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Overview
Examine the physiological, biomechanical and psychological principles of sports performance
Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) education partner
Our BSc (Hons) Sport Coaching course provides you with an understanding of the role of coaches across a range of contexts, as you develop practical skills, explore ethical considerations and use evidence-based research to prepare you to meet the vocational demands of the coaching profession.
Explore the science behind enhancing sports performance
Throughout this three-year course, you will use sports, health and exercise science principles to examine and understand the physiological, biomechanical and psychological principles that underlie the enhancement, monitoring and analysis of sports performance.
Coach across different contexts, sports, and activities
Through on and off-site programmes, this course develops your competency and excellence within a variety of different coaching contexts, irrespective of sport or activity, as you work with students on other sport courses to put your theory to practice.
Coach across different contexts, including:
- Primary schools
- Disability
- Further education
- Sports clubs.
Explore opportunities to specialise your coaching practice
In your second and third year, this course provides you with opportunities to pursue your interests and specialise in performance analysis, physiology or psychology, depending on your career aspirations.
Gain vital experience within a professional coaching context
The coaching placement module in the second year of study provides you with on and off-site opportunities to work within club, university and school sport contexts, where you will gain invaluable real-world experience and boost your employability ahead of your future career.
Learn from expert staff who really get to know you
You will learn from our team of experienced and active coaches in smaller classes, which mean our lecturers can really get to know you and how best to support your academic and personal development.
Join our community of successful alumni
Our graduates have gone on to roles that include:
- Performance analysis (including at Brighton and Hove Albion and Harlequins Rugby)
- Professional coaching (for both independent and established clubs)
- Sports outreach
- Disability sports
- Teaching
- Postgraduate study and academic careers.
Professional body endorsement
The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) endorses our sport management degree, which means you will receive student membership of CIMSPA and have confidence that this degree is what employers are looking for.
On this course you will:
- Develop your ability to coach a variety of sports through the application of theory to practice.
- Examine the physiological, biomechanical and psychological principles that underpin modern sports coaching.
- Have the ability to specialise your coaching practice in your second and third years.
- Learn from experienced and active coaching practitioners who really get to know you and your needs.
- Study on a Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA)-endorsed course.
The Course
Develop your coaching skills in line with the CIMSPA professional standards for coaching
James
Year One
In the first year, you will learn the fundamental theories and practices of coaching before you deliver a number of sessions to your peer group.
Year Two
In your second year, you will expand your coaching practice through supported coaching placements and experiential, on-site learning.
Year Three
Your final year allows you to focus on a specialist area such as psychology, physiology or biomechanics via your module choices and dissertation, leading to professional skill development for your chosen career path.
You have a wide range of optional modules to choose from including the chance to explore scuba diving and alpine residential environments.
Indicative modules
You will study a selection of core and optional modules during your degree. Each module is worth a particular number of credits and is delivered differently depending on the needs of the module.
Modules
Select a year
Evaluating Sport, Exercise and Health
This module will use a sport, exercise and health science context to develop study and research skills through practical application.
You will be introduced to simple methods of quantitative research and data analysis together with the rationale for those methods. You will experience a wide range of learning modalities to develop your study skills including:
- Practical data collection
- Computer laboratories
- Group seminars
- Group and individual tutorials.
Fundamentals of Human Physiology
This module will allow you to examine how key systems such as the musculoskeletal system, the cardio-vascular system and the respiratory system affect human performance. Specific attention is paid to energy metabolism in the context of the exercising human across the breadth of the energy spectrum.
Introduction to Coaching Contexts in Sport
The module will discuss the role of different providers for coaching, coach education and development, and identify the impact of political and financial climates as drivers behind the developing opportunities to work within a diverse range of contexts. The implications of these on the skillset required to be an effective coach within different contexts will be examined along with potential employment opportunities.
Introduction to Skill Acquisition
This module explores the psychological factors that affect the learning and performance of skills in sport. You are introduced to selected theories of performance and learning and the strengths and weaknesses of these theories are examined. Research findings will be used to help you make the connections to your responsibilities as sports coaches.
Introduction to Sport and Exercise Psychology
Sport and exercise contexts provide a fascinating and complex opportunity to investigate the psychology of human affect, cognition and behaviour. This module aims to introduce you to diverse areas of psychology in the context of sport performance, exercise and wellbeing.
Principles and Practice in Sport and Coaching
This module facilitates an understanding of the principles and processes associated with planning, delivering, and evaluating a coaching session. You will learn about the coaching process and the role of coaching in supporting participation and performance. The module will also outline the key factors associated with the delivery of an effective coaching session.
