Turn your passion for sport and exercise into a successful career with our hands-on courses that will give you lots of industry experience.
We have graduates who run their own businesses, work for professional football clubs and national sport institutes, and who’ve landed jobs in the US and Australia. It all began with the connections they made at University of Staffordshire.
You could be helping footballers cope under pressure. Pushing athletes to achieve their optimum performance. Developing rehabilitation programmes to aid recovery from injury. Or promoting grassroots sport through coaching.
From week one, you’ll develop practical skills using specialist facilities. You could be treating actual patients in our Sports Therapy Clinic, giving fitness tests through our Peak Condition Service, or doing virtual assessments of clients in our Telehealth Hub. It’s all about applying your knowledge in the real world.
You’ll also learn from lecturers who are leading researchers, ensuring you benefit from the latest cutting-edge practices.
Why study with us?
Sport at Staffordshire is about performance, impact and opportunity. Our industry-relevant courses combine professional accreditation, applied learning and strong employer partnerships to prepare you for a career in sport, exercise and physical activity.
- Top 10 for Sport Sciences (The Guardian University Guide 2026)
- 96.7% satisfaction for teaching on my course (NSS 2025)
- Accredited and endorsed courses aligned with industry standards
- Hands-on learning from week one in specialist labs and clinics
- Strong regional partnerships including Stoke City FC, Port Vale FC and Staffordshire FA
- Opportunities for international study trips and wider experiences
We focus on both elite performance and the power of physical activity to transform communities – preparing graduates for careers across public, private and third-sector sport.
Careers and connections
Sport and exercise opens doors to diverse and rewarding careers.
Our graduates go on to become performance analysts, strength and conditioning specialists, sports therapists, sports development officers, PE teachers and coaches. Others progress into postgraduate study to qualify as sport psychologists or move into leadership roles within professional clubs and governing bodies.
Through partnerships with organisations such as Stoke City FC, Port Vale FC and regional sport bodies, you’ll engage with live projects, industry scenarios and real-world problem-solving. Many courses include guaranteed work-related learning to ensure you graduate career-ready.
Work placements
Practical experience is embedded across our courses.
You might deliver live coaching sessions, support elite athletes through performance testing, work in our public-facing Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Clinic, or complete placements within schools, clubs, healthcare settings or community sport organisations.
These experiences allow you to apply your knowledge, build confidence and develop the professional skills employers expect.
Facilities
Train, test and treat in professional-standard environments.
Our specialist labs, performance analysis spaces and student-run Sports Therapy Clinic give you access to industry-grade equipment from week one. The Rehabilitation Zone features Olympic lifting platforms and conditioning equipment, while the Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre includes a sports hall, gym and 3G pitches.
Our new Telehealth Hub also prepares you for the future of digital sport and healthcare delivery, enabling virtual assessment and intervention.
Sports Therapy Facilities
Our students are taught, and gain valuable hands-on experience, in our specialist Sports Therapy facilities which include a teaching clinic, rehabilitation zone, telehealth hub and our student-led Sports Therapy Clinic. Read more
Find out more about our:
Strength and Conditioning Laboratory
A lab dedicated to the practical delivery of strength and conditioning modules within the Sport and Exercise award programmes. Read more
Find out more about our Strength and Conditioning Laboratory.
Sports Psychology Lab
The Basil Ashford Sports Psychology laboratory and consulting room are used extensively for teaching, research and consultancy in the areas of Sports Psychology, Exercise Psychology and Motor Learning. Read more
Find out more about our Ashford Sport Psychology Lab.
Body Composition Lab
The Body Composition Lab enables accurate assessment of body composition analysis in support of the Sport & Exercise awards programme. Read more
Find out more about our Body Composition Lab.
Sport and Exercise Bodily Fluids Laboratory
A laboratory offering a range of bodily fluid tests that can be used to monitor health and disease status, sports performance, and muscular injury. Read more
Find out more about our Sport and Exercise Bodily Fluids Laboratory.
Biomechanics Facilities
The Gait Analysis Laboratory within the Biomechanics Facility consists of motion capture and associated software, force platforms, digital video camera and associated kinematic analysis software and plantar pressure measurement system. Read more
Find out more.
Peak Condition Service
Working under the supervision of university staff members, our students deliver services such as blood tests, fitness tests, and body composition analysis in our physiology and nutrition laboratories to improve an individual's peak condition. Read more
Find out more about:
Exercise Physiology and Human Performance Laboratories
The Exercise Physiology and Human Performance laboratories enable the conduction of a range of physiological and nutrition-based exercise tests for health and sports performance. Read more
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The Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre
Our Sport and Exercise students have access to our on-campus sports centre and gym which features MATRIX fitness equipment, 3G pitches and a sports hall. Read more
Find out more about our Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre.