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Find out about the range of course options in Sport and Exercise Sciences
Discover the Science of Human Health and Performance: Sport Science Webinar Series

5 reasons to study Sport and Exercise Science at Bangor

We're home to passionate researchers and practitioners who are leading breakthroughs in sport science right now. Our staff don't just teach – they're actively discovering new knowledge and working directly with world-class athletes and teams.

100% of our research earned world-leading or internationally recognised ratings in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, ranking us 5th in the UK for Sport Science. This means you'll learn from people who are both pioneering research in labs and applying that knowledge with elite performers on the field.

We bring together the best of both worlds – cutting-edge research and real-world practice. You'll gain insights that bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and high-performance sport, giving you the complete picture of what's happening at the forefront of the field.

Every one of our programmes includes real work experience opportunities – from short placements to full placement years. We're already working with the organisations you want to join.

Our staff have built strong partnerships with UK Sport, Manchester City FC, Liverpool FC, the RAF, England and Wales Cricket Board, and the NHS. These aren't just contacts – they're active collaborations that open doors for you.

When you're ready for your placement, we'll help you step into these leading organisations. Our connections become your opportunities, giving you hands-on experience in the environments where sport science makes a real difference.

From your first year, you'll be working regularly in our £1 million teaching lab. Our small class sizes mean you get proper time with the equipment – no watching from the back of the room.

We're making sure you leave here confident and skilled with the latest testing technology. When you step into your career, you'll already know how to use the tools that matter. That's what sets our graduates apart.

We don't separate psychology, physiology and human movement into different boxes – because that's not how the body works. From day one, you'll learn how the mind and body connect, giving you the complete picture.

You'll take modules like "Psychophysiology of Sport and Exercise" and "Applied Psychophysiology: How to Monitor and Enhance Performance" that bring together the latest research with hands-on practice. You'll discover first-hand how what happens in your mind affects your body, and the other way around.

This is exactly how the industry is moving. Think about the explosion in apps that monitor stress, recovery, and brain readiness – they all need people who understand these connections. We're preparing you to lead in a field that's breaking down old barriers and creating new possibilities.

Our graduates don't just find jobs – they're shaping the future of sport science. Yes, we prepare you brilliantly for traditional paths like teaching, coaching, and physiotherapy. But we're also creating the next generation of world-leading researchers and high-performance practitioners.

Look around our department – most of our current lecturers and professors are Bangor graduates who've come back to lead groundbreaking research. Our alumni are working with Premier League football teams, international cricket squads, sport governing bodies, and the NHS. They're the applied practitioners making real differences at the highest levels.

We're not just giving you a degree – we're connecting you to a network that spans from elite sport to cutting-edge research. Your career could take you anywhere, and we're here to help you get there.

Adventure Sport Science - BSc (Hons)
Study Adventure Sport Science BSc (Hons) and explore the great outdoors. Gain expertise in risk management, outdoor leadership, and sports performance.
UCAS Code
C611
Qualification
BSc (Hons)
Duration
3 Years
Study Mode
Part Time, Full Time
Sport And Exercise Science - BSc (Hons)
Study sport and exercise science, delve into fitness, performance, and health.
UCAS Code
C616
Qualification
BSc (Hons)
Duration
3 Years
Study Mode
Part Time, Full Time
Sport and Exercise Psychology - BSc (Hons)
Explore sport and exercise psychology, motivation and performance. Get the knowledge for a career in coaching, counselling, and performance enhancement.
UCAS Code
C680
Qualification
BSc (Hons)
Duration
3 Years
Study Mode
Part Time, Full Time
Sport and Exercise Science (with Foundation Year) - BSc (Hons)
Gain essential sport science and fitness skills through a foundation year, in preparation for our Sport and Exercise Science course.
UCAS Code
C61F
Qualification
BSc (Hons)
Duration
4 Years
Study Mode
Part Time, Full Time
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Undergraduate Degrees

We've designed our degrees around what you want to achieve. Passionate about teaching? Our Sport and Physical Education degree prepares you perfectly for a PGCE to teach A Level PE. Love the outdoors? Adventure Sport Science gives you the technical skills and teaching ability for water and mountain-based disciplines.

Your interests shape your path – we make sure you're ready for it.

