Course summary

Do you want to gain the skills and experience needed for a career as a health and exercise professional? Would you like to learn how health promotion and physical activity interventions can be used to help address the health challenges faced by society? The health and fitness industry is seeing significant growth as an increasing number of people recognise the importance of physical activity and exercise. This degree will prepare you to become a confident and efficient health and exercise professional ready for a career in public health and health promotion or within the growing number of jobs in the exercise and health sector that focus on promoting active and healthy lifestyles. You’ll develop your knowledge of exercise science, social science and health promotion, studying anatomy to learn how the body functions and how physical activity and other lifestyle behaviours impact our health and wellbeing. You’ll explore the sociological and psychological complexity of human behaviour as well as gain an understanding of the wide range of factors that may influence health behaviours and develop behaviour change skills, to consider how you can effectively promote health, or prevent and manage disease. Putting theory into practice, you’ll complete professional work placements as part of your degree, and you’ll have the opportunity to study, work or volunteer abroad. Throughout your degree, we’ll help you develop the confidence to support clients from a range of population groups, both physically and psychologically, and to design and implement evidence-based interventions at individual and population level across a variety of health and exercise settings.This degree has a strong applied focus and offers the chance to gain professional qualifications in gym instruction and personal training while you study. Professional work placements You’ll undertake placements that are relevant to potential future careers in the growing exercise and health sector, including roles that promote the use of physical activity and exercise to prevent and manage disease or long-term health conditions, or that can improve health within the community, such as providing sports coaching to children or working alongside personal trainers in gyms. You could also complete your placement overseas with international charities supporting educational projects in countries including Rwanda and Cameroon. Graduate opportunities You’ll have the opportunity to graduate with the experience and knowledge needed for a range of careers in public health, health promotion in the NHS or local authorities, and roles in the sport, fitness and leisure industries that focus on promoting active and healthy lifestyles. A strength of this degree is its diversity – graduates can gain employment in roles across each of the three areas, e.g., as an exercise referral specialist, physical activity development officer, health improvement coordinator or health ambassador.