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Studying sports and leisure degree guide

The sports and leisure industries provide loads of opportunities in the UK job market and can offer graduates an interesting and exciting career path. Keep reading to see if studying sports and leisure at uni is the right move for you.

Eleanor Foulds
by Eleanor Foulds
Last Updated:
03 Nov 2022

Unis offer a few different sports and leisure degree options, e.g., sports science, sports studies and physiotherapy. Depending on your specific degree choice, you can expect to study topics like the human body, the mechanics of sport, sport psychology, the history and development of sport and how sport fits into the modern world. So, if you’re someone who's passionate about the world of sport and leisure, you may be suited to studying it at uni.

Find sports and leisure courses.

What do you need to get on a sports and leisure degree?


The ranges of entry requirements for sports and leisure are as follows:

  • UCAS points: 96 – 160
  • A-levels: A*AA – CCE
  • Scottish Highers: AAAAA – BCCDD (Advanced Highers: AAA – AAB)
  • BTEC Nationals: D*DD – MMP
  • International Baccalaureate: 38 – 24
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To study sport science, most unis will ask that you have an A-level (or equivalent) in a science subject. If you want to study a sports business degree, it may be useful to have an A-level (or equivalent) in a business-related degree, like business studies or economics. Sports and leisure courses may also require you to have an A-level (or equivalent) in physical education.

Find out how to apply to uni through UCAS.

Learn how to write a winning personal statement.

What sports and leisure degrees can you study?


Degrees in sports and leisure include:

  • BA Sport and Leisure Management
  • BA Business with Sport and Leisure Management
  • BA Sport Studies
  • BSc Sport Science and Coaching
  • BSc Adventure Sport Science

Learn about the different types of undergraduate courses.

What topics does a sports and leisure degree cover?


Common modules for sports and leisure include:

  • Nutrition and metabolism
  • Sports training physiology
  • Sports marketing
  • Sports law
  • Sports coaching
  • Sports governance
  • Sporting bodies
  • Sports history and sociology
  • Sport psychology
  • Sports and leisure facilities
  • Research methods

What do you learn studying a sports and leisure degree?


Studying a sports and leisure degree will help you gain industry-specific skills like:

  • An academic understanding of the sports and leisure industries
  • An understanding of the human body in relation to sport
  • Lab skills (if studying a sports science subject)
  • Regulatory knowledge
  • Understanding sport and leisure within the context of society

More general, transferable skills you’ll pick up include:

  • Problem-solving
  • Decision making
  • Critical thinking
  • Team working
  • Communication
  • Research
  • Attention-to-detail
  • Working in groups
  • Data management and analysis
  • Report-writing
  • Analysing trends
  • Hand-eye co-ordination
  • Time management
  • Independent working
  • Presentation
  • Data handling
  • Observation and analysis

What professional accreditations can you get with a sports and leisure degree?


Some courses may be accredited by organisations like the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) or the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).

What can you do with a sports and leisure degree?


As we’ve said, sports and leisure graduates can expect to find a good range of job opportunities, like:

  • Activities manager
  • Coach
  • Sports marketer
  • Tour operator
  • Event manager
  • Fitness centre manager
  • Performance analyst
  • Physiologist
  • Sports administrator
  • Sports development officer
  • Sport scientist
  • Teacher or lecturer
  • Physiotherapist

Check out our careers guides here.

Where to study sports and leisure?


Check the latest ranking of unis offering sports science courses by the Complete University Guide.


How long is a sports and leisure degree?


A sports and leisure degree usually takes three years to study. However, many unis will give the option of a sandwich year (a placement in industry), which will increase the course to four years.

How will you be assessed?


Sports and leisure courses usually involve assessment through:

  • Exams
  • Coursework
  • Case studies
  • Portfolios
  • Presentations
  • Dissertation

What are the postgraduate opportunities?


Your options for further study include:

  • MSc Sport Management
  • MSc Applied Sport Performance Analysis
  • MSc Sports Nutrition
  • PhD Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences

What alternatives are there to a sports and leisure degree?


Not sure if a sports and leisure degree is right for you? Check out these related subjects:

Travel & Tourism
Biology
Sociology

 

Find sports and leisure courses.