Course summary

Are you passionate about sport and fascinated by the science behind it? Are you driven to make a difference through sport and exercise? Whether you're looking for a change of career, or may not have the scientific background or entry requirements for a degree in Sport and Exercise Science, our Foundation Year offers the opportunity to fill any knowledge gaps and build your confidence. This programme is designed for students who may not meet the requirements for direct entry to Stage 1 of our degree courses, and is an excellent conversion course for applicants who have shown academic ability in non-science subjects. Our expert lecturers have vast research and applied experience in sports and exercise training, physiology, nutrition, biomechanics and psychology. Working with experts ensures you gain a good mix of theoretical knowledge and hands-on practice, in our first-class facilities and in the local community. We offer module options and placement opportunities which allow you to specialise and work towards your career goals and increase your employability. Reasons to study Sport and Exercise Science with a Foundation Year at Kent

• Our foundation year offers you the flexibility to progress to degrees across our Division of Natural Sciences. You may choose a degree in Sport and Exercise Science, but equally you could opt for a degree within another area of Sport and Exercise Sciences, or Biosciences, Chemistry or Forensic Science.

• Our expert lecturers have top-level experience in their fields, having worked with the England Football team and Olympians, Science in Sport and Team Sky, as well as links with sports clubs and companies, the NHS and many sporting bodies.

• Enhance your learning experience in our excellent facilities, including cycling and rowing ergometers; 3D motion video analysis; blood testing and respiratory gas analysis equipment; a rehabilitation gymnasium; an anti-gravity treadmill and an environmental chamber.

• You will benefit from the wider Kent Sport facilities on our Canterbury campus, such as the fitness suite, dance studio and indoor halls and outdoor sports pitches - as well as our new Kent Sport Clinic, which will be the most comprehensive sports performance clinic in the South East.

• Team Kent, funded by the students’ union, runs more than 60 different sports clubs and our large green campus is a great place for morning/evening runs or cycling.

• If you have competed at county level you can apply for one of the University’s sports scholarships.

• Sports Science at Kent scored 88% overall in The Complete University Guide 2023.

• Our Sport and Exercise Science degree is endorsed by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES).

• In your foundation year, you study compulsory modules in biology, chemistry and scientific methods, plus a choice of optional modules. On successful completion of the foundation year, you will have reached a standard above A level and so be fully equipped to tackle a BSc degree course.

• In your first year, you'll develop a knowledge of anatomical and physiological principles, the human response to exercise and a theoretical basis of qualitative and quantitative research.

• As you progress with your degree, you can select optional modules in nutrition, sport and exercise psychology, massage techniques, case study work around specialised issues in sport and exercise.