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Sports Science

Research careers and find opportunities in sports science.

About

The career opportunities in sport science are highly varied with many opportunities.

Compared to 2010 when 131,800 people worked in fitness, over 190,000 people are working in the fitness industry in the UK as of 2022.

The UK is the third largest health and fitness market, contributing over £70 billion to the global GDP.

Recruitment Statistics in Fitness in the UK - Future Fit

Roles and skills

The range of companies and sectors you can work in is huge and can suit graduates with a variety of skills. You can find opportunities in various roles, including conditioning, rehabilitation and nutrition.

Job profiles

Have a look at Prospects and targetjobs to find out what roles in this sector involve and how to get into them. These are some of the job profiles available:  

Skills employers look for

Employers in this sector look for skills including:

  • a strong interest in sport, particularly in high performance
  • an analytical and investigative mind, with key technical skills and knowledge
  • strong written and verbal communication skills, with excellent attention to detail
  • an ability to lead and motivate self and others
  • an ability to work flexibly, prioritise your workload and be able to meet deadlines
Salaries

Starting salaries for graduate jobs in this sector can vary depending on the position.

To get an idea of typical starting salaries use the following resources: 

For information about how to negotiate a salary, visit Handling job offers.

Be inspired

It’s not always easy to know which roles to apply for. The resources in this section can help you find inspiration from previous students and know where to get further support.

Inspiration from people working in the industry
Online reviews

Searching for reviews online can be a useful way to get an idea of what to expect from certain roles or employers. Reviews are written by employees with different opinions about what makes a good employer.  

Use the following review sites for inspiration and insight into the recruitment process: 

Not sure what you want to do?

If you’re not sure exactly what you want to do, we can help. You can book a guidance appointment via MyCareer. Our careers consultants can help you explore your options or plan your career.

Explore career planning advice
Making career choices
Exploring your options

Sector and industry insights

Researching the industry is essential, whether it’s to:

  • help you decide which area to work in 
  • identify who to apply to
  • tailor your application
  • impress an interviewer with your knowledge of the sector 

Here are some resources to help you get started:

Career guides

Read career guides for this sector, such as:  

Industry news

Use online magazines and journals to follow news from your industry. Reading about trends and developments is important for applications and interviews. 

Examples include: 

Attend events

Attend events to hear directly from professionals in the industry. 

See also our recruitment events and employer & sector insights.

Student societies

Join one of Newcastle University's 60+ sports clubs. This can be a good opportunity to develop your contacts and experience.

Social media

Use social media to find industry insights. Consider following key clubs or groups you are interested in working for. Join sector-specific groups on LinkedIn to keep up to date. Posts often include news, events and opportunities. You can also find useful insights on careers on Twitter and TikTok.

Treat these with caution, as not all content may be accurate. Find out more about how to use social media for your career.

Professional bodies

Consider joining a relevant professional body/industry network  

Professional bodies often: 

  • run networking events  
  • have specialist groups you could join 
  • post vacancies on behalf of their members 
  • have member directories, useful for speculative applications 

Key organisations include: 

Professional associations/institutes

For information relating to sports nutrition, visit the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register (SENr), The Nutrition Society and the British Dietetic Association, which has a specialist sports nutrition group.

For more information on dietetics as a career, visit Healthcare.

UK Sport Institutes and public bodies

Finding professional bodies worldwide 

 GoinGlobal’s country guides include details of professional bodies. Find them under ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each individual country guide.

Guide to finding opportunities

There are various ways to find internships, placements and graduate opportunities. We’ve added some tips below to help you get started.

  • There are various ways to find internships, placements and graduate opportunities. We’ve added some tips below to help you get started

  • search for advertised vacancies using the vacancy sites listed below

  • look at the careers sections on company websites for student and graduate opportunities

  • use Researching employers to help you gain insights into companies

  • attend events such as recruitment fairs  and  employer and sector insights 

  • contact employers speculatively – see  to help you find organisations to approach

  • follow companies on Social Media for latest news and updates

  • consider registering with a recruitment agency for graduate jobs
  • register with EmployAbility if you are disabled, neurodivergent or have a mental health condition. They can offer advice and support on applications to Newcastle students. They also run first year, internship and graduate programmes with inclusive employer partners
  • consider alternative ways to find relevant experience and develop your skills
  • create your own opportunity by starting your own business or working freelance

Advertised work experience

Placements and internships do exist in the filed of sports science, but are less common. They are usually aimed at undergraduate students in and above their second or penultimate year of study. Volunteering and work shadowing can be invaluable.

