Home Courses Sport BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science (Performance Sailing)
A female sailor hanging off the edge of a professional sailing boat during a competition.

Develop your career opportunities in sailing as a practitioner, coach, or scientist

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C606
3 years full-time
Bishop Otter Campus (Chichester)

18th

best in the UK for sport science

Complete University Guide Subject League Table 2023

Top 20

in the UK for overall average positivity for Sport and Exercise Sciences

National Student Survey 2023

10th

for sport science careers being on track

Complete University Guide 2023

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Overview

Develop your knowledge of the science behind high-performance sailing

Developed as a result of a 20-year collaboration between internationally renowned sports scientists with and the world-leading British Sailing Team, our BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science (Performance Sailing) provides you the skills and knowledge needed for an exciting career in high-performance sport.

National Student Survey 2023

Overall average positivity
Top 20
in the UK for Sport and Exercise Sciences
'Teaching on my course'
12th
in the UK for Sport and Exercise Sciences
Learning opportunities
Top 10
in the UK for Sport and Exercise Sciences

BASES-endorsed course

Endorsed by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), you can be sure that this course covers the necessary foundation of sport and exercise science knowledge, technical skills and professional development competencies required to succeed in the profession.

BASES logo

CIMPSA-endorsed course

This course is endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), which shows that it provides the scientific theory and practical skills required to work as a sport and exercise scientist or health and exercise practitioner.

Qualification Approved Centre for Level 4 Award in Nutrition

Royal Society for Public Health logo

Built for those ready for a career in competitive sailing

Informed by world-leading practitioners in the British Sailing Team, this degree has been developed specifically for sport and exercise science students with experience in competitive sailing who want to pursue a career in high performance sport, or for dual career athletes who are studying alongside professional athletic training.

Gain a unique insight into the science of sailing

You will develop your knowledge and understanding of the science of sailing and Olympic sport, alongside bespoke modules tailored towards high performance sailing delivered by experts in their respective fields.

Study areas include:

  • Biomechanics
  • Nutrition
  • Physiology
  • Psychology
  • Strength and conditioning

Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) education partner

Discover our specialist facilities and laboratories

Our range of dedicated sport and exercise science facilities support you to apply theory to practice and provide you with everything you need to succeed.

Specialist facilities include:

  • Biomechanics labs
  • Physiology labs
  • Psychology labs
  • Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic
  • Sports Performance and Rehabilitation Unit (SPRU)
  • Environmental climate chamber

Learn from active sport and exercise science practitioners

You will learn from our team of experienced applied practitioners who have worked with professional and Olympic sailing teams, meaning they bring their breadth of knowledge from the wider industry into the classroom.

Smaller class sizes for better learning

Our commitment to smaller class sizes means that you won’t get lost in the crowd and that our teaching staff can provide more individualised support that fits you and your ambitions.

On this course you will:

  • Develop your skills in high performance sailing.
  • Study on a BASES- and CIMSPA-endorsed course.
  • Expand your knowledge of physiology, biomechanics, and psychology.
  • Feel more support from our teaching staff as they get to know you and your needs.
  • Learn from experts who have worked with professional teams and Olympic athletes.

The Course

Learn the scientific theory and practical skills required to work within performance sailing

Bespoke sailing modules

You can choose to specialise in one of the core Sport and Exercise Science disciplines, alongside bespoke modules tailored towards high-performance sailing and delivered by experts in their respective fields.

Bespoke modules are run by members of the British Sailing Coaching Staff, as well as internationally renowned practitioners who are experts in their field.

Year One

Your first year introduces you to the fundamental aspects that underpin sport and exercise science as you explore the key elements of biomechanics, physiology, and psychology.

Year Two

In your second year, you will begin to focus on more advanced aspects of sport and exercise science, as you examine nutrition, psychology, and performance analysis.

In addition, you will have the opportunity to expand your knowledge of and skills in high-performance sailing through modules that explore subjects such as meteorology, extreme conditions, and physics.

Year Three

In your third year, you will apply your newly-developed knowledge to the practical side of sports performance through the cycles of athletes and competition.

Alongside this, you will develop and use your research and data analysis skills as part of a final extended research project, which as acts as the culmination of your learning over the course of your degree.

Indicative modules

You will study a selection of core and optional modules during your degree. Each module is worth a particular number of credits and is delivered differently depending on the needs of the module.

This list is indicative and subject to future change.

Select a year

Evaluating Sport, Exercise and Health

This module will use a sport, exercise and health science context to develop study and research skills through practical application.

You will be introduced to simple methods of quantitative research and data analysis together with the rational for those methods. You will experience a wide range of learning modalities to develop your study skills including:

  • Practical data collection
  • Computer laboratories
  • Group seminars
  • Group and individual tutorials.

