Sport and Exercise Science

Our sports science courses rank 6th in the UK in their subject field for career prospects (The Guardian University Guide, 2026).

If you are fascinated by the science behind sport and exercise performance, this course gives you the opportunity to learn from and be part of a world-leading research team, using state-of-the-art equipment and facilities in a high-performance environment. The course combines scientific knowledge and sports performance with lab work, and offers specialist units in biomechanics, exercise physiology and social psychology, to name a few.

Course accreditation/industry endorsement
This course is endorsed by the Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (CASES) and the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), allowing you to work towards CIMSPA professional standards in gym instruction, personal training and working with people with long-term conditions.

Facilities and specialist equipment
Six CASES-accredited laboratories
Environmental chamber.
Biochemical analysis laboratory
Mechanical treadmill
Expired gas analysis
Hydrostatic weighing tank
Biomechanics labs with 3D camera system
Echocardiogram machine
Purpose-built strength and conditioning facility with Olympic weight room
State-of-the-art gym with free membership for students
Fully supervised, on-site sports therapy and rehabilitation centre with a sports injury clinic, open to staff, students and external athletes/clients

Career-powered links
We are official partners of Luton Town FC and Bedford Blues RFC as well as other sporting organisations in the region such as Bedford Tigers RLFC, MK Dons, Cricket East and Be Active, giving you opportunities to build your employability through work placements. We are also an Educational Partner of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).

Your student experience
Learn in a high-performance environment with a leading sport-performance team offering research opportunities and skills development rare to the UK.

Be part of a team working on prestigious projects for elite sports teams, governing bodies and government initiatives.

Gain valuable work experience at our on-site Community Exercise Clinic and Human Performance Centre, which offers testing to sports people, teams and the general public for fitness, flexibility and body composition assessments.

Take up opportunities for placements with our official partners Luton Town FC and Bedford Blues RFC as well as other sporting organisations such as Bedford Tigers RLFC; MK Dons; Cricket East and Be Active.

Enhance your learning through field trips to destinations such as St George’s Park, Burton-upon-Trent, the home of England Football; Luton Town FC; Northampton Saints physio centre; and King’s College, London's anatomy rooms.

Hear from guest speakers who attend our ISPAR seminar series. Previous speakers have included Tom Bromley (MK Dons); Jack Wells (PGA); Akash Modhwadia (Strength and conditioning coach at MK Dons); Marsha Brierley (Behaviour Change Practitioner at Buckinghamshire Public Health).

Benefit from the support of your own personal academic tutor who will guide and support you throughout your student journey.
Our Bedford campus is a small, thriving academic community where academic staff get to know you well.

Course modules

You benefit from work placements throughout your three-year degree. To prepare for your final-year dissertation, you also take two research units: Introduction to research methods (Year 1) and Research methods for sport, exercise & physical activity (Year 2).

Your subject-specific units are:

Year 1
Introduction to sport and exercise psychology – Discover how psychology can boost sports performance. Principles of nutrition – Learn what your body needs and how nutrients work. Anatomy and biomechanics – Study the basics of the human body and the way it moves. Biomechanics for sport and exercise science – Explore movement and musculoskeletal analysis in sport. Fundamentals of strength and conditioning – Build safe, effective training plans. Developing the coaching environment and practice – Create a positive training space. Human physiology – How the body and its major organs respond to exercise.

Year 2
Social psychology of sport – Understand why people act the way they do in sport settings. Biomechanics – Use biomechanics to measure, analyse and assess movement. Exercise physiology measurement and assessment - Build lab skills in areas like aerobic capacity, field tests and ultrasound. Performance analysis – Learn to analyse performance and give feedback. Nutrient metabolism – Explore how the body processes food and how it impacts performance. Applied strength and conditioning – Plan and run safe, effective S&C sessions. Physiology of exercise and training – Understand how the body reacts to training and different environments. Physical activity and health interventions – Look at ways to promote active, healthy lifestyles. Dissertation preparation – Sharpen your research skills and prepare your proposal.

Year 3
Work experience – Put your coaching skills into practice. Work placement project – Complete a project based on your placement. Applied sport and exercise psychology – Use psychological strategies to boost performance. Applied biomechanics – Apply biomechanics to improve performance and prevent injury. Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and health – Explore how activity affects health and suggest ways to prevent or treat issues. Applied exercise physiology – Learn how to measure physiology and when to use different methods. Clinical exercise – Develop advanced assessment skills for sport rehab and clinical practice. Performance nutrition – Understand the nutritional needs of athletes and active individuals. Dissertation – Conduct original research in your chosen area.

We make every effort to ensure the information given here is accurate; however, for the most up-to-date information, see our website.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• British Association of Sports and Exercise Sciences