Overview
Our BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science with Foundation Year offers a structured pathway into the BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science degree. This course is delivered at our Bournemouth campus, offering an excellent environment for study in a stunning coastal location.
In your foundation year, you’ll join a vibrant, multidisciplinary health sciences community, gaining confidence and essential academic skills under the guidance of our experienced teaching staff. This thoughtfully designed year provides a seamless transition into the main degree programme, setting you on course for a rewarding career in sport, health, or performance science.
Passionate about applied science and making a difference in society’s health? This interdisciplinary course delivers a broad scientific foundation in biomechanics, physiology, and psychology, which you’ll apply to areas like sports performance and exercise participation through to elite sports competition.
Find out more about the follow on course, BSc (Hons) Sports and Exercise Science.
Course Details
This interdisciplinary course integrates biomechanics, physiology, and psychology, empowering you with the scientific expertise to make a real, impactful difference. You’ll gain hands-on experience in areas such as biomechanics, physiology, and psychology, which you’ll apply to areas like sports performance and exercise participation through to elite sports competition.
With access to state-of-the-art facilities like our Sports Performance Centre, expert teaching, and a personalised approach to learning, you’ll develop both the practical skills and critical thinking required to thrive in this dynamic field. This course provides the ideal foundation for a career in applied science, helping you make a difference to the health of our society.
What you will learn
So, what are the specifics of the course? The BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science degree is built around a core of biomechanical, physiological, and psychological knowledge that is then applied in a diverse range of domains, sports performance, and promoting exercise. You’ll develop practical and critical thinking skills that will be crucial to your future career opportunity, increasing your efficiency in teamwork, communication, presentation, and analysis.
Our course promotes an independent learning culture and provides you with a challenging but supportive learning experience, combining both theory and practice. To support this learning style, a number of specific delivery approaches will be used including: lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical classes, workshops, fieldwork, and guided independent study.
How you will be assessed
You will be assessed through a combination of:
- Examinations
- Coursework
- Practical Assessment
- Group projects
- Reflective reports
- Case reports
- Logbook
- Portfolio
- Presentations
- Coursework
Careers and Opportunities
The broad nature of the course means you will gain an array of insights into the various topics covered, which offers you a diverse range of career options when it comes to employability. As a graduate of this course you can consider:
- Healthcare professionals (some require a conversion masters)
- Sport and exercise science support
- Exercise prescription
- Health education
- Sports rehabilitation
- Coaching
- Teaching
- Fitness industry (Personal trainer etc.)
- Health promotion
- Research
Unit Breakdown
Year 0 - Foundation Year 
All students studying on a Foundation course will take the following core units:
- Human Sciences I (20 credits)
- Introduction to Healthcare (20 credits)
- Personal and Professional Development (20 credits)
- Human Sciences II (20 credits)
- Gateway Extended Project (20 credits).
Pathway Unit
Foundations in Sport Performance and Rehabilitation (20 credits)
Year 1 - BSc (Hons) Sports and Exercise Science 
Units
- Introduction to Research Methods
- Sport and Exercise Science in Practice
- Multidisciplinary Approaches in Elite Sport
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Kinesiology
- Psychology of Exercise
Year 2 - BSc (Hons) Sports and Exercise Science 
Units
- Research Methods
- Contemporary Issues in Sport and Exercise Science
- Physiology of Sport and Exercise
- Biomechanics and skill acqusition
- Psychology of sport and performance
- Case based learning in a sport and exercise domain
Year 3 - BSc (Hons) Sports and Exercise Science 
Units
- Dissertation
- Professional Development
- Perspectives in Sport and Exercise Science (theory)
- Perspectives in Sport and Exercise Science (applied)
- Health Through the Lifespan
You also have the option to take this course as a sandwich programme, which includes a year of practical work experience alongside your academic study. Degree-related work placements, such as with a sports team, research setting, or exercise service, enable students to gain valuable experience.
Staff

Bournemouth
Our London site is located in the historic borough of Southwark, just 15-minutes from world-famous Waterloo Station and a stone's throw from the iconic Borough Market.
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Accommodation in Bournemouth
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Learn MoreEntry Requirements
If you’re applying from the UK or Ireland 
Essential for entry
Please note: that applicants must hold 5 GCSEs A*-C including Maths and English, or equivalent (reformed GCSEs grade 4 or above) to be considered for the programme.
A-levels
BBB-BCC or above. General Studies will not be considered.
BTEC Extended Diploma
Distinction Merit Merit – Merit, Merit, Merit or above.
Access to HE Diploma
A total of 120-104 UCAS points in an Access to HE Diploma.
International Baccalaureate
Overall grade of 32-28 points or higher.
Scottish Highers/Advanced Highers
BBBBB – BBCCCC or above in 5 Higher/Advanced Higher subjects
Irish Leaving Certificate
H3,H3,H3,H3,H3 to H3,H3,H4,H4,H4 from 5 subjects at Higher Level
T Level
Merit in any Health and Science pathway accepted.
If you have undertaken a qualification that’s not listed, it may still be considered. Get in touch with our Admissions team by completing the form below or call us on 01202 436200 and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.
Is there anything else that is required? 
Is there anything else that is required?
For more information about our admissions policies and procedures, including our Admissions Complaints and Appeals Policy, please see our latest policies.
International Students 
International Students
If your qualification is not listed here, please take a look at our international entry requirements page or get in touch with our admissions team on the form below. Please note, to be accepted onto this course; you will also need to demonstrate that you meet the minimum standards of English. For further information on English language requirements, please see the dedicated English language requirements page. More information on permission to study in the UK, can be found on our Visas and Immigration page.
Still have questions about applying?
Course Fees
Tuition Fees
UK/ROI/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £9,535 per year
International – £17,388 per year
Please note: These fees are for the 2025-26 academic year only and may be subject to increase in subsequent years of study. Any increase will be in line with our Tuition Fees Policy but will not be more than 5%.
Additional course costs
Your tuition fees will cover the cost of all mandatory elements of your course. There are additional course related costs are not included in the tuition fees. So you will need to budget for them when you plan your spending.
For more information see Additional Costs page.
Visit our student finance pages for more information on:
Please Note: For students to be eligible for funding from Student Finance England, they must be studying on an eligible course at a provider registered with the Office for Students (OfS). Health Sciences University is registered with the OfS. View the register and search for our Health Sciences University.
Register Your Interest
Register Your Interest / Enquiry 

Why choose Health Sciences University?
There are many benefits to studying at Health Sciences University, from our expertise and history in teaching health sciences, to our state-of-the-art facilities, our placements, and of course our amazing locations on both the beautiful Bournemouth coast and in the historic and bustling heart of London.
Latest News
Discover and read all the latest news, press releases and happenings here at Health Sciences University.

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Dan Egelstaff is a First Year student on the MSc Occupational Therapy (pre-registration) course. The degree at Health Sciences University appealed to Dan when he was working as a Learning Disabilities Support Worker during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Natalia Purkiss is in her first year of the MSc Occupational Therapy (pre-registration) course at Health Sciences University.

The first of a series of special networking events between NIHR Wessex Experimental Medicine Network (WEMN) and HSU has taken place.
Find us
Health Sciences University
Bournemouth Campus
Parkwood Road
Bournemouth
BH5 2DF
Health Sciences University
London Campus
275 Borough High Street,
London
SE1 1JE