Sport & Exercise Science

Sport and exercise science applies the methods of biology, physics and psychology to the study of human movement and performance. It asks how the body produces energy, how muscles respond to training, how the brain controls movement, how psychological factors influence competition, and how exercise affects health across the lifespan. It is a discipline with both scientific rigour and direct practical relevance, underpinning the work of sports scientists, physiologists, coaches, and health professionals around the world.

At Edinburgh Napier you will study this four-year full-time programme, developing expertise across the three core areas that define the discipline: exercise physiology, biomechanics, and sports psychology. Exercise physiology examines how the cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic systems respond to physical demands and how training induces adaptation. Biomechanics analyses movement using the principles of mechanics, helping to improve performance and reduce injury.

Sports psychology investigates how mental processes, motivation, and group dynamics influence sporting behaviour and performance. The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study sport and exercise science in a different national and sporting context, broadening your perspective and your professional network. Across the four years you will develop strong laboratory and research skills alongside applied knowledge, graduating with the depth of expertise that a four-year degree affords.

Graduates of sport and exercise science work in applied sports science support roles with professional and high-performance sports organisations, in strength and conditioning, in physical education, in health promotion and exercise referral, and in research institutions and universities. The scientific rigour of the degree also opens doors in healthcare, rehabilitation, and the growing field of occupational health and workplace wellbeing. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in sports science, strength and conditioning, clinical exercise physiology, or physiotherapy, where a sport and exercise science degree provides strong preparation.