Sport and Exercise Science

• Study a leading Sports Science course – ranked second in the UK and 17th in the World (Shanghai Rankings 2023).
• Discover what makes great sports performers in our accredited high-performance labs.
• Join an industry-approved course, endorsed by BASES and CIMPSA.
• Gain experience testing athletes and members of the public in our Exercise Testing Consultancy.
• Bring the world of work to life through Live Briefs; designed and developed with regional employers to give you exposure to ‘real world’ problem-solving.
• We’re delighted to be Cambridge United Football Club’s Official Education Partner which supports opportunities such as work experience at the club or volunteering with the Cambridge United Foundation.

Want to turn your love of sport and fitness into a lifelong career? Sport and Exercise Science graduates are in demand, whether you want to encourage and support people to take up sports and exercise, work in a clinical environment – or help propel them to the top of their game. You’ll learn to apply the four key disciplines of sport and exercise science: physiology, psychology, biomechanics and nutrition.

Study sports science with world-leading experts in our specialist labs in Cambridge, on a degree course endorsed by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) and the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), so you'll graduate ready to work in the UK’s burgeoning sport and fitness industry or to continue your learning journey to postgraduate study.

There are plenty of opportunities to get hands-on experience, with internships and an optional placement year.

There are wide-ranging employment opportunities for sport scientists, from introducing people to sport and exercise, to helping take them to the top. Among other roles in the applied health and physical activity and the health and fitness industry, you could work as:

• an athlete-support scientist
• an exercise consultant
• a performance analyst
• a clinical psychologist.

We’ll encourage you to improve your employment prospects by making connections with industry. We have links with a range of sporting organisations, including:

• Living Sport (Cambridge and Peterborough Sports Development)
• British Paralympic Association
• British Cycling
• British Judo Association
• Cambridge United FC
• European Space Agency
• British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences
• Physiological Society
• European College of Sports Medicine
• American College of Sports Medicine
• England and Wales Cricket Board

ARU ranked in the top 10% in the country for graduates in employment or further study (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2024), and 5th in the country for the proportion of UK undergraduates who are employed as managers, directors, or senior officials 15 months after graduating. We're also in the top 10% in the country for the number of graduates in employment and further study who agreed they are using what they learnt during their studies.

Graduation doesn’t need to be the end of your time with us, of course. You might decide to stay at ARU and study a postgraduate degree such as our MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.

Employability and personal career development

Informed by employers, our sports science courses support an integrated approach to employability. You’ll have opportunities to develop the skills and abilities they are looking for and gain a deeper understanding of how your academic learning relates to the world of work through Live Briefs and Ruskin Modules.

To amplify your career ambition, you will need to actively dedicate time outside of your studies, whether you choose to explore placements, internships or volunteering. Or you could make a social impact by collaborating with our partner organisations through our volunteer scheme Students at the Heart of Knowledge Exchange (SHoKE). These all give you an edge, providing you with experience that you will be able to evidence on your CV and talk about in interviews.

Our Employability and Careers Service offers a range of expert advice and support to build your unique professional profile, including tailored career appointments, advice on writing your CV, and help to complete job applications. You’ll have 24/7 access to the Careers Centre, our comprehensive online digital resource, which empowers you to start building a Personal Career Development Plan from the very start. Design your future at ARU.