Sports Science graduates should not underestimate the breadth of options open to them with their specialist skills and knowledge. The mix of scientific understanding and practical, real-world application gained during their degree means Sports Science graduates can go into a range of sectors beyond sports and fitness.
What can an Sports Science Graduate do?
Graduates with a Sports Science degree can go into a variety of fields with the knowledge and skills developed during their time at university. The scientific side of the degree, which includes biology, anatomy and specialist knowledge about fitness and training regimes, can be highlighted by graduates applying in science or sports-related fields. The analytical side of the degree, which includes analysing complex data and statistics, lends itself to work in financial or research roles.
Many Sports Science graduates go on to work in the Sports and Recreation sector, as it makes the most use of their knowledge and abilities. Another field which offers similar options is the Travel and Hospitality sector, where roles in gyms and fitness or sports institutions can give graduates a chance to fully utilise their knowledge, experience and skills.
Fields such as Sales, Buying and Merchandising, Research or Finance give graduates the chance to make use of their data handling skills and competency with numbers and statistics. Graduates who are able to take large amounts of data and find trends or patterns are highly valued in the commercial world.
Source HECSU - What do graduates do? 2013.
Taking Stock of Skills
Sports Science graduates gain an in-depth knowledge of fitness and anatomy during their studies, but they also develop a range of easily transferable skills which they can offer potential employers.
Analysis - Sports Science graduates will be familiar with analysing data and statistics and using their findings to develop more accurate programmes or products, a skill which can be widely used in many sectors.
Customer focus - Sports Science graduates who have learned to develop training regimes or conditioning plans know how to keep the customer's goals and needs in focus. This skill is valuable in any customer-facing role.
Data handling - The backing to any work in Sports Science, the collection and correlation of data allows graduates to cut through figures and statistics and produce insightful findings. Paired with their analytical skills, Sports Science graduates' competence with data and numbers makes a skill set which is widely sought after across many sectors.
Management and planning - Sports Science graduates are able to organise and plan projects and manage them for the future - an ability which is prized in a range of sectors from Sports and Recreation through to Finance.
Problem solving - Much like planning, Sports Science graduates are able to look at problems logically and come to a solution which keeps all parties happy with minimal fuss or delay. This is a necessary skill for any customer-facing role, as well as any role which involves planning and logistics.
Sports - With a specialist insight into sports and fitness as a business or practice, Sports Science graduates have a deep knowledge of how sports works. This unique understanding can set Sports Science graduates apart from the crowd in a variety of fields.