About this course
The FdSc Sport and Exercise Science course is designed to give you the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the fields of sport and exercise science. Based at the Mansfield Hub, it focuses on key areas like physiology, biomechanics, and sports psychology, combining the latest research with practical applications. Whether you’re looking to enhance athletic performance or improve health and fitness, this course provides a clear pathway to achieving your career goals.
What sets this program apart is its focus on hands-on learning and employability. You’ll have access to specialist labs, gain practical experience through placements, and work with industry professionals, giving you the skills and confidence to succeed. Plus, the course offers the option to continue studying for a full bachelor’s degree, further enhancing your career prospects.
At NTU’s Mansfield Hub, you’ll benefit from a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Small class sizes and personalized guidance from tutors ensure you’ll receive the support you need to reach your potential. Whether your ambitions lie in sports coaching, rehabilitation, or exercise science research, this course equips you with the tools to succeed.
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Top 10 University for Sport in the British Universities & Colleges Sports (BUCS) Championship. -
Top 20 in the UK for teaching quality in Sport Science (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023). -
100% of FdSc Sport and Exercise Science students were positive about the academic support and 98% were positive about learning resources on their course (National Student Survey 2024).
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You'll have access to a state-of-the-art Sports Lab, equipped with the tools and technology you need for the course.
What you’ll study
Over both years of the course, you will analyse current data, and plan and deliver interventions to enhance both sporting performance physical activity in identified groups.
Professional and Academic Skills 1 (20 Credit Points)
Throughout this year long module, you’ll be introduced to the University and the course. Your learning tasks will build your academic and professional skills for future employment. You’ll gain work experience through voluntary and professional roles throughout the year.
Physiology for Sport and Exercise (20 Credit Points)
You'll focus on the principles of physiology including the responses and adaptations of the body to sport and exercise. You'll develop your practical ability to apply lab-based assessments to evaluate the physiological fitness of a client against normative or sport specific data. You'll demonstrate your understanding of the physiology behind sport and exercise performance by writing a laboratory report that could be used by coaches, clients, or athletes to enhance future performance.
Performance Analysis (Individual Sports) (20 Credit Points)
Using case studies, you’ll explore and analyse performance and then plan strategies to enhance individual performance. You can analyse your own sporting performance, other students on the course or professional athlete. You’ll then learn how to use appropriate analysis technology and present your results in an appropriate format.
Sociology of Sport (20 Credit Points)
Apply sociological theory to contemporary topics in sport to examine the impact of society’s categorisation of people based on factors such as wealth, income education etc. You’ll then study the impact this has on an individuals’ involvement in sport.
Fitness Testing and Training (20 Credit Points)
Study a range of fitness tests used to establish current fitness and the effectiveness of training. With this knowledge you’ll design fitness testing programmes that meet your clients performance needs. You will learn how to best communicate your findings to your client.
Sport and Exercise Psychology 1 (20 Credit Points)
Explore concepts in sport psychology and how these can be applied to support development of both sporting performance and the adoption of physical activity. You’ll be introduced to key sport and exercise psychological concepts, to enhance and support the holistic health and wellbeing of individuals.
Professional and Academic Skills 2 (20 Credit Points)
You’ll continue developing your academic skills to help you succeed on the course, primarily through a mini research project. This is where you’ll present your findings as part of a research symposium. The second half of this module will focus on your professional skills by taking relevant work experience, completing professional development courses and developing your professional online presence.
Performance Analysis (Team Sports) (20 Credit Points)
You'll develop your abilities to model and analyse performance in team sports. You'll learn how to observe team performance, devise systems for notational analysis, analyse your results, and present them in a format that can be used to enhance team sports performance. This will involve creating models of sporting performance for team sports. You'll apply these to the analysis of performance in an agreed team sport context. From using simple methods, you'll develop your skills to use more advanced software that can be used for notational and video analysis and presenting results effectively.
