BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching
Key information
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Typical offer:
Entry requirements -
Fees: See below
Full details -
UCAS code: C610
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Institute code: H36
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Study abroad option
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Work placement option
Find out more
Why choose this course?
- 2nd in the East of England for Sports Science (2023 Complete University Guide)
- Master the art and science of sport practice and pedagogy
- Opportunity to access coaching awards
If you love sport and want to focus on coaching, this is the course for you. The course has a strong emphasis on practical coaching experiences being applied to the sporting area of your choice.
Our sports coaching degree gives you the opportunity to explore coaching theory, research and practice. You’ll focus on contemporary areas of sports coaching study, including coach education, learning and practical skills. You’ll also develop your own specialised coaching knowledge, attributes and abilities through a wide range of theoretical and hands-on experiences. Throughout, we’ll encourage you to shape your own professional development journey and achieve the appropriate vocational coaching qualifications to take your career in the direction you want. We’ll also emphasise the importance of developing your academic and research strengths, improving your confidence, credibility and critical writing skills.
You might be thinking about becoming a high-performance coach, a PE teacher, a performance analyst or coach within your local community, or you could be considering starting your own business. Work experience opportunities are integrated into the programme. So whatever career you decide to pursue, work-related experience combined with academic study and a focus on communication skills will enhance your prospects.
The University also works closely together with national and international researchers, coaches and athletes, who engage with our facilities and workforce.
Benefit from our specialist sports facilities
You’ll have access to some of the best University sports facilities in the UK. You’ll benefit from our brand new multi-million-pound Institute of Sport Building based at the De-Havilland campus and will be able to join our on-campus Sports Village. Facilities include a 25-metre swimming pool, a 12m high climbing wall and a 110+ station gym. The gym has both strength and cardio equipment, such as rowing machines, cable stations and a free weights area. Facilities also include match-quality courts, sports halls and new generation astro pitches and so much more. There is also a smaller 24-hour gym on the College Lane campus.
Whether you’re interested in sport on a competitive or casual level, there is something for you. There are opportunities for students to take part, compete and represent the University in a wide variety of sports. We are also one of the few universities with an Active Students and programme. This means we offer free sports and exercise sessions to all our students and staff. This is something you can tap into as a participant or possibly also as a facilitator.
What's the course about?
In your first year, you’ll learn the foundations of sports coaching, aspects related to physical activity and sports development and begin to understand more about the wider sports industry. You’ll also learn about national and international sports business management and sports within a global world. To help you settle into University life, you’ll take a module focused on developing the academic skills you need to be a successful student.
Your second year builds on what you learnt in the first year. You’ll study applied sports coaching, leadership and management of sports events and global perspectives of sports development. The module on research methods helps you to understand the principles and methods that underpin coaching-based research. You’ll be able to use this to critique and understand the research done in the areas of sports coaching. It will also come in handy for your final year dissertation. In addition, we also offer optional modules for you to choose from such as process and practice in high-performance sport, sports ethics, and facilities and funding.
Work placement/study abroad option*: Between your second and final year, you’ll have the option to study abroad or complete a work placement for up to a year. Not only will this give you an amazing experience to talk about, but it will also give your CV a boost. If you would rather go straight to your final year, that’s fine too. You can decide in your second year with us, so there is still plenty of time to think about this.
In your final year, you’ll be able to develop your research skills in sports coaching through our research dissertation module and focus on a work experience dissertation within the field of sports coaching. You’ll get a personal supervisor to support you with the research and/or work experience dissertation. Here, you’ll design and undertake your own project on a topic relevant to your area of study, and more importantly it will be aligned to a coaching area that interests you. You’ll also be able to study other modules in the final year, and learn in more depth about advanced sports coaching, enterprise and entrepreneurship, and the behaviour change for physical activity.
*Depending on the COVID-19 guidelines and developments.
Applying for this course is easy. Simply add us to your UCAS account by using the institution and course code mentioned in ‘Key information’. There is no interview for this course. We’re just interested to hear why you want to study this subject at degree level.
For a full list of modules, see the section under ‘What will I study?’
One of your campuses is de Havilland
You’ll share this campus with students from business, law, sport, education, and humanities subjects. The student housing is close to our Sports Village which includes a gym, swimming pool and climbing wall. You can get breakfast, lunch, or dinner in our on-campus restaurant or bar (in the newly built Enterprise Hub) on days you don’t feel like cooking. You can also use the common room to play pool, video games or just to hang out with friends. Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.
