School of Sport and Exercise Sciences

The School of Sport and Exercise Sciences was the first institution in the world to host a single honours degree programme in Sport Science back in 1975. We were also the first academic department to offer a single honours degree programme in Science and Football in 1998. The School continues to be at the forefront of development and innovation in sport and exercise sciences and is truly recognised as a world-leading department. The School was awarded Athena SWAN Bronze status in 2019. This demonstrates the School’s commitment to gender equality and ensures our continued investment in the implementation of enhanced practices and systems in order to drive the equality of opportunity for all.

We provide opportunities for students to develop high levels of critical thinking and to be equipped with the practical skills to make improvements to professional practice, to performance and, ultimately, to improve lives. The School operates across a range of domains that include cellular, molecular and clinical fields, through to an understanding of more behavioural, personal, community and humanistic existence; from early years through to later years and from health and nutrition through to elite sport performance environments. In all of these domains we are committed to making a difference by enhancing the lives of others. Students entering the School are taught first to understand and then challenge and enhance existing theory, research and practice aligned to, or influenced by, sport, physical activity, nutrition, exercise and health. We are proud of our ability to deliver an innovative, research-led and employability-focused experience where students are challenged yet thoroughly supported.

We are committed to inspiring, educating and developing our students through world-class, innovative, and research-informed practice, enabling them to challenge themselves and thrive in the 21st century workplace.

We engage in world-leading research that serves to inform and transform local and global communities, creating a wider positive impact across the sport and exercise sciences.

We are committed to fostering a thriving and collegial environment which values the principles of equality, inclusivity, and diversity, that cultivates individual development, and recognises the achievements of all staff and students.

To be a global leader in Sport and Exercise Sciences. To make a transformative difference for our students, staff, and communities with whom we work, through commitment to innovative education, research, and applied practice.

• Respect: Valuing and recognising the diversity of staff and students, and their contributions to the School. Treating everyone equitably, respecting differences and everyone is afforded with care, compassion, and consideration.
• Integrity: Upholding high professional standards alongside strong personal, moral, and ethical practices. Being authentic in our professional interactions, and the intention to value the individual in all that you do.
• Community: The responsibility to create a sense of belonging, collaboration, and togetherness. The desire to create an inclusive space that supports and values all staff, students, visitors, and external partners, shaping a context that promotes and sustains the capacity to thrive. It is everyone's role to help achieve this.
• Excellence: Aspiring to achieve excellence in all that we do. Being the best version of ourselves.