“I was able to find those areas in which I excel and which I wanted to experience further.”
BSc (Hons)Health, Nutrition and Exercise Science
Apply on UCAS
Starting in: 2024
Register your interest- 3 years
- 4 years with foundation year
- 4 years with year in industry
- 5 years with foundation and industry years
UCAS code: HN01
Institution code: S30
UCAS points: 112-128Flexible entry options available
Campus: Southampton City CentreView on Google Maps
Why study a health, nutrition and exercise science degree at Solent University
Follow your passions for sport and helping people reach their wellness goals. Our fantastic facilities and focus on practical experience will foster a rewarding career in a growing sector.
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- This course is fully endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).
- We have one of the UK’s leading sport and exercise science facilities: our physiology laboratory is officially accredited by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES).
- Opportunities to gain extra qualifications include: gym instructing, healthcare, nutrition, and cancer rehabilitation.
- Students will receive an Association for Nutrition (AfN) Certificate in Intermediate Nutrition Essentials for Fitness and Leisure after successfully completing the Human Nutrition module in the first year.
- You will gain real-world learning opportunities with Solent Personal Training, Exercise Referral Scheme, Solent Nutrition and our High Performance Academy.
- Choose from two inspiring pathway options, the fitness and personal training pathway and health and exercise science pathway.
- Our fantastic and ultra-modern sports complex features two sports halls, two fitness studios, strength and conditioning and high-performance gyms, health and fitness, and personal training teaching gyms, and a sport and exercise therapy clinic.
- Students have access to the University’s professional sport and exercise science facilities, including fully equipped physiology, psychology, and biomechanics labs, health and exercise gyms.
This video 'BSc (Hons) Health, Nutrition and Exercise Science' is available as a text transcript, with a description of visuals.
Course overview
Whether your passion is in health and fitness, physiology and exercise science, nutrition or helping people overcome their health challenges, this course utilises Solent’s excellent reputation for its sport, health and fitness provision to prepare you for success. The growing jobs market offers a wide range of dynamic and rewarding career options and we’ve used our experience to offer two inspiring pathway options.
Fitness and personal training pathway:
The fitness and personal training pathway will provide you with a wealth of advanced skills which will ensure you have a top profile to attract and retain the best clients. We take personal training seriously and will support you in building your business and entrepreneurial skills, so you’re fully prepared for a successful career in a competitive market.
Health and exercise science pathway:
The health and exercise science pathway prepares you for a range of careers in the health and well-being sector. If your passion is in nutrition, clinical exercise science or public health and psychology we have it all here for you. Graduates from this pathway have gone on to have successful and rewarding careers as nutritionists, exercise rehabilitation specialists, public health practitioners and NHS health and well-being advisors.
Our staff have a special blend of academic excellence and industry experience which brings great creativity. We’ve a wealth of in-house health and wellbeing initiatives for you to get involved with including a personal training scheme, strength and conditioning academy, exercise rehabilitation clinic and nutrition counselling service, so you can gain all the real world learning you need or plan your research in a real-world context without even leaving campus. There are also plenty of external partnerships available if you do want to go out on placement.
The course is fully endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) for three CIMSPA competencies - Gym Instruction (after the first year), Personal Training, and Working with Referred Populations (after the second year) - allowing students access to the CIMSPA register. Students will also gain CIMPSA recognition for Cancer Rehabilitation (after the third year).
Solent is renowned for its focus on employability enhancement and links with professional associations. This course has extra professional qualifications available to enhance your skills and employability:
- Gym instructor
- Personal trainer
- Exercise referral practitioner
- Level 3 soft tissue therapy
- Level 4 soft tissue therapy
- Strength and conditioning
- AfN certificate
- Level 4 Advanced Personal Trainer
- Making Every Contact Count (MECC)
- Level 4 Cancer Rehabilitation
Any questions?
