What Can I Do with a Sports Science Degree?

There are some majors which tend to be ignored by most people when making decisions regarding their future careers, and sports science is one of them. Sports science doctoral programs and other higher degrees focus on understanding the body’s performance and how to optimize it through exercise, a healthy diet, and other positive life choices. The sports science program can be broadly split into four main categories: biomechanics, psychology, physiology and nutrition.

Sports science degrees, especially at an advanced level, are not just concerned with the body, but also the mindset of the person under your care. As the program’s name suggests, sports science is often focused on elite athletes, who need to be at peak physical fitness for competitive purposes. Much of sports science education overlaps with physical therapy, and you may find you are more interested in the clinical aspects of the field.

Careers in sports science can pay extremely well, depending on how high you rise in the ranks of the industry, and who you get to work with; once you get past sports management entry level jobs, pay can go up and up. The sports management salary for those working with pro athletes is usually quite impressive. Some of the sports science jobs that you can get include:

Health and Fitness Consultant

This is one of the most popular sport management entry level job options for graduates with an advanced sports science degree. As a health and fitness consultant, you will most likely be working for a corporate organization or a sports team. The main role for a health and fitness consultant would be to create a fitness regimen and a diet plan to optimize the fitness of the individuals or team under your care.

If working for an organization, this would simply entail ensuring that all staff members enrolled in the fitness program maintain healthy fitness levels. For sports exercise science jobs with a team, you will create a specialized training regimen that will optimize the team for the sports activities that they are involved in.

Professional Fitness Manager

As a professional fitness manager, you will be managing the fitness and overall well-being of a professional athlete. When working with an elite athlete, you will be assured of a lucrative sports management salary. The job entails creating and implementing a personalized fitness regimen, a nutrition plan as well as overlooking the psychological well-being of your client(s). Professional fitness managers probably have the most demanding sports science jobs, but they are equally as rewarding, both financially and in terms of professional growth.

Sports Science Education

When taking an advanced sports science degree, you will notice that most of the tutors are holders of sports science degrees. You too could take a similar career path. Not only would you be contributing to the development of sports science, the remunerations packages for most highly-rated institutions are quite competitive.

Most US states have made physical education a mandatory program in all schools, and this offers one of the most accessible exercise science jobs for those with advanced sports science degree. As a P.E. teacher, your role will not simply entail conducting a P.E. lesson, but also cultivating a love for physical fitness in the children under your care. In most schools, the P.E. teacher will also be involved with the competitive school teams.