Sports Science

[Fearfulsaints]

Does anyone have views on if you can use sports science to get into other unrelated careers?

Does anyone know a sport scientists thats gone off to be successful on a graduate recruitment schemes for instance or is now an accountant, hr manager or similar

I think quite a few probably have gone into other careers. There are lots of students doing sports science and not that many graduate level sports related jobs. Many graduates become personal trainers etc.
i wouldn't say it's a general path to other careers though.

I know a few YP who have done this degree. Two are doing a two-year masters with the plan to work in a related field. The other who I know well enough to know what they do is working in a healthcare field that is also related.

I don’t know anyone who has gone from it into HR but yes, I guess there are not enough related roles so some must do. I suspect there are better choices of degree if that’s your aim tho.

I have someone I work with who did Sports Science at Bath and works in Analytics and Data Science.

It might be worth looking at the 'What graduates do' report (link below) which shows 5.8% of sports science grads, who do not go on to further study, are in 'professional, business or HR' professional level roles shortly after graduation. The more typical destinations are coaches, secondary and primary education.
luminate.prospects.ac.uk/what-do-graduates-do

Oh yes I also know a sports science graduate who is now teaching secondary PE (after PGCE obvs)

It might not be a common path but that doesn't mean it's because they can't join these schemes. You are looking at a group of people who are probably less keen on sitting at a desk all day than everyone else, so these jobs don't appeal.
I do know a physio who did sports science first, although I know them as a sports coach, so they haven't moved that far from knowing they love sport.

Thanks for the replies.

Yes I hadn't thought it might be attracting people who dont want desk jobs

I think my son is worried schemes would reject him but he really loves the subject. Lots for him to think on.

You could always hedge bets with a joint honours degree?

My dh did a joint honours BSc at Loughborough Sports Science and Maths; he had a blast and stayed to do a 1 year MSc in business. Then he was accepted on a top tier accounting grad scheme and now happily earns six figures.

DH always says the Sports Science was a lot harder than the maths and rigorously defends it as a subject!

Loughborough now also offer a degree in Sports Management, co-taught by the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences and the School of Business and Economics. So my dh could have saved himself a year (although I think the MSc was a lot of fun!).

Loughborough is quite tough to get into (tougher than when DH applied), but many unis offer Joint honours or degrees under the sports science umbrella that aren’t pure sports science. Loads of options, a really interesting and valuable degree in my opinion.

I know someone who just got into Loughborough for sports science on AAB so it’s not super hard to get in.

That would be super hard for my son as he doesnt have AAB. 😂

My niece did sports science at Loughborough. I know a few others. There aren't a lot of jobs in the field. My niece wanted to be a PE teacher but it's the only teaching subject which is oversubscribed and very male dominated and competitive.
In fact after her PGCE interview they offered her a training post teaching biology. She now teaches all the sciences.

Usual offer at Luffers is A star AA for sports science tbh (there’s a poster on here whose DS got in after a remark).

I wonder if the person you know is doing joint hons? Ds is at Luffers (not sp sci) and his offer was AAB so not all offers are that high.

Thats really interesting.

My son is aware there aren't many jobs in the field and he actually already has a job in the field, which he thinks would be the same job he would get after a degree.

But he was interested to know if it let him access other jobs in other sectors or whether people would be a bit put off by it.

Is that maybe Sports Management? That is normally AAB. Or maybe it's a contextual offer?
Sport and Exercise science is A*AA/AAA

I know loads of people with this degree. They are all either PE teachers or biology teachers without exception. They like to sell it to you that you could become all sorts, especially when they are trying to upsell masters degrees for afterwards, but that’s what grads actually do.

Here’s the best advice I wish I’d had at school: If you want a career in something else that isn’t the degree title you’re considering, do a degree in the thing you actually want a career in. The whole transferrable skills thing is a total myth to sell student loans, you are competing against marketing grads for entry level marketing jobs, finance/maths grads for entry level finance jobs etc.

My dad did Sports Science as it was something he was interested in, so he enjoyed his time at Uni and worked hard. He got a 1st. That in itself opened a lot of opportunities up. He’s now an accountant with a big organisation.

A slight sideways move to Psychology of Sport and Exercise, eg as at Loughborough, might make him a more appealing candidate for a HR role?

@PflumPfeffer that might be true for lots of areas, but not accountancy, as one example - see the post above. I'm an accountant, as is my brother, and we're both humanities grads. If you're absolutely sure you want to be an accountant, then sure - go into it straight from school and skip the degree. But otherwise, study what you'll most enjoy. One of the best youngsters i worked with in a big 4 a few years ago (mid 2010s) had a Sport Science degree actually.

A friend's son is doing something totally unrealted and earning a lot of money. I can;t remember exactly what but I think it is financial related.

My dad's friend's son has had a wide ranging career from working for a football club to BUPA and is now working for a medical instruments maker company.

A friend's neice is a sports nutritioninst

Nope, it was sports science. Her offer was a* AA but she got AAB on results day and they let her in regardless. Not a high flying sports person either. maybe didn’t fill all the places this year? I don’t know, but I was surprised as always assumed they could afford to be fussy.

Regarding jobs in sport, it depends. People who think they're going to walk into a.job at a top sports club working with professional sportsmen and women are probably going to be disappointed. But data analytics and analysis is a massive growth area if that is of interest. So is sports administration.and organisation and so too is specialist coaching.

As for moving into different lines of work completely, a rigorous sports science course may well equip you with computer skills and a business and management background which could certainly be valued by related industries such as hospitality, events management, sports agents and agencies which get involved in PR and\or publicity for people, venues, sponsors and so on.

Oh yes then that is unusual. There have been some odd years of late tbf where unis have accepted lower grades and I think this year was notable for that. Not casting any shade on the person you know.

But as a rule sports science at Lboro is probably the highest offer for the subject.