Contact international admissions
Call: +44 (0)23 8201 5066Email: admissions.international@solent.ac.ukRecognised by:
Course features
Foundation year available
If you're not quite ready for a full undergraduate degree, there's alternative entry through one of our foundation years
Additional qualification
This course offers additional qualifications for you to obtain with your degree
Placement year
If you apply for this course with a placement year, you have the opportunity to undertake a year in industry between your second and third years
Specialist facilities
This course has access to specialist facilities
Study abroad
You have the opportunity to study abroad in one of our partner universities for a semester on this course
Who is this course for?
This course is ideal for anyone with a passion for helping individuals achieve their health, nutrition or fitness goals. Perfect for school-leavers, mature students and international applicants. This course offers you the opportunity to make a real difference to the health and well-being of your nation in a growing and exciting jobs market.
What does this course lead to?
The skills you’ll develop on this course open up a wide range of career opportunities. Graduates have a wealth of career options to choose from.
The two pathways of this course mean you can be ready for employment in many roles in different healthcare sectors, or you will be perfectly placed to pursue higher-level study in a variety of disciplines.
Health and Exercise Science Pathway – career opportunities:
- Exercise rehabilitation specialist.
- Exercise referral co-ordinator.
- Nutrition advisor.
- Soft tissue therapist.
- Health and well-being physiologist.
- Exercise physiologist (Nuffield, Spire, NHS).
- Exercise and well-being advisor (NHS, Nuffield, Spire etc).
- Physiotherapist assistant.
- Public health practitioner.
- Health and exercise development officer.
- Personal trainer/specialist PT in disease rehab.
- Leads to further qualifications for MSc / PhD researcher/lecturer.
Fitness and Personal Training Pathway – career opportunities:
- Personal trainer, (mobile, online, studio, gym-based).
- Gym manager.
- Strength and conditioning coach.
- Soft tissue therapist.
- Fitness manager.
- Gym owner.
- Physiotherapist assistant.
- Exercise physiologist.
- Exercise referral specialist.
- Nutrition adviser.
- Leads to further qualifications for MSc / PhD researcher/lecturer.
The course also allows access to postgraduate study in nutrition, where you can gain fully-accredited status to the AfN.
Solent stories
Hear from Solent alumni about where their careers have taken them and how studying at Solent prepared them for their future.
Read more storiesMeet the team
Staff bring a unique blend of academic excellence and research informed teaching with substantial industry experience to ensure you’re work ready, world ready and future ready.
The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.
Facilities
Throughout your studies you'll have the opportunity to use a range of high-quality facilities including the sports complex which features teaching gyms and is where all fitness qualifications and the majority of your real-world learning experiences take place. You'll also use the physiology lab where you'll learn and experience first-hand the scientific equipment used to monitor and enhance human health and performance.
Our vibrant campus brings state-of-the-art facilities to enhance your learning and elevate your student experience. Our award-winning teaching building, The Spark is centred around students and offers a stimulating study environment with flexible learning spaces. Away from studying, why not try out the gyms, fitness studios and sports halls in our £28 million Sports Complex, or watch a blockbuster film at our student-run cinema with Dolby Atmos audio.
International opportunities
Broaden your horizons by adding an international dimension to your CV – essential to achieving success in today’s fast-changing, global environment.
Studying, working or volunteering in another country could be the experience of a lifetime. Enhance your degree by developing important global skills such as knowledge of other countries, language skills, intercultural awareness, adaptability and confidence.
For more information, please email international.mobility@solent.ac.uk.
What you'll study
Core modules
Exercise Instruction and Coaching
Providing you with the technical knowhow, practical expertise and the latest industry research, this module is the perfect start on your way to a career in health and fitness. It provides an essential basis for you to become a qualified fitness professional where you will develop your ability to plan and deliver safe and effective gym sessions.
Functional Anatomy and Physiology
The module introduces you to the anatomical and physiological principles of the human body and how they enable exercise to be undertaken. In addition, you will investigate scientific principles of human movement.
Population Health
In this module you will learn why the places where people are born, grow, live, work and age impact health and create significant and unfair differences in health outcomes. We will ask how can we ‘create’ health and would a fairer society improve the health of the population?
