[Closed] Sport Science courses

The name is in the title. Sports [b][u]science[/u][/b]. At the end it's a science degree so you have to cover the basics of the sciences and learn how to be a scientist yourself. It's not all going out and doing sport and calling it a degree... Which is what the 33% of my class who ended up dropping out thought.

Having already done an Aerospace Engineering degree ten years ago I know that a lot of time is going to be spent in lecture halls.

In the case of my degree it was 99% (no joke) sitting in a lecture hall and then regurgitating the lecture material at the end of the year. The only year I enjoyed was the final year where we were finally allowed into the lab to do some investigation work. This is also the only year that I actually learned anything useful.

That's why I'm asking for courses that have more of an emphasis on lab work and experimentation.

If your course was 99% lecture halls can you tell me where it was so I can cross it off my list?

This might be useful:

[url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/8723166/Top-ten-sports-science-courses-most-respected-by-employers.html ]null[/url]

As above make sure it is Sport Science that you want not coaching, management etc. From a personal perspective Cardiff Met (formerly UWIC) is very hands on in it's sports courses. Best of luck.

Great, thanks. It's definitely science rather than coaching or management. I've done a fair bit of coaching and competed at a high level but I don't want to make a career of it.

I developed a bit of a niche for myself by making theoretical concepts work in practice in my current industry (oil and gas) but I'm getting pretty sick of it and fancy a change.

Bruce,

I don't know the detail - but Heriot Watt's sport science people have "teaching labs". I've no idea what they do in there, or how much of the timetable is lab based but I'd have thought they would be happy to discuss that with you.

However, you need to be aware that Universities often run courses according to student demand/interest not employer demand/opportunity. I suspect there are a lot of degree qualified sports scientists who aren't using anything they learnt, or are running fitness classes they could have qualified for with a quick coaching course etc... Excess numbers of graduates also push down salaries for those who are genuinely doing the specialism...

As a mature student you'll do great. I did it as a mature student too and found the work ethic much easier to stick to than those who were coming out of school.

The nature of the course is usually fairly hands on. At least in my case it changed during the 4 years. The first two the practical sessions were things like practical applications of sport (doing sport!) but also some lab work for Biomech and Physiology. As the course went on there was more emphasis put on the lab work and the lab work to a large extent supported what we were learning in the lectures.

There is an attitude that sports science is an easy degree. A lot of people can find out the hard way that you still need to satisfy the requirements for a BSc. With your background you are going in with a head start.

Look for applied courses:

http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/?view=CourseDetail&code=UUFASE1

http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/?view=CourseDetail&code=UUFASC3COA

My lad is in his final year at Northumbria. I'll ask him when I see him later