Sport and Exercise Sciences

Course details
Are you fascinated by the relationship between exercise, performance and health? Would you like to embark on a BSc that is aligned with industry developments and the latest research?
Here at Durham, our expertise across the Department prepares you to tackle traditional and emergent sport and exercise problems from a variety of academic disciplines and perspectives. With a curriculum developed and delivered by an academic team actively involved in research, you’ll build a firm foundation of knowledge in traditional sport, exercise and health sciences, including: physiology; psychology; physical activity, nutrition and health.

Why Durham University?
Durham University's Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences is passionate about the benefits of sport and physical activity for all, from recreational participation through to competitive and high performance sport.
Our staff are known around the world for the work they pioneer, using findings from their research to inform the undergraduate curriculum and keep it relevant to the real world.
This approach gives you a valuable insight into developments in the sector and the confidence to put your developing knowledge to use in analysing, engaging with and enhancing real-world practices across the sport and exercise industries.
This approach gives you a valuable insight into developments in the sector and the confidence to put your developing knowledge to use in analysing, engaging with and enhancing real-world practices across the sport and exercise industries.

Facilities
These facilities, which support researchers, undergraduate students and athletes alike, were built as part of the University's £33m investment in the Sports and Wellbeing Park at Maiden Castle. Alongside these facilities are an indoor cricket hall, a 12-court multi use sports hall, a fitness centre, a high-performance weights room and a range of outdoor sports pitches.
The departments facilities include the Human Performance Laboratory which houses a range of exercise and monitoring facilities that analyse our responses to exercise and nutrition.

Rankings
World Top 100 in the QS World University Rankings 2024
4th in The Complete University Guide 2025
Top 10 in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

Careers Opportunities
We have an excellent graduate employment record. The quality of our degree courses is reinforced by employers who have identified Durham as a World Top 100 source of the most competent, innovative, effective graduates.
Our students progress into a wide range of careers in the field of sport and health and beyond. They have taken up roles in elite sport, sport management and sport development, including management roles in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Others lead development projects for local councils and major charities, and have taken up roles with sporting organisations like Sport England, English Cricket Board and Williams F1.
We also have graduates working in media roles with organisations such as Sky Sports, BBC Sport and British Eurosport, as well as in health promotion and clinical settings.

For current information please scroll to the bottom of the page for Provider Information and select Visit our Course Page under Course Contact Details.

Your degree will be assessed through a combination of coursework and practicals, which may include psychological profiling of sport performers, presentations, and reports on physiological testing undertaken in our Human Performance Laboratory.

Methods of assessment vary between modules and have been designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of course material, test critical thinking skills, enhance written and oral communication skills, and assess your ability to relate your learning to real-world issues within sport and exercise settings.

The final-year dissertation project enables you to undertake in-depth exploration of a specific topic that you are passionate about, the dissertation makes up one-third of your final-year marks.

In addition to the help provided by your subject lecturers, you can also access extensive support for your assessments through ASC, the Academic Skills Centre. See below for details: https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/centres/academic-skills-centre/