BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science with Strength and Conditioning
- Study Mode: Full Time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: Three or Four Years
- Start Date: September 2024
Benefit from our specialist staff, links with sports teams, and industry-standard facilities. Join an incredible student community of like minded people, while you get to work in our Human Performance, Exercise and Wellbeing Centre. We have a Sports and Wellbeing Clinic and Human Performance Laboratory ready for you to use as part of your studies.
Our degree is endorsed by the British Association of Sports and Exercise Sciences (BASES) and is developed in line with the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) and Graduate Strength and Conditioning Coach (GSCC) professional standards.
Why study at BNU?
Employers want to see your skills and work experience even if you’ve just graduated. That’s why we help you gain both the skills and experience employers are looking for, through practical learning and skill-based applications of knowledge.
We’ll help you gain relevant working experience in sport and exercise science with an in-depth understanding of the key skills we use in the workplace. You’ll not only learn the skills you need but apply them in simulated real-world environments using our industry-standard facilities in our Human Performance Lab.
This course has been endorsed by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), the professional body for sport and exercise sciences in the UK. Graduating with an endorsed degree provides you with a competitive advantage that is recognized nationally and internationally.
Using our partnerships with professional bodies, sports teams, athletes and local schools and colleges, we have based your course on what's needed out in the field today. We’re currently linked with Watford FC, Wycombe Wanderers FC, Reading FC Women and academy teams, Swim England, British Rowing, GB para-athletes and many community level sports clubs.
Why study this subject?
Sport and exercise science is the practice of applying scientific principles and research methodology to sport and exercise.
A popular entry point into strength and conditioning (according to the UK government national careers survey) is a university degree covering the core of biomechanics, physiology and psychology, with professional body accreditation.
When considering your career in sports and exercise science, think about what professional accreditations the industry is looking for, such as The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) accreditation.
Our specialisms
We believe in giving you more freedom to shape your career how you want it. That's why we introduce you to various specialisms in your first year, and after you've gotten a feel for them all, offer you the ability to choose which course leads to your career goal. You can choose to switch to BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, or continue on with your course. Both awards are equal.
These courses are also offered as four-year programmes, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and needs for progression onto a BSc or BA programme. The foundation year is available if you didn't get the grades you were expecting for the entry requirements.
What facilities can I use?
Our facilities have all you need to gain experience, undertake training, enhance your learning, and develop your fitness levels.
Most of our work with you and our professional partners takes place in the Human Performance, Exercise and Wellbeing Centre. This is where the body can be fully tested and evaluated, using specialist equipment used by sport and exercise scientists in the world of work. It contains a working clinic and human performance laboratory. The work you complete here helps prepare you for your future career.
Additionally, the University has a range of sport and fitness facilities, including a commercially run sports hall and fitness centre and the Gateway Gym on our High Wycombe Campus, with competitive student rates.
Our library is packed with all the information you need for your assessments and there’s plenty of room to knuckle down for some quiet study.
What will I study?
This programme of study will be of interest if you either have current experience in the field of strength and conditioning or have an interest in helping prepare athletes and teams for the demands of performance sport.
Developed in line with the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) and aligned to Graduate Strength and Conditioning Coach (GSCC) professional standards, this sport science course will help to develop your knowledge and skills to help you to thrive in this industry.
Combining underlying scientific principles with practical strength and conditioning methods, you will study a variety of subjects including:
- exercise physiology
- biomechanics
- data analysis
- performance analysis
- research methods
- sports injury rehabilitation
- physiology
- sports psychology
- strength & conditioning techniques
Theoretical knowledge gained at the beginning of the course will be applied to simulated real-world examples to reflect industry practice. Applied research becomes connected with health and performance-based learning. Practical sessions will introduce you to a range of fitness tests or provide learning opportunities where theoretical information can be demonstrated working in real time.
Throughout the degree you will receive guidance and support from lecturers to help steer yourself towards your desired career goals. We aim to introduce you to many functional tools used in industry to conduct research, day to day tasks and reach the next level of understanding.
We will develop critical thinking skills, leadership abilities, and a detailed scientific reasoning process. This will culminate in a core Sports Science in Practice module, designed to allow you to lead on the delivery of sports science services both internally and to external stakeholders and partners, enhancing your employability.
How will I be taught and assessed?
Assessments are designed to help equip you with industry knowledge and experience, academic and cognitive, and critical and transferrable skills.
While there is a varied amount of assessment at all three years, it is predominantly based on coursework and practical assessments. Where possible, it is designed to mirror ‘real world’ sport and exercise science and strength and conditioning activities.
What are the course entry requirements?
A typical offer will require a UCAS tariff score of: 88 - 112 (Full-time) or 32 - 56 (Foundation Year)
UCAS points can be obtained through qualifications such as A levels, T levels, BTEC or an Access to Higher Education course in a relevant subject. Please list all your qualifications on the application form as you will be asked to provide copies when we receive your application.
A minimum of two full A-levels (or equivalent) is required. Every application is considered on an individual basis.
For further details of our international English entry requirements, please visit our international pages.
Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements for the three-year undergraduate programme, or those who do not feel fully prepared for a degree course, can apply for a four-year programme including a Foundation Year; find out more.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
This course has Opportunity modules.
Opportunity modules are a key part of the BNU curriculum. You’ll choose modules in both your first and second year from a broad selection in areas such as sustainability, entrepreneurship, creativity, digital skills, personal growth, civic engagement, health & wellbeing and employment. Opportunity modules are designed to enable you to develop outside the traditional boundaries of your discipline and help you to further stand out from the crowd to future employers. Find out more.
You must choose 2 x 10 credit Level 4 Opportunity modules from the Opportunity module catalogue www.bnu.ac.uk/oppmodules.
What are the tuition fees
Home
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Home, Academic Year 2024 - 2025: £9,250 per year
International
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Overseas/International, Academic Year 2024 - 2025: £15,150 per year
What are my career prospects?
The blend of theoretical, practical and work-based learning you’ll experience in this course will help set you up for a career within the fields of high-performance sport or clinical exercise.
You can choose from a range of career possibilities, such as:
- sport and exercise scientist
- strength and conditioning coach
- health assessment and screening
- performance analysis
- sports coach
- teacher training
- health and fitness club management
- fitness consultancy (PT)
- personal fitness training (PT)
- corporate health advice
- the armed forces.
Graduates can also choose to study for a postgraduate course, such as our MSc in Sports Performance, or apply for graduate sport programmes.
You’ll also have the chance to apply for BASES membership which is now becoming required for many jobs in the industry.