Biological and life sciences · Medicine and healthcare
Sport and exercise science
BSc
Overview
Sport and exercise science studies how the body responds to exercise, including physiology, biomechanics and psychology. It can support coaching, fitness, performance analysis and further clinical training. It does not register you as a physiotherapist, doctor or PE teacher. Coaching and fitness qualifications are often shorter and more practical. Students who enjoy the degree like measuring performance and reading research, not only playing sport.
You want the science of exercise, knowing it is not a clinical registration.
Physiotherapy, medicine and PE teaching are separate qualifications.
People who like biology and sport and are happy in a laboratory as well as a gym.
What you will study
Universities do not teach the same modules. The lists below are a general shape, not a syllabus.
Year 1
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Psychology of sport
Later years
- Biomechanics
- Exercise testing
- Project or placement
Skills
Useful before you start
- Biology
- Interest in measurement
- Communication
Developed during the degree
- Testing
- Data interpretation
- Applying research to practice
Teaching and assessment
Teaching often includes Lectures, Laboratory practicals, Sometimes a placement.
Assessment often includes Exams, Lab reports, Practicals.
Typical weekly commitment
Estimate.
Entry requirements
Indicative patterns from published UK admissions information. Not an offer. Actual requirements vary by course, university and year. Pearson Edexcel International A Level and Cambridge International A Level are not treated as the same qualification as GCE A level.
Indicative requirements by qualification
The A-level band is the catalogue reference. IB and American lines come from the named university guides under the table. They are not a conversion every university uses, and they are not an offer.
| Qualification | Indicative requirements |
|---|---|
| A Levels | CCC–BBB. Biology or PE is often preferred. Required subjects vary more than in medicine. |
| IB Diploma | No UCL figure is stored for CCC or BBB. The stored UCL table runs from ABB to A*A*A. A required A-level subject must be Higher Level in UCL's rule. Each Higher Level subject in that table is at least 5. UCL equates A* to 7, A to 6 and B to 5. This is one university's table. |
| American curriculum | No Manchester social-sciences AP example is stored for CCC or BBB. Bristol publishes a GPA of 3.2, or 3.4 for competitive courses, and does not use one AP pattern for every degree. |
- University College London: Undergraduate entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, School of Social Sciences: Americas country guide. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, Civil Engineering: USA country entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Bristol: USA international qualifications. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
A-level subjects
Biology or PE is often preferred. Required subjects vary more than in medicine.
Often recommended: Biology, Physical Education.
Useful preparation: Psychology, Mathematics.
GCSE and IGCSE
English and mathematics at GCSE or IGCSE are commonly requested. Science grades matter more for science degrees. No single national grade is stored. International GCSEs are not automatically accepted as GCSEs.
Indicative only. The band is wider because published offers vary.
Other ways in
- Coaching badges and fitness qualifications are separate and sometimes more relevant to those jobs than this degree.
Admissions tests and extra requirements
No admissions test is stored as usual for this course. A university can still set one for a particular year.
Course costs
For many standard full-time courses in England, the home-fee maximum in 2026 to 2027 is Up to £9,790. This is the maximum standard full-time fee published for approved English providers with a TEF award and an access and participation plan. It is not the fee a named university charges, and it does not decide whether you pay home or international fees.
Clinical, laboratory and studio courses are not given a different home-fee figure here, because the regulated maximum is not the same thing as an international or clinical fee.
International tuition is set by each university and is not stored here. Clinical courses are often much higher than classroom-based courses. A school in Qatar does not decide home-fee status.
Source: Changes to tuition fees: 2026 to 2027 academic year. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Living costs, field trips and professional fees are not included.
Where you could study
UK degrees in this subject are numerous. This page does not list every university, because a list without a checked entry requirement would look more certain than it is.
No individual UK course page is stored yet for this subject. Use the university site.
No overseas course has been checked for this subject yet.
Where could this degree take you?
Sports coach
Alternative route
A degree can help. Coaching qualifications and experience are the usual requirement, not this degree.
Fitness instructor
Alternative route
A degree is not required. Industry fitness qualifications are the common route.
Physiotherapist
Related, but not enough on its own
This degree does not register you. It can be a background for a postgraduate physiotherapy course where a university accepts it.
Explore your pathway
A course sits between school subjects and a career. It does not guarantee either admission or a job.