Fundamentals of Human Physiology

This module will allow you to examine how key systems such as the musculoskeletal system, the cardio-vascular system, and the respiratory system affect human performance. Specific attention is paid to energy metabolism in the context of the exercising human across the breadth of the energy spectrum.

Introduction to Applied Exercise Physiology

This module aims to develop an understanding of the application of scientific principles and techniques to evaluate human performance. Consideration will be given to the selection of an appropriate data collection environment (i.e. laboratory versus field) and the applicability across a range of activities that spans energy provision.

Introduction to Skill Acquisition

This module explores the psychological factors that affect the learning and performance of skills in sport. You are introduced to selected theories of performance and learning and the strengths and weaknesses of these theories are examined. Research findings will be used to help you make the connections to your responsibilities as sports coaches.

Muscles and Movement – Anatomy in Motion

This module serves as an introduction to the basic concepts of anatomy and biomechanics as they relate to human movement and performance in sport and exercise. You will be shown how such concepts can be practically investigated and will illustrate the integrative nature of anatomy and biomechanics.

Muscles and Movement – Causes of Motion

This module introduces you to the basic concepts of biomechanics as they relate to human movement and performance in sport and exercise. You are shown how the basic physical principles underpin performance in sport, and how such principles can be practically investigated. Practical work considers the general principles of biomechanics and related them to experimental methodology, data analysis, and statistical analysis for practical investigations into the evaluation of sport and exercise.

Questioning Sport, Exercise and Health

You will be introduced to study skills for higher education  and discover the philosophical underpinnings of research in the sport and health sciences. You will also be introduced to qualitative research methods.

Applied Meteorology

Many students can organise outdoor and adventure activities in simple contexts but few have the ability to do so in light of complex environmental factors.

This module aims to provide you with a basic knowledge of the earth’s atmosphere, the principles underlying its behaviour, and the effects of weather on adventure environments.

There is also the opportunity to develop your pedagogical decision-making process in outdoor and adventure environments.

Children and Youth Sport

This module aims to give you an overview of a number of issues related to coaching children in sport and/or providing sports opportunities for them. the module examines the development of the young performer from a multidisciplinary perspective and aims to provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge through appropriate assignments.

Cognitive Psychology for Sports Performance

Within the sporting domain, knowledge of cognitive psychology can promote efficient acquisition and effective performance of skill among athletes at all stages of skill development. This module critically examines the strengths and weaknesses of theory and research concerning the cognitive processes that underpin the acquisition and performance of skill.

Developing and Monitoring Physical Performance

This module aims to provide you with the skills and knowledge to design interventions for improving both health and skills-related physical fitness. You will develop the ability to complete a health screening and needs analysis on clients and athletes, establish goals, select appropriate methods of individual physical performance assessments, and design interventions to improve physical performance.

Nutrition for the Prevention and Treatment of Illness and Disease

This module will examine the combined effects of nutrition and physical activity on health with particular focus on prevalent diseases associated with these factors.

Topics covered will include:

  • dietary guidelines and analysis
  • measurement of energy
  • macro- and micro-nutrient intake
  • digestion, absorption, and metabolism
  • the role of micro-nutrients
  • nutrition, prevalent diseases, and special populations e.g. diabetics.
  • obesity, eating disorders, and food allergies
Accreditation

The Royal Society for Public Health accredits this module, so you know the content of it is relevant and up to date.

Royal Society for Public Health logo

Performance Analysis in Sport

The analysis undertaken could relate to technical, tactical and/or physical aspects of performance.

The use of sports performance analysis is paramount in light of the limitations of human memory, such as the volume of event recall and subjectivity.

The module aims to introduce you to the key concepts, skills, and techniques associated to performance analysis, and outline its place in the scientific support of individuals and teams.

Performance Psychology

This module will introduce you to the key theories and concepts in performance psychology, examining theory and research into a range of factors (e.g., confidence, motivation, emotional regulation) that have been proposed to contribute to performance in sport and other achievement domains.

The module content will seek to develop understanding of the importance of these concepts for performance, their determinants and how to change them.

Physics of Sailing

This module extends your knowledge and practical skills in the application of engineering and biomechanics specific to sailing, with an emphasis on equipment and the environment. You will build an understanding of the science underpinning technical factors affecting sailing performance. In the first instance, you will be provided with the theoretical aspects of equipment and practical experiences on ways you can use technology to assess and evaluate sailing performance to gain improvements.

Project Management

This module aims to equip you with the tools and skills necessary to manage sports projects effectively and to demonstrate the importance of following a prescribed project management methodology. You will explore the concepts of project management in a practical way including effective scoping, planning, resource allocation, risk and issue management, project monitoring, reporting and review.