Human Nutrition
On this module you’ll learn about the link between nutrition and health and exercise, how to analyse a diet, and make healthy-eating recommendations. On successful completion of this module, you will receive an Association for Nutrition (AfN) Certificate in Intermediate Nutrition Essentials for Fitness and Leisure. (Please note, this is a certificate of completion of the module and does not qualify students for certified AfN status, nor does it enable students to join the register as an ANutr)
Health and Exercise Psychology
Have you ever wondered why, when faced with similar psychological challenges and stressors, some individuals seem to remain well and thrive, whilst others become sick and vulnerable to poor health, illness and disease? This exciting module will examine the stress-illness/health link and you will work towards answering the fundamental questions surrounding why we get sick, what makes us healthy and what we can do about it.
Applied Research Methods in Sport, Health and Exercise Science
You will learn how to investigate discipline specific problems or issues using both quantitative and qualitative methods of inquiry. Leading into your final year Project, you will begin to form your research idea or work placement.
How you will learn and be assessed
You will learn by:
You may be assessed by a combination of:
- Live and simulated client briefs
- Video submissions
- Blogs
- Individual presentations
- Group presentations
- In-class tests
Solent’s curriculum framework builds on our unique, creative and applied approach to teaching. The transformation of students’ lives is at the heart of our mission as a university, and our curriculum – informed by the latest theory – reflects this shared educational vision.
Find out more
Study support
The student achievement team are on hand to help you succeed during your studies at Solent. They aim to contact you at key times during your time here with personalised information, advice and guidance, by email or phone.
Access Solent provides information, advice and guidance for disabled students.
All students can access Succeed@Solent, Solent's online guide to getting better grades. It offers extensive, practical information and advice on topics such as academic writing, research and presentations.
Why choose the industry?
The role exercise and nutrition plays in healthy ageing and disease reduction has become a focus for national health policy in recent times. Government and NHS policy is shifting toward “social prescribing”, which research has shown to often be more effective at lifestyle-related disease control than drugs.
This has led to increased demand for practitioners skilled in clinical exercise rehabilitation, health nutrition and behaviour change psychology.
A recent survey conducted with employers of the health and fitness industry identified that current training is insufficient and lacks proper insight into medical conditions, nutrition and psychology. Training should also offer students access to real-life patients/clients. Our BSc (Hons) Health, Nutrition and Exercise Science responds to both the results of this survey and to the increasing need for suitably trained individuals in the health and well-being sector.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2024/25 academic year are:
- UK, EU (settled status) and Channel Island full-time fees: £9,250 per year
- International full-time fees: £16,125 per year
For further information, please visit our tuition fees page.
Extra course costs
While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. These additional costs are listed below. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact student.funding@solent.ac.uk.
The 2024/25 other costs are:
Compulsory costs
- Students must purchase a Solent sports kit. As a package, this will cost approximately £135.
- Students are required to undertake DBS criminal records checks as part of their enrolment. This is compulsory and is payable by the student at a cost of £60. The DBS check is organised by the University.
Optional costs
- Students may have the chance to undertake optional Active IQ qualifications alongside their studies.
Bursaries, scholarships and financial support
Solent University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships that provide financial assistance or waive fees for tuition or accommodation. Each bursary or scholarship has specific eligibility criteria. Check out our bursaries and scholarships pages to find out more.
Graduation costs
There is no charge to attend graduation, but you will be required to pay for the rental of your academic gown (approximately £45 per graduate, depending on your award). You may also wish to purchase official photography packages, which range in price from £15 to £200+. Graduation is not compulsory, so if you prefer to have your award sent to you, there is no cost. Extra guest tickets will go on sale after results publication and will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. The cost per ticket is currently £15. Please note, we do not guarantee there will be any extra tickets available to purchase.
Student finance videos
Student finance in under three minutes Student funding - the essentials
Entry requirements
Please select an option below:
Key entry requirements
112-128 UCAS tariff points
- A minimum of two completed A-levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma at DMM or BTEC Diploma at D*D*, T-level Merit, or equivalent, to comply with the minimum entry requirements of 112 UCAS points.
- One science subject, mathematics and English at GCSE, at grade 4 or above.
