What It’s Like Studying a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science at UTS

If you’re interested in a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science at UTS, then you’ve come to the right place.

We’ll take you through all the info about the course including the core units, majors, assessments, uni culture and more! 

Let’s dive in!

What is a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science at UTS?

Core Units and Majors

How to Get into a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science at UTS

What’s the Teaching Format?

What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?

What is a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science at UTS?

A Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science at UTS provides you with the knowledge and practical skills you need to become an accredited Exercise Scientist. That’s right, successful completion of the degree means you’re professionally recognised by Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) — now, that’s really cool! 

The degree is very interactive and hands-on with a compulsory practicum subject and simulated scenario assessments. You’ll cover sport performance, nutrition, strength and conditioning, biomechanics, exercise prescription and way more. 

You even have your own state of the art Sport and Exercise Facility at Moore Park which is equipped with research labs and even a rooftop running track! 

Can it be studied with another degree? 

There’s the chance for you to complete an Honours year providing you achieve at a least a credit average during your Bachelor’s degree. 

If you choose the Exercise Therapy major, then you can complete a Master of Physiotherapy (as long as you maintain a credit average and have a successful interview). This adds two more years of study and after successfully completing it, you’re able to register as a physiotherapist. 

If you want to take your Sport and Exercise Science degree to the next level, you can combine it with either a Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation (4 years) or a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (5 years). 

Career Paths 

A Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science opens up many different doors to both the sporting and health worlds — you might even end up working with an Australian sports team! You could find yourself working as a:

• • Sport and Exercise Scientist 
  • Sports Coach 
  • Personal Trainer 
  • Nutritionist 
  • Fitness centre manager 
  • Physiotherapist 
  • Researcher
  • Educator 

…the list goes on and on! 

Core Units and Majors

What are the Core Units?

There are 16 core units that all students have to complete! The first two years are just core subjects and in the third year, students can choose what they want to major in — there’s a mix of science based subjects with more sport/exercise focused subjects. 

Structural Anatomy looks at the bones, joints and muscles in relation to movement while Functional Anatomy builds on this and goes deeper. Physiological Bases of Human Movement looks at the human body as a whole and all that stuff to do with organs and cells. 

You’ll also learn about the Australian Sport System which provides you with a good understanding of Australia’s sporting history, the different sporting organisations and important topics such as diversity and social inclusion. In this subject, you’ll focus on a different topic each week and work with a team to look at an issue, discuss it and talk about your findings in the tutorial — so, there’s a fair bit of pre-class preparation for this subject. 

Sport and Exercise Psychology is a really interesting subject which looks at how psychological wellbeing impacts performance. You’ll cover everything from goal-setting to visualisation to feedback and reinforcement to overtraining. 

Now, Exercise Prescription is very interactive and practical! During this subject, you’ll learn how to effectively prescribe and deliver various exercises to different populations (athletes as well!). You’ll be assessed on your practical skills and leadership. 

Research Methods for Sport and Exercise Science requires a fair bit of research, as the name suggests and gets students to develop a research project in relation to sport and exercise. You’ll also learn about nutrition and a balanced diet in Nutrition for Health and Physical Activity. 

For more details on the core subjects, check this out!  

What are the Majors? 

There are three majors you can choose in the third year — however, if you wish to complete the Exercise Therapy major, it does require a different ATAR. In saying that, there is a chance for you to transfer into the Exercise Therapy major during the degree although it is fairly competitive! 

So, you can either major in Exercise Science, Exercise Therapy or if you’re unsure, you can choose No Specified Major (which basically just lets you choose more electives). The Exercise Therapy major is also the only major where the subjects are predetermined for you while there’s more flexibility with the other two.

What’s it like studying an Exercise Therapy major? 

A major in Exercise Therapy gives you the foundations to go into Physiotherapy. If you want to become a physiotherapist, then a Masters in Physiotherapy is required and this major helps you get there! 

You’ll do the similar subjects to the Exercise Science Major but you’ll also do Sport and Exercise Medicine and Neuroscience. So, Sport and Exercise Medicine teaches students how to prevent and treat sport-related injuries. 

Students have a big assessment called a practical viva exam where they have to answer questions and perform their practical skills depending on what injury situation they are given — it’s like the real deal but just in a simulated environment. 

In the Neuroscience subject (pretty cool, right?!), of course you’ll learn all about the brain and nervous system. You’ll also cover topics like sleep and dreams, memory learning systems and mental illness. 

Built-in Internships 

In the last semester of your final year, there is a subject called Sport and Exercise Science Practicum where students can choose to complete a minimum of 140 hours of practical work experience. Although students have to find the practicum placement themselves, there are internship opportunities posted on the Career Hub. 

