Sport and Exercise Nutrition

This course provides an approach to sport and exercise nutrition that is based on the scientific and academic principles of physiology and biochemistry. It explores the social and psychological aspects that influence physical activity, food choices, nutrition and health.

By studying sport and exercise nutrition, you’ll understand how physical inactivity is a risk factor for a number of diseases, as well as the scientific principles underlying the nutritional requirements for physical activity, improved performance and health.

Year one
You’ll be introduced to a broad range of subjects underpinning the study of exercise and nutrition. Learn about anatomy and physiology, biochemistry and the fundamentals of nutrition for physical activity and health. Emphasis is given to key skills including communication (both written and oral), problem solving and the use of a range of laboratory and digital techniques, including specialist diet and physical activity analysis software.

Year two
In your second year you’ll build on what you’ve learned so far, investigating the role of diet and physical activity in health and as a risk factor for disease. Importantly, you’ll gain an understanding of the ethical and professional framework you'll work within as a graduate of this degree. You’ll be trained in research methodology and you’ll increasingly become an independent and autonomous learner.

You’ll also explore future career opportunities through an optional, but encouraged, work placement.

Year three
Core to your third year will be your independent dissertation project. This will enable you to integrate the practical and theoretical aspects of sport, exercise and nutrition. The dissertation includes elements of project management, completing appropriate ethical and risk assessments, logistical planning and detailed data analysis. Also in your final year, you’ll critically explore the complex nature of issues related to sport and exercise science.

Many of your assessments will mimic tasks, ways of working, or reporting that are used by professional practitioners. We think that you should experience these ways of working as they help you to prepare for employment, be that in industry or the health sector, or as a consultant, teacher or researcher. Some examples of methods used for assessment on this programme include:

• diet and physical activity analysis
• reports and evaluations
• practical report writing
• essays
• case studies
• group and individual presentations
• lab skills assessment
• literature reviews
• exams.

You’ll be taught by a core lecturing team, including Registered Nutritionists, as well as a number of visiting experts who deliver lectures and seminars on their areas of expertise.

You’ll learn through participation in lectures, seminars, case studies, practical workshops and educational visits.

We place emphasis on independent study, and each week you’ll be given a clear indication of the follow-up study and preparation you'll be expected to undertake.

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.

You can choose to take a professional placement year between the second and the final year, and shorter, optional placements are available in the second year as part of a work placement module. In the third year, you'll have the option to work on a brief developed in collaboration with an external organisation or industry partner.

Factory visits are part of the optional second year module Food Product Development. We encourage you to attend external events and webinars that will enhance your CV and add to your professional development.

A degree in Sport and Exercise Nutrition can lead to a range of career paths and roles including:

• Health physiologist
• Health coach
• Health improvement practitioner
• Health and wellbeing advisor
• Freelance nutritionist
• Laboratory work/research
• Food industry work
• Dietetics (after a postgraduate dietetics programme)
• Secondary school teaching – Biology (after a PGCE)
• Master's programmes in specialisms such as clinical nutrition or public health
• PhD study and research

As part of your degree, you could study abroad on a placement at one of Bath Spa’s partner universities.

If you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at Bath Spa University, you can apply for the Certificate in Global Citizenship, which you’ll study alongside your degree.

You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience, and funding is available. On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.

You'll have access to our:

• Laboratories
  Located in the Gardens area of the Newton Park campus, we have a number of well­-equipped and recently refurbished laboratories dedicated to a variety of practical work. Some are used for specialist microbiological culturing and analysis, others for biochemistry and physiology.
• Low Hazard Laboratory Space
  We have a ‘low ­hazard’ laboratory space where you can carry out activities such as the preparation and assessment of food, exercise or psychological studies.
• Biology Resources Room
• Commons building
• Newton Park library
• Virtual Learning Environment

As a Sport and Exercise Nutrition student, you'll have access to dedicated laboratories with modern equipment including high precision instrumentation, physiological data acquisition systems (biopacs) and physiology equipment. You'll also have use of specialist dietary and physical activity analysis software.

The Professional Placement Year (PPY) provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for, and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Before your PPY, you'll work to identify roles of interest and secure a placement. The Placements Team will support through timetabled sessions and 1:1 appointments.

As well as completing a minimum of 900 placement hours, you will complete two assessments demonstrating your skill development, growth in professional behaviours and how the PPY has impacted your future career aspirations.