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University of Derby

UCAS Code: C631 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

A level

B,B,C

At least a Grade C at A Level (or equivalent) from a Science subject, which can include Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Physical Education or Psychology

Access to HE Diploma

D:15,M:24,P:6

Pass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits with 45 at Level 3. Must include passes in compulsory L3 subjects

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE Maths and English Grade 4/Grade C (or above) or equivalent qualification

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

DMM

T Level in Science

UCAS Tariff

112

We encourage you to outline all your qualifications and achievements in your application to provide us a full picture. Your offer will typically be based on your predicted and/or achieved grades from full level 3 qualifications or above e.g. A levels, BTEC Ext Diploma, Access to HE, etc. Any subject specifics are outlined below in the A-levels section, and these specifics are applicable across all equivalent qualifications. A strong application/performance and appropriate experience will be taken into account where typical criteria is not met.

About this course

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2025

Subjects

Sport and exercise sciences

Sports therapy

**Prepare for a successful career in a rapidly growing area of sport. We will equip you with highly specialised skills for professional roles in strength and conditioning, rehabilitation and injury risk reduction.**

**KEY FEATURES OF THE COURSE:**

- **IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE:** Experience the latest training methods and applications to help athletes maximise their performance, return from injury and the threat of injury. You’ll study core modules in strength and conditioning and rehabilitation to provide you with specialist knowledge, combined with optional modules.

- **WORK-READY:** To ensure you’re well prepared for employment, you’ll use our links with industry to go on mandatory work placements in your first and second year, followed by an optional placement in your third year.

- **PROFESSIONAL CREDIBILITY:** The course prepares you for UK accreditation as a strength and conditioning practitioner. Our curriculum is aligned to guidelines set out by the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) so that you can achieve this professional recognition which is important for your career development.

- **ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY:** Develop your skills in in our bespoke strength and conditioning suite which includes a VICON 3D motion capture system and integrated Kistler Force Plates. In addition to these facilities, we have a well-equipped physiology laboratory, and a separate biomechanics laboratory containing the latest equipment for movement analysis.

- **ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:** Take advantage of opportunities to gain additional vocational qualifications, such as various coaching and first aid awards throughout the course.

- **EXPERT TEACHING:** Our teaching team include accredited professionals who will provide you with high-quality teaching and support. They are actively involved in research, high-performance sport and applied sport science consultancy. They are also members of leading professional bodies, including the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association and the Society of Sports Therapists.

**WHAT YOU'LL COVER:**
- In your first year, you'll learn the key principles which underpin sport performance including principles of training, physiology and sports biomechanics. You will then go on to develop essential knowledge about the science behind human strength and conditioning, exploring injury rehabilitation methods and performing assessments and testing on athletes in our laboratories. In your third year, you will learn a range of topics from sport science through to advanced athlete testing and assessment.

**HOW YOU'RE ASSESSED:**

- Assessments will employ a combination of theoretical and practical assignments, such as case study presentations, field-based assessments, written coursework, and professional discussions.

**YOUR CAREER:**

- This course offers a solid platform for employment in areas such as elite and participation sport, strength and conditioning, rehabilitation and sport coaching. You can also consider taking your qualifications to the next level with postgraduate study.

**STUDY OPTIONS**
- This course is available with a Foundation Year option.

- This course is also available with an Industrial Placement Year.

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
£14,900
per year
International
£14,900
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni

Course location:

University of Derby

Department:

Life Sciences

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.

78%
Sport and exercise sciences
78%
Sports therapy

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

82%
Staff make the subject interesting
91%
Staff are good at explaining things
73%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
79%
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

77%
Library resources
84%
IT resources
86%
Course specific equipment and facilities
75%
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?

96%
UK students
4%
International students
69%
Male students
31%
Female students
71%
2:1 or above
20%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
D
C

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.

£16,800
low
Average annual salary
98%
med
Employed or in further education
59%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

24%
Sports and fitness occupations
9%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
8%
Health 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.

£16k

£16k

£21k

£21k

£24k

£24k

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.

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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