Overview
Interested in the management and delivery of sport? Wonder how psychology enhances sports performance? Considered the local and global importance and impact of sport? If you’re thinking about a career in sport, a tailored Sports degree from Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence will help you be the difference.
We’ve developed a range of combined courses that provides our graduates with a breadth of knowledge and practical experiences that can be applied to a wide range of sport-related careers. Our courses are flexible: we offer a wide variety of module options, and it can be combined with a range of subjects, including Accountancy, Business, Journalism, Marketing and Education.
You can choose from modules exploring four subject areas:
- sports policy and management
- physical activity and health
- sports development and coaching
- sport, culture and society
In addition, our extracurricular volunteering opportunities and Sport Union clubs enable you to earn qualifications and gain valuable sport management experience alongside your academic degree.
We enjoy strong partnerships with national governing bodies of sport and other sporting organisations (some of which are based on campus), so you'll benefit from seminars with industry experts and opportunities to gain valuable networking and practical experiences.
This is all delivered in a unique and rewarding studying and sporting environment with access to the University's world-class sports facilities. The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide named us Sports University of the Year in 2020.
Our graduates are pursuing successful careers in a broad range of roles including sports development, coaching and management, as well as teaching in schools, colleges and universities in the UK and globally.
Our lecturing staff are accredited by organisations including British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) and British Psychological Society (BPS).
Entry requirements
SQA Highers
AABB
GCE A-levels
BBB
IB Diploma
28 points
BTEC (Level 3)
DDM
Widening access students
Widening access students may be eligible for an adjusted offer of entry. To find out if this applies to you go to our widening access pages.
Care-experienced applicants will be guaranteed an offer of a place if they meet the minimum entry requirements.
SQA Advanced Higher
ABB
GCE A-level
ABB
Essential subjects
Physical Education
Scottish HNC/HND
Year one minimum entry - Bs in graded units.
Access courses
University of Stirling access course - for mature students only. You must pass the course with 50% or above.
SWAP access course - for mature students only.
Email our Admissions Team for advice about other access courses.
Foundation Apprenticeships
Considered to be equivalent to 1 Higher at Grade B
English, Welsh and Northern Irish HNC/HND
Merits and Distinctions
English, Welsh and Northern Irish access courses
Access to Higher Education - 60 credits, minimum 45 at QCF Level 3, pass at 60% or above.
Essential subjects
Physical Education
If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
- IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each sub-skill.
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) 60 overall with a minimum of 59 in each sub-skill.
- IBT TOEFL 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing.
See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.
Pre-sessional English language courses
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO University of Stirling offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.
Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses
Course details
The module lists below provide a detailed overview of what you'll study on our combined Sport degrees.
Modules
The module information below provides an example of the types of course module you may study. The details listed are for the academic year that starts in September 2024. Modules and start dates are regularly reviewed and may be subject to change in future years.
Course details
Students are taught through a mix of lectures, seminars, practical sessions and workshops. There are six weekly lectures - two per module - supported by seminars and workshops. On top of this core contact time, around 30 hours of independent study is expected each week.
In addition to conventional lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops, Sports Studies uses a virtual learning environment and internet technology to support its teaching programme.
Assessment is blended by a combination of coursework, group project work, group and individual presentations, online assessments and end-of-module examinations.
Fees and funding
Scottish students
This fee is set by the Scottish Government and is subject to change.
Although you’re liable for annual tuition fees, if you are domiciled in Scotland you can apply to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) to have your tuition fees paid by the Scottish Government on your behalf.
You will be charged the annual tuition fee each year when you enrol.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
This tuition fee may be subject to change depending on guidance provided by the UK Government.
You can apply for financial assistance, including a loan to cover the full cost of your tuition fees, from your relevant funding body. Students from the Republic of Ireland are eligible for a tuition fee loan of up to £9,535 from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).
We also offer additional funding – such as our Honours Year Scholarship – for students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. See our funding opportunities section below for more information.
You will be charged the annual fee each year when you enrol.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy and terms and conditions.
International students (including EU)
Eligible students will automatically receive a scholarship worth between £8,000-£30,000 over the duration of your course. See our range of generous scholarships for international undergraduate students.
You will be charged the annual fee each year when you enrol. Your fees will be held at the same level throughout your course.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Additional costs
There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips. Learn more about additional fees.
Sports scholarships
Our International Sports Scholarship Programme is one of the largest high-performance sports programmes in the UK.
See what funding opportunities and loans are available to help you with tuition and living costs.
Students from Scotland
Find funding opportunities for Scottish students.
Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
Eligible students will automatically receive our Undergraduate Welcome Scholarship, Undergraduate Merit Scholarship, and our Honours Year Scholarship, which are worth between £1,000 and £9,250.
International students
Eligible international students will automatically receive a scholarship worth between £8,000-£30,000 over the duration of your course. Find funding opportunities for international students.
If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.
International (including EU) students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.
We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods - including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay.
After you graduate
What jobs can you get with a Sport degree?
Job opportunities include working as a sports coach; teacher; consultant; or a manager or administrator for employers such as a local authority, commercial and voluntary sport organisation or governing bodies of sport.
Careers in the sport sector account for around three percent of all jobs in Scotland, according to a recent study by Cambridge Econometrics. A number of exciting opportunities for well-qualified students have arisen from the legacy of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup.
This is set to continue as Scotland hosts a number of future sporting events. Many of our graduates have gone on to work as:
- sport development officers, working with sporting governing bodies to develop sport – both here in Scotland and abroad;
- managers of sport facilities in sport and leisure trusts across the UK;
- administrators for national governing bodies and sport policy agencies, such as sportscotland;
- sport officers working with charities in developing nations to use sport to build communities;
- personal trainers in health and fitness organisations;
- coaches working with development teams in a number of sports, such as football and rugby.
This course is designed to enhance knowledge and understanding of sport across a range of academic disciplines, and prepares students for a variety of careers in sport.
We work closely with industry to ensure everything we teach you is relevant, and will boost your employability within the sector. Staff actively seek positions with key sports organisations to ensure what is taught reflects contemporary issues affecting the sports industry today. Examples of this include Robert Kielty’s work with football clubs and sport organisations, John Mather’s support of referees for the Scottish Rugy Union (SRU), and Justine Allan’s coaching of the Scotland Women’s U18 hockey team.
