What can I do with a degree in Sport?

The occupations below may interest students and graduates from the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences

Sport careers

Sports Therapist

Sports Therapists treat sporting injuries and provide advice to sport participants. Sports therapists can be employed or self-employed in, for example, a sports injury clinic, a sports club, or with a professional team.
Job profile of a Sports Therapist from the Prospects website
Job profile of a Sports Therapist from the Target Jobs website
The Society of Sports Therapists

Strength and Conditioning Coach

Strength and Conditioning Coaches work with individuals and teams to improve their performance in a particular field of sport.
The UK Strength and Conditioning Association

Teacher

There are opportunities to teach PE/sport in secondary schools, further education colleges and primary schools.Graduate jobs in teaching and education from the Prospects website
Get Into Teaching website from the Department for Education - explains the various routes into teaching
Education and training jobs from the National Careers Service website

Higher Education Lecturer

Higher Education Lecturers work in colleges and universities, usually with students aged 18 and above.
Job profile of a Higher Education Lecturer from the Prospects website

Sports Coach

Sports Coaches support sports players to improve their performance.
Job profile of a Sports Coach from the Prospects website
Job profile of a Sports Coach from the National Careers Service website
Job profile of a Sports Coach from the Target Jobs website
Job profile of a Football Coach from the National Careers Service website
Job profile of a Swimming Coach from the National Careers Service website

Sports Development Officer

Sports Development Officers seek to develop sporting opportunities in a community and encourage participation.
Job profile of a Sports Development Officer from the Prospects website
Job profile of a Sports Development Officer from the Target Jobs website
Job profile of a Sports Development Officer from the National Careers Service website

Sport and Exercise Psychologist

Psychologists in this discipline support those involved in sport or exercise with the mental aspects of performance.
Job profile of a Sport and Exercise Psychologist from the Prospects website
Job profile of a Sport and Exercise Psychologist from the National Careers Service website

Fitness/Leisure Centre Manager

Managing a leisure centre or gym including the staff, health and safety, finance and marketing.
Job profile of a Fitness Centre Manager from the Prospects website Job profile of a Fitness Centre Manager from the Target Jobs websiteJob profile of a Leisure Centre Manager from the Target Jobs websiteJob profile of a Leisure Centre Manager from the National Careers Service website

Nutritional Therapist

Nutritional Therapists work with patients and help to develop special diets to aid the individual’s health and wellbeing.
Job profile of a Nutritional Therapist from the Prospects website

Outdoor Pursuits Manager

Managing an outdoor activities centre. Activities could include pursuits such as climbing, orienteering and water sports.
Job profile for an Outdoor Pursuits Manager from the Prospects website
Job profile of an Outdoor Pursuits Manager from the Target Jobs website
Job Profile of a Riding Holiday Centre Manager from the National Careers Service website

Instructors

Delivering exercise programmes or classes to groups/individuals or teaching a particular activity.
Job profile of a Fitness Instructor from the National Careers Service website
Job profile of a Horse Riding Instructor from the National Careers Service website
Job profile of a Martial Arts Instructor from the National Careers Service website
Job profile of an Outdoors Activities Instructor from the National Careers Service website
Job profile of a Pilates Teacher from the National Careers Service website

Job profile of a Riding Holiday Leader from the National Careers Service website
Job profile of a Sailing Instructor from the National Careers Website

Sports Professional

People with exceptional sporting talent who are paid to compete.
Job profile of a Sports Professional from the National Careers Service website
Job profile of a Footballer from the National Careers Service website
Job profile of a Jockey from the National Careers Service website

Sports Official

Refereeing or umpiring for sport matches.
Job profile for a Football Referee from the National Careers Service website

Health Trainer

Encouraging healthy lifestyles in the community.
Job profile of a Health Trainer from the National Careers Service website
Job profile of a Health Promotion Specialist from the Prospects website

Personal Trainer

Working with people to help them achieve their health and fitness goals.
Job profile of a Personal Trainer from the National Careers Service website

Sport and Exercise Scientist

Using scientific knowledge to help people improve their sporting performance.
Job profile of a Sport and Exercise Scientist from the National Careers Service website
The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences

Physiotherapist

Providing treatment to people with physical difficulties using techniques such as exercise therapy and massage.
Job profile of a Physiotherapist from the Prospects website
Job profile of a Physiotherapist from the National Careers Service website

Sports Journalist

Reporting on sport stories using a variety of media including newspapers, websites, blogs, magazines, television and radio programmes and apps.
Job profile of a Broadcast Journalist from the Prospects website
Job profile of a Newspaper Journalist from the Prospects websiteSports Journalists’ AssociationAdvice on sports journalism from the NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists)

Please note that some of these careers may require further study.  

For further information on these careers, see also:

People in some Sport roles may be self-employed.

Other careers

A  Sport degree may be useful in the following career areas:

You may be interested in graduate roles outside of sport. There are many employers who are looking for graduates with good degrees but that don’t have a preference for the subject studied. To explore different career options see:

Skills Gained

As well as subject-specific knowledge and skills, a graduate in sport will typically:

This is not an exhaustive list of skills - you will develop many skills from your course, extra-curricular activities and work experience. You can find out more about the skills employers look for and how you can develop them here.

Find a Job

The Careers and Employability Service provides information and advice on job searching to University of Kent students and recent graduates. This includes a vacancy database advertising a range of graduate jobs, sandwich placements and vacation work/internships and online resources. The websites listed below may also be useful when searching for a job and when looking for further information on this sector.

More websites offering graduate jobs, internships and placement years

You may also find useful reviews and application/interview tips for specific organisations on the following websites:
Glassdoor
The Job Crowd

swimming pool

Further Study

21% of Sport graduates graduating in 2016 went on to further study, with 7.5% working and studying (source). Some Sport graduates do professional qualifications to train for a particular career area e.g. teacher training, physiotherapy, sport psychology. Others go on to postgraduate courses to specialise in a particular area of their undergraduate study or so that they can move into research or academia. There are also a range of postgraduate courses open to graduates of any degree subject. More information on postgraduate study

Some students and graduates do personal training or exercise instructor courses that are accredited by the Register of Exercise Professionals or other relevant professional bodies. There are a multitude of providers that offer these courses e.g. Organic Training, TRAINFITNESS, and Parallel Coaching. Please note that we do not endorse providers. You should research multiple providers in depth, checking accreditation, costs, locations, methods of study, reviews etc.

Remember that you can also gain further qualifications to boost your CV whilst at the University of Kent. These include qualifications from the American College of Sports Medicine, first aid and level 2 and 3 gym instructor qualifications. Please speak to your academic adviser if you would like any further information.

Thank you to Prospects for the content on these pages.

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