Training and Physical Activity Interventions for Sport and Health (20 Credit Points)
In this module, you’ll explore the physical expenditure of different exercise, in relation to current exercise and nutritional guidelines. You’ll also consider how concepts related to behaviour change can be applied to enhance physical activity.
Sport and Exercise Psychology 2 (20 Credit Points)
Identify how psychological approaches can be integrated into a programme of training, to benefit a particular sport or exercise client group. In this module you will explore how psychology can be applied to develop performance and health.
Nutrition for Sport and Health (20 Credit Points)
How can nutrition can support both health and sporting performance? You’ll explore this question by identifying an issue in nutrition for sport and health, before reviewing current data and theory. Then you will focus on the structure and function of nutrients, the effects of under- and over-consumption and the methods for assessing nutritional intake.
Current Issues in Sport and Exercise (20 Credit Points)
Explore current issues in sport and exercise, and how the sport and exercise policy agenda is shaped by international, national and local government, sport and exercise governing bodies, voluntary, charitable and community organisations, and the media. You’ll explore case studies of how sport is being used promote social inclusion, reduce social isolation and support educational engagement.
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves
Careers and employability
Your future career
Upon completion of the course, you can top up to degree level, with the BSc (Hons) Applied Sport Science course.
Graduates from this course are well-placed to take up a variety of careers within the sports industry and students can go straight into work after their foundation degree.
With an FdSc in Sport and Exercise Science you can start your career path towards roles such as:
- Fitness Instructors
- Sport coaches
- Instructors and officials
- Sports Scientist
- Sports Physiotherapist.
Employability Team
Our expert Employability team will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice. You can benefit from this service at any time during your studies and for up to three years after completing your course.
Campus and facilities
As an NTU Mansfield student, you’ll benefit from the latest facilities and modern technology to support your studies and help you get the most out of student life.
We are continually investing in our facilities and enhancing our learning and teaching environment to make it an inspiring place for students.
Plus, as a Sport and Exercise Science student at NTU in Mansfield, you'll learn how to use sport and exercise science equipment and apply cutting-edge technologies in our high-tech Sport and Exercise Science Lab throughout your foundation degree.
Facilities and services include:
- University Centre
- Teaching and Learning Centre
- Sport and Exercise Science Lab
- Library
- Dedicated study zones, including PC suites
- On-site café
- Social spaces
- Sports facilities
- Student Support Services
- Nottingham Trent Students Union (NTSU) drop-in events.
Entry requirements
UK students
- Standard offer: 64 UCAS Tariff points from three A-levels or equivalent including a Physical Education, Maths or a Science subject (excluding Critical Thinking and General Studies)
- Other requirements: GCSE English and Maths grade C / 4.
Additional requirements for UK students
Sciences we accept include - Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Sport Studies or Psychology
You may also need to complete:
- an enhanced level Disclosure and Barring Service check; and
- a Prohibition Order check; and
- a satisfactory placement suitability check.
Meeting our entry requirements
Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS Tariff points attached to specific grades, including A-levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to three different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our Tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.
Other qualifications and experience
NTU welcomes applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds, either for year one entry or for advanced standing beyond the start of a course into year 2 or beyond.
We consider study and/or credit achieved from a similar course at another institution (otherwise known as credit transfer), vocational and professional qualifications, and broader work or life experience.
Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route. If you wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning, please contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.
International students
This course is not suitable for student who require a Student Visa.
Additional requirements for international students
We accept qualifications from schools, colleges and universities all over the world for entry onto our undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. If you’re not sure how your international qualification matches our course requirements please visit our international qualifications page.
We have undergraduate Sport Science courses which are suitable for Student Visa applicants. Here is a list of all the undergraduate courses we offer.
English language requirements
View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.
If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.
Other qualifications and experience
If you have the right level of qualifications, you may be able to start your Bachelors degree at NTU in year 2 or year 3. This is called ‘advanced standing’ entry and is decided on a case-by case basis after our assessment of your qualifications and experience.
You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.
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Getting in touch
If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.
Policies
We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.