Questioning Sport, Exercise and Health
You will be introduced to study skills for higher education and discover the philosophical underpinnings of research in the sport and health sciences. You will also be introduced to qualitative research methods.
Children and Youth Sport
This module aims to give you an overview of a number of issues related to coaching children in sport and/or providing sports opportunities for them. The module examines the development of the young performer from a multidisciplinary perspective and aims to provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge through appropriate assignments.
Coaching Practice and Delivery (Placement)
The module introduces various evidence-based and interdisciplinary practices and requires you to apply these practices in real-world coaching. This is achieved via peer coaching in taught practical sessions, and during the coaching placement hours (normally 50) required across the duration of the module.
Developing and Monitoring Physical Performance
This module aims to provide you with the skills and knowledge to design interventions for improving both health and skills-related physical fitness. You will develop the ability to complete a health screening and needs analysis on clients and athletes, establish goals, select appropriate methods of individual physical performance assessments and design interventions to improve physical performance.
Diving
Explore the complex interaction between the hyperbaric aquatic environment and the physiological coping mechanisms of the human. Environmental issues will be discussed, as will medical emergencies and progression opportunities in diving. This module will also provide you with the opportunity to gain the SSI Open Water Dive award.
MediaSport 2.0 and Beyond
This module examines the significance of the internet and new media technologies in sports media.
Key issues concerning:
- production;
- consumption;
- identity;
- political economy;
- co-optation;
- participatory culture;
- user-generated content;
- convergence;
- commerce;
- social media;
- and gaming.
will be examined in relation to relevant networks, practices and relationships that shape the 21st century sports media landscape.
Performance Analysis in Sport
The analysis undertaken could relate to technical, tactical and/or physical aspects of performance. The use of sports performance analysis is paramount in light of the limitations of human memory, such as the volume of event recall and subjectivity. The module aims to introduce you to the key concepts, skills and techniques associated to performance analysis, and outline its place in the scientific support of individuals and teams.
Project Management
This module aims to equip you with the tools and skills necessary to manage sports projects effectively and to demonstrate the importance of following a prescribed project management methodology. You will explore the concepts of project management in a practical way including effective scoping, planning, resource allocation, risk and issue management, project monitoring, reporting and review.
Reflection: Developing Your Teaching and Coaching
This module aims to provide an opportunity to select and develop specialist areas of interest.
You will be required to develop skills in introspection, reflection and reflective practice, drawing upon theoretical concepts relating to pedagogy of sport and education.
You will agree a suitable programme of work within a professional context of your choice, which will involve you immersing yourselves in the culture and practices of this working environment.
Researching Sport, Exercise & Health
You will further develop your skills in research methods and data analysis, with a broad focus on analysis procedures including the qualitative method of interviewing and quantitative methods of analysis of variance, correlation and linear regression. These methods are commonly used procedures in the sport, exercise and health sciences, and understanding of these will also provide a solid foundation for understanding more advanced research methods that you may learn in your future work including research projects or postgraduate study.
Sport and Exercise in Extreme Environments
This module aims to examine the physiological challenge of performing in extreme and hostile environments and to examine how the human can exercise, maintain homeostasis and survive.
It will explore the theoretical limits of human performance, looking to identify mechanisms of physiological acclimatisation and adaptation.
You will consider how this may be used to increase sporting performance and maximise safety e.g. competitions such as the Everest Marathon and Marathon Des Sables.
Sports Injury and Prevention
In this module, you will study basic musculo-skeletal anatomy, including features particularly prone to injury in sport e.g. ligaments; incidence of sport injury. You will explore common injuries to the body and their methods of occurrence, as well as first aid procedures and injury assessment. You will also study the role of biomechanics in predisposing factors, psychology and prevention of injury, as you consider treatment methods, rehabilitation and real-world case studies.
Working With Individuals
This module focuses on the multi-faceted process of the coach-athlete and teacher-pupil relationship, drawing on contemporary psychological research which places this relationship at the centre of athlete and pupil development.
This module will explore the sources, nature and synthesis of sports-specific and psychological theory, and its application in the development of sporting competence in athletes and pupils.
Adapting Coaching for Different Contexts
This module aims to extend your coaching experience across a range of coaching contexts and develop expertise within less familiar sporting activities and types of groups. You will explore globalisation and the emergence of different sports cultures including countercultural and disability sports.
Adventures in Coaching
You will explore current issues within the coaching process and consider their application within specific adventure sport activities. You will examine the practical scientific assessment tools to identify performer needs.
