Health, Nutrition and Exercise Science with Placement

Whether your passion is in health and fitness, physiology and exercise science, nutrition or helping people overcome their health challenges, this course utilises Solent’s excellent reputation for its sport, health and fitness provision to prepare you for success.

You'll explore all aspects of fitness and personal training, building advanced skills in clinical exercise physiology and rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, personal training, sports massage therapy, public health and nutrition to provide you with a wide range of career options.

You'll also explore all aspects of health and exercise science, preparing you for a range of careers in the health and well-being sector, gaining vital knowledge in nutrition, clinical exercise science or public health and psychology.

The course team have a special blend of academic excellence and industry experience which brings great creativity. They have a wealth of in-house health and wellbeing initiatives for you to get involved with, including a personal training scheme, strength and conditioning academy, exercise rehabilitation clinic and nutrition counselling service, so you can gain all the real world learning you need or plan your research in a real-world context without even leaving campus. There are also plenty of external partnerships available if you do want to go out on placement.

The course is fully endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) for three CIMSPA competencies - Gym Instruction (after the first year), Personal Training, and Working with Referred Populations (after the second year) - allowing students access to the CIMSPA register. Students will also gain CIMPSA recognition for Cancer Rehabilitation (after the third year).

Solent is renowned for its focus on employability enhancement and links with professional associations. This course has extra professional qualifications available to enhance your skills and employability:

Gym instructor
Personal trainer
Exercise referral practitioner
Level 3 Soft Tissue Therapy
Level 4 Soft Tissue Therapy
Strength and conditioning
CIMSPA Diploma in Nutrition for Exercise and Health
CIMSPA Level 4 Cardiac Rehabilitation
Active IQ Level 4 Training Clients with Chronic Lower Back Pain
Level 4 Advanced Personal Trainer
Making Every Contact Count (MECC)
Level 4 Cancer Rehabilitation
If you’re looking to study our fitness, health, nutrition and exercise degree but don’t have the relevant qualifications or experience, the health, sport and social sciences foundation year will help you develop the core skills and knowledge to progress. Find out more about the health, sport and social sciences foundation year.

This course also offers the option of a placement year. A placement year allows you to put what you've learned in your first and second years into practice in the workplace, gaining valuable real-world work experience before you graduate. Our course and placements teams will help you find the perfect industry placement in your chosen field.

Who is this course for?
This course is ideal for anyone with a passion for helping individuals achieve their health, nutrition or fitness goals. Perfect for school-leavers, mature students and international applicants. This course offers you the opportunity to make a real difference to the health and well-being of your nation in a growing and exciting jobs market.

What does this course lead to?
The skills you’ll develop on this course open up a wide range of career opportunities. Graduates have a wealth of career options to choose from, such as personal trainer, nutrition adviser (health and exercise science), exercise referral practitioner, health physiologist, and occupational therapist.

The course allows you access to postgraduate study in nutrition, where you can gain fully accredited status to the AfN, as well as many other postgraduate courses in physiotherapy, dietetics, and public health.

Solent's Clearing fast pass* gets you ahead, with priority support and everything you need to feel confident about your next step. Secure your guaranteed offer before results day and unlock a 20% discount on Kimber and Chantry student halls, a £100 IKEA voucher, free gold gym membership for the academic year, and a £150 campus dining voucher.

*T&Cs apply. Full details on our website.

Join the career-ready revolution this summer at Solent. Every course is designed around five things: real-world learning in every module; block teaching, so you study one subject at a time, not five assignments at once; direct links with employers and careers support for life. This isn't a tweak. It's a rethink of what university should be.

Our facilities are built with your future career in mind, including Warsash Maritime School, the Solent Sports Complex, science labs, animation and 3D modelling studios and applied mechanics and composites labs.

And outside class? Southampton has it all: shopping, culture, live music, football, cricket, festivals, markets, tiny Thai cafes, ghost walks and record fairs. It's friendly, walkable, and one of the UK's most affordable student cities. With a diverse community and societies for every interest, you'll find your tribe here too.

Ready to secure your place? Get in touch now.