Sport and exercise degrees

Get a head start in your career with sports related degrees at the University of Brighton.

8th in the UK for sport science courses – Guardian University Guide 2025.
7th in the UK for sports science graduate prospects – Complete University Guide 2025.
UK top 7% for graduate earnings in sport and exercise science, three years after graduating – Longitudinal Education Outcomes 2022.

Our sports-related courses are in the top 140 globally, QS World University Rankings® 2024

In sport and exercise sciences, leisure and tourism, 100% of our research impact is assessed as outstanding or very considerable in terms of its reach and significance in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

You'll join a learning community of elite coaches and world-leading researchers.

You'll learn in specialist labs and sport facilities and build your skills and knowledge through placements, consultancy projects and on field trips. Courses include a variety of specialisms, including coaching, management and rehabilitation.

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More health sciences degree courses

Degrees in sport and exercise

Undergraduate degrees

Our sports related degrees open doors to a wide range of career opportunities.

You'll explore the differences between sport and exercise science build your skills, knowledge and confidence through hands-on experience, and benefit from extensive on-campus facilities as well as take advantage of the surrounding environment.

Our integrated foundation year provides an extra year of study at foundation level, opening up opportunities if you do not hold the required A-levels or equivalent qualifications, are changing career or returning to study:

Sport BSc(Hons) with integrated foundation year

Opportunities to specialise

Studying on our Sport Coaching and Sport and Exercise Science degrees means that you'll have the chance to focus on a specialist subject as part of your degree from year 2 of your course, or you can carry on with your degree for a broad view of the subject along with your choice of option modules. Choosing a specialist subject means that your core modules focus on the subject that you choose, and you'll graduate with that subject in your degree title.

Postgraduate degrees

Our masters degree courses are designed to take your learning and career to the next stage. They also provide a comprehensive foundation for further study at doctoral level and high-level research-based and research-informed practice.

If you are looking to train as a teacher a PGCE will enable you to qualify in just one year.

(Secondary) Physical Education PGCE

PhD

We have a proud research heritage in the areas of sport and exercise science and medicine and sport, tourism and leisure.

Much of our work has real-world application and staff are well-connected to sporting and health organisations including the Great Britain Paralympic team, GB swimming, the English Institute of Sport, World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) and the International Olympic Committee.

Our sport and exercise PhDs include:

Accrediting bodies and professional links

Sport and Exercise Science BSc(Hons) is accredited by The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES).

Our Sport Management BSc(Hons), Sport Coaching BSc(Hons) and Strength and Conditioning BSc(Hons) are endorsed by CIMSPA confirming that they meet their professional standards providing graduates with the knowledge and skills that employers have identified as most valuable.

We are a Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) Higher Education Partner which offers many benefits for our students.

Graded 'outstanding' by Ofsted for primary and secondary in our 2024 Initial Teacher Education inspection.

Ofsted commended us on many aspects of our courses saying:

Trainees shine at Brighton’s long-established and highly impressive teacher training programmes.
The care and dedication shown by staff towards trainees is superb.
Trainees are at the heart of everything. They are valued and expertly supported throughout the course.
The curriculum skilfully equips trainees in safeguarding, behaviour management and supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
Trainees impress the placement settings they work in because of their professionalism and aptitude to apply what they have learned.

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Sports degrees:You can expect

Placements

All of our sports degree courses offer placement opportunities where you can build your professional experience with local, national and international sports organisations. Past students have worked with Arsenal Football Club, British Cycling, Freedom Leisure and Hayters Sport Agency.

You'll also have opportunities to work with community projects and do volunteering.

Student chatting to cardiac rehab patient

Work-related experience

Our modules include visiting guest speakers who present on a range of topics and discuss the skills needed within the wider sector.

You'll also get to work on live projects with our partners.

Field trips take your classroom learning into the real world and let you get behind the scenes of organisations.

Gary Brickley with David Stone on a static bicycle

After graduation

Our graduates go on to careers in all areas of sport from education and youth work, to research, consultancy and coaching.

Previous graduates have worked for the English Institute of Sport, the Canadian Olympic Team, Xtreme Everest Expedition, NHS Foundation Trusts and Sky Sports.

Sports degree facilities

We have extensive sport and lab facilities to help you develop your skills and expertise during your studies.

We've recently redeveloped the facilities on our Falmer campus.
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Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you’ll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition.

Find out about Sport Brighton.

Sport scholarships

Our sports degree UK scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out about sport scholarships.

What jobs can I do after sports courses at university?

The sport sector employs more than half a million people in the UK alone offering wide-ranging career opportunities. You'll also learn many transferable skills during sports related degree studies for roles outside the sector.

We've a detailed look at sport and exercise science jobs for graduates on another page. Here's some of the roles you could find yourself in after graduating with a sports degree, sport and exercise degree or masters.

Sports marketing manager
Sports facility manager
Health and wellbeing coach
Strength and conditioning coach
Professional sports coach
PE teacher
Sports development officer
Sports technologist
Sport and exercise science intern
Exercise or sports science researcher.

Stay in touch

Meet us at an event

If you have a question about these courses, our enquiries team will be happy to help.

01273 644644

Find out more about what it's like to study sport and exercise at Brighton by subscribing to our subject blog.

Sport and exercise degrees