Careers in Sport, Exercise and Health Science

Interested in sports, exercise and health science but wondering what career you might peruse in these fields? This page will give you the information you might need to set the first steps into your future career.

Careers in Sport, Exercise and Health Science

With the courses we offer in the domain of Sport, Exercise and Health Science, you can tailor your career opportunities by choosing the right course for you. The first step to a successful career is a good education that will prepare you in theory and practice for the opportunities and challenges you may face ahead and our current courses can offer an insight into both. Our undergraduate courses in Sport, Exercise and Health Science are :


BSc (Hons) Sport, Exercise and Health Science
BSc (Hons) Clinical Exercise and Rehabilitation Science


Career options within the sport, exercise and health science domains can broadly be categorised in three different groups:

1) Elite / professional sport
2) Clinical, rehabilitation and exercise domains
3) Education and Development

Elite / professional sport careers

With further study following the completion of an appropriate undergraduate sport and exercise science course you could choose to specialise in one of the following careers: Performance Analysist, Strength and Conditioner.

With the completion of a postgraduate 1-year course you will be abel to work in one of the following jobs: Sports Dietician/Nutritionist, Sports Biomechanist, Sport Physiologist, Sport and Exercise Psychologist. There is also the opportunity to work as a Performance Scientist in areas such as the military.

Find more about career pathways and job prospects in our careers posters below:

Work in elite sport and performance

Clinical, rehabilitation and exercise careers

Upon graduation there are a range of different careers available, including: Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer, Physical Activity Referral Specialist, and a Health Promotion Specialist. Upon competing further study you could work as a Exercise Physiologist, Sport Therapist.

For people interested in this particular area, there are also an increasingly number of jobs working within and in association with the NHS, including: Physical Activity Referral Specialist, Clinical Exercise Physiologist, Cardiac Physiologist. There are also opportunities to work in rehabilitation-focused environments as a clinical exercise scientist.

Work in clinical exercise, health and fitness

Education and sport development careers

You could become a Sports Coach, or work as a Sports Development Officer – either for a sports national governing body (NGB) or for a local authority or council. Other possible career paths are also as Fitness Centre Manager or as an Outdoor Education Specialist.

Opportunities exist, with further training, to become a Teacher (either primary or secondary) following the completion of a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). There are also job opportunities to be working as a college tutor or as a University Lecturer, and the potential to follow a career as a researcher in your chosen field.

For further details regarding careers in sport and exercise science take a look at the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) ‘Guide to careers in the sport and exercise sciences’

Work in research, teaching, coaching and sport development