Applied Sport Psychology: Delivering Mental Strategies
Traditionally, sport psychologists have advocated the use of numerous mental training strategies that are purported to enhance the cognitive, affective and behavioural states of the performers that they work with. This module provides you with an understanding of the efficacy of these strategies, to provide opportunities to deliver these mental strategies and to reflect on the delivery of these strategies.
Critical Reflection in Coaching and Mentoring
An introduction to theoretical and practical concepts related to the development and mentoring of coaches. You will critically examine the methods and processes through which coaches learn and develop. It will embed theories of learning and critically explore philosophies of education as they relate to the development of competent sports coaches.
Delivering Sport and Physical Activity in the Community
This module examines the importance of staging community sport events or projects in the context of modern sports development. It addresses the role of the practitioner or manager in these types of events and further highlights the fluid and interconnected functions that exist between the coach and sport managers. In essence, the module seeks to allow potential coach and sport managers the opportunity to understand, in part through practical engagement, the complexity of staging community sport events or projects at all levels and the management and administrative processes associated with them.
Dissertation Project
This module is the culmination of previous learning and is the major element of your independent enquiry on your programme.
The module requires that you reflect on, and utilise the knowledge base, context, and application of taught modules, as well as placement experiences.
It is designed to encourage you to generate and explore your own ‘problem’ assisted by supervision from a tutor.
Entrepreneurial (Business Setup)
This module focuses on the environmental factors that are directly relevant to a small business context, to allow you to develop a critical understanding of the entrepreneurial process. You will concentrate upon the planning that needs to be undertaken prior to the start-up of a small business.
Exploring Ethical Challenges in Coaching
The increasing access to and globalisation of sport brings with it a wider range of ethical dilemmas for all those involved, including the coach. the module aims to increase the awareness of how these issues impact on the work of the coach and examine how choices are made using both historic and contemporary examples.
Nutrition for Sports Performance, Physical Development and Health
Sports performance and the development of athletic ability relies on the individual being in peak health and having the correct nutrition support to fuel training adaptation and exercise performance. This module aims to examine the ways in which dietary intake influences energy metabolism, recovery of skeletal muscle after exercise, exercise performance, training adaptation, injury risk and immunity.
Occupational Health and Performance
The module aims to provide you with an understanding of how evidenced-based practice can be used to improve health and performance in occupational settings such as the military, emergency services and industry.
Planning and Monitoring of Training and Performance
A focus on planning and monitoring training of athletes and how a programme of physiological support can be used to enhance performance.
You will engage in current literature identifying the physiological demands of the athletes chosen sport, key measures of physical fitness and how we can enhance them.
An athlete’s ability to focus on training to gain maximal physiological adaptations, and relax in competition, can represent the difference in making the podium or winning major tournaments.
Strategic Planning for Sport
The module is divided into key overarching themes: the philosophy of strategy; the process of strategy; the drivers of strategy and whether the crucial determinants of a strategy are the organisation of the environment. The module concludes with a discussion on the interrelationship between strategies and effective planning, theory and practice, and what this means for those that manage sport organisations.
Working With Teams
This module focuses on the requirements of effective coaching delivery within groups and teams. It will critically analyse and address the knowledge and skills necessary to work with groups of athletes across key coaching contexts. You will understand how to assess the needs of a group, and the individuals within, and address this in your planning and delivery.
Teaching and Assessment
Innovative teaching methods that focus on practice
Smaller class sizes for better learning
You will build your subject knowledge and practical experience through lectures, workshops and tutorials in small classes, which means our expert teaching staff really get to know you and what support you need.
Teaching
Our team of principal lecturers ensure innovation, enthusiasm and expertise combine to deliver the excellent standards that give our institution its high reputation.
When you come to °ËØÔ±¬ÁÏ, you will join a community of students and lecturers working in partnership to ensure that your learning experience reflects best practice and embraces the opportunities presented by new, interactive technologies.
Many sessions will require you to have completed some preparatory work and you will also be given structured follow-up work after a session to further progress your learning, often reading or an individual/group task. As you progress through your degree you will be expected to take more and more ownership over your learning and development, directing your study into areas of most interest to you.
Find supportive staff ready to help you reach your goals
Modules are assessed at every stage of the course, offering cumulative assessment of your progress, which means you can monitor your own progress throughout your degree and look to discuss and plan your development with your lecturers throughout the course.
Where appropriate, special arrangements can be made for students with an identified need/needs.
Assessment
Our course includes a mix of assessments to help you develop a wide range of transferable skills.
