles or sports psychology, may require further study. Alternatively, you may choose to go into business management or community engagement projects, depending on what inspires you; you could even become a sports broadcaster! On most courses – and certainly on an apprenticeship – you’ll spend time in industry, which will give you networking opportunities and a great insight into where this subject could take you.
The impact you could make
Choose further study to become a sport psychologist with your favourite football or sports team
Set yourself up as a personal trainer and change people’s lives through fitness
Work with a sporting governing body to improve access to sports for all
What you could study
Anatomy and physiology
Sport biomechanics and kinesiology
Data description and analysis
Biochemistry and cell biology
Foundations of sport and exercise psychology
Applied studies across sport performance and health
International student from Peru. Passionate about sports.
My personal goal is to obtain my degree and work in football clubs to help develop athletes' performance and wellbeing.
Amber
University of Lincoln
Sport and Exercise Science - BSc (Hons)
I previously studied A levels: business, biology and BTEC sport at sixth form. I am currently studying sport and exercise science and am 2nd year. After graduating I am thinking about either studying a masters in Physiotherapy or perhaps joining the police. I am part of the University ladies 1’s hockey team and play games on Wednesdays. I also go to the University gym on a regular basis.
I’m here to help and happy to answer any questions you may have!
Gemma
Staffordshire University
Sport and Exercise
Hii, I'm a current Physical Education and Sports coaching student at Staffordshire university. If you want to ask any questions about Sport at Staffs feel free to message.
I'm always here to help and will respond as quick as possible :)
Izzie
Solent University
BSc (Hons) Sports and Exercise Therapy
Hi my name is Izzie! I am currently in my first year of university at Solent and I am studying Sports and Exercise Therapy. I am eager to learn more about my course each day and advance my knowledge! I previously finished my A levels and wanted to pursue a career in the sports. I love playing hockey and during sixth form I played for my school team and also played for my home town, therefore I decided to carry on playing and now play for the Women's Hockey team here at Solent. It's so interesting to see a different dynamic of playing depending on what teams you are playing for. Outside of sports, I love baking as well as going for long walks in the countryside, to help me relax when I might be feeling stressed.
Mike
Bangor University
Sport and Exercise Sciences
I'm a fully qualified electrician with 12 years of experience in the construction industry. Transitioned to pursuing a degree in Sport and Exercise Science at Bangor University with specific interest in Talent Identification and Development . My personal interests are bodybuilding and reading stoic philosophy which contribute to my commitment to personal and professional growth.
Ellanor
University of Lincoln
Sport and Exercise Therapy - BSc (Hons)
I'm currently in my second year of studying sport and exercise therapy at the University of Lincoln. I also joined Lincoln Jets cheerleading society in my first year that I continue to be a part of.
Archie
University of East Anglia UEA
Physical Education, Sports Development and Physical Activity and Health
Hey! I went to uni after completing my GCSEs and A-Levels and with the smallest clue of what I wanted to do for a career. Now, in my final year I can say it was the best decision for me, gifting me the chance to grow into an adult with adult responsibilities amongst others in the same situation and has aligned and inspired my interests for the future. Through my course I’ve become keen to pursue personal training and work in the fitness industry! Uni has so far been the most fun experience and by throwing myself into everything on offer like socials; sports; societies I would say I’ve had a quite well-rounded experience of university.
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"I loved the Child Development module. It gave us the opportunity to explore creative ways of teaching and support the needs of the pupils as individuals."
Second year sport, PE, and health student at Cardiff Metropolitan University
Example project
"A needs analysis and training programme for an athlete, analysing movement for a specific sport."
Second year sport and exercise science student at Middlesex University
Subjects it's useful to have studied first
Some sport and exercise science courses or apprenticeships will have requirements for previous qualifications in certain subjects.
Biology or human biology
Maths
Physics
Chemistry
Psychology
Physical education
Hard skills you'll develop
Physical education
Child protection
Risk analysis
Lesson planning
Soft skills you'll develop
Teaching
Management
Communication
Careers: Where it can take you
Find out more about your career prospects from studying sport and exercise science. The following information is based on a typical sports and leisure management role.
You may not have heard of a clinical exercise physiologist, but they often have a degree in sports science, and work in hospitals or medical settings. They’ll work with patients to assess their needs, and prescribe exercises to help them improve or manage a range of health conditions, including things like long Covid. They may also advise on health and lifestyle interventions. They’ll often work in collaboration with other health professionals, especially within the NHS.
Take our careers quiz to find your ideal job matched to your personality type.
Getting in: Entry requirements
Find out more about what you'll need to study sport and exercise science at university or as an apprenticeship.
Average requirements for undergraduate degrees
Entry requirements differ between university and course, but this should give you a guide to what is usually expected from sport and exercise science applicants.
A levels
AAB
Scottish Highers
AAABB
Vocational
BTEC DDD
Other Level 3/Level 6 qualifications (e.g. Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma or SQCF Level 6) may be accepted as an alternative
Listen to our brand new podcast all about degree apprenticeships in science. Find out about funding, what day-to-day life is like, making friends, and more from our expert panel.
Go deeper into topics around sport and exercise science with the following.
The Physiological Society
Take a look at the The Physiological Society YouTube video explaining what sport and exercise science is, to features on things like the science of cycling or training at altitude, their site will give you lots of insights into your subject area.
Sport England
Sport England aims to give everyone in England the chance to benefit from sport and physical activity. See what initiatives are currently being funded to get children and other people more physically active, and to give you an insight into what areas you might want to work in.
The High Performance Podcast
Whilst not specifically focused on sports science, The High Performance Podcast podcast interviews people who’ve excelled in their chosen field, and explores how they’ve done that. Guests include England women’s manager Sarina Wiegman and England cricketer Stuart Broad.
BBC Sport
Keep up to date with sports news and what’s happening in the industry and in different sports on BBC Sport .
Application advice
Whether it's personal statement tips or what to write in a cover letter for an apprenticeship application, our application advice will help you get ahead in your sport and exercise science journey.
Have a look at what the course involves, and write about the aspects that interest you. If the course is more focused on natural sciences, talk about what you like about, for example, the biological aspects of this subject, and why you want to explore it further. If the course is more focused on social sciences, show your passion for those subjects.
Reference any relevant news, features, or people you’ve been following that relate to the subject, and explain what areas you want to explore further.
Demonstrate your involvement in sport and what you’ve got out of it, whether that’s individual sport, being part of a team, or being a coach or leader. How does what you’ve learned tie in with what you want to do with a sports science qualification?
Try and get some work experience in the area you think you want to work in, whether that’s volunteering as a coach, shadowing in a school or youth club, or getting a part-time job at a leisure centre.
Talk about yourself, your interpersonal skills, communication skills, and other attributes like time management and negotiation skills, that will benefit you on this course and beyond.
We asked admissions tutors to share their dos and don’ts for writing a strong and engaging sport and exercise science personal statement. Here's what they told us.