Master the skills to embark on a rewarding career in a fast paced, international industry.
Pursue your passion and begin an enjoyable, rewarding varied career by studying a sport and fitness course at Dumfries and Galloway college. We offer a multitude of different courses from Pathway to Sport, Fitness and Health to Coaching and Developing Sport.
Sport and Fitness explained
The sports and fitness industry has the ability to change people’s lives. By being able to understand the nutritional and physical needs of the body, sports instructors, physiotherapists, and coaches can often give advice on how to help and prevent injuries.
In addition to the obvious benefits, the satisfaction from watching someone learn a new sport, discover something they love to do and the social aspects of working in a team makes the industry a rewarding place to be.
Sport and Fitness is an exciting and ever-expanding industry with a wide range of careers available.
Why study Sport and Fitness?
Studying Sport and Fitness will equip you with the skills to work in various environments all around the world. From working in a local gym to coaching an international football team, the career possibilities are endless. Studying at Dumfries and Galloway college will give you the skills, knowledge and experience you need to make you an attractive candidate in whatever career path you choose.
Study Sport and Fitness with us to enjoy:
- Access to world class learning facilities – our professional Workout gym and sports hall will allow you to develop your skills in an industry recognised environment, benefit from using the latest equipment to assist you in your studies.
- Support from highly trained staff – our lecturing sport and fitness staff share a breadth of experience; they will help you learn the academic theory and practical skills to get one step ahead.
- A route to a viable career – by studying sport and fitness, you have the opportunity to go down various routes to pursue the career of your dreams. Whether your passion is in teaching, coaching or physiotherapy, studying here will give you a great foundation to build your career upon.
Benefits of working in the industry include:
- An opportunity to become your boss – many sport and fitness graduates will eventually go on to start their own business such as taking exercise classes or becoming a personal trainer. Begin a career in an industry that has flexibility and freedom to fit around your lifestyle.
- Access to great talent – The sports industry draws some remarkable talent, whether it be in the community football match or the world cup, talent flows through the industry from top to bottom. Working in the industry will give you first-hand experience in developing and seeing incredible talent throughout your career.
- Industry Growth – The sport and fitness industry is always growing which translates to great demand and further job security for those working throughout the field. Begin a career in an expanding industry with infinite opportunities.
Where Sport and Fitness could take you
Take a look where a qualification in Sport and Fitness could take you.
Career Options
There are a wide variation of jobs available in the industry that can suit a variety of personalities, fulfil many personal interests, and suit a diverse range of skill sets.
As more than 1 in 3 college leavers go on to find employment*, a qualification in Sport and Fitness could lead to the following careers:
- Physiotherapist Assistant – help patients recover and improve movements. Work with Physiotherapists and help provide patients with care, help with writing up reports and setting up equipment. Physiotherapist Assistants are the link between the patient and the physical therapist and can work with patients through exercises and prepare them for therapy. Average starting salary – £20,000 – £22,000
- Fitness Instructor – help clients to improve their fitness and health. Fitness Instructors demonstrate activities with exercise machines and weights and help guide people to ensure they exercise effectively and safely. Average starting salary – £20,000 – £22,000
- Sports Coaches – teach sports skills to groups and teams. Sport coaches can teach across all sporting areas including working with local authorities, school groups and sports teams. Sport coaches design, plan, and execute training plans and training sessions giving clients confidence to improve their skills. Average starting salary – £18,000 – £23,000
- Leisure Centre Manager – run sports and leisure centres. They will support and manage staff members providing them with training and organising staff rotas. Covering a broad range of areas, they will control budgets, market events, and arrange the leisure activity timetable. Average starting salary – £17,000 – £21,000
Onward Study
As more then 1 in 3 college students who graduate with a HNC or above go on to university study, a sport and fitness qualification could lead you to the following degree options:
- Degree in Sport and Exercise Science
- Degree in Sport Performance and Coaching
- Degree in Sport and Physical Activity
*based on SFC College Leaver Destinations report 19-20
Professional Membership
Students studying and graduates with a qualification in sport and fitness can become members of various professional memberships which will help them develop their professional career. One example of a professional membership students could become a part of is the Association for Coaching.
Membership offers you:
- Be part of a growing community of over 14,000 coaching professionals from over 80 countries.
- Engage with the leading professional body dedicated to promoting best practice and standards for coaching worldwide.
- Access to coaching supervision sessions and benefit from trusted peers’ experience through face-to-face and virtual co-coaching groups.
Course Entry Requirements
The entry requirements in sport and fitness vary from course to course. We offer courses that do not have any formal entry requirements such as Pathway to Sport, Fitness and Health. For the entry level courses all we ask is that:
- You demonstrate a keen interest in studying sport and fitness with us
- You have a positive learner reference – if you’ve studied with us before
- You attend an entry interview and present yourself well.
For courses with formal academic entry requirements, we offer a number of routes in – from studying the qualifications that allow you to progress to offering alternative options.
All Courses
Choose the course for you and click through to find out more and apply:
*Courses listed above are available as at time of publishing. Availability is subject to demand and some courses may stop accepting applications or be withdrawn at any time.
Learning Environment
We are proud to have fantastic sports facilities at Dumfries and Galloway college to make sure you get the best possible experience whilst studying here. Our workout gym is fitted out with equipment including treadmills, cross-trainers, rowing machines and free weights. In addition, we have a large sports hall to facilitate all the physical elements of the courses. The facilities available paired with our fantastic staff allow for students to have a great experience studying on our sports and fitness courses.
