Are you fascinated by the science underpinning athletic performance and exercise? Do you want to work with athletes and clients, helping them to reach their performance potential?
Studying Sport and Exercise Sciences gives you the opportunity to understand the science behind all aspects of athletic performance and exercise.
You’ll study the core components of sport and exercise sciences, exploring a range of theories and concepts relating to physiology, biomechanics and psychology. You’ll develop key laboratory skills in a range of disciplines which will help you to improve the performance of athletes.
From your first year, you can choose to further develop your knowledge and specialise in sports nutrition and strength and conditioning.
Whatever path you choose, you’ll put theory into practice by completing professional work placements. We’ll also give you first-hand experience of working with athletes through Trinity Performance, our sport and exercise science enterprise service that offers coach education, consultancy and health assessments to professional athletes and clients.
By the time you graduate, you’ll not only be ready for a successful career in the sports industry, you’ll also have been able to develop highly transferable business and management skills that will prepare you for a wide range of graduate roles.
You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
During your first year, you'll study four core modules.
You’ll be introduced to the fundamental principles of anatomy, physiology, and nutrition within the context of sport and exercise science.
Explore key body systems and processes, including the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, and endocrine systems, alongside energy metabolism and its application to performance.
The module links theoretical knowledge to applied practice and develops foundational research skills, including literature searching and the use of academic sources.
You’ll be introduced to the fundamental biomechanical principles and their application within strength and conditioning.
You’ll explore human movement through concepts such as planes and axes of motion, kinematics, Newton’s laws, and the force–velocity relationship, alongside flexibility, posture, and movement analysis.
Practical skills are developed through motion analysis, performance testing, and the design of strength and conditioning programmes informed by biomechanical principles.
Develop your understanding of sport and exercise psychology as a core discipline within sport and exercise science.
Explore key psychological principles, behaviours, and demands associated with sport and exercise, with links to mental health, wellbeing, and performance.
Examine evidence‑based psychological interventions and their application by practitioners in sport, exercise, and rehabilitation settings.
Explore contemporary issues in sport and exercise science, drawing on current professional publications to develop your research and applied knowledge.
You’ll gain insight into the sport and exercise sector, including roles, stakeholders, and employment opportunities, while developing skills in consultation, reflection, and interdisciplinary working.
The module integrates theory with practice through interactive learning and includes a professional development element to support career readiness and applied experience.
During your second year, you'll study five core modules.
Apply your knowledge and skills in professional settings beyond the academic environment, supporting the development of reflective practice.
You’ll enhance employability skills through engagement with sector‑relevant activities, including communication, interdisciplinary working, career planning, and placement preparation.
The module includes completion of required SST accreditation hours, contributing to overall programme requirements and supporting the development of professional competence through practical experience.
You’ll be introduced to key research methodologies and paradigms, including qualitative and quantitative approaches to data collection and analysis.
You’ll engage with case studies and contemporary literature to critically evaluate research and its application to practice across relevant sectors.
The module also emphasises ethical considerations, evidence‑based decision‑making, and effective communication of research findings.
Building on your first year of study, you’ll further develop your understanding of sport and exercise psychology and its application across a range of settings.
You’ll examine evidence‑based and ethical practice, exploring how practitioners and support staff can use psychological principles to enhance wellbeing and performance.
Emphasis is placed on translating research into practical, accessible intervention strategies for diverse stakeholders.
You’ll build on foundational biomechanics and advance your understanding of techniques relevant to strength and conditioning.
Explore linear and angular kinetics, applying measurement tools such as force plates and EMG to analyse movement, strength, and power.
Practical sessions emphasise the application of biomechanical principles, including jumping and landing mechanics, balance and gait analysis, and fluid dynamics, within real‑world performance settings.
Examine the physiological and biochemical responses to exercise, nutrition, and environmental and health‑related stressors in relation to sport and exercise performance.
You’ll explore key nutritional principles, including digestion, metabolism, energy balance, and the role of macro‑ and micronutrients, applying these to dietary planning for exercising populations.
Practical skills are developed through the use of specialist software and performance testing, alongside critical evaluation of research methods used to analyse and enhance performance.
During your final year, you'll study two core modules and will be required to choose two option modules.
Apply a range of sport and exercise science skills and understanding to address the ‘whole person’ needs of a sports performer or exerciser.
You'll bring together knowledge of and reflections on sport and exercise science sub-disciplines to identify, address and reflect on the needs of individuals in case studies drawn from sport and exercise.
You'll need to apply more than one sub-discipline to articulate the needs of the individual, demonstrate how the application of a collection of disciplines in sport and exercise science helps better address these needs and offer critical comment on the challenges associated with such a way of working.
