Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
What is Health and Exercise Science?
BSc (Hons) Health and Exercise Science Course Director, Dr Adam Gledhill FBASES, shares with us what the degree entails and why it’s a great course to study.
How would you best describe the BSc (Hons) Health and Exercise Science course?
Have you ever thought about how scientific factors influence health and exercise behaviours so that we can create a healthier, happier and more productive population? This degree programme is a practical, science-based programme that is designed to equip graduates with the knowledge, understanding and skillset to work in health and exercise settings.
Who is the course aimed at?
With its specific focus on health and exercise science, the course is aimed at students who have an interest in the broad application of the core subjects of nutrition, physiology, psychology and biomechanics. Combining these subjects with industry qualifications and public health priorities and interventions, this degree is designed to meet the needs of a growing job market.
What teaching approaches does the course offer?
The course offers an applied learning environment where real-world scenarios and priorities are used to develop a deep understanding of global priorities within health and exercise science. Students will regularly use specialist facilities and supported through their studies by nationally and internationally recognised staff.
Are there opportunities to work with partners and organisations on real-world scenarios on the course?
Yes. We have several local, regional and national partners who supported the design of the programme and are keen for Leeds Beckett University students to be working alongside them on key priorities. The course is also available with a sandwich year option, meaning that students could take the option to have a year in industry as part of their studies, or a study abroad option, where students could choose to study a semester abroad with one of our international university partners.
What career could a degree in Health and Exercise Science lead to?
The degree programme has been designed using insight from industry professionals and organisations to best prepare students for a range of careers. This will prepare students well for careers in health and wellbeing coaching, cardiac rehabilitation, cancer prehabilitation and rehabilitation, obesity management, healthy living advisor, specialist exercise instructors, entry into the NHS Scientist Training Programme, and data analytics. The course has also been developed with a broad range of postgraduate degrees, research careers, and professional accreditation programmes in mind.
Why is a degree in Health and Exercise Science relevant in today’s society?
The World Health Organisation has sustainable development goals related to universal health coverage, better protecting people against health emergencies, and ensuring healthy lives and wellbeing for all ages. A degree in Health and Exercise Science will help prepare graduates to become part of a workforce that can support these goals on local, regional, national or global levels. Skills include using data insights for strategic health planning, through to understanding how to engage people in lifelong physical activity. A degree in Health and Exercise Science will help students develop knowledge, understanding and skills that will help them make meaningful contributions to society.
What is the difference between the Health and Exercise Science degree and the Sport and Exercise Science degree?
Health and Exercise Science focuses more on the local, regional, national, and global health priorities, with less of an emphasis on performance sport. A key purpose of this degree is developing an understanding of these priorities and the role of exercise and other health behaviours in addressing these key priorities.
Why is Leeds Beckett a good place to study Health and Exercise Science?
We have nationally and internationally recognised staff members teaching on this course who care about our students and want to support and challenge students to achieve the best version of themselves. Our course is underpinned by principles of mentally healthy curriculum design; we are committed to helping students have a happy, healthy, and productive time with us here at Leeds Beckett University. Combining these with our state-of-the-art facilities in the Carnegie School of Sport Building and several industry partners that enrich the delivery of our programmes, we aim to prepare students well for their next steps in life.
Dr Adam Gledhill
Adam is a Course Director: Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences. He is also a Fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), a Chartered Scientist and a BASES Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist.
