Physical Education, Sport and Health with a Year Abroad

Physical Education, Sport and Health is a degree that combines the scientific study of the body in motion with the educational and social dimensions of sport and physical activity. It asks not only how the human body performs and adapts to training but also how physical activity is taught, how it is distributed across different populations, and what its role is in public health. These questions span exercise physiology, biomechanics, pedagogy, public health policy, sports psychology, and the sociology of sport, making it one of the more genuinely interdisciplinary degrees in the education and health sciences.

At the University of East Anglia, this four-year full-time programme incorporates a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study sport, health, and physical education in a different national context, which is particularly valuable given how different countries approach the role of school sport and public health initiatives. You will develop both the scientific and the pedagogical dimensions of the subject, studying exercise science and sports performance alongside the theory and practice of physical education teaching and health promotion. The programme develops practical competence, critical analysis, and the ability to design and evaluate interventions aimed at improving physical activity and health outcomes.

UEA's campus environment includes sports facilities that support both participation and the practical components of the degree. The programme's health focus connects physical education to the broader public health agenda, preparing graduates for roles that extend beyond school sport into community and clinical settings.

Graduates pursue careers in physical education teaching (often following a PGCE), sports coaching, health promotion, leisure management, sports development, and public health. Some go into exercise science roles in clinical or professional sport environments. Others pursue postgraduate study in sports science, public health, or physical education.

The combination of scientific and educational competencies is valued across schools, local authorities, NHS organisations, and sports governing bodies.