Sport clubs, eg rugby and football clubs, may offer internships and placement years in sport and exercise science. Check individual clubs for details, for example Newcastle United Foundation, which offers work experience and volunteering opportunities.

When to apply

Apply for advertised opportunities as early as possible.

UK applications for advertised placement years typically open early in the academic year from September or October. Some close as early as November-December. Many employers close applications as soon as their places are filled.

Search for internships and placement years

Use the resources to get started:

NCL internships

The Careers Service runs flexible term-time and summer internships with local employers and on campus. NCL internships are aimed at all students, from any stage. Sports science related NCL internships are common, so can be a good way to find paid experience. Previous internships include:

  • Sports & exercise scientists – women’s hockey
  • Community sport leader
  • Sports journalism intern
  • Sports & nutrition intern
  • Sports coaching & buisness management intern
  • Fitness testing intern
  • Perfectionism in athletes internship

Search for these under Vacancies on MyCareer. Type in ‘NCL internship’ into the text search box.

You can find these advertised throughout the academic year. Full-time summer opportunities are advertised from around March.

Worldwide experience

Access GoinGlobal for internships in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:

  • additional vacancy websites
  • CV, application and interview advice
  • advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world
Looking for ideas

If you’re looking for inspiration, try searching our NU Work Experience Directory. You can see where our students have had internships and placements in the last five years. To see all results in a search category, keep the search field blank.

Advertised graduate opportunities

The resources in this section advertise both graduate jobs and graduate schemes. See our graduate jobs page to understand the difference between them.

When to apply

For graduate schemes, apply as early as possible.

UK applications typically open early in the academic year from September or October. Some close as early as November-December. Many employers close applications as soon as their places are filled.

Graduate jobs tend to be immediate start positions which can be available all year round. You are more likely to apply for these towards the end of your studies.

Graduate jobs are more common in sports science.

Vacancy sites

Use the following resources to get started:

  • MyCareer - search for graduate schemes and graduate jobs in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts
  • Graduate Jobs – lists graduate vacancy sites
  • New Scientist
  • NHS Jobs

Sports related vacancy sites

Worldwide vacancy sites

See International jobs for details of overseas vacancy sites.

Access GoinGlobal for job adverts in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:

  • additional vacancy websites
  • CV, application and interview advice
  • advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world

Non-advertised work experience and graduate jobs

Not all internships, placements and graduate jobs are advertised. In fact, many people create opportunities through:

A speculative approach is common for finding work experience and graduate jobs. This is where you approach a company directly to ask if they have any opportunities available.

How to access hidden opportunities

Start by identifying organisations you are interested in. Our guide to finding organisations below can help. Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities:

  1. Identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in.
  2. Send them a tailored CV and cover letter. Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company.
  3. Follow up your speculative application with a phone call, or email, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated.
  4. If your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice, and keep trying!
When to contact organisations

You can use this approach at any point in the year. We recommend that you:

  • start your research as early as possible to gather relevant contacts
  • contact organisations around three months before you want the opportunity to begin
How to find organisations
UK organisations
Worldwide organisations

Search GoinGlobal’s employer directory for company information in 196 countries. Their country guides list professional bodies around the world.

Other ways to gain relevant experience

We've added some suggestions to help you develop your skills and gain relevant experience.

  • volunteer for sports clubs or coaching, including with young people. See Volunteering for more opportunities
  • you can also find work experience by contacting university departments and research institutes. The University offers research scholarships to help fund summer research projects. These are typically for 6 to 8 weeks - applications for these usually close early March
  • attend events and network to make contacts and connections
  • enter a related competition - prizes can often include internships

Work for yourself

Working as self-employed or freelance is common in this sector.

Include sector specific information about self-employment/work for yourself:

Our START UP team can help you explore working for yourself at any stage. Whether you want to explore an idea or have already launched a business or freelance career, you can access the following help:

  • support with idea generation
  • provide tailored advice
  • help you develop your skills
  • introduce you to like-minded peers
  • refer you to further support from mentors
  • award grant funding up to £3,000

Related sectors

You may also be interested in Psychology, Healthcare or Leisure, Sports and Tourism.

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