You will be assessed by a variety of methods, including:
- Practical coaching
- Portfolios
- Group and individual presentations
- Literature reviews
- Lab reports.
Experience
Discover a wide range of sporting facilities that support your learning
Tudor Hale Centre for Sport
Placement partners
Sports hall
Specialist outdoor sports pitches
Close community
Expert staff
Fitness suite
Sports Dome
Sports injury clinic
Learning Resource Centre
Library
Subject specific librarians
Marc
Placement Opportunities
Utilise our extensive professional networks to support your learning
Coaching Practice and Delivery
In the second year, the ‘Coaching Practice and Delivery’ module reinforces and extends professional practice, as well as gives you the opportunity to actively broaden your range of coaching experience through various sporting domains and contexts.
Examples of these include operating within the fields of disability sport, primary, secondary and further education, university sport and the community programmes that the University runs.
Chi Sport Placement Programme
In addition, the Chi Sport Placement Programme gives you the opportunity to work with the university BUCS teams in a coaching or support role as part of your placement requirements.
This means your placement can be carried out on campus with your role supported by the coaching lecturing staff, giving further opportunities for expansion and development of your coaching skillset.
Dedicated placement coordinator
Our Sport courses have a dedicated placement coordinator who is available to assist students and has a network of contacts in local clubs and schools.
Our students are from all over the UK, with the majority from the South and South East of England, and a few students from overseas. Many students find work placements in their hometowns, as well as local opportunities in Sussex.
You will need to ensure you have all the necessary documentation in place before you start your placement. Some courses will insist that you complete a DBS check on entry to the course and others will require you to complete a check once you have started. Please check that you have completed all necessary documentation before commencing your placement.
Study Abroad
Explore the opportunity to study part of your course abroad
As a student at the °ËØÔ±¬ÁÏ, you can explore opportunities to study abroad during your studies to enrich your educational experiences.
It’s a chance to broaden your horizons, a great opportunity to meet new people, undertake further travelling and to immerse yourself within a new culture.
You will be fully supported throughout the process to help find the right destination and institution for you and your course. We can take you through everything that you will need to consider, from visas to financial support, to ensure you get the best out of your time studying abroad.
Careers
Acquire the skills and knowledge required to gain employment as a sports coach
Our BSc (Hons) Sport Coaching serves as an excellent platform for a number of jobs or further opportunities within the worlds of sport coaching and performance.
Typical careers include:
- Coaching in professional clubs (academies, centres of excellence, community coaching)
- Coaching in amateur clubs
- Sports science support with sport governing bodies
- Teaching
- Sport development
- Sports management
- Coaching within the private school sector
Further study
You can also progress to other postgraduate level study to continue the development of your knowledge and skills and increase your employability.
°ËØÔ±¬ÁÏ alumni who have completed a full undergraduate degree at the University will receive a 15% discount on their postgraduate fees.
Gifted Athlete Support Programme
Supporting athletes with their studies and sporting ambitions
The University’s Gifted Athlete Support Programme (GASP) helps students combine academic study with sport by offering support to compete at the highest level.
Our student athletes will have access to our experts in sport coaching, exercise physiology, biomechanics, strength and conditioning, performance analysis, sport nutrition, sport psychology, sport therapy or physiotherapy and receive:
- Financial support*
- Fitness Suite at the Tudor Hale Centre for Sport
- Administrative support from SU Sport
- GASP-branded kit
*Level of financial support dependent upon level of achievement in sport.
Course Costs
Course Fees 2025/26
UK fee
International fee
EU/EEA Fee Reduction Scholarship
EU/EEA students automatically pay the equivalent of UK fees via the EU/EEA Fee Reduction Scholarship
For further details about fees, please see our Tuition Fees page.
For further details about international scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.
To find out about any additional costs on this course, please see our Additional Costs page.
Course specific costs
You will be required to have a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check costing £40 which needs to be paid for before the start of the course.
Entry Requirements
UCAS
A Levels
BTEC
GCSEs
IELTS
Contextual offers
We believe everyone deserves an equal opportunity to pursue higher education, regardless of their background.
When we receive your application we consider your personal circumstances and the factors surrounding your achievements to see if you are eligible for a contextual offer. This is an offer with a reduced entry tariff – typically the equivalent of 16 fewer UCAS points (two A-level grades).
Find out more about our contextual offers.
Disclosure Barring Service (DBS)
You will be required to have a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Click the ‘Apply now’ button to go to relevant UCAS page.
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Head to the web page where you can find a tariff points calculator that can tell you how much your qualification and grades are worth.