Sports and Exercise Science

Sports and exercise science is a discipline that applies the methods and knowledge of biology, physiology, psychology and biomechanics to understanding human physical performance and the role of exercise in health. It is a degree that takes seriously both the science of elite athletic performance and the growing evidence base for the health benefits of physical activity across the lifespan. These are not separate concerns: the same physiological principles that explain how an elite sprinter generates power also underlie the exercise prescriptions used to manage type 2 diabetes or recover from cardiac surgery.

At the University of Essex, the three-year full-time BSc develops your knowledge of exercise physiology, biomechanics, sports psychology, motor control and nutrition, alongside the research methods and data analysis skills that rigorous scientific work requires. You will study how the body responds and adapts to exercise, how psychological factors influence performance, how movement can be analysed and optimised, and how physical activity interventions can be designed and evaluated. Laboratory work and practical sessions with athletes and participants are central to the degree, giving you experience of applying scientific methods in applied settings.

Essex's location in the east of England and its strong sporting facilities provide a good environment for both academic study and practical work with athletes and community participants.

Graduates work in performance sport, working with athletes at all levels from recreational to elite; in health and fitness, including exercise referral and clinical exercise physiology; and in sport development and public health. Roles as sport scientist, strength and conditioning coach, health and fitness specialist and performance analyst are common. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in sports science, physiotherapy, strength and conditioning, health science or physical education.