School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences

Undergraduate study

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Harnessing science to improve health and sport

The science behind sport and physical activity is becoming increasingly important, and it’s not just for professional athletes.

As our lifestyles become more sedentary, more people than ever are being encouraged to start running, join a local sports club, or go to the gym after work. For some people, this leads to more interest in improving their personal records, such as running a half marathon a little faster, or increasing the number of reps they can do. There is also a focus on improving quality of life across the lifespan. The skills you gain will enable you to work in a variety of settings, from sports and professional athletes, to positively contributing to societal quality of life. Sports scientists help people improve their fitness and reach their goals safely, based on a solid foundation of scientific research and evidence.

Coaching Science and Performance Analysis will provide you with in-depth understanding and a suite of industry-ready practical skills for optimising the health, performance, development and learning of sport participants across a range of settings. You will be able to apply theory to practice to effectively utilise coaching methodologies, analysis techniques and critical reflection to drive high-quality outcomes. In the ever-evolving field of sport coaching employment, where multidisciplinary knowledge is essential for everyday practice, you will be well positioned as a competent and capable practitioner. Performance Analysis and Coaching Science will provide you… A degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology will enable you to enhance sport performance, exercise adherence, injury rehabilitation, wellbeing and overall health in elite athlete and general populations. You will be able to draw on your expertise of resilience, motivation, goal-setting and concentration, as well as a range of psychological skills techniques, to develop and implement high-quality mental training programmes.

Indeed, the number of people taking part in sport and exercise also increases the risk of injuries. With our degree in sports therapy, you will be able to work with injured population/sports/athletes to enable their recovery as well as preventing their initial and future injuries. Likewise, the importance of physiotherapy for recovery from a range of medical conditions means that more people are becoming aware of the key role they play in physical rehabilitation and are engaged with the NHS.

In our School we believe that these fields work in tandem. We’re here to ensure that you will have the skills and knowledge to get the best out of athletes, sports people, and those rehabilitating after injury or illness.

Whether you’re interested in the science behind sports and exercise, or keen to help people recover from injury, our undergraduate degrees will set you up for a rewarding career in your field of interest.

From the basics of physiology through to the psychology of coaching, our expertstaff will guide you through your course, assisted by time in our specialist labs.


Explore our undergraduate courses
Why choose our School
  • 92% our School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences graduates are in employment or further study (Graduate Outcomes 2023)
  • We are 19th in the UK for Physiotherapy in the Complete University Guide 2023.
  • We are 16th for physiotherapy for overall positivity score (National Student Survey 2023, English Broad Discipline Institutions)

What can you study?

Course entry requirements

Physiotherapy

BTEC

BTEC: DDD in a relevant subject.

RQF BTECs we can consider with any combination of optional modules are:

  • Sport and Exercise Science Extended Diploma
  • Sport and Exercise Science Diploma (alongside 1 further A-level or equivalent)
  • Applied Human Biology Extended Certificate (alongside 2 further A-levels or equivalent)

RQF BTECs we can consider on a case-by-case basis, depending on the optional modules are:

  • Applied Science (all variants) Extended Certificate (alongside 2 further A-levels or equivalent)
  • Applied Science (all variants) Foundation Diploma (alongside 2 further A-levels or equivalent)
  • Applied Science (all variants) Diploma (alongside 1 further A-level or equivalent)
  • Applied Science (all variants) Extended Diploma
  • Sport Diploma (alongside 2 further A-levels or equivalent)
  • Sport Extended Diploma
  • Health and Social Care Extended Diploma (including Health Studies Variant)
  • Applied Human Biology Extended Diploma
  • Fitness Services Diploma (alongside 1 further A-level or equivalent)
  • Sport Fitness and Personal Training Extended Diploma

QCF BTECs we can consider on a case-by-case basis, depending on the optional modules chosen are:

  • Applied Science (all variants) Subsidiary Diploma (alongside 2 further A-levels or equivalent)
  • Applied Science (all variants) 90 Credit Diploma (alongside 2 further A-levels or equivalent)
  • Applied Science (all variants) Diploma (alongside 1 further A-level or equivalent)
  • Applied Science (all variants) Extended Diploma
  • Sport and Exercise Science Extended Diploma
  • QAA-approved Access to HE Diploma: 21 L3 credits at Distinction and 24 at Merit with at least 12 Distinction credits in relevant Biological Science units.

To check your Access includes a minimum of 12 L3 credits of Biological Science please contact your Access provider or check your course materials. 

Additional requirements

Study towards admitting qualifications within the last 5 years is normally required. Please get in touch if you think you might not meet this requirement.

Alongside academic criteria, applicants need to demonstrate knowledge of the scope of Physiotherapy and practice settings, together with effective communication skills as well as the significance of the NHS Constitution and its core values. Personal statements submitted will be assessed to ensure applicants meet these requirements. You can find further information about the NHS values on the Health Education East of England website and the Gov.UK webpages.

You must also have a satisfactory Occupational Health Check and enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check (including child and adult barred list check) - both are organised by the University. Please contact our DBS team if you have any questions.

A satisfactory Overseas Criminal Record Check/Local Police Certificate is also required, in addition to a DBS Check, where you have lived outside of the UK in the last 5 years for 6 months or more.

Research-guided teaching, studying abroad in Australia, and the application of knowledge within the Human Performance Unit. These are some examples of the multitude of experiences that have facilitated my learning and academic development as an undergraduate student. It has been a tremendous experience to be in a department dedicated to helping each and every student achieve an excellent degree, with broad employment and further study prospects.
Marie Winter BSC Sport and exercise Science
Essex Rebels player, Claire Paxton
Sports scholarships and bursaries

The University of Essex is committed to supporting and developing high performance athletes. Find out whether you could be eligible for a sports scholarship or bursary, plus a range of additional benefits too when you join the University of Essex.

Explore the full offer

Graduate stories

The course really demonstrated to me the importance that science has on sporting performance. The combination of classroom teaching with practical laboratory sessions was essential, as it allows you to become active with the learning and how the objectives apply to athletic situations. 
Matthew Ross BSc Sport and Exercise Science