See our Courses

Intercalated Degrees

Already studying medicine? We offer BSc programmes that let you specialise in sports science or clinical sports science. You'll gain expertise that bridges medicine and performance, opening up new career possibilities.

See our Courses

Top up Degree

This sport degree is suitable for those who have studied a related sport science Foundation degree.

See our Courses

Academic in black Bangor Sport Science T-shirt doing lab work smiling at the computer

Why Study Sport and Exercise Sciences?

Sport and exercise science is where passion meets purpose. We're using scientific principles to help people move better, perform at their peak, and live healthier lives.

This field is growing fast. It's becoming one of the most sought-after subjects across the UK and around the world. Students are choosing it because they can see the real impact it's making, from elite performance to everyday wellbeing.

We're not just studying how the body works - we're discovering how to make it work better.

Student George smiling at the camera
Video: Undergraduate Student - George Robinson

Student Profile George Robinson

Sport Science

"The course is designed to equip students with the skills to enter a sporting environment. With Bangor being a research orientated university, it puts a lot of emphasis on developing research and critical thinking skills. "

Do you have a question about life as a Bangor University student? Our ambassadors will be happy to help you find the answer.

They can tell you more about studying here, about the amazing Clubs and Societies we have, and how they made friends and settled in to life at university as a Sport and Exercise Sciences student.

If you have any questions about the course, our lecturers are on hand to help. Below are some examples of frequently asked questions. Can you think of any more? 

  • What are the qualities of a successful Sport and Exercise Sciences student at Bangor?
  • How can I prepare myself to study Sport and Exercise Sciences at Bangor?
  • How will I know that Sport and Exercise Sciences at Bangor is the right choice for me?

Two students running on the Treborth track
Video: Treborth

Bangor Sport Facilities

We've got everything you need to stay active and push your limits. Our indoor and outdoor facilities are ready for whatever moves you - from weight training and aerobics to athletics and indoor climbing.

Whether you're into indoor cricket, tennis, squash, or trampolining, or prefer the outdoor pitches for football, rugby, and hockey, you'll find your space here. This is where you'll train, compete, and discover new passions.

Bangor University Sport and Exercise Sciences Virtual Tour

Normal site campus

Unusually for such a high ranked sport science department, all your facilities are easily accessible in one space. Our teaching and lab buildings are all located on the Normal Site Campus helping to reduce your travel time and create a great community working and learning environment.

Sports Normal site lobby

This is the access hub to the departments Physical Activity and Well-Being centre, together with the onsite leisure facilities, including two sports halls and a small strength and conditioning space.

Canolfan PAWB (Physical Activity and Well-being) centre

You are now in the main corridor of the PAWB centre, where students have access to three separate teaching and research labs.

PAWB Physiology and teaching lab

Here is where you get direct practical experience using the most up-to-date sport and exercise science equipment. This regular hands-on experience helps set us apart from other top ranked sport science departments. You’ll get real world practical experience using the equipment in the same way the department does when working with organisations to investigate neuroscience, psychophysiology, sport psychology, personality, and physiology to answer future employers’ questions and have real impact. For example, how to measure exercise behaviour change? How to accurately measure patients, potential talent, and world class athletes’ physiology to help drive positive change for them? Or how to design and implement individualised pressure training programmes for high performance teams? Incidentally, the departments individualised pressure training programme was recently implemented with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and directly helped the England Men’s teams’ win the World Cup.

PAWB Physiology and teaching space 2

It is both important for all students to have practical hands on experience and that we continue to sit in the UK’s top 5 list for Sport Science departments, the PAWB centre houses a number of separate teaching and research spaces. Here is one specifically designed for health, pre- and rehab, and other aspects of medical based application of sport science knowledge.

PAWB Physiology and teaching space 3

In this teaching and research lab, the PAWB centre has a suite of S&C equipment, from free weights right through to treadmills that can work up to speeds faster than humans can typically run. The use cases for this is vast from simple warm ups to high performance testing.

Normal site sports hall corridor

All the facilities are just a short walk apart and often just a quick hop down a corridor.

Outside George building

Everything is designed with your studies in mind. We minimise travel challenges by housing your facilities in a simple to access space. This is the main Sport Science building where you can access staff offices, lecture theatres, more labs, together with a fantastic view of the Menai Straits!

