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Science of Sport Performance

Entry requirements


GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE English Language and Maths at Grade 4 or above (Grade C for GCSEs taken before 2017). Key Skills Level 2, Functional Skills Level 2 and the Certificate in Adult Literacy/Numeracy are accepted in place of GCSEs.

UCAS Tariff

112-128

A minimum 72-80 from two A Levels or equivalent, e.g. BTEC Nationals or Cambridge Technicals, excluding General Studies. At least one of these should normally be from a science subject, which can include Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Physical Education or Psychology. If you are studying Biology, Chemistry or Physics to meet this requirement you must also achieve a 'Pass' in the practical assessment, where that practical assessment is separated (from 2017)

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

6 years | Part-time | 2024

Subject

Sport and exercise sciences

**Develop essential practical skills and scientific knowledge in preparation for a career in sport performance.**

Immerse yourself in the science of sport to help develop the high-performance athletes of today and tomorrow. Your studies will allow you to develop the essential knowledge and skills required to pursue a career in sport performance.

As part of your course, you’ll:

- Develop expertise in the interdisciplinary sciences of sport performance, drawing on disciplines including biomechanics, nutrition, physiology and psychology

- Advance practical and research techniques and have the confidence to use performance-measuring equipment and technologies to evaluate athletes at all stages of their development

- Study performance approaches within individual and team contexts and learn to apply these models to virtually any sport

- Engage in work-related learning and practical placements in multiple sport settings

**Find out more**

**Refine your practitioner skills**
This course is one of the few undergraduate programmes in the UK that focuses on using multi and interdisciplinary science to augment performance in a range of client groups.

As you apply your knowledge, you’ll refine your self-awareness, becoming a sport performance practitioner capable of understanding and responding to your clients’ individual needs so they can achieve their performance objectives while also maintaining or enhancing their health and wellbeing needs.

**Development opportunities**
Alongside your studies, you’ll be able to apply for professional development opportunities through the school’s internship programme, offering work experience and valuable networking opportunities that could help you to secure your first professional role after graduation.

**Sporting expertise**
As a student in the Carnegie School of Sport, you’ll be able to draw on 20 years of expertise in delivering sport education programmes.

Your studies will be bolstered by a rich sporting infrastructure here at Leeds Beckett. During all three years of study, you’ll be provided with a wide range of work-based learning opportunities. These could involve providing support to student athletes competing at BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sport) level or being immersed in real-world placements with professional organisations and partners such as Yorkshire Carnegie, Leeds Rhinos, or Perform Group.

Representatives from our sporting partners will serve as guest assessors on the course, evaluating your development as a sport performance practitioner and ensuring your learning experience is as authentic as possible.

**Boost your experience**
You’ll also have the opportunity to gain additional experience and qualifications through vocational involvement with our university’s Sport & Active Lifestyles schemes that provide fitness, physical activity, and coaching programmes for our staff and students.

**Why study Science of Sport Performance at Leeds Beckett University**

- Fully prepare for undergraduate study

- Develop the skills to work with the next generation of elite athletes

- Gain real-world experience and make connections through our new internship programme

- Study in our new £45m state-of-the-art Carnegie School of Sport building

- Sport volunteering opportunities, which have previously included the Olympics, World Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games

Modules

Year 1 Core Modules:
- Human Movement
- Physiology of Testing & Training
- Personal, Professional & Academic Development in Sport Performance
- Young Athlete Development
- Human Behaviour in Sport & Exercise Science
- Nutrition & Biochemistry for Sport & Exercise

Year 2 Core Modules:
- Biomechanics & Performance Analysis
- Science of Physiological Adaptations
- Professional Development in Sport Performance
- Research in Practice for Sport Performance
- Athlete Lifestyle & Career Support
- The Developing Strength & Conditioning Coach

Year 3 Core Modules:
- Final Year Project
- Optimising Performance Environments
- Measurement & Evaluation in Sports Performance
In addition, choose from a list of Year 3 option modules. Please check our website for a full and up-to-date list

Tuition fees

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

England
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Headingley Campus

Department:

Sport

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.

74%
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

77%
Staff make the subject interesting
84%
Staff are good at explaining things
81%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
78%
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

75%
Library resources
78%
IT resources
80%
Course specific equipment and facilities
71%
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?

98%
UK students
2%
International students
69%
Male students
31%
Female students
61%
2:1 or above
9%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
D

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.

£17,000
med
Average annual salary
98%
med
Employed or in further education
60%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

15%
Sports and fitness occupations
13%
Childcare and related personal services
10%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

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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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