Sport and Exercise Science

Sport and exercise science applies the principles of physiology, psychology and biomechanics to understand human physical performance, health and wellbeing. It is a discipline that spans the high-performance end of sport, where marginal gains in training, recovery and psychology separate winners from competitors, and the broader public health agenda, where encouraging physical activity across populations is one of the most effective strategies for preventing chronic disease. The science underpinning both contexts is the same: understanding how the body responds to exercise, how the mind influences performance, and how movement can be measured, analysed and improved.

At Birmingham Newman University you will study for three years full-time, exploring how physiology, psychology and biomechanics contribute to performance and recovery. You will develop practical laboratory and field skills alongside theoretical knowledge, learning to work with the data and analysis methods that applied sport and exercise science requires. The programme takes a research-informed approach that is both academically rigorous and oriented towards the real professional contexts in which sport and exercise scientists work, whether in elite performance, public health or educational settings.

You will develop the skills to work confidently and ethically with a range of clients and populations.

Sport and exercise science graduates work in professional sport as performance analysts, strength and conditioning coaches, sports scientists and support staff. They also work in public health promotion, community sport, leisure management, fitness instruction, sports development, rehabilitation services and research. Many graduates pursue further professional qualifications in strength and conditioning, nutrition, coaching, physiotherapy or occupational therapy.

Postgraduate study in applied sport science, physical education, sport psychology or exercise physiology is a common route for those who want to develop specialist expertise or move into research and applied practice at a higher level.