BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science Bachelor's degree at the University of Salford
BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science at University of Salford. You'll study the traditional disciplines, exercise physiology, psychology, biomechanics and nutrition, alongside contemporary approaches such as performance analysis and strength and conditioning.
About this course
This course aims to develop your skills in analysing and evaluating performance and providing interventions within the traditional (including exercise physiology, psychology, biomechanics and nutrition) and the contemporary sports science disciplines (such as performance analysis and strength and conditioning). From the provider’s course page.
BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at the University of Salford. It is studied part-time; duration varies by route.
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Sport & Exercise Science, see the sections below.
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year one 6 modules
- Bioenergetics and Nutrients
Module details
Gain a fundamental understanding of energy metabolism and nutrition in human performance. This module provides a strong foundation for advanced study in metabolism, energetics, and nutrition.
- Digital Tools and Skills for Sport and Exercise Science
Module details
This unique module supports your transition into higher education, focusing on study skills, digital literacy, and career exploration. You will explore AI and digital tools that enhance learning and their relevance to sport and exercise science careers.
- Human Physiology
Module details
Investigate the function of major organ systems and how they regulate homeostasis. Using cutting-edge lab equipment, you will develop practical skills to analyse physiological adaptations as true physiologists do in the world sport and exercise science.
- Introduction to Sports Biomechanics
Module details
Learn core principles of mechanics and biomechanics, collecting and analysing movement data to optimise human performance. You will learn how to collect, analyse, and interpret basic biomechanical data in relation to sports performance and understand the application of these principles to optimising human performance.
- Introduction to Sport Psychology
Module details
Explore key psychological theories related to motivation, confidence, and individual differences in sport. You will examine how psychological factors influence performance and apply research to real-world sporting contexts.
- Principles of Training: Health and Performance
Module details
This module covers key training principles for sports performance and health. You will study exercise prescription, movement analysis, and foundational anatomy. You will explore the development of cardiovascular fitness, strength, power, speed, and flexibility, applying these principles to enhance athletic performance.
Year two 7 modules
- Applied Strength and Conditioningoptional module
Module details
This module provides you with an applied understanding of the theoretical principles of training to enhance athletic performance.
- Biomechanics and Performance Analysis
Module details
Apply biomechanics and performance analysis concepts to assess and improve sports performance. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, you will gain hands-on experience in data collection and analysis.
- Exercise Physiology
Module details
Build on first-year foundations to explore the acute and chronic physiological responses to exercise. You will examine cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, metabolic, and neuroendocrine adaptations and assess factors that limit performance through practical, lab-based experience.
- Lifestyle Medicine 1optional module
Module details
Explore health and exercise applications beyond performance settings. This module focuses on exercise as a tool for optimising health and preventing disease, preparing you for roles in public health and preventative medicine.
- Psychological Assessment and Strategies for Athletes
Module details
This module will focus on psychological assessment and strategies for athletes. You will explore key needs analysis methods used to understand athletes' psychological needs. Additionally, you will examine psychological strategies that athletes can apply to enhance their mental performance and overall athletic success.
- Research Methods and Study Design
Module details
Develop essential research skills for both academic and professional contexts. You will learn to design studies, critically evaluate evidence, and apply statistical analysis to interpret research outcomes through both theoretical and practical sessions.
- Sports Nutrition
Module details
Gain a strong theoretical and applied understanding of sports nutrition. This module explores the principles of nutritional strategies, from recreational athletes to elite performers, ensuring optimal fuelling for performance and recovery.
Year three 7 modules
- Dissertation
Module details
Undertake an independent research project on a topic of your choice, working closely with a supervisor. You will develop expertise in research design, data collection, analysis, and synthesis, demonstrating critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for professional practice.
- Placement
Module details
Gain practical experience in a vocational setting, applying sport and exercise science theories to real-world challenges. You will develop transferable and industry-specific skills, enhancing your employability while reflecting on evidence-based practice.