Case studies will cover scenarios such as injury prevention or rehabilitation, development of technique, establishment of competition strategy, and managing weight in sport or exercise settings.
You’ll conduct independent research, applying appropriate methodologies to explore a topic aligned with your field of study.
Core content will support the development of your project, covering project planning, critical analysis, ethical considerations, and reflective practice.
Formative feedback and tutorials will guide you to a final project submission and presentation.
You'll cover applied topics in strength and conditioning, developing and monitoring training programmes, and career development in strength and conditioning. The module will also explore how practitioners apply evidence-informed approaches within real-world performance environments. Students will be encouraged to consider professional communication, reflective practice, and the evolving demands of the strength and conditioning industry.
Develop your understanding of nutrition for sport and exercise.
We'll cover energy systems and substrate utilisation in aerobic and anaerobic exercise, carbohydrate loading, food supplements and ergogenic aids in aiding exercise performance, fluid balance and sports drinks for optimum sports performance, nutritional beliefs and attitudes of exercises and sports performers, advanced dietary analysis, dietary management and meal planning for participants across different sports.
Explore advanced performance analysis techniques used in sport, focusing on the application of observational and notational analysis to develop performance profiles and key performance indicators.
You’ll gain practical experience using video analysis, GPS, and wearable technologies to collect, interpret, and communicate performance data.
Examine effective feedback strategies, data visualisation, and the ethical and research considerations underpinning evidence‑based performance analysis in sport contexts.
Explore behaviour change, psychosocial factors, and health inequalities in promoting physical activity across special populations and the lifespan.
You’ll examine the clinical and functional implications of chronic conditions and apply principles of exercise referral, physical activity prescription, and health promotion in line with UK guidelines and CIMSPA standards.
Practical and applied learning supports the design and evaluation of interventions, developing professional skills relevant to careers in health, education, coaching, and community settings.
Experience matters. That's why we embed professional work placements within the majority of our standard undergraduate degrees.
Careers+Placements will work with you to find a placement or help you to arrange your own, whether that's in Leeds, another part of the UK or even abroad. You will be able to take part in a series of workshops, events and live ‘employer challenges’ to boost your confidence and prepare you for your placement.
During your placement, you could have an opportunity to gain degree-relevant work experience, build your knowledge of career sectors and secure valuable employer references and industry contacts. This experience will help you to shape your career decisions and find the right path for you.
Our students have completed placements at a range of professional sports clubs including Bolton Wanderers Football Club and Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Club, as well as in primary and secondary schools, Human Kinetics publishers and local authority health and wellbeing services.
To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:
Leeds Trinity University is committed to recruiting students with talent and potential and who we feel will benefit greatly from their academic and non-academic experiences here. We treat every application on its own merits; we value highly the experience you illustrate in your personal statement.
Information about the large range of qualifications we accept, including A-Levels, BTECs and T Levels, can be found on our entry requirements page. If you need additional advice or are taking qualifications that are not covered in the information supplied, please contact our Admissions Office.
Leeds Trinity University is committed to recruiting students with talent and potential and who we feel will benefit greatly from their academic and non-academic experiences here. We treat every application on its own merits; we value highly the experience you illustrate in your personal statement.
The following information is designed to give you a general overview of the qualifications we accept. If you are taking qualifications that are not included below, please contact our Admissions Office who will be happy to advise you.
| UCAS tariff | 104-96 |
If you do not have a GCSE in Science but have studied Sport at Level 3 and that qualification has some Science content, we may be able to consider your application.
For full-time undergraduate courses, you apply through UCAS. That's the University and Colleges Admissions Service.
On your application form, you'll need to know our institution code - it's L24 - and the course code. If you click through to the UCAS website using the button below, it'll take you to the right place with all the information you need.
As part of your application, you'll need to write a personal statement - we've prepared a guide to help you.
There's lots more information about the application process on the UCAS website, or you can get in touch with our Admissions team who will be happy to help:
Providing you with the opportunity to develop the professional skills and experience you need to launch your career is at the heart of everything we do at Leeds Trinity University.
Our commitment to developing your employability means you’ll have the skills, knowledge and confidence to work in a wide range of sports industry roles. Many of our graduates work in elite sport as applied scientists, but they have also been successful in teaching, coaching, business and marketing roles thanks to the transferable skills they’ve developed throughout the course.
After you graduate, Careers and Placements will help you as you pursue your chosen career through our mentoring scheme, support with CV and interview preparation and access to graduate employability events.
To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit: