Sport & Exercise Science

Sport and exercise science applies the principles of biology, physiology, psychology and biomechanics to understand how the human body responds to physical activity, exercise and sport. It is a discipline with both scientific depth and practical relevance, informing how athletes train and recover, how exercise is used to promote health across populations and how physical performance is understood, measured and enhanced. As the fields of elite sport, exercise medicine and public health continue to converge, the science underpinning them has become increasingly sophisticated.

At Liverpool Hope University, this four-year full-time programme includes a sandwich year, a work placement and a year abroad. The programme begins by building essential foundational knowledge across physiology, biomechanics and sport psychology, with increasing specialisation in later years that allows you to focus on areas of personal and professional interest. The sandwich and placement elements give you structured professional experience in sport performance, health promotion, coaching, rehabilitation or research settings, and the year abroad adds an international dimension to your training.

You will study exercise physiology, musculoskeletal anatomy, biomechanical analysis, sport and exercise psychology, research methods and the application of science to performance and health. Laboratory and practical work is central to the programme, developing your ability to measure and interpret physical data and apply scientific understanding to real sport and health contexts.

Graduates go into careers in sport performance analysis, strength and conditioning, exercise physiology, health and fitness, sport development, coaching, rehabilitation and sport science research. Some go on to postgraduate study in sport science, sports medicine, physiotherapy, physical education or related health sciences. The combination of scientific rigour and applied focus makes sport and exercise science graduates attractive to employers across sport, health and physical activity sectors.