Sports Degrees and Related Professions

There are a range of qualifications available for anyone who's passionate about sports and fitness and is interested in a sports career. In this article, we'll tell you more about the most popular career options and the required qualifications.
Sports Degrees and Related Professions

Last update: 14 May, 2020

For anyone who’s passionate about sports and fitness, sports degrees are a great way to expand your knowledge and your professional prospects. This way, even if you don’t succeed in becoming a professional athlete, you can still pursue a career in sport.

You don’t have to be an elite athlete to enjoy a successful career in sport. There’s plenty of study sports-related options, and below we’ve looked at some of the most popular in detail.

Sports management

One of the most popular sports degrees is in sports management. This degree provides the student with all the tools and knowledge to help them to organize and manage sporting, fitness, and leisure activities.

In practice, once you’ve finished your studies, you’ll have the skills to manage and organize events for any type of company. As a result, it’s a highly appreciated and valued option if you want to have a successful professional career in sports.

Physical activity and sports science: sports degrees

Another interesting degree is in physical activity and sports science. This career teaches students all there is to know about the psychological, physiological, and social aspects of different sports and fitness activities.

Through this training, the student learns about the necessary tools and methodologies relating to sports education. Therefore, this can be a very useful qualification if you’re thinking about moving into education or working for a public sporting organization.

Physiotherapy

A physiotherapist is one of the people who work closest to any athlete. In fact, t hey’re absolutely key if an athlete wants to fully recover from any injuries and perform at their best. Whether you’re dealing with amateur or professional athletes, this career can always be a very rewarding option.

An athlete having his back checked by the doctor.

Physiotherapy students learn rehabilitation techniques to help athletes recover from a wide range of injuries. As a result, it’s a promising role to play in the sporting industry.

Sports scientist: sports degrees

A sports scientist is someone who studies and advises on all aspects related to sport and physical activities in general. In fact, sports scientists often end up as coaches, teachers, or advising athletes on how to improve their performance.

Students learn about physiology, psychology, biomechanics, and other things besides. They’ll also study and research all the scientific factors relating to sports and athletic performance.

Sports medicine

This is the perfect degree for doctors who are passionate about sports. This program will teach you how to treat and prevent different types of injuries, as well as how to strictly monitor an athlete’s development and performance.

Since they play such a key role in an athlete’s development, they often work hand in hand with physiotherapists and sports nutrition experts.

Above, we looked at some of the most popular sports degrees. However, there are increasingly more and more specialized options in the world of sports, one of the most culturally and economically important sectors in the world.

Another important sports-related profession concerns nutrition and dietetics. Nutrition plays a vital role in ensuring that an athlete can achieve their optimal performance.

Similarly, other important professions include coaching and physical education. People who decide to study these areas can develop the skills and techniques to manage and supervise activities at sports clubs, public facilities, and schools.

A 5-a-side football team and their coach.

In fact, anyone educated in physical activity and sports sciences has a range of opportunities open to them. These range from grassroots coaching to management or director positions for large organizations and clubs.

Coaches, in particular, are highly in demand by sports federations and clubs. They’re vitally important to help develop training regimes for their athletes or teams and maximize performance.

Sports degrees are an exciting opportunity. They’re ideal for any young people or adults who would love to pursue a career in sports.

You don’t need to be a professional or elite athlete to work in the sports industry. There’s a range of options available to you. With hard work and dedication, there’s no reason you can’t have a long successful career in sports, whatever your preference might be.


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This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.