Sport and Exercise Sciences

Overview

Learn to understand and improve sport performance, study in our state-of-the-art sports and exercise facilities, gain industry experience and kickstart your career in this exciting and growing field.  

Sport and Exercise Science is made up of three core disciplines: Physiology (the branch of biology that deals with of how the body functions), Biomechanics (the study of movement of the body and the forces that underpin movement), and Psychology (the study of the mind and behavior).  Our Sport and Exercise Sciences degree will give you an in-depth understanding how to apply these sciences to sport and exercise, as well as the opportunity to study other related topics including nutrition and health.    

Our enthusiastic tutors and state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment provide lively interactive ways to learn, ensuring you have the best possible experience. We emphasise both theoretical and practical understanding across the range of disciplines, to ensure you have the subject knowledge as well as the ability to apply this practically. Employability skills are a core part of the curriculum, to ensure you become a quality graduate in a strong position to build careers in the sports & exercise industry or beyond. 

Check out our Sports and Exercise and Biomechanics laboratories, and take a virtual tour here. 

Some of the unique aspects of the course at Roehampton include: 

• The option to study all three core disciplines (Biomechanics, Physiology, and Psychology) as well as Nutrition across all three years, not just in some years. 
• The option to undertake your final year dissertation project in either a ‘by-research’ or in a ‘by-practice’ format. The former is a traditional format suited to those particularly interested in the generation of new knowledge (research). The latter is a novel format, not widely available elsewhere. It is designed for those particularly interested in provision of sport science support to clients. 
• The presence of an optional module in which students can gain relevant vocational experience as part of their studies (Work Place Learning). 

In your first year you’ll start exploring the three key academic disciplines that make up sport sciences – physiology, psychology and biomechanics. You’ll then go onto expand your knowledge in second year and spend lots of time in the laboratory practically applying your knowledge and skills. You’ll also have the opportunity to take modules with emphasise employability skills, apply your knowledge to real-world scenarios, and undertake work experience. In third year you’ll choose your modules, tailoring your degree to your own specific interests, as well as complete your dissertation.  

You will have the option of undertaking a work placement year between years two and three, to boost your CV even more.

Taught on our south-west London campus, on this degree you will have access to excellent facilities, and to many opportunities for work experience through our Careers Team, and access to face-to-face and 24/7 online careers support, whether you choose to live on campus or commute to us.

The University has a range of partnerships with leading sports organisations, including being the Official Higher Education Partner for Premier League Crystal Palace FC.

Foundation or GCE Advanced Level

Career Options

You could go on to work in a wide range of roles in sports & exercise industries, including:  

• Personal training 
• Sports science support 
• Performance analysis 
• Coaching 
• Sports development 
• Sports administration 

Having developed scientific, analytical and employability skills you will also be in a position to apply for general graduate level jobs in a wide range of fields outside the sport & exercise industry. You could also continue onto postgraduate study (e.g. PhD, MSc, PGCE) and begin an academic, research, or teaching career. 

Our careers team is available to support you from the start of your studies until after you graduate. They will help you build your CV, prepare for interviews, and meet and learn from successful graduates working at the top of their careers. You’ll also have opportunities to work with our partners across London and beyond, and to attend a Roehampton jobs fair where you can find out about graduate opportunities and meet employers.