This course will develop your scientific and critical understanding of issues relevant to sport and exercise to improve both performance and health. The course brings together a diverse and fascinating range of subjects including anatomy, biomechanics, physiology, psychology, and nutrition.

This course could prepare you for a highly rewarding career including sports science support, physical activity coordinator, health advisor, sports development officer, personal trainer, exercise referral specialist; or after further training, a teacher in educational settings or a researcher.

How will you learn?

• You’ll learn how the body responds and adapts to exercise, how to optimise sport performance, and how to promote positive behaviour change to improve health.
• You’ll be able to use the fantastic range of facilities and specialist equipment in our biomechanics and physiology laboratories: from measuring fitness through gas analysis, to measuring reaction forces on the Kistler Force Plate, and capturing high-speed movements on our 3D motion analysis system.
• In your second year, you’ll go on a work placement, which will provide you with the opportunity to apply your skills in a real-world context.
• In your final year you’ll select a discipline specialisation and you will complete a student led research project.
• This course is endorsed by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) ensuring that you are exposed to the interdisciplinary nature of sport and exercise science, in addition to a focus on research.
• This course is also endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), the professional development body for the UK’s sport and physical activity sector. This will enable you to gain industry recognised standards and qualifications, including Gym Instructor, Personal Trainer and Working with People with Long-Term Conditions, which are recognised by major employers in the sector aligned to your degree. You’ll also be able to apply for annual student membership of CIMSPA, and graduate membership upon successful completion of your course.

Placements

The course includes a compulsory 140-hour work placement in your second year, in an appropriate environment, helping you to relate theory to practice and develop skills in a real work context. The teaching staff have developed excellent links with local employers and can provide assistance in finding a suitable placement.

Previous placement providers have included strength and conditioning, professional sports clubs (performance analysis and sport science support), primary and secondary schools, further education colleges, local authority sport development and physical activity units, primary care trusts, research assistants and private physical activity and sport providers. The University also has strong links with local professional sports clubs, so there may be opportunities for you to work with these athletes, for example Huddersfield Town FC and Huddersfield Giants.

Your Career

Previous Huddersfield Sport and Exercise graduates have gone on to roles relating to education, healthcare, research, media, community and social services in organisations including the NHS, Bradford City FC (Lead Performance Coach), Huddersfield Giants RLFC (Performance Analyst/Sport Scientist), Halifax RLFC (Performance Analyst), Kirklees Active Leisure (Personal Trainer), PUMA Group (Account Manager), Shelley FC (U12’s Football Coach), GEMS Education (Physical Education Teacher), Project Sport (Sports Coach), NHS funded National Pre-Diabetes Programme (Well-being Coach), Huddersfield Town FC (1st team Sports Scientist and Senior Physical Performance Coach, 1st Team Conditioning Coach), Thongsbridge Tennis Club (Strength and Conditioning Coach), Huddersfield New College (Sport Teacher) and University of Liverpool (Research Nutritionist).**