BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science

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Become a Sport and Exercise scientist with our BSc Sport and Exercise Science degree and you can transform lives and sporting careers.

As Scotland’s official University for Sporting Excellence, we place Sport and Exercise Science at the heart of everything we do. We prepare athletes for success on the world stage and improve the health of the nation through physical exercise. It’s why we're 1st in Scotland for sports research (REF2014).

Study our BSc Sport and Exercise Science degree and you’ll learn from our experts in sport and exercise physiology, nutrition, genetics, medicine, health and physical activity. 

Our research and performance analysis laboratories enable you to develop your scientific and practical skills in a world-class learning environment. Our course will prepare you for the many career opportunities available in Sport and Exercise Science. Our research ranges from molecular mechanisms through to the whole body level.

Our campus features a 50m swimming pool, ten tennis courts and seven sports pitches all on site. The Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2017 ranked our sports facilities 1st in Scotland and 4th in the UK.

Our BSc Sport and Exercise Science degree is delivered jointly by the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport and the Faculty of Natural Sciences, combining a wide range of expertise to ensure an unrivalled student experience.

The course provides you with the knowledge and experience to become a sports and exercise scientist and work in areas such as sport, health or science disciplines, or to pursue a career in research or teaching.

Human Anatomy and Physiology

You'll study the structure and function of the major physiological systems in humans including exploration of the response of humans to particular stimuli and integrated understanding of physiological control mechanisms.

Biomechanics and Motor Control

You’ll learn the anatomy of the human musculoskeletal system and the biomechanics of human movement including assessment of gait and factors influencing control of muscle movements in relation to sport and the general population.

Psychology

You'll be introduced to psychological techniques that can be used to improve performance in competitive sport, and to promote behaviour change to e.g. for example increase physical activity and reduce sedentary time.

Sports Medicine and Nutrition

Various modules in the programme provide an understanding of the role of exercise and nutrition in developing a healthy lifestyle and consider other health and medical aspects related to diet and exercise that are important for maintaining health while participating in sport and exercise at all levels.

Physiology of Sport and Exercise

You'll develop an understanding of the regulation and integration of multiple physiological systems during exercise. You’ll study in detail how the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, neuromuscular system and skeletal muscle systems respond and adapt to exercise and environmental stimuli.

Applied Exercise Physiology

You will gain both an understanding and practical experience of laboratory-based exercise physiology assessments for athlete performance assessment as well as understanding functional capacity in patient or general populations.

Cell and Molecular Physiology

Throughout the degree, you'll study the internal structure of animal cells, focusing on the roles of organelles in specific aspects of cellular function, discuss how hormones and other signals influence cellular activity through the activation of signal transduction pathways and develop practical skills in modern molecular biological techniques.

Specialisation and independent research project

You'll gain a broad perspective of these themes throughout your degree programme and in the final year you can specialise with chosen readings modules leading to the final semester  when you will complete an independent research project.

Sport and Exercise Science higher education provision leads to £3.9 billion in added income to the UK economy each year; the equivalent of over 147,300 jobs. (Sport and Exercise Science Education: Impact on the UK economy, May 2019 report)

Students who graduate from our BSc Sport and Exercise Science degree are prepared for many career opportunities working in sport, exercise, science and beyond.

What jobs can you get with a BSc  Sport and Exercise Science degree?

• Sports science support of athletes
• Health and fitness monitoring
• Physical activity promotion
• Coaching
• Teaching
• Physiotherapy, dietetics and other allied health professions

Other employers who have benefitted from Stirling graduate expertise include local authorities, commercial and voluntary sport organisations and governing bodies of sport.

Graduates have gone on to postgraduate taught (Masters/MSc) and research degrees (MPhil/PhD).

• More than 95% of all undergraduates were in employment or further study fifteen months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020, HESA)