Sports Science
Sports Science
About
The mix of scientific understanding and practical application gained from a degree in sports and exercise science means graduates can explore a range of diverse careers.
Careers advice
- Prospects: What can I do with my degree in sport and exercise science - includes career and further study options, advice on finding relevant work experience, typical employers and the skills gained from your degree.
- British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences: Careers – includes profiles and case studies
- Society of Biology: Sport
- Careers in sport - includes profiles and case studies
Industry news
Sources of industry news include:
Professional bodies
These represent people working in the sector, providing training and networking opportunities. They often provide careers support for students and graduates.
They also provide development for people already working in the sector. Follow them and sector skills bodies on LinkedIn or visit their websites for news, contacts, work experience and vacancies.
Professional associations/institutes
- British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) - includes a careers section
- The Physiological Society
- Institute of Sport Exercise and Health
- UK Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA)
- Society of Sports Therapists
- British Association for Sport Rehabilitators and Trainers
- UK Coaching
- International Society for the Advancement of Kinathropometry (ISAK) - international organisation related to the study of kinathropometry (body composition). Accredits training courses in measurement
For information relating to sports nutrition, visit the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENr), The Nutrition Society and the British Dietetic Association, which has a specialist sports nutrition group.
For more information on dietetics as a career, visit Healthcare.
UK Sport Institutes and public bodies
- UK Sport
- English Institute of Sport
- Sport England
- Sport Northern Ireland
- Sport Scotland
- Sport Wales – see also the Sport Wales Institute
- Team GB: Intensive Rehabilitation Unit
Find professional bodies outside the UK on GoinGlobal by selecting ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each of the individual country guides.
Making contacts
Talk to people in the sector to get insight into roles in life and healthcare sciences. It can be useful for networking and making speculative applications.
You could start with:
- Newcastle alumni on LinkedIn – find out what they did after graduation and contact them for advice and inspiration
- NHS Research and Development Forum - network for those managing and supporting research and development in health and social care
Social media, particularly LinkedIn and Twitter, is useful for making contacts, finding employers and opportunities. Find out more about how to use social media for your career and subscribe to our Sport & Exercise Science Twitter list to follow professional bodies and practitioners.
Events
Events such as recruitment fairs, open days and talks give insight and opportunities to make contacts. Regular events for this sector include BASES: Events, which includes their annual student conference.
Related sectors
You may also be interested in Psychology, Food Science, Healthcare or Leisure, Sports and Tourism.
Or see our other Explore Occupations pages for more options.
Roles & Skills
There are various opportunities open to you in a career in sport and exercise science. These include performance analysis and exercise physiology, sports nutrition and psychology.
Some sport-related careers may require further study at postgraduate level, eg for sports psychology. For some roles, a postgraduate qualification is not essential, but a Master’s or PhD in a relevant subject is becoming increasingly preferred.
The following job profiles include descriptions of typical duties and entry requirements.
Sport and exercise scientist
Exercise physiologist
Sport and exercise biomechanist
Sports nutritionist
- Careers in Sport profiles: James Hudson and Lindsey Ormond
Sports therapist
Sport and exercise psychologist
Sport and exercise medicine consultant
Skills employers look for
Employers in this sector look for skills including:
- a strong interest in sport, particularly in high performance
- an analytical and investigative mind, with key technical skills and knowledge
- strong written and verbal communication skills, with excellent attention to detail
- an ability to lead and motivate self and others
- an ability to work flexibly, prioritise your workload and be able to meet deadlines
Gaining Experience
Getting into sport and exercise science is highly competitive, particularly in elite sport.
Work experience can be difficult to find (especially paid internships), but can be invaluable in developing relevant skills and demonstrating your interest and commitment.
Make the most of any opportunity that you can get, including volunteering and shadowing, to help you make contacts and gain experience.
For help with funding short-term low or unpaid work experience, see our Career Insights Bursary.
Finding work experience
Sport clubs, eg rugby and football clubs, may offer internships and placement years in sport and exercise science. Check individual clubs for details, for example Newcastle United Foundation, which offers work experience and volunteering opportunities.
Smaller organisations often don’t advertise opportunities. You may need to contact them directly with a speculative approach. Do this early, as it can be very competitive.
Professional bodies also advertise opportunities, including research, funding and studentships. See About for a list of organisations.
Internships
- BASES: Vacancies - includes internships
- UK Sport
- BritishSports.com - advertises paid internships
- UKSCA - jobs and internships
- English Institute of Sport can sometimes offer short-term work experience
- Arthritis Research: Centre for Sport, Exercise & Osteoarthritis offer internships to health science graduates
- Mac-Nutrition have offered internships relating to sports nutrition in the past, mostly unpaid
- Sport England - offer summer internships in a range of areas including marketing, insight/research, legal and volunteering
You can also find work experience by contacting university departments and research institutes. The University offers research scholarships to help fund summer research projects. These are typically for 6 to 8 weeks - applications for these usually close early March.
The Physiological Society also offers vacation studentships. These give undergraduates the opportunity to undertake a research project on an area of physiology over their summer break.
Finding companies
Find organisations that interest you and get in touch directly - always with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for.
Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlight any relevant skills. Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen.
- BASES: Laboratories - list of BASES-accredited physiological testing labs
- BASES: Consultants - search for accredited sport and exercise scientists
- BASRAT: Find a practitioner - contacts for sports rehabilitators
- Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register: Find a Nutritionist - useful for career advice and possible shadowing opportunities
- LinkedIn Alumni tool - find out where Newcastle University sport and exercise science graduates are working for inspiration
Other opportunities
Coaching and fitness qualifications can be valuable. Having an understanding of the sport and the type of athletes and individuals you might meet can be excellent experience. It will help you apply for jobs in the future.
You could try:
- NUSU: Athletic Union
- RISE
- LeisureJobs: Sports jobs - includes coaching opportunities
For shadowing opportunities, you could try contacting Newcastle Sport at the University. The centre has a performance sport team, which may offer opportunities.
Finding Jobs
Sport and exercise science graduates work in a wide range of organisations. These include national governing bodies and UK Institutes of Sport, professional sports clubs and the food and drinks industry.
Opportunities are also available in academic research and scientific sectors, and also within the NHS and private healthcare, as exercise physiologists or nutritional therapists.
Use the following resources to find advertised vacancies and also research employers for speculative applications.
Professional bodies and sport institutes also advertise graduate positions. See About for a list of organisations.
For further sources of vacancies in universities and research institutions, see Research in Academia.
Vacancy sites (sports related)
- BASES: Job Search
- UK Sport: Jobs in Sport
- UKSCA
- English Institute of Sport
- Jump in Sport
- LeisureJobs: Sports jobs
- Jobs.ac.uk: Sport and leisure jobs - vacancies in higher and further education, including teaching and research
Vacancy sites (general)
- Search for vacancies on MyCareer
- New Scientist
- NHS Jobs
- Science Careers: Jobs - post-doc opportunities worldwide
- Jobs in Science
For additional vacancy sites, visit Graduate Jobs.
To find opportunities outside the UK, see GoinGlobal and International Jobs.
Finding companies
Find organisations that interest you and get in touch directly - always with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for.
Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlight any relevant skills. Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen.
- BASES: Laboratories – list of physiological testing labs
- BASES: Consultants – search for accredited sport and exercise scientists
- BASRAT: Find a practitioner – contacts for sports rehabilitators
- Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register: Find a Nutritionist
- LinkedIn Alumni tool - find out where Newcastle University sport and exercise science graduates are working for inspiration