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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask if BSc Exercise Science is a good degree?

74 replies

holiday101 · 20/04/2018 06:30

Dd17 is very bright, predicted 10 A/A grades at GCSE and insists on the above degree. Her first choice is Exeter where the grade requirements are AAA, which is on par (or higher!) than medicine. In my heart it sounds slightly media studies, but don't know of anyone who has done it rather than Sport s Science (some unis combine them). I am not in favour of a degree for the sake of it as the dc will have to be heavily subsidised funded by us for living costs. My physio did Sport Science and said he was told by careers officer that it would open so many doors but it was merely a stepping stone degree and I read ES will be the same.
AIBU to be wary of this course?

OP posts:
Original poster
holiday101 · 20/04/2018 10:51

I would be more than happy to pay for a PT course this summer so she can get an insight. The limited research I have done suggests that you need PG qualifications in order to do anything more than coaching/training which I am trying to get across to her. Our physio said anything with Sport in a degree name is pretty much a waste of time as a standalone degree.

Flowers I really don't want to force her into a degree that would make her miserable, but would be much happier if she went for something more traditional and then did sport/exercise as PG. She doesn't actually play any sports Hmm but loves the science of th e body in terms of exercise and nutrition.

OP posts:
Original poster
holiday101 · 20/04/2018 10:55

Flowers that is the department, she wants to do the BSc Exercise and Sports Science with Study Abroad.

OP posts:
pigmcpigface · 20/04/2018 10:56

I think the subject makes less difference than the class of degree and the institution, to be honest. Many, many jobs are available to someone with any degree at 2:1 or above. Even many specialist subjects - law, psychology, etc. have a conversion course.

I suggest that she looks at biology degrees with a strong human element, as well as exercise science.

flowerslemonade · 20/04/2018 11:01

Maybe she should do work experience in the area, two different places if possible? It might give her insight? Would that be possible? Obviously it's a really important decision, of course you're going to be worried about it.

I wouldn't 100% go by what the physio said - I have a few friends who work in this area, they're doing well. One works in anti-doping for Uk Athletics, the other works at a university and is involved in research - it all seems pretty cutting edge and there's a lot of interest and funding in it at the moment. I also think in the future there will be more interest in it, especially in terms of mass participation as opposed to elite sports. I say this cos of a third of people being obese now or whatever it is, and the rising rates.

I would also look into whether you have to play sport as part of the degree and how big a component that is (any practical element) - if she does no sport at all. Has she done sport GCSE or anything like that at A Level?

I think it looks brilliant personally but it completely depends on what she wants to do after. I'd say that's the most important thing. I wouldn't do a degree just because you enjoy the subject... some people might think that's the wrong approach but a degree is 3 or 4 years, what happens after that is more important.

flowerslemonade · 20/04/2018 11:02

PS I would have loved to have done this, so I may be biased.

LipstickHandbagCoffee · 20/04/2018 11:03

For a structured career path maybe consider physiotherapy degree
Can specialise in sport injury,rehab etc
National shortage of physio, clear career progression and training ops in nhs also many jobs in private practice
And registration with HCPC, which allow travel & work overseas

pigmcpigface · 20/04/2018 11:05

My concern is that she doesn't really play sports, so she might well not even like that world. I would expect someone doing that degree to be a mad keen athlete and to have a real drive to work in coaching or nutrition.

If she likes learning about the human body, she can do the same kind of science in biology or medicine, with more varied options at the end.

flowerslemonade · 20/04/2018 11:05

You have probably seen this but there is a little tab on 'careers':

www.exeter.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/sport/exsportwsa/#Overview

BigGreenOlives · 20/04/2018 11:07

I was at a Porsche event the other week and each year they have students from degrees like that working in their year out with their racing car drivers. Lots of money in motor sports.

flowerslemonade · 20/04/2018 11:09

Yeah I would be surprised at someone doing it who wasn't a sportsperson. I'd imagine most of the class would be national/international standard or aspirations and probably training 5-6 times a week or maybe more? But that doesn't mean someone who doesn't do sport couldn't do it, I guess they are way more interested in the theory side of it. I wanted to do it because I was a midlands-level athlete, that was my whole life for many years until injury ended it for good.

pigmcpigface · 20/04/2018 11:10

Flowers for you lemonade - it must be devastating to have that happen.

DailyWailEatsSnails · 20/04/2018 11:12

I'm confused why doing letter grades at 17. Are these IGCSEs?
Loughborough more The Place to get sports science degrees.

Yarnswift · 20/04/2018 11:13

I’m a scientist.

The problem with this kind of degree is that the actual science content isn’t rigorous enough to allow admittance to an awful lot of jobs/further study routes. It’s a bit like forensics - if you look at the people who actually work in it the majority of them have science (subject type, ie biochemistry) degrees or medical training. You don’t do enough of any one science in enough depth.

So by doing this she is restricting herself a lot. It’s also not seen as rigorous in an academic sense (and again sorry if that’s offending anyone but that is certainly the reality I’ve seen while hiring.)

She would be MUCH better served by doing either medicine or a specific science degree and then specialising. MANY science degrees have a study/work year option. Something like excercise physiology is a great masters type subject on top of a good degree. NOT as a first degree.

