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Sport and Exercise Science

Entry requirements


GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE English Language and Maths at Grade 4 or above (Grade C for GCSEs taken before 2017) or equivalent. 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

**Help improve people’s sporting performance and health through the study of human movement and activity.**

You’ll study behavioural, physical and life sciences on this practice-based course.

**Develop in-demand skills**
You’ll develop skills which are increasingly in-demand as the importance of health and physical activity becomes more prominent in the UK and beyond. You could find yourself working with elite athletes on their sporting performance, working in rehabilitation, or helping people suffering from long-term illnesses.

**Industry recognised**
This course is endorsed by British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), the professional body for sport and exercise sciences in the UK. You can read about the benefits of choosing a BASES-endorsed degree course on the BASES website.

**Find your niche**
The degree is multi-disciplinary, meaning you’ll explore and learn about different theories and approaches to the subject. This will enable you to discover your specialism, helping you choose the right career path.

**How you’ll learn**
You’ll learn the theory in lectures and seminars and apply your learning in practical lab sessions. There’ll also be opportunities to work with our extensive range of industry partners and sporting clubs on placements.

As part of this course, you’ll:

- Gain an evidence-based appreciation of biomechanics, nutrition, physiology and psychology and their use within sport and exercise environments

- Take part in practical sessions examining oxygen consumption, blood lactate and glucose concentration, body composition and dietary analysis, ECG, power output, human motion analysis and exercise cognition

- Use scientific processes to question and problem solve. You could explore why athletes might not respond to training as expected, plan dietary strategies for the general population, or use movement analysis to understand why athletes might get injured

**Find out more**

You’ll study in our dedicated £45m sports building and have access to world-class labs and facilities, including:
- An environmental chamber which simulates the effects of diverse climatic conditions on physical performance

- A human movement laboratory and state of the art instrumented treadmill which allows simultaneous motion capture and force measurements to analyse gait and other forms of human movement

- A DXA bone scanner, where you’ll be able to measure the density and mineral composition of the skeletal structure

- Custom-built igloo simulation and visualisation facility. You’ll recreate the demands of sport, exercise and physical activity settings to provide an applied learning environment in sport and exercise psychology

- A strength and conditioning suite where you’ll learn and coach others in the performance of weightlifting, plyometric and agility activities

**Work-ready skills**
You can boost your CV by gaining additional nationally recognised sporting qualifications.

**Why study Sport and Exercise Science at Leeds Beckett University...**

- You’ll be employable - 92.2% of BSc (Hons) Sport & Exercise Science graduates in work or further study 15 months after graduation*

- BASES-endorsed - this course is endorsed by the British Association for Sport and Exercise Science (BASES)

- World-class facilities - study in our £45m sports building, which boasts industry standard environmental chambers, sport performance and biochemistry labs

- 96% of students on BSc (Hons) Sport & Exercise Science were positive about the way teaching staff explain things**

- We’re the best in our field - learn from academics and researchers renowned in the sport and exercise science industry

- Globally recognised - Carnegie School of Sport is ranked in the top 75 in the world for Sport Science Schools and Departments and 6th in the UK***

*Percentage of respondents from this course, HESA Graduate Outcomes 20-21

**National Student Survey 2023

*2022 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS)

Modules

Year 1 Core Modules:
- Physiology of the Human Body
- Human Behaviour in Sport & Exercise
- Personal Professional & Academic Development
- Nutrition & Biochemistry for Sport & Exercise
- Biomechanical Principles of Human Movement
- The Sport & Exercise Scientist in Action

Year 2 Core Modules:
- Research Methods for Sport & Exercise Science
- Employability in Sport & Exercise Science
In addition, choose from a list of Year 2 option modules. Please check our website for a full and up-to-date list.

Year 3 Core Modules:
- Final Year Project
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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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