Sports, exercise and health science

This course lies within the Sciences. Students explore the concepts, theories, models and techniques that underpin each subject area and through these develop their understanding of the scientific method.

SEHS students participate in a compulsory group 4 project.  This collaborative and interdisciplinary exercise provides an opportunity for students to explore scientific solutions to global questions.

Key features of the curriculum and assessment model

• Available at standard (SL) and higher levels (HL)
• The minimum prescribed number of hours is 150 for SL and 240 for HL
• The SEHS course incorporates the disciplines of anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, psychology and nutrition, which are studied in the context of sport, exercise and health.
• A combination of syllabus content and experimental work provides the opportunity for students to acquire the knowledge and understanding necessary to apply scientific principles and analyse human performance.
• The SEHS course has strong international dimensions such as international sporting competition and the international bodies that regulate them. Ethical issues that exist within sporting competitions are considered.
• The comprehensive curriculum provides excellent preparation for university courses including those specifically related to Sport, Sports Science or Physical Education.

• Learn more about SEHS in a DP workshop for teachers. 

Sports, exercise and health science subject brief

Subject briefs are short two-page documents providing an outline of the course. Read the standard level (SL) and/or higher level (HL) subject brief below. 

Sports, exercise and health science SL & HL (PDF, 46 KB) Sports, exercise and health science SL & HL – First teaching Aug/Sept 2024 (PDF, 38 KB)

Latest curriculum updates

This subject is reviewed by the IB regularly to ensure the latest educational research is applied. Please keep up to date with the latest subject updates for Sports, exercise and health science.