In terms of usefulness as a career starter, maths, chemistry and physics are more flexible and will open more doors than the biologically based sciences. I did biochem and genetics as a double degree and if I’d known what kind of competition there was out there id have done chemical engineering or something more mathematical - the bioscience market is quite saturated.

So my advice would be one of the more numerate sciences plus a year in industry. The course like biogeoscience, chemical engineering, perteoleum engjneering etc tend to have excellent industry links.

If she wants to be a physiotherapist then there’s a specific training route for that.

Yarnswift · 20/04/2018 11:15

Well I should say I started as a scientist ... what I do now is quite niche ;)

flowerslemonade · 20/04/2018 11:19

It's ok, thank you - not being able to do sport is the least of my worries!

It looks really difficult to get into, good luck to her if she decides to go down this avenue :)

titchy · 20/04/2018 11:20

Well your OP talks about Exercise Science not Sports Science, then you link to a degree which IS Sports science Confused

She obviously doesn't want to be a dentist, physiotherapist or scientist so what's the point pushing her into those degrees - she'd end up resenting you and dropping out and what a waste of money that would be.

It's a decent enough degree at a well respected university. Encourage her.

jay55 · 20/04/2018 11:24

There must be lots of more general science degrees that have sports, biomechanics etc module options.
Worth looking at places that cluster several similar degrees that have a common core and options to suit. That way she gets what she’s interesting alongside a solid foundation.
But study abroad degrees feel glamorous at 17, is that more of a pull than the degree?

Original poster
holiday101 · 20/04/2018 11:34

Thanks for the replies, really appreciate it. Yarnswift you have compounded my fears in that it is too much info in lots of small areas which will narrow her career scope.

It is GCSE rather than IGCSE, but the school are still talking letter grades rather than numbers (although obviously results will be in numbers)

Great idea about work experience. Any ideas on what would be a good idea other than PT. The physio (who has a private practice) said he would take her and he does a clinic for a sport team which appeals to her. Any more clinical ideas?

OP posts:
GinIsIn · 20/04/2018 11:44

There’s usually a list of careers recent graduates have gone on to, in fact I can see there is for that Exeter course. I would see if any of those appeal to your DD as potential careers. From what you’ve said, I suspect not. Two people I know who did sport science work in totally unrelated fields. The third has a very impressive CV as a physiologist within elite sport, but he did a masters, his PT training and trained as a nutritionist in addition to his degree.

Original poster
holiday101 · 20/04/2018 11:56

Titchy I didn't link to any course, that was another poster and I said that was not it.

Jay the pull of study abroad is indeed a factor I suspect. The school had an academic advertiser from Harvard recently claiming that it was very straight forward to get scholarships Hmm

Fenella will check out that list thanks. Didn't see it, hopefully will offer dd a bit more insight.

OP posts:
BobbinThreadbare123 · 20/04/2018 12:29

Yarnswift, that's what I was trying to get at earlier. I'm also a scientist and I think a bright person such as the OP's DD should consider something like physics as a better option than Exercise.

I did once meet a chap who had a physics undergraduate degree, a Master's in sport/exercise and he was about to embark onto a PhD which combined the two. His topic was fascinating and he also coached children's football and basketball alongside. Possible path?

sashh · 20/04/2018 12:32

Get her to have a look at clinical physiology, leads directly to an NHS career, and good people are in demand. I left in the 1990s and still get occasional calls because it is on my CV.

But she can then use it to do something else if she wants.

www.rccp.co.uk/articles/113/What-is-a-clinical-physiologist or as Yarnswift says go for a traditional science degree.

Didntcomeheretofuckspiders · 20/04/2018 12:38

DP did a sports science degree (at a top university) and bitterly regrets it now. He does still work in the fitness industry but he could have advanced his career significantly by now if he’d just worked his way up without doing the degree and tbh the pay in most fitness management roles is fairly poor. Some of his peers have gone on to do PhDs and research type roles so that could be a possibility for her I guess?

MNscum · 20/04/2018 12:38

A friend of mine is a PT, he has all the qualifications and can teach all the Les Mills stuff. He Didn’t go to uni, he’s very good at his job.

However he struggles to make a living from it. He used to be employed at the local posh gym and earned minimum wage. He’s now gone freelance and mainly does group exercise classes at various gyms, he earns £20 an hour and maybe works 20 hours a week but gyms are often cancelling/changing classes so his hours get dropped and then he’s trying to find other classes.

I really don’t know if such a career is worth getting 70k in debt for. Especially when you don’t need to go to uni.

One of dd’s friends is currently doing her PT qualifications while doing her A-levels. A lot of the group exercise instructors at my gym do it more as a hobby as they can’t make a living from it.....so they have a normal job and then do a couple of classes a week.

titchy · 20/04/2018 12:41

Your post of 10.55 says Bsc Exercise and Sports Science. The title of your OP is BSc Exercise Science which was a bit confusing.

However... I notice she's 17 and taking GCSEs - has she lost a year somewhere?

I'm sure your physiotherapist is lovely by the way, but I'm not sure I'd be taking career advice from them! And bear in mind the careers advice they received will be totally out of date by now.