Three students at Oxford Brookes University chatting and smiling while walking down the stairs in the new teaching building.

Accredited by Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES)

BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science

Explore how the body responds to sport and exercise, developing scientific and practical skills in human performance.

Key facts

Duration
Full time: 3 years
Part time: part-time study is possible
Starts
September 2027
Level
Undergraduate
UCAS code
C601
Location
Headington
School
School of Sport, Nutrition and Allied Health Professions

About this course

Fascinated by how the body responds to physical activity? Keen to work with sports professionals to help them reach their best? And want to impact societal health issues?

With this Sport and Exercise degree, endorsed by the Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, (CASES), it will help you to explore these topics and analyse the impact of exercise science.

You’ll cover a range of core subjects including biomechanics, physiology and psychology as well as optional modules such as nutrition, strength and conditioning, and performance analysis. Our specialist labs will give you plenty of scope to test results. Plus, members of our teaching team have a strong track record in helping elite sports teams.

In recent years, the government has recognised the benefits of the population being involved in physical activity and has invested heavily in sport. More people than ever go to the gym or get involved in some form of exercise. And sports professionals expect a whole raft of people to fine tune their performance. All this means you’ll be in great demand when you graduate.

Accreditations

  • Endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).
  • Accredited by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES).
  • Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) logo
  • British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) logo
  • A field trip to Morocco

    Spend a week in the Moroccan High Atlas Mountains, testing the effects of mountain trekking on your body. This gives you real data to analyse on your return.

  • Links with local clubs

    Benefit from our strong network which gives plenty of scope for interesting work placements so you can impress employers with your practical experience.

  • Study abroad

    You may be able to go on a European or international study exchange while you are at Brookes. Most exchanges take place in the second year. Although we will help as much as we can with your plans, ultimately you are responsible for organising and funding this study abroad.

  • Language courses

    Our university-wide language programme is available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

QualificationTypical offer
UCAS tariff points120
Contextual offer tariff points96
A-levelBBB
BTEC Extended DiplomaDDM
International Baccalaureate31
IELTS

IELTS 6.0 overall with 6.0 in reading and writing, and 5.5 in listening and speaking. For more information, please see our English language requirements.

Specific subject requirements

Including one A Level or a comparable Level 3 qualification in a science subject (e.g. Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Physical Education, Physics, Psychology).

  • Ability to demonstrate an interest in sport.
  • If you do not have a background in science, we encourage you to consider our Life Sciences Foundation year.
  • Please also see the University's general entry requirements.

Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees
Fee types2026/272027/28
Home full-time£9,790£10,050
Home part-time£1,220 per single module£1,255 per single module
International full-time£18,250£19,300

Please note, tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.

For further information please see our tuition fees FAQs.

Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

  • For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
  • For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page.

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)

Learning and assessment

In year 1, you’ll gain a thorough grounding in human anatomy and physiology, psychology, biomechanics, nutrition and professional skills.

Our Professional Skills for Sport and Coaching Sciences module will highlight the different aspects of the role and show you the range of career opportunities available. You’ll analyse where your existing strengths lie and develop the competencies of a successful sports practitioner to enhance your employability.

In year 2 and 3 you can pick from a range of advanced modules. You can choose to focus on sport or health and exercise science or a combination of the 2. You could look at our forward-thinking module Emerging Technology and Exercise and Health, sport-focussed Applied Practice in Sport and Exercise Science module or health-focussed Clinical Populations and Rehabilitation module.

There are optional work experience placements which will help you develop your skills, gain confidence and network with professional contacts. You also get the opportunity to choose a research-based project on a topic that interests you.

This degree includes:

  • theoretical study across a range of disciplines
  • the development of practical or field skills.

In particular you will use IT to find, analyse and present information. We believe this is an essential part of any modern science course.

To deliver content and learning outcomes we use:

  • lectures
  • seminars
  • tutorials
  • laboratory classes.

You’ll learn that being a useful scientist means being practical, too. We are committed to laboratory work, surveys and fieldwork as appropriate.

We have a good range of well-equipped and modern laboratories. In this environment, under the careful supervision of academic staff, you will learn safe and effective ways to carry out laboratory investigations.

Contact hoursTotal workloadTimetabled
about 11 hrs a week1,200 hrs a yearMon–Fri, 09:00–18:00

Assessment

We use a wide variety of assessment methods to reflect the knowledge or skills being evaluated.

The majority of modules are assessed by a combination of coursework and examination.

Some modules are assessed by coursework only - very few are assessed entirely by examination.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

  • NUTR4001

    15 credits

    There are few things more fundamental to life than food and water. In this module you’ll develop a basic understanding of the Science of Nutrition. You will...

  • SPOR4003

    15 credits

    You will be involved in theoretical and practical sessions where you’ll examine and understand human movement through motor control and skill acquisition...

  • SPOR4007

    15 credits

    Learn about the social competencies required for a professional role in sport and coaching sciences. You’ll also find out about your range of career...

  • SPOR4006

    15 credits

    On this module you’ll study the structures of bodies and the way structures and bodies function. You’ll gain a detailed theoretical knowledge of anatomy and...

  • SPOR4009

    15 credits

    This module introduces you to fundamental psychological concepts, theories and research for you to consider ways in which they can be applied to sport. You’ll...

  • SPOR4012

    15 credits

    You’ll develop your basic knowledge and understanding of the principles of physical fitness and health. You’ll also learn to accurately assess certain fitness...

  • SPOR4010

    15 credits

    This is your introduction to human anatomy. You’ll focus on the musculoskeletal system, and also examine human movement. Then you’ll analyse the full range of...

  • SPOR4011

    15 credits

    This is your introduction to the mathematical and physical concepts underlying biomechanical factors affecting sport and exercise performance. You’ll examine...

Optional modules

  • LOCAL-G42689

    This is a placement which you will organise to align with your employment interests, although we can provide a range of possible alternative options. On site...

Field trips

We have developed a challenging optional fieldwork module, available to students on a number of related degree courses (the cost of the field trip is not included in course tuition fees). The module investigates changes in energy balance and physical fitness following time trekking Snowdonia and the Atlas Mountains.

This module gives you the opportunity to investigate the physical and psychological responses to sustained exercise in a mountainous environment.

Among the many benefits of field courses are the opportunities for students to further develop their transferable skills. Students and staff conduct each day’s activities together under, at times, challenging environmental conditions.. Spending long periods of time together as a group requires students to employ a range of skills including teamwork, communication and problem solving. These are competencies invaluable in the workplace.

Information from Discover Uni

Full-time study

Part-time study

Careers

As well as building up specific subject knowledge, you’ll develop general skills over the programme such as communication, teamwork and leadership – all highly rated by today’s employers.

With the increased focus on the importance of an active lifestyle for everyone, you’ll find there are many job opportunities in sport and health. And with the greater use of technology, there’s an even wider range of roles you can step into as an exercise scientist.

You might choose to follow in the footsteps of some of our graduates in roles such as:

  • professional sports coach
  • personal trainer
  • performance analyst
  • strength and conditioning practitioner at sports clubs/gyms
  • rehabilitation specialist
  • health promotion
  • sports development officer/community support
  • sports scientists in sports clubs
  • clinical exercise physiology in cardiac rehabilitation (NHS)
  • graduate entry into the forces.

Other graduates decide to specialise in a particular area of their studies and go on to do a research-based master’s course related to their degree.

Our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, so module availability and course structures may vary from what is listed here. On rare occasions, we may also need to make updates to our course programmes after publication; for full details, please visit our changes to programmes page (opens in a new tab)