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Health, Nutrition and Exercise Science

Entry requirements


From a minimum of 2 A Levels

Accepted when studied alongside other Level 3 qualifications

Access to HE Diploma

M:45

Pass in Access course with 60 credits overall including 45 Level 3 credits passed with a minimum of Merit.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

HNC (BTEC)

P-D

HND (BTEC)

P-M

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

28-31

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma

D*D*

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

DMM

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)

D*D*

Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)

DMM

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

D*D*

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

T Level

M

UCAS Tariff

112-128

From a minimum of 2 A Levels or equivalent qualifications such as BTEC Extended Diploma or OCR Extended Diploma. For detailed information on accepted qualifications, please view our Course Entry Statement (https://www.solent.ac.uk/how-to-apply/documents/course-entry-requirement-statement.pdf) Solent University is a proud champion of widening participation. For further information about our contextual offer, please visit our website (https://www.solent.ac.uk/how-to-apply/what-next/contextual-offers)

This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Exercise for health

The role of exercise science and nutrition in healthy living, ageing and disease reduction has become a focus for national health policy in recent times. Our BSc (Hons) Health, Nutrition and Exercise Science degree seeks to respond to this trend and meet the industry’s need for highly-trained graduates with skills in exercise coaching, clinical exercise rehabilitation, nutrition, behaviour change and health promotion.

As you train to bridge the gap between the medical profession and the fitness industry you will be introduced to concepts of health alongside the pathology of common medical conditions. By studying how lifestyle and nutrition can impact on these diseases you’ll be well placed to assist patients as they work to control their symptoms or rehabilitate.

Learning is reinforced through work with genuine clients and medical patients. Our unique clinical exercise referral scheme and longstanding relationships with local health organisations enable us to provide you with work placements that are relevant to both your learning and your career goals. Our teaching staff sit on various steering groups including the Saints Foundation, Southampton Diabetes Forum and NHS exercise referral schemes.

Built-in professional accreditations and training allows you to gain even more value from your studies. Available qualifications currently include Gym Instructor, Personal Trainer, Exercise Referral, Cancer Rehabilitation, Working with Older Adults, Association for Nutrition certification, the NHS M.E.C.C qualification, Royal Society for Public Health membership, Basic Food Hygiene certification and NHS Motivational Interviewing training. You can also tailor your studies to your personal career ambitions, choosing from a range of specialist optional pathways.

Throughout your degree you’ll have access to a range of professional facilities including; specialist teaching gyms, a dedicated nutrition lab, a sports complex, our BASES-accredited exercise physiology laboratory, the award-winning ‘Spark’ teaching block and a 24-hour library service.

Our academic team are all highly experienced within the industry and have extensive teaching, research and professional backgrounds. This ensures your learning experience will be informed by the latest evidence-based research and industry developments.

Solent is home to fantastic teaching gyms, sports facilities and specialist laboratories

**What does this course lead to?**
The skills you’ll develop on this course open up a wide range of career opportunities in health, nutrition and exercise science.

Clinical exercise specialist
Exercise rehabilitation specialist
Exercise referral co-ordinator
Personal trainer
Online fitness coach
Exercise physiologist
Exercise and well-being advisor (NHS, Nuffield, Spire etc.)
Physiotherapist assistant / Physiotherapist (MSc)
Clinical exercise physiologist (MSc)
Public health practitioner
Health and exercise development officer
Self-employment
MSc/PhD researcher/lecturer
Health promotion or public health practitioner
NHS health trainer
Nutritionist
Dietician (MSc)

**Who is this course for?**
This course is ideal for anyone with a passion for helping individuals achieve their health, nutrition or fitness goals. Perfect for school-leavers, mature students or anyone considering a change of career, this course offers you an ideal opportunity to make a real difference to the health of the nation.

Modules

YEAR 1 - CORE MODULES
Exercise Instruction and Coaching
Functional Anatomy and Physiology
Population Health
Human Nutrition
Health and Exercise Psychology
Research in Sport, Health and Exercise Science

YEAR 2 - CORE MODULES - PATHWAY ONE - FITNESS AND PERSONAL TRAINING
Obesity and Weight Management
Applied Exercise Science
Personal Training
Soft Tissue Therapy
Applied Research Methods in Sport, Health and Exercise Science

YEAR 2 - OPTIONS - PATHWAY ONE (please note that not all options are guaranteed to run each academic year)
Exercise Referral
Strength and Conditioning

YEAR 2 - CORE MODULES - PATHWAY TWO - HEALTH AND EXERCISE SCIENCE
Obesity and Weight Management
Applied Exercise Science
Developing Healthy Places
Exercise Referral
Applied Research Methods in Sport, Health and Exercise Science

YEAR 2 - OPTIONS - PATHWAY TWO (please note that not all options are guaranteed to run each academic year)
Personal Training
Soft Tissue Therapy

YEAR 3 - CORE MODULES - PATHWAY ONE - FITNESS AND PERSONAL TRAINING
Innovative Personal Training and Business
Advanced Health and Exercise Psychology
Individual Project / Work Based Project

YEAR 3 - OPTIONS - PATHWAY ONE (please note that not all options are guaranteed to run each academic year)
Applied Strength and Conditioning
Applied Soft Tissue Therapy
Clinical Exercise Rehabilitation
Sports Nutrition
Lifecycle Nutrition and Health

YEAR 3 - CORE MODULES - PATHWAY TWO - HEALTH AND EXERCISE SCIENCE
Clinical Exercise Rehabilitation
Lifecycle Nutrition and Health
Healthy and Sustainable Futures
Individual Project / Work Based Project

YEAR 3 - OPTIONS - PATHWAY TWO (please note that not all options are guaranteed to run each academic year)
Applied Soft Tissue Therapy
Advanced Health and Exercise Psychology
Sports Nutrition

Assessment methods

The course is assessed via a variety of methods including practical simulations, case studies, video submissions, blogs, reflective accounts, presentations and in-class tests.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,125
per year
International
£16,125
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

Extra funding

Solent University offers a number of bursaries, grants and scholarships. For more information, please visit https://www.solent.ac.uk/finance/grants-bursaries-scholarships/bursaries

The Uni


Course location:

Solent University (Southampton)

Department:

Department of Sport and Health

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.

77%
Exercise for health

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

86%
Staff make the subject interesting
92%
Staff are good at explaining things
79%
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

83%
Library resources
84%
IT resources
81%
Course specific equipment and facilities
72%
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?

85%
UK students
15%
International students
78%
Male students
22%
Female students
60%
2:1 or above
12%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
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
97%
med
Employed or in further education
66%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

25%
Sports and fitness occupations
8%
Teaching and educational professionals
7%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

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

£22k

£22k

£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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Course location and department:

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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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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