One of your campuses is College Lane
This is where the creative arts, science and health-related subjects are based. This means you’ll share the campus with future nurses, scientists, artists and more. You can use the common rooms to relax with friends, work out in the 24-hour gym or have a drink in our on-campus pub or cafes. We also have restaurants for you to eat in or grab something on the go. Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.
What will I study?
Degree programmes are structured into levels, 4, 5 and 6. These correspond to your first, second and third/final year of study. Below you can see what modules you’ll be studying in each.
Modules are assessed in a variety of ways via coursework, debates, presentations, viva and practical. The type of coursework is varied, depending on the module and includes reports, reflections, write up of practicals, portfolios, posters and presentations.
Alumni Stories
Annabelle Bullock
Meet Annabelle Bullock, a BUCS gold medalist, who studied Sports Studies alongside her athletic pursuits. As an athlete she competed in target shooting and as a member of the women's Lacrosse team.
Read more stories Find out more about this course| Current job role | Education Liaison Coordinator |
|---|---|
| Year of graduation | 2018 / 2019 |
| Course of study | BSc(Hons) Sports Studies |
| MA Education |
University experience and support
The University supported Annabelle by making her one of its sponsored athletes providing her with greater flexibility and access to sporting facilities and opportunities. This helped her develop a broad and transferable set of skills and experience.
Annabelle says, 'Being an athlete and studying was challenging, but the University and my lecturers were so supportive. Being made a sponsored athlete also came with a bunch of perks. All this support and the opportunities that the University provided helped me to build the skills and confidence I needed to be truly successful in my job today.'
Annabelle currently works as one of the Education Liaison Coordinators at Herts. Having established fantastic contacts within the University, her student activities meant she could seamlessly progress into a professional role that complimented many of her skills and interests.
'I always assumed that I would do something within sport, but when it came to my final year in BSc Sport Studies, I had found my passion for Coach Education. During my MA in Education at the University, I discovered another passion for helping others and working with student athletes.'
Opportunities to explore
The University is committed to recognising talent in its students and offering any exciting opportunities that can enrich their studies and further their careers. Annabelle's lecturers' encouraged her to explore her passion for research which inspired her to continue with postgraduate study. Most impressively, the University helped her win its first BUCS gold medal in target shooting, which she says 'felt amazing as I was the only one in the team!'
Annabelle's advice for new and current students is to 'Do things that are out of your comfort zone because the skills and experiences you develop may just be the thing that your employer is looking for. Take all of the opportunities you can. I thought I was going to be an athlete forever, then I discovered coaching. I am very lucky that my first "proper" job is something that I absolutely love but I am still able to continue coaching. This summer I am helping coach a target shooting national team in the biggest junior, under 21, competition in the country.'
Alumni Stories
Gavin Beard
Meet Gavin Beard who has taken his love for sports into industry. Since graduating he has worked his way up the career ladder and is now the Head of Marketing for Norwich Football Club.
Read more stories| Current job role | Head of Marketing |
|---|---|
| Year of graduation | 2013 |
| Course of study | BSc (Hons) Sports Studies |
More than a degree
Gavin graduated from the University of Hertfordshire with more than a degree; his university experience helped him to gain valuable insight to several disciplines and allowed him to narrow down his career choices.
He says, 'My degree allowed me to study various disciplines, including coaching, science and business. Having exposure to these different areas helped me understand what I favoured, and it was clear that business (and in particular, marketing) was an area I felt I could forge a career in.'
After successfully completing his degree Gavin began moving up the career ladder, working at many well respected companies such as Coral, BT Sport and currently Norwich City Football Club. Gavin puts a lot of his success down to the degree he studied and the support provided by the university.
He comments, 'The variety of modules and the exposure to different disciplines within my course were extremely useful. This was crucial in helping me determine my path. After year one, I knew I liked marketing, so I worked with the ERASMUS team to find a pathway to help me study this abroad. I then studied business in Valencia for a year and it was an experience I’ll never forget.'
Aspirations for the future
Gavin is still really enjoying his career in leading the Marketing team at Norwich City Football Club. He says, 'It’s an incredibly varied role; one day I could be leading the campaign to promote the new kit, the next it’ll be marketing the Take That gig at Carrow Road!'
Gavin is hopeful for the future and says 'Given my experience, my future roles will continue to be in marketing, hopefully I will help Norwich to become an established Premier League team. Then who knows!'