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Sport and Exercise Science (Physical Activity & Health)

Entry requirements


A level

D,D,D

Including a science (Biology preferred) or PE. Year 2 entry: BBB including a science (Biology preferred) and PE.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

24

With 3 subjects at H4 including 1 Science (Biology preferred)

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H3,H4,H4,H4

Including a science (Biology preferred) or PE.

Scottish HNC

Pass

Entry to Year 2 with a HNC with an A the Graded Unit in one of the following titles: Fitness, Health & Exercise; Applied Sports Science; Applied Sports & Exercise Science; Physical Activity & Health Year 1 Entry with a lower HNC grade may be considered

Scottish HND

Pass

Year 3 entry with a HND (with an A in the Graded Units) in one of the following titles: Fitness, Health & Exercise; Applied Sports Science; Applied Sports & Exercise Science; Physical Activity & Health with A in Graded Units. Year 2 Entry with a lower HNC grade may be considered

Scottish Higher

B,C,C

Including a science (Biology preferred) or PE.

T Level

M

UCAS Tariff

69

Including a science, Biology preferred, or PE.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Coaching psychology

**OVERVIEW**
UWS's BSc (Hons) Sport & Exercise Science prepares you for a career where you will learn how exercise can be used to improve health and how to support athletes in maximising their performance.
This degree focuses on the science behind high-performance sport and physical activity for the promotion of health . You’ll develop knowledge, skills and expertise in biomechanics, physiology, strength and conditioning, and sports psychology

This programme is also endorsed by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) through their Undergraduate Endorsement Scheme (BUES).

**PRACTICAL FOCUS**
The teaching on the BSc (Hons) Sport & Exercise Science is research-led and promotes both health and performance elements of sport and exercise science.

Lab-based and practical tuition and assessments are a key feature of this degree and will develop your hands-on skills and sport and exercise knowledge. You will use newly equipped laboratories, which include labs in: Human Health and Performance; Cardiovascular Imaging; Sport and Exercise Science; Extreme Environments; Exercise and Health Biochemistry; Sport Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation; and Biomechanics as part of your studies.

During the programme, you will undertake work placements with a relevant employer. This placement is specifically designed to develop your skills and experience in the workplace, enhancing your job prospects within the sports industry upon completion of your degree. We have excellent existing links with a number of clubs and organisations, and we also encourage you to identify organisations that you are interested in working with.

**CAREER PROSPECTS**
Graduates of the programme have gone on to become sport scientist, personal trainers, sport science technicians, physiologists, researchers, lecturers, active schools co-ordinators, strength and conditioning coaches, performance analysts, and sport business owners. This means as a sport and exercise scientist you could:

// Work alongside sports coaches to assess and improve athletes’ performance
// Work with doctors to help people improve athletes’ health through physical activity
// Work with hospitals and Primary Care Trusts in areas such as cardiac rehabilitation and health promotion to take part in research projects or contribute to the design and production of sports equipment

**Jobs**
Typical roles include: Sport Scientist, Performance Analyst, Strength and conditioning Coach, Sport Physiologists, Personal Trainer.

**Further Studies**
Many of our graduates have successfully progressed to postgraduate study such as taught Masters (MSc) courses or research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD) in sport, exercise or health areas.

Modules

Throughout the course, a variety of topics will be covered starting from the fundamental principles of sport coaching, sport and exercise, and physical activity, health and fitness in first year. These topics are developed in second year through the study of principles of human movement, sport and exercise physiology, psychosocial aspects of sport and exercise, as well as personal training. The science of sport is further investigated in third year through modules in Measurement in Sport and Exercise Science, sport conditioning and iomechanics, physiological adaptations to exercise, research and evaluation, physical activity and health, and the psychology of sport. In the final year of the degree, a range of optional modules are available, enabling students to focus their studies in their particular area of interest. These modules include the female athlete, exercise in extreme environments, clinical exercise physiology, international field trip, and paediatric sport science, amongst many others. The final year also includes a dissertation, and students are given a wide range of topics to select from.. Students with a particular interest in physical activity have the choice of undertaking the Physical Activity and Health pathway in 4th year, which includes modules geared to those considering employment in the health and physical activity sector. Throughout the programme, modules are highly practical-based, and placement modules are included in year 2 and 3. There is also the opportunity for students to gain additional qualifications alongside their studies through the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA)

Check the 'Course Details' section on the course entry on the UWS website for more information on topics covered per year.

Assessment methods

This degree will be taught through a combination of learning methods including tutor-led lectures, tutorials and seminars, laboratory practicals, workshops and exercises in a simulated work environment, small group teaching and group project work. Independent, online and peer-to-peer learning is an important element of this course.

Our Sport and Exercise Science degree uses a variety of assessment methods. The below list provides a guide to the types of assessment methods you can expect:

// group and individual work
// multiple-choice exams
// reflective practice reports
// essays
// case study deconstruction
// practical examination
// research production
// individual and group oral presentations
// individual and group poster presentations
// laboratory reports

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
£18,000
per year
International
£18,000
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£1,820
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Lanarkshire Campus

Department:

Health and Life Sciences

Read full university profile

What students say


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.

Applied psychology

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

95%
UK students
5%
International students
16%
Male students
84%
Female students
82%
2:1 or above
10%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
C
B

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.

Applied psychology

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.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
95%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

23%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
19%
Welfare and housing associate professionals
16%
Customer service occupations

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Applied psychology

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£18k

£18k

£19k

£19k

£23k

£23k

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...

Higher entry requirements
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UCAS Points: 128-153
Nearby University
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Applied Psychology
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 112-141
Lower entry requirements
University of Winchester | Winchester
Sports Therapy
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 112-120
Same University
University of the West of Scotland | Paisley
Sport Coaching
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 108-120

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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?

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