- For further information about UK qualifications, please contact admissions.
Key entry requirements
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about EU qualifications, please contact admissions.
Key entry requirements
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about international qualifications, please contact admissions.
Note to all international students requiring a visa
All international applicants need to be aware that the English language requirements to attend Solent University, and the English language requirements to obtain a visa from the Home Office, may be different. This means that if you meet the Solent University language requirement to gain a place on the course, you may still have to meet additional requirements to be granted with a visa by the Home Office.
We strongly advise all applicants to visit the Home Office website which outlines all the requirements for a successful visa application and to take a look at our 2023 course entry statement document.
112-128UCAS points
Any questions?
Contact international admissions
Call: +44 (0)23 8201 5066Email: admissions.international@solent.ac.ukHow to apply
Full-time
Any student applying for the first year of a full-time/sandwich undergraduate course must apply through UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service). This includes mature, overseas and EU students.
Nearly all schools and colleges offer their students the facility of applying electronically through the UCAS website using 'Apply'; it may also be used by those applying independently in the UK and overseas. This facility and all course information can be found on the UCAS website: www.ucas.com.
Your application should reach UCAS by 31 January if you hope to enter a course the following autumn. Early application is advised for the most popular subject areas. Late applications may be made until the end of June. The UCAS Code for the University is S30, code name SOLNT.
Find out what happens after you apply
Contextual offers
Solent endeavours to offer learning opportunities to students from all backgrounds. When we receive and review an application, we take into consideration the context and personal circumstances of applicants when making a decision, which means our advertised entry tariff could be reduced.
Language requirements
Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are:
- IELTS minimum 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual component
- TOEFL IBT minimum 80 with a minimum of 20 in each individual component
- Duolingo English Language Test - 115 overall with minimum of 95 in each component or equivalent.
Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.
Pre-Sessional English programme
The University also offers a pre-sessional English programme for international students who wish to improve their level of English before starting a degree course.
We will prepare you for your future
The two pathways of this course mean you can be ready for employment in many roles in different healthcare sectors, or you will be perfectly placed to pursue higher-level study in a variety of disciplines. Health and Exercise Science and Fitness pathway gives you skills to work in the NHS and private healthcare to improve people’s fitness levels or to help prevent or treat illness. This can be in a variety of areas that include rehabilitation, exercise referral, nutrition, or as a personal trainer. Personal Training Pathway is more focused on skills to work as a personal and gym-based trainer as well as business skills to work in this area, complemented by nutrition and soft tissue therapy knowledge.
- Fitness and Personal Training Pathway career opportunities include; personal trainer, soft tissue therapist, sports nutritionist.
- Health and Exercise Science Pathway career opportunities include; exercise rehabilitation specialist, exercise referral co-ordinator, health and well-Being physiologist.
We will help you start your career
The Solent Futures team is committed to getting students into great careers.
While you are studying, the team can help you with finding work experience or placements, link you with a mentor, check your CV, or offer one-to-one guidance.
If you're in your final year, we also have graduate job opportunities just for Solent graduates.
Find out more
Support at Solent
All students at Solent University have access to a range of specialist support services. Whether you are having financial difficulty, need additional help with academic skills or want advice on setting up your own business you'll find that help is always on hand.
Most of our specialist support services are based around the Student Hub, a central space where you can access all the information and support you may need during your time at University. The Student Hub is the first point of contact if you have any queries relating to your course, including questions about your timetable, options, and assessments and extenuating circumstances.
We work in partnership with the University to build a sense of pride and confidence in your Union, University and student experience.
Find out more
Further study
Thinking about studying further than an undergraduate degree? Alumni can get 20% off their postgraduate study.
MSc Clinical Exercise Science
Explore the science behind physical health and exercise and the impact it has on individuals with clinical disease on this industry-led, practical course.
MSc Sport Science for Performance Coaching
Further your knowledge of sport science and athletic development with a master’s degree designed in partnership with industry experts and tailored to industry requirements.
Make your application
- 3 years
- 4 years with foundation year
- 4 years with year in industry
- 5 years with foundation and industry years