Researching Sport, Exercise & Health

You will further develop your skills in research methods and data analysis, with a broad focus on analysis procedures including the qualitative method of interviewing, and quantitative methods of analysis of variance, correlation and linear regression. These methods are commonly used procedures in the sport, exercise and health sciences, and understanding of these will also provide a solid foundation for understanding more advanced research methods that you may learn in your future work including research projects or postgraduate study.

Sport and Exercise in Extreme Environments

This module aims to examine the physiological challenge of performing in extreme and hostile environments and to examine how the human can exercise, maintain homeostasis, and survive.

It will explore the theoretical limits of human performance, looking to identify mechanisms of physiological acclimatisation and adaptation.

You will consider how this may be used to increase sporting performance and maximise safety e.g. competitions such as the Everest Marathon and Marathon Des Sables.

Advanced Biomechanics

This module aims to allow you to develop your conceptual biomechanics knowledge, knowledge of current practice, and independent practical skills. It gives the opportunity to follow interests within the field that may have been stimulated by either the third year biomechanics techniques module, or by areas you have come across in the course of your independent project work and which you would like to investigate further. It aims to develop your independence in the laboratory.

Applied Performance Planning

This module enables you to develop and execute a performance plan that outlines the specifics of a sailing campaign. You are expected to develop the plan using What it Takes to Win (WITTW) and ‘performance backward’ planning techniques, identify a time bound plan for execution, include the structure for periodic review processes, and define milestone markers for assessing progression.

Applied Sport Psychology: Delivering Mental Strategies

Traditionally, sport psychologists have advocated the use of numerous mental training strategies that are purported to enhance the cognitive, affective, and behavioural states of the performers that they work with. This module provides you with an understanding of the efficacy of these strategies, to provide opportunities to deliver these mental strategies and to reflect on the delivery of these strategies.

Extended Research Project

The research project provides an opportunity to apply appropriate knowledge, concepts, techniques and research methods of Sport and Exercise Sciences to an extensive and in-depth study of a particular question or problem related to sport or exercise science.

This module aims to foster a detailed understanding of the processes to undertake a significant research project, and marks the culmination of your learning experience. the study will enable you to produce a written research report.

Group Dynamics in Sport

This module aims to examine and evaluate current knowledge of sport group productivity and functioning and evaluates current practice in developing and increasing the effectiveness of group functioning. It is important to have an understanding of group dynamics due to the potential impact that groups can have on an individual’s performance, life satisfaction and psychological well-being.

Nutrition for Sports Performance, Physical Development and Health

Sports performance and the development of athletic ability relies on the individual being in peak health and having the correct nutrition support to fuel training adaptation and exercise performance. This module aims to examine the ways in which dietary intake influences energy metabolism, recovery of skeletal muscle after exercise, exercise performance, training adaptation, injury risk, and immunity.

Planning and Monitoring of Training and Performance

A focus on planning and monitoring training of athletes and how a programme of physiological support can be used to enhance performance.

You will engage in current literature identifying the physiological demands of the athletes chosen sport, key measures of physical fitness, and how we can enhance them.

An athlete’s ability to focus on training to gain maximal physiological adaptations, and relax in competition can represent the difference in making the podium or winning major tournaments.

Work Placement in Sport and Exercise

This module offers an opportunity to complete a unit of directed study incorporating a work placement of 105 hours (3-weeks) in a sport and exercise environment. This placement can take place in a wide range of environments including sports clubs, schools, colleges, private companies, clinical settings, or within the community. the focus of the work placement should be relevant to your needs, the programme of study you are taking and career aspirations.

Teaching and Assessment

Benefit from innovative teaching methods that focus on practice

Smaller class sizes for better learning

You will build your subject knowledge and practical experience through lectures, workshops, and tutorials in small classes, which means our expert teaching staff really get to know you and what support you need.

Teaching

Our team of principal lecturers ensure innovation, enthusiasm and expertise combine to deliver the excellent standards that give our institution its high reputation.

When you come to Chichester, you will join a community of students and lecturers working in partnership to ensure that your learning experience reflects best practice and embraces the opportunities presented by new, interactive technologies.

Some modules will be delivered at the High Performance Sailing Centre in Portland, thus enabling access to experts delivering excellent performance programmes alongside world-class sailing facilities.

Many sessions will require you to have completed some preparatory work and you will also be given structured follow-up work after a session to further progress your learning, often reading or an individual/group task. As you progress through your degree you will be expected to take more and more ownership over your learning and development, directing your study into areas of most interest to you.

Find supportive staff ready to help you reach your goals

Modules are assessed at every stage of the course, offering cumulative assessment of your progress, which means you can monitor your own progress throughout your degree and look to discuss and plan your development with your lecturers throughout the course.

Where appropriate, special arrangements can be made for students with an identified need/needs.

Assessment

Our course includes a mix of assessments, so that you may develop a wide range of transferable skills.

