Shaping the future: Exploring the Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (CASES) endorsed undergraduate sport and exercise science curricula in the United Kingdom

Despite high popularity, economic and social value of the sport and exercise sciences (SES) courses in the United Kingdom (UK), there has been no attempt to provide an overview of its higher education (HE) provision. Therefore, the aim of this study was two-fold. Firstly, to provide a thorough overview of the curricula of the Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (CASES) endorsed undergraduate SES degree programmes in the UK. Secondly, to present a foundation of discussion points and considerations for those shaping and (re)designing sport degree programmes.
Curricula data from 2024 to 2025 were collected from 53 UK universities (44 English, 4 Scottish, 4 Welsh and 1 Northern Irish) offering CASES endorsed SES courses. Due to different degree structures in Scotland (a 4-year BSc (Hons) degree) and the rest of the UK (a 3-year BSc (Hons) degree), the data were summarised and presented separately as ‘Scotland’ and ‘RUK’. A total of 1328 modules were analysed by type (either ‘core’ or ‘optional’) and categorised into one of fifteen domains.
The results show that RUK universities were more prescriptive than those in Scotland, with 57 % of all SES modules being core compared to 45 % in Scottish institutions. However, the number of optional modules increased over the years in both systems reflecting the generally flexible structure of the SES degree. The curricula of Scottish and RUK SES degree programmes were predominantly multidisciplinary allowing institutions to tailor content in response to emerging fields and/or staff expertise. These findings have implications for future (re)design of SES degree curricula, not just in the UK but in similar settings. The current challenges curriculum developers face in keeping SES programmes relevant and preparing graduates for the workplace are discussed. Finally, we offer recommendations for overcoming these challenges.