BA (Hons) Sport Development and Coaching

• 96 UCAS points. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points.
• Your Level 3 subjects should preferably include physical education or a related sport, health or sociology subject; for instance, A-level PE or BTEC Extended Diploma in Sport.
• You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent) including English, and preferably, PE and Science.
• You'll be required to attend an interview as part of the application process.
• This course involves working unsupervised with children and/or vulnerable adults and all students must gain an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Disclosure certificate for a Child Workforce including Child Barred List checks, before starting their studies. Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online Update Service.
• It will be mandatory for you attend and complete an accredited First Aid and Safeguarding course within your first year, as these subsidised minimum standards for deployment are a University requirement of Fitness to Practice.
• If English isn’t your first language you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.

Want some reassurance or advice? Speak to one of our advisors. Email us at enquiries@bolton.ac.uk or call us on +44 (0)1204 903 903.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

Sport development and coaching is one of the largest sectors of the sport and active leisure industry. Sports development and coaching careers involve making sure that people have the chance to take part in sport and ensure that all sections of the community are aware of available activities and where they can go to get involved. This degree offers you the skills, knowledge, and ability to run your own coaching sessions, activity programmes and sports events. You’ll have the opportunity to develop a range of key employability skills, such as making decisions under pressure, written and oral communication skills, the ability to work with individuals and groups, self-motivation and the ability to motivate others, leadership, teamwork and planning.

What can I do with this qualification?

Graduates seek employment in local authority sport and physical activity development units, schools, FE colleges, universities, fitness centres, county sport partnerships, and private sector organisations. You may choose to work with athletes on an individual basis or analyse team performance. Some of the more typical roles include teacher, sports development officer, sports coach, sports activity coordinator, sport events manager and fitness centre manager. Some graduates also go into self-employment by establishing their own coaching business. If you're interested in teaching, this course allows you to move into primary or secondary education-based courses. Many graduates also undertake a PGCE and master’s qualification in sport management disciplines, developing specialist skills and experience.

Alternative career options

Many sport development and coaching graduates pursue opportunities outside the sport sector in industries such as business, finance, marketing, education and sales. Some roles require further study and work experience. Possible alternative roles include:

• Sports centre management
• Active leisure amenities management
• Teaching and education
• Youth work
• Research and analysis
• Community engagement
• Public health promotion
• Behaviour change and active lifestyle
• Public relations/consultancy
• Sports promotion and sponsorship
• Elite and high-performance sport
• Parks and recreation

The fees for a student’s course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

The university is currently awaiting government guidelines as to EU fee charges for students commencing study in 2021/2022.

UK undergraduate tuition fees are subject to UK government approval and are subject to the outcome of the Teaching Excellence Framework.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton undergraduate students.

We use a combination of face-to-face teaching and directed and independent study. Knowledge, skills, and understanding are developed through a wide range of teaching methods including lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, work placement, live projects, coaching practicals and tutorials. You’ll also have access to our virtual learning environment, with online learning resources.

Presentations and masterclasses by guest speakers are used throughout the programme to enhance employability and to make the link between theory and practice. Similarly, work experience forms an important part of the programme and will help you to develop your skills in a practical environment.

In terms of assessment, you can expect coursework (usually essays and reports), written examinations, practical assessments (particularly for coaching modules), skills portfolios, oral or poster presentations, a final year dissertation, and others. Some of these will contribute to your final marks and allow you to demonstrate that you’ve met the learning outcomes for the course. Other assessments will help you learn, provide you with feedback and inform your development, though these will not count towards your final marks.

You’ll also receive feedback on assessment drafts. These will help to identify any areas which would benefit from extra attention on your part, or where you need extra support from your tutor.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

• Principles of Academic and Professional Skills Development
• Principles of Sport, Society and Culture
• Principles of Physical Activity for Health
• Principles of the Sports Coaching Process
• Work Experience and Applied Research
• Contemporary Issues in Sport
• Applied Physical Activity and Health
• Investigating Effective Sports Coaching
• Sport and Physical Activity Dissertation
• International Sport for Development
• Enhancing Physical Health and Wellbeing in Local Populations
• Physical Education and School Sport

Assessment methods

Learning activities

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.