Sport and Exercise Science

Sport and exercise science is the application of scientific principles to understanding human performance, movement, and health. It draws on physiology, psychology, biomechanics, and nutrition to ask how and why the human body responds to exercise, how athletic performance can be optimised, and how physical activity contributes to health and wellbeing across the population. It is a discipline that connects the laboratory to the track and the clinic, and graduates are equipped to contribute to practice across sport, health, and exercise settings.

At the University of Keele, this three-year full-time BSc is delivered within a Faculty of Medicine, which means you are studying in an environment where the connection between sport and exercise science and broader questions of health and clinical care is taken seriously. You will develop rigorous scientific knowledge alongside hands-on practical and lab-based skills, combining theory and practice in a way that prepares you for professional roles in sport, exercise, and health. The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, giving you substantial experience in professional and international contexts before you graduate.

These practical elements are particularly important in a field where applied experience is highly valued by employers. With a typical entry tariff of 104 UCAS points, the programme is accessible.

Graduates from sport and exercise science programmes work in a wide range of settings. Performance sport, strength and conditioning, sports therapy, cardiac rehabilitation, health promotion, community sport development, sports medicine support, and exercise science research are all natural careers. The medical faculty context at Keele is particularly useful for graduates interested in moving toward clinical applications of exercise science.

Postgraduate study in sport and exercise science, physiotherapy, or related health sciences is a natural option for those who wish to specialise.