Sport and Exercise Science with Foundation Year
Entry requirements
A level
Overall: CCC We do not include General Studies or Critical Thinking in our offers. Required subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics
Access to HE Diploma
Overall: QAA recognised Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits overall including 21 at Distinction, 3 at Merit and and 21 at Pass Required subjects: Access content will be assessed by Faculty Must include 15 level 3 credits in Science. GCSE or Equivalent: Inclusion of GCSE English and Mathematics equivalent within Access programme
Extended Project
Applicants taking the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) will receive our standard A level offer, plus an alternate offer of one A level grade lower, subject to achieving an A grade in the EPQ. The one grade reduction will not apply to any required subjects.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
English and Mathematics grade C (4) (or equivalents may be considered).
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Overall: 29 Required subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics GCSE or Equivalent: English, HL4/SL4 (including MYP). Maths, HL4/SL4 (including MYP). Maths Studies, SL4.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Overall: MMM Required subjects: Please contact us to discuss suitability.
Scottish Advanced Higher
Overall: CCC Required subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics GCSE or Equivalent: Scottish National 5: English Language and Mathematics grade C
Scottish Higher
Overall: BBBCC Required subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics GCSE or Equivalent: Scottish National 5: English Language and Mathematics grade C
Overall: Pass overall with CCC from a combination of the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate and two A levels. Applicants taking an A level science subject with the Science Practical Endorsement are required to pass the practical element. Required subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics GCSE or Equivalent: Inclusion of GCSE English and Mathematics equivalent within the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
**Foundation courses**
A foundation year can develop your skills and make it easier to get started at university. It is an extra year of study at the start of your course that leads in to a full degree programme. It’s a great option if:
You don’t have the grades for a full degree course
You have non-traditional qualifications or experience
You’re starting university after some time away from education
You’re looking for more support during the transition into university study.
**Life as a foundation year student**
During a foundation year you’ll learn about your chosen subject, develop your study skills and get used to university life. On successful completion of your foundation year, you’ll be ready to progress to the first year of your degree course.
As a foundation year student, you’ll be a full student of the University and part of our community. You’ll have access to all our campus facilities and support.
**Why choose this course**
-Study a hands-on curriculum, recognised by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science (BASES) for providing all the skills and knowledge you need to enter the profession.
-Gain industry experience through our Professional Training placements, where you can work for a range of employers, including sports clubs, performance laboratories and nutrition companies.
-Apply for one of our sports scholarships, designed for individuals with exceptional sporting ability, to help support your studies.
-We are ranked top 10 in the UK for sports science by the Complete University Guide 2023 and have an over 90% satisfaction score for this course in the National Student Survey 2022.
-Complete nationally recognised gym instructor, personal training and working with people with long term conditions qualifications, without any extra charge.
**What you will study**
On this course, you’ll learn to maximise sports performance, improve general health and wellbeing and treat different pathologies through exercise.
In your first year, you’ll study topics, including anatomy, biochemistry, fitness and health, physiology, kinesiology, and skill acquisition, ensuring you have a solid foundation upon which to build the rest of your degree.
During your second year, you’ll apply your knowledge in a sporting context, incorporating perspectives from physiology, nutrition, psychology, biomechanics and management, with opportunity for interdisciplinary application and the development of discipline-specific practical skills.
In your third year, you’ll select two optional modules, exploring topics such as advances in nutrition, biological rhythms, exercise referrals and prescriptions, and human movement and rehabilitation.
You’ll also complete a research project, bringing together all the practical, analytical, and presentation skills you’ve developed. Current students are investigating topics like ‘The effect of New Zealand blackcurrant extracts on running performance.’
Modules
To see the full range of modules for this course please visit our website – the link is under the Course contact details. You will also find full details of the programme, including programme structure, assessment methods, contact hours and Graduate prospects.
Extra funding
The University of Surrey offers a range of scholarships and bursaries to support our students, please visit https://www.surrey.ac.uk/fees-and-funding/scholarships-and-bursaries for more details.
The Uni
Stag Hill
FHMS - School of Biosciences and Medicine
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.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
£19k
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.
Explore these similar courses...
This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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