How to Get into a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science at UTS

You’ll need an ATAR of 82.05 to secure your spot for a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science at UTS. If you want to major in Exercise Therapy (in your final year), you’ll need an ATAR of 94.70. 

You’re also able to get some extra bonus points for HSC subjects that you excel in. So make sure you check out the Year 12 Adjustment Factors scheme for Sport and Exercise Science. 

Assumed Knowledge 

You should have completed Mathematics and any two units of English. Of course, it would also be helpful if you’ve completed PDHPE or any science subjects! 

Scholarships 

There are many scholarships for different faculties at UTS which can be found here! If you’re a sportswoman or sportsman yourself, have a look at the Emerging Athlete Program or Elite Athlete Program. 

What’s the Teaching Format?

A Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science at UTS combines lectures, tutorials and labs through semesters. 

Class Structure

Lectures

You can expect up to 300 students in a lecture depending on the subject. Some of the maths and sciences subjects are also subjects that are part of other degrees. 

So, for the more specific Sport and Exercise Science subjects, you can expect the lectures to be smaller. The lectures are where you’ll learn all the content and write lots of notes to remember everything! 

Tutorials 

The tutorials are discussion based and have around 30 to 40 students in them. You’ll complete problem-solving activities, work in small groups, look at case studies and revise the content.

Labs

Depending on the subject, you might also have a lab and there’s usually 30 to 40 people in them, going for around 2 hours. For the more science based subjects like biology, you’ll develop your practical skills as you undertake various scientific experiments.

For the subjects more specific to the course such as Exercise Prescription, you’ll also have labs where you get to interact with other students and test your knowledge in a practical learning environment. So, you’ll actually have to choose which exercises are suitable and learn how to deliver them to patients. 

How many hours do you spend at university?

When you study a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science at UTS, you’ll take four subjects a semester on a full-time load. So, you’re looking at around 10-15 contact hours (this can of course slightly vary depending on the different subjects). 

What are the assessments like?

You can expect to have a mix of essays, reports, quizzes, mid-sem and final exams — there will be a mix of multiple choice and short answers! You’ll also have to do a fair bit of research — reading through journal articles and then writing reports based on them.

For some of the more practical subjects like Sport and Exercise Medicine, you’ll have a practical viva exam where you are tested on your knowledge and have to demonstrate your skills in a simulated environment. It sounds pretty daunting but it’s the best way to learn! 

Skills You Refine and Learn 

Since the degree is very interactive and there are a fair few group assessments, you learn how to effectively work as part of a team. This is important because Sport and Exercise Science is also part of the health field which means you must be able to interact well with your patients and colleagues. 

You’ll also learn how to manage your time because the assessments are pretty full on and being a uni student, trying to juggle your degree with your social life and part-time job is already a challenge (but of course, do-able!). 

This degree will give you the chance to refine your research skills as you have to read a fair few scientific journal articles and interpret the findings. 

What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?

The students studying a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science are very friendly and supportive. They’re also a pretty tight bunch because they have their own campus at Moore Park — how cool is that?!

The lecturers and tutors have either previously worked in the industry or are still working in it, so they have a lot of experience and really understand the sports industry. 

Clubs and Societies

Now, if you’re going to study Sport and Exercise Science, we’re pretty sure that you also play some type of sport. UTS has so many different sporting opportunities! You can join any of the more than 30 UTS Sport Clubs — they’ve got everything, so we’re talking Athletics, Fencing, Hockey, Ski and Board, Surfing, Triathlon, Ultimate Frisbee, Waterpolo and way more!

There’s even Social Sport (Badminton or Futsal) where it’s all about staying fit and having a ton of fun with your friends. You’ll also want to check out Women In Sport who offer an exciting program with strength classes and interesting webinar series such as ‘Women in Sports Media’. 

If you chose the Exercise Therapy major and want to continue with a Masters in Physiotherapy, you might want to check out the Physiotherapy society at UTS. There’s a ton of different seminars and workshops and of course, an end of year ball where you can dance with all your friends. 

Facilities

UTS also has some great sports facilities! Sign up for the on-campus gym, ActivateFit.Gym, who have over 40 group classes, great personal trainers and as a UTS student, you get a discounted membership! (score!!).

UTS also has a very nice on-campus multipurpose sports hall which can be used for gymnastics, martial arts, netball, volleyball, indoor soccer and more! 

Interested in the pros and cons of this degree? Check out our article here!

Tanna Nankivell is a Content Writer at Art of Smart Education and is currently in Germany completing a year of study for her double degree in Communications (Journalism) and Bachelor of Arts (International Studies). She has had articles published on Central News – the UTS Journalism Lab and wrote a feature piece for Time Out Sydney during her internship. Tanna has a love for travel and the great outdoors, you’ll either find her on the snowfields or in the ocean, teaching aqua aerobics or creating short films.