- Applied Sport and Exercise Practice
Module details
Integrate your knowledge of physiology, nutrition, biomechanics, and psychology to enhance sports performance. You will critically assess an athlete's needs and apply interdisciplinary approaches to support performance development.
- Advanced Strength and Conditioning
Module details
Build on previous strength and conditioning knowledge to refine your expertise in training elite athletes. You will apply the latest research in real-world settings to develop advanced programming and coaching strategies.
- Advanced Performance Analysis
Module details
Develop the skills to operate as a performance analyst in elite sport. Using industry-standard technology, you will assess, monitor, and enhance athlete and team performance through data-driven insights and strategic feedback.
- Lifestyle Medicine 2
Module details
Build on your knowledge from Lifestyle Medicine 1 by exploring the impact of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. You will examine their causes, risk factors, and how lifestyle interventions, physical activity, nutrition, and holistic approaches, compare to medical treatments in improving health outcomes.
- Advanced Topics in Exercise Physiology
Module details
Explore physiological and environmental factors affecting athletes.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This course develops your ability to analyse and evaluate sports performance and design interventions across traditional disciplines, including exercise physiology, psychology, biomechanics and nutrition, alongside contemporary areas such as performance analysis and strength and conditioning. A course like this typically progresses from foundations in anatomy, exercise physiology and sport psychology in Year 1, moving through biomechanics, training physiology and research methods in Year 2. You'll usually combine practical coaching skills with lab-based analysis throughout. In Year 3, you'll pursue specialist options such as strength and conditioning, nutrition, rehabilitation, coaching or PE teaching routes, undertake an applied placement with teams or schools, and complete an independent research project or dissertation.
Who it's for
You're interested in how the human body responds to exercise and competition, and you want to translate that knowledge into tangible improvements in athletic performance or public health. You're comfortable with both scientific rigour, collecting and interpreting data, and practical problem-solving. You thrive in environments where you can observe, measure and experiment. Whether you're drawn to working with elite athletes, supporting fitness enthusiasts, or helping people recover from injury, this course suits someone who enjoys bridging theory and real-world application.
Careers & job market
Across Sport and Exercise Science degrees nationally, 90% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of finishing their degree, and 62% of those working are in highly skilled roles or postgraduate study. National Graduate Outcomes data shows starting salaries of £22,000 to £30,000. After five years, earnings typically reach £23,375 to £33,000. Pathways include sport science roles in professional teams and governing bodies, fitness and conditioning coaching, sports medicine and rehabilitation, occupational health, and research or teaching.
University & format
The University of Salford is a public university founded in 1896, located in Salford. This BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science is studied part-time, taught in English. The university is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, and this programme holds Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
Part-time application dates vary by provider. UCAS dates
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Opened 2 July 2026; last choice 19 October 2026. Check vacancies now. A cached page never claims a place is still available.
Entry & how to get in
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by Apply directly to the provider
Part-time application dates vary by provider. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at University of Salford →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Sport & Exercise Science graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in sport & exercise science · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Sport & Exercise Science nationally
National figures for Sport & Exercise Science graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
Job market & outlook
How Sport & Exercise Science graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Sport & Exercise Science graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Sports clubs & NGBs
- Leisure providers
- Schools
- The NHS
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Sport & Exercise Science graduates.
Sport CoachAspire PeopleSport Science LeadBiolyz FlexCoBTEC Tech Awards Sept 22 - Sport - ExaminerPearsonEquine Vet: Independent Clinic for Leisure & Sport HorsesBritish Veterinary LGBT+Learning Mentor (PE/Sport)Prospero TeachingCasual Youth Worker: Sport, Community Growth & BelongingActive Herefordshire & WorcestershireWho studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Salford
Biological and sport sciences across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Salford University
10 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Sport & Exercise Science right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Salford from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £18,600 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check University of Salford’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with University of Salford and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Salford
Common questions
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates earn?
What will it cost me?
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