Sport science: Career areas

Sport science graduates often work directly with athletes and sportspeople, for example as a sport scientist or performance analyst, but also undertake a range of other related careers using the skills developed during their degree. Popular career areas include research, coaching, teaching, general management, consultancy, sports development, youth work, health promotion and the health/fitness industry in general.

Six months after graduation 64% of sport science graduates are in employment. An additional 9% are combining work with further study. Of those employed, just over 20% are in sports-related professional roles, 7% are working in education, 8% are in management roles and the remainder work in areas such as hospitality, healthcare and administration.

Many recent graduates take a job they do not regard as permanent and plan to use it as a stepping stone to gain experience to support their longer-term career aspirations.

Where are the jobs?

Jobs are available with a wide range of organisations in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Typical employers include:

• professional sports clubs;
• national sporting associations, governing bodies and other related sporting agencies;
• private health and fitness clubs, spas and public sports and recreation facilities;
• local authorities;
• schools, further education and higher education institutions;
• the health sector, including the National Health Service.

Sport science graduates may also go on to establish their own businesses and consultancies.

For an insight into potential employment areas see:

• hospitality, tourism and sport - covers a wide range of sport and leisure providers, from private health and fitness clubs to local authority recreation centres;
• teaching and education - includes schools, further education and higher education.

For further information on possibilities in other employment areas, see job sectors. 

Statistics are collected every year to show what HE students do immediately after graduation. These can be a useful guide but, in reality, because the data is collected within six months of graduation, many graduates are travelling, waiting to start a course, paying off debts, getting work experience or still deciding what they want to do. For further information about some of the areas of employment commonly entered by graduates of any degree discipline, check out What Do Graduates Do?  and your degree...what next?