Sport and Exercise Science - BSc (Hons)

with a Foundation Year

Course structure

Duration: 4 years full-time, 7 years part-time

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.  

The modules for Stages 1-3 of the degree course can be viewed on the Sport and Exercise Science - BSc (Hons) page.

• Foundation

Teaching and assessment

Teaching involves practical laboratory and sports-based sessions, lectures, small group seminars and private study. You will have a number of lectures and practical sessions and a series of seminars each week – depending on the optional modules you select. You may also be required to spend time developing your practical skills and experience in placement or event situations.

Methods of assessment vary depending on the module but predominantly involve coursework, observed assessment, practical tests and, where appropriate, clinical assessments. Some modules are assessed via written exams.

Contact hours

For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours.  The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Programme aims

The programme aims to:

• provide a multi-disciplinary education
• prepare students to meet the challenges of an expanding and rapidly changing sports industry, while providing them with a wide choice of careers paths.
• provide the skills to promote the health and performance of an individual or a group using a multidisciplinary approach
• enable a critical knowledge and understanding of the sport sciences
• make students aware of current research within sport and exercise science
• provide a curriculum supported by scholarship, research and intellectual debate.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

• anatomical and physiological principles
• the human response to exercise
• the theoretical basis of qualitative and quantitative research
• the nutrition required to perform at an optimum level
• the ability to evaluate physical capacity and exercise training programmes
• the nature of skill and models relating to the acquisition and performance of motor skills
• exercise prescription for a range of population groups
• social processes which influence individual and group behaviour and participation/performance in sport.

Intellectual skills

You gain the intellectual skills to:

• engage in academic study including critical evaluation
• plan, execute and communicate a piece of independent work that requires a critical engagement with relevant data
• solve familiar and unfamiliar problems in order to develop reasoned arguments and challenge assumptions
• self-appraise and reflect on practice
• recognise and respond to moral, legal, ethical and safety issues that relate to your studies.

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills in the following areas:

• relating the concepts of anatomy, physiology and metabolism to the body’s response to exercise
• practical skills in the physiological interpretation of data from fitness testing
• the appraisal and evaluation of the effects of sport and exercise interventions
• the ability to analyse, interpret and show critical judgement in the evaluation of the sport sciences. 

Transferable skills

You gain transferable skills in:

• communication, presentation, numeracy and IT
• interactive skills and group work
• problem solving 
• self-appraisal and reflection on practice
• how to plan and manage your own learning.

Careers

Your future

You graduate with an excellent grounding in scientific knowledge and extensive laboratory experience. In addition, you also develop the key transferable skills sought by employers, such as:

• excellent communication skills
• work independently or as part of a team
• the ability to solve problems and think analytically
• time management.

This means that our graduates are well equipped for careers across a range of fields and have gone on to work in sports science support for elite athletes, professional sports teams, teaching and in the NHS for physical activity, exercise referral or health promotion. 

You can read their stories, and find out about the range of support and extra opportunities available to further your career potential.