Eating healthily and being physically active are important for wellbeing, and good nutrition can help to achieve optimal performance in sport. Nutrition is increasingly important in elite sport, personal training, and community-based initiatives, so this course could lead to an exciting and rewarding career.

This course could give you the skills to work as a sports nutritionist, physical activity coordinator, health advisor, sports development officer, personal trainer, exercise referral specialist, or after further training, a teacher in educational settings.

How will you learn?

• You’ll gain an in-depth understanding of biological sciences, nutrition, exercise and health, and sports performance. You'll study anatomy and physiology, fitness conditioning, digestion and metabolism, and psychology.
• 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.
• You’ll use excellent facilities, including our nutrition food science labs, sport and exercise science labs, and our sport and fitness centre.
• This course was the first degree in the UK to be ‘approved’ by the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENr).
• Additionally, 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

Careers in sport and exercise nutrition include: Performance Nutritionists, for example with the four UK Institutes of Sport, professional and amateur sports clubs and individual athletes; health promotion e.g. Health and Wellbeing/Lifestyle Coaches, Weight Management Practitioners; Sales e.g. supplements, gym equipment, in-store brand ambassador; Academia as researchers and lecturers; and Research and Development and New Product Development for food companies.

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).**