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  2. Sport and physical activity
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Sport and physical activity courses

We are a leading university in sport and physical education, developing graduates with the skills that employers in the industry are looking for, and rank fourth in the UK for our sports research.

Our facilities include a £6m sports park and a satellite campus at the English Institute of Sport - the UK's largest multi-sport training centre home to Olympic and Paralympic athletes. We also have a vibrant university sports community, with a wide range of clubs and performance teams, as well as dedicated support for student athletes.

Why study sport and physical science at Sheffield Hallam?

Teaching excellence and quality

We’re in the world top 150 universities for sport (QS World University Rankings 2026). Our sport and physical activity courses deliver practical and research-informed teaching in areas including:

  • sport science,
  • sport education and coaching,
  • psychology and physiotherapy,
  • technology and engineering and
  • sports management and media.

93% of our postgraduate sport students were satisfied with their course in the Postgraduate Taught Student Satisfaction Survey 2025.

QS World University Rankings badge - In the top 150 sports-related subjects 2026

Placements and career opportunities

Our graduates have gone on to work with Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Arsenal FC and many other professional football clubs, as well as national sport governing bodies including England Cricket, The FA, GB Boxing and Netball England.

Our graduates have also found careers in global brands such as Adidas and Kitlocker, as well as sport media organisations, including Sky Sports, SportsPro Media and EA Games.

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What can I do with a sport and physical science degree?

Our sport degrees can lead to jobs in:

  • sport consultancy, finance and research,
  • major events, venues and facilities management,
  • social media, sponsorship and marketing,
  • public service organisations,
  • education and teaching,
  • sports science, strength and conditioning,
  • sport performance analysis,
  • sports nutrition and training and
  • other business graduate roles with companies such as M&S and Aldi.

Hear from our students

Will Stapleton, a BSc Sport and Exercise Science graduate at Barnsley FC

"I work as a Sport and Exercise Scientist at Barnsley FC"

Read Will's story
Josh Degerness, a MSc Sports Engineering graduate at PING Golf

"After studying MSc Sports Engineering, I now work as a designer at PING Golf"

Read Josh's story
Luke Williams, a MSc Sports Business Management graduate at Sheffield Hallam

Hallam students get to work at some of the biggest sporting events all over the world

Read Luke's story
Ellis Clark, a BSc (Hons) Sports Business Management graduate at Blackburn Rovers Women's Football Club

"As the general manager at Blackburn Rovers FC, I use skills gained from my course every day"

Watch Ellis's story

State-of-the-art facilities

You’ll have access to world-class facilities and equipment including The UK Sports Institute, The Sheffield Hallam University Sports Park, physiology and biomechanics labs, and a performance analysis suite.

Let Ellie show you around our sport and physical activity spaces. Or, take a 360 tour of our facilities yourself and get a feel for where you'll be studying.

360 tour: inside our sport and physical activity facilities

Why choose us?

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Teaching

Rated Gold in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) for the outstanding quality of our teaching and graduate outcomes

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Sport community

Join more than 1,500 students at our nationally-renowned Academy of Sport and Physical Activity

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Facilities

Learn in cutting-edge sports facilities, including our £6m sports park and a satellite campus at the English Institute of Sport

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Our career promise

Our seven-part promise gets you ready to launch your career. With employer connections and hands-on learning, we'll help make your ambition a reality.
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Digital prospectus

Get an inside look at student life, teaching spaces and everything else that makes Sheffield Hallam unique.
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Open days

Join us at an open day to experience being on campus and find out more about our courses, accommodation and student support.