Normal site sports hall

This is the larger of the two on site sports halls and contains full size basketball, 5 a side football, and netball courts, together with 4 badminton courts. This is used by students both for recreation activities, but also directly in modules and classes for practical sessions and research purposes.

Normal site gymnasium

On site we have two sports halls. In this, the smaller of the two, students and clubs can access the space for a variety of activities.

This is the main entrance of the George building

This is the main entrance of the George building. As a grade II listed building you can see it has a lot more character and soul than the typically new glass fronted buildings you’ll encounter in other institutions.

George lecture room corridor

On this wing of the George Building, you can access the two main teaching and lecture spaces.

George building octagonal room

In this lecture theatre, you’ll experience smaller group teaching and seminars. These enable you to develop your learning and knowledge and offer a smaller forum where discussion and challenge take place.

George building main lecture hall

This is the department's main lecture hall. This is where you’ll experience the traditional teaching method of a university and interact with the staff to gain the core aspects of your sport and exercise science degree.

George stairs

The George building is split over several levels. Once up the stairs, you can access the staff offices and additional research and teaching labs.

Staff office

The staff offices are in the same building as your lectures, and you won’t need a special card or code to access them. This means you can schedule tutorials and discuss your studies directly with staff in a safe and friendly environment and on an ad-hoc basis.

The George building lab corridor

The second floor houses another series of research and teaching labs where you have further access to world-class equipment.

Physiology Research lab 1

In the first of the George building physiology labs, you’ll find hundreds of pieces of equipment that are used for a multitude of purposes, from taking and analysing blood through to manipulating exercise and performance environments. The latter can be completed in this lab via the environmental chamber, where we can manipulate both room temperature (extreme heat to extreme cold) and humidity. This helps investigate how extreme environments impact human performance, e.g., Firefighters, athletes, rescue, and military personnel.

Physiology Research lab 2

Similar to the first of the two physiology labs in the George building, the octagonal houses hundreds of pieces of equipment, including an altitude (hypoxia) chamber.  

Route to Padarn

It's just a short hop outside the Padarn labs and teaching spaces, where you’ll find the biochemistry, motion analysis, psychology, and motor control labs.

Padarn Biochemistry

In Padarn's biochemistry and prep labs, you’ll have access to all the equipment necessary for collecting and analysing the bodies' ‘chemistry’.  Here, you can collect and analyse everything from hair samples through to blood, muscle tissue, and the body's cell structure.

Psychomotor lab

This is an example of one of our 7 separate psychology and psychomotor control labs. In these. you have access to equipment at your fingertips, including multiple electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrophysiology (ERP), eye tracking, manipulandum’s, graphics tablets, balance boards and even Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and brain simulation. All these will enable you to investigate and further your knowledge of sport and exercise science to a level that will stand you apart when you enter the workplace.

Padarn Motion analysis lab

In the motion analysis lab, you’ll have access to a 12 camera Vicon passive tracking system and an Optotrac active marker tracking system performance. Here you can really get to grips with developing your understanding of human movement to aid in your skill development surrounding performance analysis from the sports, health, and wider high-performance sectors.

Treborth

In addition to the excellent facilities on the Normal site, just a 5-minute walk between Telford’s famous Menai suspension bridge and Stephenson’s noted and picturesque original railway bridge - Britannia - you’ll have access to Treborth. This houses flood-lit 4G pitches and traditional grass pitches (football, rugby, hockey, even American football) together with a full-size athletics running track. Whilst you can access these facilities for general sport and leisure, you’ll also experience practical classes here where you can put what you learn in the lecture theatre into a real-world setting.

Our Research in Sport and Exercise Sciences

Research and Impact in Sport Science

We're 1st in Wales and 5th in the UK for Sport Science research, with 100% of our work rated as world-leading or internationally recognised (Research Excellence Framework, 2021).

This isn't just impressive on paper - it transforms your learning. You'll work directly with researchers who are advising UK Sport, the NHS, and the MOD. During your degree, you'll conduct your own supervised research in areas like Psychology of Elite Performance, Extreme Environments, or Physical Activity and Wellbeing.

You'll present your findings at our Student Conference - a signature experience that develops the problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills employers are looking for. We're not just teaching you about research; we're making you a researcher.

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