A woman holding a rugby ball speaking to a group of students
Areas of interest

Study sport and exercise , Ākona te hākinakina me te kori tinana

Study sport and exercise at Massey to get people moving, to improve health and performance, and to keep teams or sports organisations running smoothly.

Need help or know what you want to study?

Well-equipped

From recreation to research, our huge range of facilities and laboratory equipment will support your sport and exercise studies.

Move it

Future roles in this area include coaching, sport science, personal training, and managing events, teams or sport facilities.

Spoilt for choice

Explore your area of interest. Massey has a wide range of health qualifications, with many courses to choose from.

Be connected

We'll help you build strong industry contacts. And your health qualification lets you work globally once you graduate from Massey.

Overview

From athlete development to prescribing exercise, event management to promoting physical activity across people's lifespan, it's all part of studying sport and exercise at Massey.

Learn from experts with experience as coaches, competitors or administrators. Master new skills in state-of-the-art facilities such as our human performance lab, athletics tracks and sports fields. Delve into the latest theories. Gain hands-on experience and apply skills and knowledge with internships, such as at fitness centres, schools, sporting organisations or sports teams. Graduate work-ready with skills employers need.

Work-integrated learning opportunities

Studying sport and exercise is a good fit if you:

  • enjoy school subjects such as physical education, business, biology or health
  • want to help people achieve goals and live active lives
  • like being active and solving problems.

Courses in sport and exercise may cover:

  • coaching and leadership
  • community and sport development
  • exercise science, including biomechanics (how bodies move)
  • inclusion, diversity and ethics
  • nutrition
  • sports and business management, including governance, marketing and sponsorship
  • sports psychology.

How to study sport and exercise

Discover what we offer if you’re interested in sport and exercise – whether you’re coming to university for the first time, changing direction or returning to advance your study or career.

Undergraduate study

An undergraduate qualification is generally the first thing you’ll study at university.

Bachelor's degrees

Degrees are the standard qualifications you do at university – the most common is called a bachelor’s. Degrees give you enough time to explore your interests, and also focus on specific subjects.

Relevant undergraduate subjects to major or specialise in

When you apply to study at Massey, for some undergraduate qualifications you can choose what subject you’d like to specialise in. You can usually change your mind after you get to university, depending on the courses you enrol in.

Postgraduate study

Once you’ve graduated with a bachelor’s degree – or have equivalent experience – you’ll be ready to take on postgraduate study.

Master's degrees

A master's degree normally builds on a main subject of study from your undergraduate degree.

Postgraduate diplomas

Postgraduate diplomas are postgraduate-level qualifications that are longer than a postgraduate certificate. If you’re successful, you might be able to use the credits towards the longer master’s degree.

PhD and other doctoral degrees

Doctoral degrees, including PhDs, are the highest degrees we award. They’re very demanding and their entry criteria reflect this.

Relevant research areas at Massey

Discover research expertise, projects and initiatives relating to sport and exercise at Massey.

Sport and exercise research

What our students say

“My degree has qualified my passion for sport into a prosperous profession in coaching, teaching, leading and managing sport teams.”
Aaron McLelland

Ngāti Porou

Bachelor of Sport and Exercise

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time studying at Massey and have been extremely fortunate to have been taught and supervised by some of the leading lecturers in the field of physical education and coaching.”
Dr Lana McCarthy

Doctor of Philosophy

“My sport management placement was the best experience in my academic life.”
Amanda Isada

Volleyball New Zealand

Master of Sport Management

Our facilities

Massey offers a wide range of first-class exercise and sports facilities.

Exterior of the corner of the Recreation Centre building, with two people walking outside, wearing gym gear

Athletics and sports facilities

Facilities include:

  • athletics track
  • hockey turf suitable for international-level matches
  • netball and tennis courts
  • rugby and soccer fields.

Location: Manawatū campus

Student testing blood pressure of another student

Human Performance Laboratory

This laboratory evaluates performance for a wide range of sports and occupational activities, with state-of-the-art research and testing equipment.

Location: Manawatū (Palmerston North) campus

Sport and Exercise Science Research Laboratory

This laboratory offers a physiological and biomechanical analysis for many sports and occupational activities. Laboratory staff have experience with a wide range of sports, athletes and occupations.

Location: Auckland campus

Mountain bike rider airborne while crossing rugged terrain, and wearing a mask

Academy of Sport

For athletes who study at Massey.

Our Academy of Sport is a sport scholarship programme for emerging and high-performance athletes, offering support to achieve your best academically and in your sporting career.

Equestrian Centre and Arena

Graze your horse at the only equestrian centre at a New Zealand university.

Stables, paddocks, yards and our large all-weather arena are open all year.

Location: Manawatū campus

Sport and Rugby Institute

Sport and Rugby Institute

World-class facilities for all sports and corporate teams in a high-performance environment, including:

  • fitness centres
  • indoor training facility
  • recovery plunge pools.

As well as a venue for sports events and training, the institute also hosts business meetings and team-building days.

Location: Manawatū campus

Jobs in sport and exercise

Careers in sport and exercise can involve working with all ages and abilities, and at community, regional, national or international levels. From commercial sports venues to aged-care centres, gyms to fitness studios, community centres to elite training facilities, sport and exercise is a vibrant and growing industry.

Some graduates specialise in sports such as athletics, cricket, netball, rugby, tennis or triathlon. Others move into sport research, or run their own business, event or venue.

Sport and exercise careers include:

  • coaches or officials
  • facilities managers, who run fitness centres, gyms or sporting venues
  • fitness instructors and personal trainers
  • health and wellbeing advocates or promoters, who work in community, health or sport organisations
  • sports managers, who may run events or teams
  • sport scientists, who work with athletes, teams or sporting organisations
  • teachers or school sports co-ordinators.

Annual salary ranges for jobs

Salary ranges disclaimer

Indicative pay rates are:

Which sport and exercise qualification?

Examples of where our qualifications may take you.

Table showing jobs and what you could study to enter them.
Jobs Examples of what you could study
Coach or trainer Bachelor of Science (Exercise and Sport Science)
Bachelor of Sport and Exercise
Sport facilities manager Bachelor of Sport and Exercise (Sport Development)
Manager of a sporting event, organisation or team Bachelor of Sport and Exercise (Sport Development)
Health and wellbeing advocate or promoter Bachelor of Sport and Exercise
Bachelor of Science (Exercise and Sport Science)
Sport coordinator or sport development officer Bachelor of Sport and Exercise
Bachelor of Science (Exercise and Sport Science)
Sport scientist Bachelor of Science (Exercise and Sport Science)
Teacher Bachelor of Science (Exercise and Sport Science) then a teaching diploma
Bachelor of Sport and Exercise then a teaching diploma

Get an information guide

Download our guides to find out more about studying sport and exercise at Massey.

Accreditations and rankings

Register of Exercise Professionals

Massey's Bachelor of Sport and Exercise (Exercise Prescription) is accredited by the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPS). Graduates can register as exercise professionals with REPS.

Learn more

ShanghaiRanking - Sport Science Schools

Massey's School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition is ranked in the top 200 Global Shanghai Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments.

Learn more

Search courses or qualifications