Sport and Exercise Sciences

Sport and exercise sciences bring together the biology of physical performance, the psychology of sport, and the biomechanics of human movement to understand how and why people exercise, compete, and push their bodies to their limits. It is a genuinely interdisciplinary field, drawing on physiology, biomechanics, psychology, nutrition, and the analysis of performance to address questions that matter to elite athletes, recreational exercisers, rehabilitation patients, and public health professionals alike.

At Hartpury you will study the core disciplines of biomechanics, physiology, and psychology alongside a range of related areas that allow you to direct your studies towards the career paths that interest you most. Depending on your direction, you might engage more deeply with nutrition, performance analysis, strength and conditioning, health and exercise, or injury science. The four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, which provides a thorough preparation in the scientific and academic skills needed for degree-level study in this field, and a sandwich placement year with a work placement, giving you real professional experience with athletes, teams, or health organisations before you graduate.

Hartpury's specialist sport and exercise science facilities and its strong connections with professional sport provide an excellent practical context for your studies.

Graduates go on to careers as sport and exercise scientists, strength and conditioning coaches, performance analysts, physical activity and health promotion professionals, personal trainers, and sport scientists working with elite sport organisations. Many continue to postgraduate study in sport science, strength and conditioning, physical therapy, or sport psychology. The combination of scientific rigour and applied sport knowledge the degree develops is valued both in elite performance environments and in public health and exercise settings.