Exercise and Health Science
Exercise and health science is a discipline concerned with how physical activity, sport, and nutrition affect human health, wellbeing, and performance across the life course. It combines the physiological science of how the body responds and adapts to exercise with the nutritional, psychological, and epidemiological dimensions of health, and it applies that understanding to the prevention and treatment of disease and the enhancement of quality of life. As the relationship between physical inactivity and chronic disease has become clearer, the knowledge that exercise and health scientists develop has moved from the sports environment into mainstream healthcare and public health.
The four-year full-time Exercise and Health Science programme at the University of Aberdeen examines the role of sport and exercise as a means of improving quality of life, exploring how physical activity, sport, and nutrition contribute to the prevention and treatment of disease and the overall enhancement of wellbeing throughout the life cycle. The programme seeks to deepen scientific knowledge about physical activity, the principles and practice of performance, and the application of nutrition, psychology, and physical activity to benefit health. You will develop fundamental knowledge of medical and sports science and an understanding of the link between exercise and health, before pursuing specific areas of interest in greater depth.
A year abroad gives you the opportunity to experience exercise and health science education in a different academic and cultural context.
With a typical entry tariff of 152 points, the programme attracts students who combine scientific rigour with a genuine passion for physical activity and health. Graduates pursue careers in clinical exercise physiology, fitness and wellbeing, health promotion, sports performance, rehabilitation support, public health, and postgraduate training in physiotherapy or related health professions. Many also go on to research careers or specialist postgraduate study in exercise science or health sciences.