Sport and Exercise Sciences

Durham University

Gain an understanding of both the traditional and cross-disciplinary sport and exercise sciences. This degree will equip you with the knowledge and practical skills to step into a rewarding career within the fast-moving sport and exercise industries. Are you fascinated by the relationship between exercise, performance, physical activity and health? Would you like to embark on a BSc that is aligned with industry developments and the latest research? With an emphasis on employability, there are opportunities for you to develop your transferable skill set and take a placement module in a sport or exercise vocational setting, as well as 'open modules' from other departments. You also have the choice of applying to add an industry placement year or a study year abroad to your degree, increasing the course from three years to four. The final-year Independent Research Project is an opportunity to engage in deeper investigation of a sport or exercise topic that particularly interests you. Our approach to learning, teaching and assessment links academic knowledge with real-world examples and practices in sport, exercise, physical activity and health. This is brought further to life in our dedicated Human Performance Laboratory, which is equipped with the latest in exercise physiology and nutrition equipment and technology that you will learn to use in our guaranteed 'hands on' learning experience. Studying Sport and Exercise Sciences you will develop intellectual capacities and personal qualities, while acquiring a broad range of practical, professional and employability skills that can be applied to a range of careers in the sport, leisure, health sectors and beyond. Our students graduate with the skill set to take on challenging roles across a wide range of these and other industries.Here at Durham, our expertise across the Department prepares you to tackle traditional and emergent sport and exercise problems from a variety of academic disciplines and perspectives. With a curriculum developed and delivered by an academic team actively involved in world-leading research, you’ll build a firm foundation of knowledge in traditional sport, exercise and health sciences, including: physiology psychology physical activity, nutrition and health. The course is unique in also offering flexibility to select modules from cognate disciplines, such as: Sociology of Sport Sport, Health and the Environment and Sports Development, so that you develop a broader, more holistic knowledge across the wider field of sport and exercise.Course structureYear 1 modulesCore modules:Academic Skills for Sport and Exercise Sciences develops the essential academic skills required for degree-level study in the sport and exercise sciences, as well as the workplace. You will develop skills in personal effectiveness, verbal and written communication, collaborative working, critical thinking and problem-solving, information and research, numeracy, and digital literacy.Introduction to Sport and Exercise Psychology familiarises you with major theories, intervention strategies and methods of data collection used in the field of sport and exercise psychology.Introduction to Anatomy and Exercise Physiology familiarises you with the basic anatomical and physiological functions of the human body in the context of exercise. The module includes an examination of the cellular, nervous, musculoskeletal, endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, and thermoregulatory systems.Introduction to Physical Activity, Diet and Health provides you with an introduction to the key theories, debates and issues for physical activity, diet and health in the UK.