Sport
Sport is in our DNA - Stirling has been Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence since 2008.
Our mission is to deliver the best for Scottish sport through the powerful and inspirational combination of sport and education.
We’ve developed an international reputation for delivering Sports degrees that get results. You can choose to study a Sport degree focused on sports science, performance, business management or psychology.
Our Sport courses are integrated with the University's world-class sports facilities to provide a unique and rewarding studying and sporting environment. We prepare athletes for world-stage success and improve the nation's health through physical exercise.
Sport courses
Courses labelled are available for online study only.
| Course | Start date |
|---|---|
| BA (Hons) Sport Business Management | September 2025 |
| BA (Hons) Sport Development and Coaching | September 2025 |
| BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science | September 2025 |
| BSc (Hons) Sport Psychology | September 2025 |
| Sport degrees combined with other subjects |
| Course | Start date |
|---|---|
| MSc Physiotherapy (pre-registration) | September 2025 |
| MSc Podiatry (pre-registration) | September 2025 |
| MSc Psychology of Sport (Accredited) | September 2025 |
| MSc Sport Management | September 2025, January 2026 |
| MSc Sport Performance Coaching (Online) | September 2025 |
| Course | Start date |
|---|---|
| Applied Exercise Physiology | January 2026 |
| Coaching as Learning | June 2025 |
| Coaching Concepts | January 2026 |
| Creating Engaging Practice | January 2026 |
| Identifying and solving problems in sport coaching | September 2025 |
| Physiology of Sport and Exercise | September 2025 |
| Sports Medicine, Health and Wellbeing | September 2025 |
| The Coaching Process | September 2025 |
| Understanding Performance | January 2026 |
| Understanding Performers: Psychological Perspectives | September 2025 |
Scholarships
We offer a variety of scholarship and funding options to help you finance your studies at the University of Stirling.
Undergraduate scholarships
See more undergraduate scholarships
Postgraduate scholarships
See more postgraduate scholarships
Why study Sport at the University of Stirling?
Graduate careers in Sport
Our Sport courses bring together leading academics to deliver high-quality teaching in a range of areas with a primary focus on your future employability.
You’ll graduate from our Sport degrees with a breadth of knowledge and practical experiences that can be applied to a wide range of sport-related careers, from developing national sport and coaching, to management and governance.
Our graduates have gone on to work in jobs such as:
- sport development officers, working with sporting governing bodies to develop sport;
- managers of sports facilities in sports and leisure trusts;
- administrators for national governing bodies and sport policy agencies;
- sport officers working with charities in developing nations to use sport to build communities;
- personal trainers in health and fitness organisations;
- coaches working with development teams in a number of sports, such as football and rugby.
The University of Stirling is ranked among the top 5 universities in the UK for Sports Science in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025, and we are also highly rated by fcbusiness.
Specialist facilities
Our excellent performance analysis laboratories and world-class sport facilities are used by our Olympian athletes and sport novices alike
Our five-star sports facilities include The National Tennis Centre, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, pitches and a host of other facilities.
We’re consistently ranked among the best universities in the UK for our sports facilities.
Partnerships and industry
Our campus is also home to the National Tennis Centre, National Swimming Academy, and headquarters of Scottish sport governing bodies and regional offices, including the sportscotland Institute of Sport.
We work closely with the industry to ensure everything we teach you is relevant and will boost your employability within the sector.
Sport research
In the Research Excellence Framework 2021, 80% of our research in Sport and Exercise Sciences was classed as world leading or internationally excellent. We are 1st in Scotland for research outputs in Sport and Exercise Sciences.
Our research themes include:
- Mechanisms of change: understanding the ecological, social and biophysical processes underlying health and wellbeing
- Lifestyle and behaviour change: increasing physical activity, promoting healthy lifestyles and behaviours and reducing unhealthy behaviours
- Service delivery policy and practice: evaluating healthcare and sport interventions, health and sport policy and models of practice
Postgraduate research opportunities
Postgraduate research studies in Sport at the University of Stirling can be undertaken in diverse contexts from high-performance sport to population health. Staff specialisms include genetics and molecular biology, nutrition and hydration, neuro-muscular function and physical activity.