  • Essays
  • Examinations
  • Portfolios
  • Practical assessments
  • Lab reports
  • Oral presentations

Facilities

Discover a wide range of excellent sporting facilities that support your learning

Experience

Join our close student community and fit into our supportive environment

Placement Opportunities

Utilise our extensive professional networks to support your learning

In your final year, you will have the option to complete a placement that will give you the opportunity to further develop transferable skills which will make you more employable.

There are many placement opportunities depending on your field of interest and career aspirations and whether or not you would like to progress to a postgraduate degree, including our world-renowned research and consultancy groups.

Previous students have undertaken placements with:

  • uCHAMP (in collaboration with St Richard’s Hospital) – University of Chichester Health Awareness and Maintenance Programme
  • OPRG – Occupational Performance Research Group
  • SPRU – Sports Performance Rehabilitation Unit
  • British Sailing Team
  • Southsea Rowing Club

Whilst on placement, students have shadowed professionals such as:

  • Physiological support services to athletes
  • Performance analyst
  • Cardiac and Respiratory Rehabilitation Exercise Practitioner
  • Applied performance scientist with British Sailing Team
  • Nutritional adviser supporting the bariatric surgery team at St Richard’s Hospital
  • Occupational Performance Physiologist

Industry links

Depending on the degree pathway you choose we have links with the British Sailing Team, English Institute of Sport, and the NHS pulmonary and bariatric team at St Richard’s Hospital, Chichester.

We also have links to a number of amateur and professional sports teams where our students work as performance analysts.

Dedicated placement coordinator

Our Sport courses have a dedicated placement coordinator who is available to assist students and has a network of contacts in local clubs and schools.

Where do students find placements?

Our students are from all over the UK, with the majority from the South and South East of England, with a few students from overseas. Many students find work placements in their hometowns, as well as local opportunities in Sussex.

Will I need to copmlete any additional documentation for my placements?

You will need to ensure you have all the necessary documentation in place before you start your placement. Some courses will insist that you complete a DBS check on entry to the course and others will require you to complete a check once you have started.

Please check that you have completed all necessary documentation before commencing your placement.

Study Abroad

Explore the opportunity to study part of your course abroad

As a student at the University of Chichester, you can explore opportunities to study abroad during your studies as you enrich and broaden your educational experiences.

Students who have undertaken this in the past have found it to be an amazing experience to broaden their horizons, a great opportunity to meet new people, undertake further travelling and to immerse themselves within a new culture.

You will be fully supported throughout the process to help find the right destination institution for you and your course. We can take you through everything that you will need to consider, from visas to financial support, to help ensure that you can get the best out of your time studying abroad.

Careers

Gain the skills and knowledge you need for a successful career

As well as supporting a career in sailing as a performer, coach, scientist, we also understand the importance of ensuring that you have the knowledge, skills and experience to compete successfully in today’s challenging jobs market.

Typical careers include:

  • Performer, coach or scientist in sailing
  • Fitness consultant
  • Athletic trainer
  • Sports psychologist
  • Sports science support personnel
  • Sports equipment consultant
  • Health promotion
  • Exercise prescription on GP referral schemes

Further study

We offer postgraduate research programmes (MPhil/PhD) across the field of sport disciplines.

Supervision is offered by a strong, research-active team with a range of expertise. Our research interests stem from applied experience to deliver ‘real world’ meaningful results.

University of Chichester alumni who have completed a full undergraduate degree at the University will receive a 15% discount on their postgraduate fees.

Gifted Athlete Support Programme

Supporting athletes with their studies and sporting ambitions

The University’s Gifted Athlete Support Programme (GASP) helps students combine academic study with sport by offering support to compete at the highest level.

Our student athletes will have access to our experts in sport coaching, exercise physiology, biomechanics, strength and conditioning, performance analysis, sport nutrition, sport psychology, sport therapy or physiotherapy and receive:

  • Financial Support*
  • Fitness Suite access at the Tudor Hale Centre for Sport
  • Administrative support from SU Sport
  • GASP branded kit

* Level of financial support dependent upon level of achievement in sport

Course Costs

Course Fees 2024/25

UK fee
£9,250
International fee
£15,840

For further details about fees, please see our Tuition Fees page.

For further details about international scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.

To find out about any additional costs on this course, please see our Additional Costs page.

Entry Requirements

UCAS
112-120
tariff points.
A Levels
BBB - BBC
including a science - PE accepted at grade C or above.
BTEC
DDM - DMM
including Sports Science.
GCSEs
C/4
or better in both English Language, Science and Maths.
IELTS
6.0 overall
with no element lower than 5.5
IB
28 points
Access to HE Diploma
Pass
with at least 12 credits worth of science units at Merit.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

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How do I know what my UCAS tariff points are?

Head to the UCAS Tariff Points web page where you can find a tariff points calculator that can tell you how much your qualification and grades are worth.

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