Overview
Sport offers a wide range of exciting career opportunities. The sport sector supports 1.25 million jobs in the UK and has performed more strongly than the UK economy as a whole in recent years. (Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2024).
At Stirling, we help prepare you for the diverse sports job market. By studying sport combined with another subject, you can focus in on a blend of skills to support your unique ambitions.
Our sport degree can be combined with studies in:
- Accountancy
- Business Studies
- Journalism Studies
- Marketing
- Secondary Education (PE teaching)
From the business side of sport, to broadcasting, marketing or teaching, the modules you study will help shape your qualification towards the area of sport you’re most interested in.
Learn key skills at Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence
As you study your chosen specialism, you’ll get a firm grounding in all aspects of sport. Your sports modules will include:
- the role sport plays in society and how it impacts health and community;
- the psychology of physical activity;
- sport as a global phenomenon – including the role of sporting organisations and major events.
You’ll also complete a major project in your final semester. This will give you an opportunity to do extensive research on a topic you choose and produce a final piece of work that might take the form of a coaching resource, a journal article or a research report. The creative and analytical skills you gain on the project will be ideal preparation for the types of challenges you may encounter in your future workplace.
What makes Stirling one of the best places to study combined sports courses?
Learn from experts accredited by organisations like the British Psychological Society. Our cutting-edge sport research helps to ensure you’re gaining the latest knowledge in the field. As Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence, we also have strong connections to partner organisations such as sportscotland.
These links create valuable networking and learning opportunities as you study. You’ll benefit from guest lectures from representatives of organisation such as the Scottish Institute for Sport and the Scottish Professional Football League Trust. We also host a career event that brings together former students and professional partners to talk about your next steps.
Our campus is also home to elite athletes competing in multiple disciplines worldwide. You’ll benefit from the same world-class facilities as them, including our 50 metre swimming pool, athletics tracks, grass and artificial pitches, tennis courts, multiple fitness suites and more.
Whatever subject you combine with your sports degree with, our focus will be on your future career. Work towards your ambitions in the aspect of sport that interests you most with our combined degree options at the University of Stirling.
Top reasons to study with us
Professional accreditation
Our lecturing staff are accredited by organisations including British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) and British Psychological Society (BPS).
Faculty Facilities
Take a tour of our Sport and Exercise teaching facilities
Entry requirements
Year 1 entry – Four-year honours
Highers
AABB
A-levels
BBB
IB Diploma
28 points
BTEC (Level 3)
DDM
Widening access students
Widening access students may be eligible for an adjusted offer of entry. To find out if this applies to you go to our widening access pages.
Care-experienced applicants will be guaranteed an offer of a place if they meet the minimum entry requirements.
Year 2 entry – Three-year honours
Advanced Higher
ABB
A-level
ABB
Essential subjects
Physical Education
Other Scottish qualifications
Scottish HNC/HND
Year one minimum entry - Bs in graded units.
Access courses
University of Stirling access course - for mature students only. You must pass the course with 50% or above.
SWAP access course - for mature students only.
Email our Admissions Team for advice about other access courses.
Foundation Apprenticeships
Considered to be equivalent to 1 Higher at Grade B
Other qualifications
English, Welsh and Northern Irish HNC/HND
Merits and Distinctions
English, Welsh and Northern Irish access courses
Access to Higher Education - 60 credits, minimum 45 at QCF Level 3, pass at 60% or above.
Essential subjects
Physical Education
International entry requirements
Advanced entry
English language requirements
If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
- IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each sub-skill.
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) 60 overall with a minimum of 59 in each sub-skill.
- TOEFL exams taken before 21 January 2026: 80 overall with 18 in reading, 17 in writing, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking.
- TOEFL exams taken from 21 January 2026: 4 overall with no less than 4 in any band.
See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.
Pre-sessional English language courses
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, University of Stirling International Study Centre offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.
Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses
Course details
The module lists below provide a detailed overview of what you'll study on our combined Sport degrees.
Modules
Course details
Teaching
Students are taught through a mix of lectures, seminars, practical sessions and workshops. There are six weekly lectures - two per module - supported by seminars and workshops. On top of this core contact time, around 30 hours of independent study is expected each week.
In addition to conventional lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops, Sports Studies uses a virtual learning environment and internet technology to support its teaching programme.
Assessment
Assessment is blended by a combination of coursework, group project work, group and individual presentations, online assessments and end-of-module examinations.
Contact
Fees and funding
Fees and costs
Scottish students
This fee is set by the Scottish Government and is subject to change.
Although you’re liable for annual tuition fees, if you are domiciled in Scotland you can apply to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) to have your tuition fees paid by the Scottish Government on your behalf.
You will be charged the annual tuition fee each year when you enrol.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
This tuition fee may be subject to change depending on guidance provided by the UK Government.
You can apply for financial assistance, including a loan to cover the full cost of your tuition fees, from your relevant funding body. Students from the Republic of Ireland are eligible for a tuition fee loan of up to £9,535 from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).
We also offer additional funding for students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. See our funding opportunities section below for more information.
You will be charged the annual fee each year when you enrol.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy and terms and conditions.
International students (including EU)
Eligible students will automatically receive a scholarship worth between £10,000-£20,000 over the duration of your course. See our range of generous scholarships for international undergraduate students.
You will be charged the annual fee each year when you enrol.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Additional costs
There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips. Learn more about additional fees.
Funding
Sports scholarships
Our International Sports Scholarship Programme is one of the largest high-performance sports programmes in the UK.
See what funding opportunities and loans are available to help you with tuition and living costs.
Students from Scotland
Find funding opportunities for Scottish students.
Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
Eligible students will receive our Stirling Success Scholarship which is worth £5,000.
International students
Eligible international students will automatically receive a scholarship worth between £10,000-£20,000 over the duration of your course. Find funding opportunities for international students.
Cost of living
If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.
International (including EU) students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.
Payment options
We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods - including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay.
After you graduate
What jobs can you get with a Sport degree?
Job opportunities include working as a sports coach; teacher; consultant; or a manager or administrator for employers such as a local authority, commercial and voluntary sport organisation or governing bodies of sport.
Careers in the sport sector account for around three percent of all jobs in Scotland, according to a recent study by Cambridge Econometrics. A number of exciting opportunities for well-qualified students have arisen from the legacy of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup.
This is set to continue as Scotland hosts a number of future sporting events. Many of our graduates have gone on to work as:
- sport development officers, working with sporting governing bodies to develop sport – both here in Scotland and abroad;
- managers of sport facilities in sport and leisure trusts across the UK;
- administrators for national governing bodies and sport policy agencies, such as sportscotland;
- sport officers working with charities in developing nations to use sport to build communities;
- personal trainers in health and fitness organisations;
- coaches working with development teams in a number of sports, such as football and rugby.
This course is designed to enhance knowledge and understanding of sport across a range of academic disciplines, and prepares students for a variety of careers in sport.
We work closely with industry to ensure everything we teach you is relevant, and will boost your employability within the sector. Staff actively seek positions with key sports organisations to ensure what is taught reflects contemporary issues affecting the sports industry today. Examples of this include Robert Kielty’s work with football clubs and sport organisations, John Mather’s support of referees for the Scottish Rugy Union (SRU), and Justine Allan’s coaching of the Scotland Women’s U18 hockey team.
