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Anglia Ruskin University

UCAS Code: C632 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

GCSE/National 4/National 5

4 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above, including English, Maths and Science.

UCAS Tariff

96

We accept A Levels, T Levels, BTECs, OCR, Access to HE and most other qualifications within the UCAS Tariff.

About this course

This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2026

Other options

6 years | Part-time | 2026

Subject

Sport and exercise sciences

Explore the scientific principles and techniques that underpin health, wellbeing and sporting performance, with our sport science degree at ARU in Writtle.

- Train and work in our Centre for Sport and Health, with its sports laboratory, and strength and conditioning suite.

- Learn from staff with high-level sports or industry experience.

- Benefit from experiential learning, with sport, health and exercise industry practitioners based on campus.

- Gain specific knowledge and skills relating to the promotion of active and healthy lifestyles across the lifespan.

- Obtain industry experience and relate your studies to the real world through work placement, volunteering and shadowing opportunities.

- Graduate ready to work in sport, health or exercise roles.

Turn your love of sport and fitness into a lifelong, fulfilling career. Gain a comprehensive sport science experience at ARU in Writtle, focusing on anatomy, physiology and nutrition – and the knowledge and skills required to effectively promote physical activity, exercise and active lifestyles. You’ll also focus on bespoke modules which focus on lifelong engagement in physical activity and exercise, including Physical Literacy development in youth and exercise rehabilitation for adults with specific needs.

The course will broaden your knowledge of the theoretical and practical aspects of human performance from health through to athletic excellence; how the human machine operates when engaged in sport and exercise; and how to interpret and evaluate its responses.

**Please note that this course is subject to validation and some details, including modules, may change.**

As a student in Writtle, you’ll take part in practical sessions using specialist sports facilities and equipment. These include our Centre for Sport and Health, which is open to the public. In the Centre, you’ll get involved in a range of activities, from strength and conditioning training through to testing VO2 max to understand the limits of both athletic performance and human capability.

You’ll develop key employability skills in both an applied and research setting, as well as gain effective practical skills that are in demand from top level clubs, sporting organisations and in clinical practice.

As well as our three-year degree course, you have the option of studying over 6 years part-time. You'll study the same modules, but sometimes in different years or in a different order.

Modules

Year 1:
Core modules
Introduction to Human Physiological Systems (15 credits)
Applied Professional Skills (30 credits)
Psychological Fundamentals in Sport and Exercise (30 credits)

Bespoke modules
Active Lives and Physical Literacy (15 credits)
Enhancing Physical Capabilities in Youth Populations (15 credits)

Year 2:
Core modules
Exercise Physiology (15 credits)
Nutrition for Sport, Health and Exercise
Research Skills in Sport and Exercise Science (30 credits)
Ruskin Module
Strength and Conditioning (15 credits)

Bespoke modules
Skills for the Exercise Referral Practitioner (30 credits)

Year 3:
Core modules
Applied Exercise Physiology (15 credits)
Performance and Exercise Nutrition (15 credits)
Major Project or Work Placement (30 credits)
Sport and Exercise Medicine (30 credits)

Bespoke modules
Exercise Rehabilitation for Chronic Health Conditions (30 credits)

Assessment methods

Assessment is varied and applied in nature. The course and module design has incorporated a wide range of assessments designed to elicit knowledge and understanding, and to develop your skills. As a rule, modules have more than one assessment style.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,535
per year
England
£9,535
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,535
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,535
per year
Scotland
£9,535
per year
Wales
£9,535
per year

The Uni

Course location:

Writtle Campus

Department:

School of Psychology, Sport and Sensory Sciences

Read full university profile

What students say

We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

91%
Sport and exercise sciences

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Sport and exercise sciences

Teaching and learning

85%
Staff make the subject interesting
89%
Staff are good at explaining things
87%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
81%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

83%
Library resources
94%
IT resources
94%
Course specific equipment and facilities
74%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

87%
UK students
13%
International students
71%
Male students
29%
Female students
76%
2:1 or above
20%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
B

After graduation

The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Sport and exercise sciences

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£25,000
high
Average annual salary
95%
high
Employed or in further education
60%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

25%
Sports and fitness occupations
15%
Teaching and educational professionals
8%
Childcare and related personal services

One of the fastest growing subjects in the country, the number of sports science graduates went from under 3,000 in 2003 to over 10,000 in 2013. Numbers have fallen slightly since 2015, but we still have over 9,000 graduates in the subject. However, the good news is the country's appetite for good health and fitness - and the adaptability of graduates in the subject - means that sports science grads are less likely than average to be out of work. Sports science graduates, not surprisingly, tend to get jobs in sport, fitness and health - coaching and teaching especially - but they're found all over the economy. Management and business are also popular options for graduates from this subject — and sports science graduates are particularly found where drive, determination and physical fitness are an advantage.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Sport and exercise sciences

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£19k

£19k

£24k

£24k

£27k

£27k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here