Physical culture and sport are an integral part of the educational process for University students. Since the establishment of the University the organization and methods of Physical Education have changed considerably. Now this work is conducted by the Department of Physical Education and Sport formed in 1925.

Today the Department numbers 38 teachers, two of them - Masters of sport of International class, twenty-one - Masters of sport, one of them is the Honorary coach of Ukraine and the Honorary Educator of Physical Culture in Ukraine.

University students are able to improve their physical shape using sports facilities of the University: Educational and sport complex "Karazinskyi" has 10 sport halls and a stadium; one of the best tennis grounds complex in our country - "Unicourt”; the institute of higher technology gyms in both University buildings.

Since 2005-2006 Physical Education classes allow students to choose and go in for any available kind of sport they like. The most popular among students are: aerobics, weightlifting, team sports - basketball, volleyball, mini soccer, badminton, table tennis and lawn tennis, boxing and kick-boksing, sambo and self-defense classes, Tae kwon do and fencing. There are also groups for general physical education and groups of physiotherapy for students with poor health. Physical Education classes are primarily aimed at improving health.

The University Sport Contest, which has been held since 1950, is very popular among students. Now its program includes: competitions in badminton, basketball, volleyball, track and field athletics, indoor soccer, table tennis, lawn tennis, chess and checkers. Moreover there is an annual sport festival for University freshmen, the Rector Cup competitions in mini-soccer, students’ Trade Union Cups in volleyball, basketball, badminton and table tennis, and other sports tournaments and festivals in almost all the Schools.

For the students having appropriate sport skills, there are sports groups in 17 kinds of sport. University combined teams annually participate in Kharkiv oblast Olympics for university students, and top athletes participate in world top-rank competitions in Ukraine and abroad.

The Olympic achievements of students originate from 1912, when Petro Pelypeichenko, the School of Medicine student, took part in artistic gymnastics competitions in the V Olympic Games in Stockholm. The best Olympic Games results were achieved by University students in the second half of the twentieth century. Olympic champions are: Yuriy Poyarkov, Yuriy Venherovskyi and Vasyl Matushevas (volleyball), Ihor Tselovalnykov (cycling) and prize-winners – Tetiana Devyatova (swimming) and Mykhailo Tyshko (fencing). The Olympics participants of different years are the winners of World and European competitions: Serhiy Kravtsov and Anatoliy Starkov (cycling), Olena Kovtun (table tennis), Natalia Shybayeva (swimming), Oleksiy Mazikin (boxing), Kateryna Zubkova (swimming), Victoria Koval (archery) , Tetiana Sorochynska (table tennis) and Tetiana Perebyinis (tennis). Chess Olympics champion Volodymyr Savon, World Checkers multiple champion Olha Levina, one of the best tennis players of our country Dmytro Polyakov studied at our University.

At the same time the main goal of Physical Education classes is improve health and to provide students with all the necessities in the field of physical education and sport throughout the whole educational process.