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Sport and Exercise Science (with Placement year)

Entry requirements


GCSE/National 4/National 5

3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above, including English and Maths.

UCAS Tariff

104

from a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent), including a pass in Psychology, Physical Education, Sports Studies or a Science subject.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Sport and exercise sciences

Want to turn your love of sport and fitness into a lifelong career? Sport and Exercise Science graduates are in demand, whether you want to encourage and support people to take up sports and exercise, work in a clinical environment – or help propel them to the top of their game.

At ARU, we're proud to be ranked third in the country for sports science courses in the Guardian League Table 2022.

Study sports science with world-leading experts in our specialist labs in Cambridge, on a degree course endorsed by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES). Here, you’ll learn to apply the four key disciplines of sport and exercise science: physiology, psychology, biomechanics and nutrition.

Our Sport and Exercise Science degree course is also endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), so you'll graduate ready to work in the UK’s burgeoning sport and fitness industry or to continue your learning journey to postgraduate study. Find out more about our approved and accredited courses.

There are plenty of opportunities to get hands-on experience, with internships and an optional placement year.

On our Sport and Exercise Science degree course at ARU, you’ll explore the scientific principles and techniques that underpin health, wellbeing and sporting performance.

Sports and exercise scientists can work at all levels, from the general population to elite performance – and our course prepares you for that.

You’ll study the nature of the human machine: how this operates when engaged in sport and exercise, and how to interpret and evaluate its responses.

Our students are based in the Cambridge Centre for Sports and Exercise Sciences. Here, you’ll learn to work safely and ethically as a sport and exercise scientist in our laboratories. There’s the chance to hear from world-leading guest speakers too, through our Excellence in Sports seminar series; and to take part in training opportunities, such as working as a strength and condition coach or as part of the student led Physiology testing consultancy team.

As you’d expect from a university that’s passionate about sport, you’ll find an array of array of sports clubs and societies here.

And to top it all off, there’s financial support on offer for talented athletes.

Modules

Year 1 Modules
Multidisciplinary Sport and Exercise Science 1
Introduction to Sport Coaching & Development
Practical Delivery of Sport and Physical Education
Multidisciplinary Sport and Exercise Science 2
Professional Development - Level 4

Year 2 Core Modules
Applied Research Skills
Practical Competencies in Biomechanics
Physiological Profiling for Strength and Power
Psychological Profiling for Sport
Professional Development - Level 5
Ruskin Module

Year 2 Optional Modules
Nutrition for Health and Exercise
Perceptual Motor Skills
Strength and Conditioning
Biomechanics: Analysis of Motion
Physiological Profiling for Endurance

Year 3 Core Modules
Work Placement - Psychology and Sport Sciences

Year 4 Core Modules
Physiological Responses to Training
Physiological Basis of Training

Year 4 Optional Modules
Undergraduate Research Project
Advanced Work Placement
Applied Biomechanics
Applied Sports Psychology
Advanced Strength and Conditioning
Performance and Exercise Nutrition
Current Topics in Biomechanics
Exercise Medicine
Contemporary Issues in SEP Psychology

Assessment methods

Throughout the course, we’ll use a range of assessment methods to help you measure your progress. These include presentations, practical skills tests, scientific reports, case study critiques, online assessments and a research project. We’ll also encourage you to reflect on your work, and participate in peer assessment.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Cambridge Campus

Department:

School of Psychology and Sport Science

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

81%
Sport and exercise sciences

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Sport and exercise sciences

Teaching and learning

85%
Staff make the subject interesting
89%
Staff are good at explaining things
87%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
81%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

83%
Library resources
94%
IT resources
94%
Course specific equipment and facilities
74%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

87%
UK students
13%
International students
71%
Male students
29%
Female students
76%
2:1 or above
20%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Sport and exercise sciences

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
93%
low
Employed or in further education
58%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

25%
Sports and fitness occupations
15%
Teaching and educational professionals
8%
Childcare and related personal services

One of the fastest growing subjects in the country, the number of sports science graduates went from under 3,000 in 2003 to over 10,000 in 2013. Numbers have fallen slightly since 2015, but we still have over 9,000 graduates in the subject. However, the good news is the country's appetite for good health and fitness - and the adaptability of graduates in the subject - means that sports science grads are less likely than average to be out of work. Sports science graduates, not surprisingly, tend to get jobs in sport, fitness and health - coaching and teaching especially - but they're found all over the economy. Management and business are also popular options for graduates from this subject — and sports science graduates are particularly found where drive, determination and physical fitness are an advantage.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Sport and exercise sciences

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£17k

£17k

£23k

£23k

£26k

£26k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here