Sport & Exercise Science

Our open days and information sessions are a great way to see what it’s like to study at UWS, and explore the options available if you’re considering student accommodation.

We hold open days and information sessions throughout the year aimed at students considering an undergraduate, postgraduate or postgraduate research degree at UWS.

Find out more about Open Days, Campus Tours and more

An you can find full information on how to study at UWS in 2024 here.

Find your place at UWS in 2024

• Scottish Highers*: 
  
  • Standard Entry Requirements: AABB (120 UCAS Tariff points) including a Science (Biology preferred) or PE
  • Minimum Entry Requirements: BBBB (108 UCAS Tariff points) including a Science (Biology preferred) or PE
• A levels: BCC (104 UCAS Tariff points) including 1 science subject (Biology preferred) or PE
• Irish Leaving Certificate: H1 H1 H2 H2 including a science subject (Biology preferred) or PE
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma: 27 points, (3 @ H4) including 1 science (Biology preferred)
• SQA HNC / BTEC Level 4 HNC: Fitness, Health & Exercise or Applied Sports Science or Applied Sports & Exercise Science or Physical Activity & Health (for SQA HNC, with Grade B in the Graded Unit)
• Scottish Wider Access Programme: Access to STEM (ABB) or Access to Life Sciences (BBB) or Access to Humanities or  Access to to Health & Biological Science (ABB)

SUITABLE SCIENCE SUBJECTS

Suitable science subjects include: Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Psychology.

* for more information on standard and minimum entry requirements, see our Undgergraduate Entry Requirements webpage

Please note: entry into second year is open to students normally domiciled in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and international students normally domiciled outside the EEA.

• A levels: BBB (120 UCAS Tariff points) including 1 science subject (Biology preferred) and PE
  
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma: 30 points (3 at HL) including English and Sports, Exercise & Health Science, and 1 other science subject
  
• SQA HNC / BTEC Level 4 HNC: Fitness, Health & Exercise or Applied Sports Science or Applied Sports & Exercise Science or Physical Activity & Health (for SQA HNC, with Grade A in the Graded Unit)
• SQA HND / BTEC Level 5 HND: Sports Therapy or Applied Sports Science or Sport Coaching & Developing or Fitness, Health & Exercise or Applied Sport & Exercise Science or Physical Activity and Health (for SQA HNDs, Grade B in Graded Units)
  

SUITABLE SCIENCE SUBJECTS

Suitable science subjects include: Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Psychology.

• SQA HND / BTEC Level 5 HND: Applied Sports Science or Fitness, Health & Exercise or Applied Sport & Exercise Science or Physical Activity and Health (for SQA HNDs with TWO Graded Units, AA) (for SQA HNDs with ONE Graded Unit, A)

Successful applicants who gain a place on this course will need to register on the PVG Scheme, managed and delivered by Disclosure Scotland. An application form will be sent from the University once you have accepted your offer. The fee for joining the scheme is £59.

Visit the Disclosure Scotland website for more information on the PVG scheme.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS FOR MOST COURSES

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level. The qualifications below must have been gained within two years of the start of your course.

General English language requirements at UWS: International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)

• overall score 6.0
• no sub-test less than 5.5

Exceptions to this level of IELTS scoring exist for some accredited or professionally-recognised courses (see section below for more details).

SOCIAL WORK DEGREES

For our BA (Hons) Social Work and MSc Social Work programmes, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:

• overall score of 7.0
• no sub-test less than 7.0

COMMON EQUIVALENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE QUALIFICATIONS

All stated English tests are acceptable for admission for both home/EU and international students for this programme:

• CAE (Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English): 176 overall; no sub-test less than 169
• CPE (Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English): 176 overall; no sub-test less than 169
• Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English: ISEII with the minimum of a Pass in all sub-tests
• PTE Pearson Academic English: An overall score of 59 to 64 with no element below 59 (for programmes that require IELTS 6.0 with no element below 5.5). An overall score 65 to 75 with no element below 65 (for programmes that require IELTS 6.5 with no element below 6.0)

IELTS SCORE EXCEPTIONS (RESEARCH DEGREES, BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE DEGREES, NURSING & MIDWIFERY DEGREES WITH NMC REGISTRATION, CERTIFICATE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, ETC.)

RESEARCH DEGREES

For our research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD, DBA, DProf) applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:

• overall score of 6.5
• no sub-test less than 6.0

HEALTH & MIDWIFERY AWARDS

For Health, Nursing & Midwifery courses that lead to, or require professional registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council, applicants are required to have an IELTS or Occupational English Test (OET)*.

For such courses, the IELTS score is as follows:

• overall score of 7.0
• score of at least 7.0 in reading, listening and speaking and no less than 6.5 in writing

* Note that the Occupational English Test (OET) will now be accepted in addition to IELTS as proof of a Nurse's English Language Competence (Nursing & Midwifery Council, 2019).

BIOMEDICAL DEGREES

For our BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science, BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science and MSc Advanced Biomedical Science programmes, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:

• overall score of 7.0
• no sub-test less than 6.5

CERTIFICATE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

For our Certificate of Higher Education courses, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:

• overall score of 5.0
• no sub-test less than 4.5

TOEFL IBT

TOEFL IBT*: 78; no sub-test less than:

• Reading: 17;
• Listening: 17;
• Speaking: 17;
• Writing: 17

* Please note that TOEFL is still acceptable for admission to this programme for both home/EU and international students.
For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use TOEFL to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level courses. We therefore still accept TOEFL tests taken in the last two years for admission to this programme.

WEST AFRICAN SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION (WASSCE)

West African Senior School Certificate of Education (WASSCE) including acceptance of WAEC Scratchcard*

• C6 or above in English

*UWS will accept a WAEC scratchcard confirming that an applicant has achieved C6 or above as evidence of meeting English language requirement from Nigeria if the student graduated within the last 5 years. After 5 years applicants would be required to provide the WAEC Certificate.

PRE-SESSIONAL COURSES

Applicants who do not meet the minimum English language requirements have the option to study one of our preparatory and pre-sessional English courses. The UWS courses available are:

• 10 week pre-sessional - entry criteria UKVI IELTS 5.0 with no element below 4.5.
• 5 week pre-sessional - entry criteria UKVI IELTS 5.5 with no element below 5.5.
• English Language for University Study - entry criteria UKVI IELTS with score of 4.0 in all elements (10 month course), or 4.5 with no score below 4.0 (7 month course).

Find out more about our English language Courses.

CAREERS

This programme will prepare you for a successful career in sport and exercise science. Graduates have gone on to work in a broad range of roles, including:

• Sport scientists
• Performance analysts
• Strength and conditioning coaches
• Sport nutritionists
• Sport biomechanists
• Sport physiologists
• Sport psychologists
• Healthcare workers
• Research scientists
• Primary and secondary teachers
• Sport coaches
• Active schools coordinators
• Sport development officers
• Personal trainers

 As a sport and exercise scientist you could:

• Work alongside sports coaches to assess and improve athletes’ performance
• Work with doctors to help people improve athletes’ health through physical activity
• Work with hospitals and Primary Care Trusts in areas such as cardiac rehabilitation and health promotion to take part in research projects or contribute to the design and production of sports equipment

A number of graduates are successful in applying for further postgraduate study such as taught Masters (MSc) courses or research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD) in sport, exercise or health areas.