Prepare for a career as a professional sports coach supporting a variety of participants in a range of contexts and environments.
Align your learning to your career aspirations in the world of sport coaching
Apply your practical skills and knowledge to real-life situations
Learn from expert researchers and coaches across a variety of disciplines
Strengthen your practice by studying coach education, employment and development
Unlock your potential to coach in a range of sport and physical activity environments

Explore the principles of sport coaching practice and the scientific foundations that underpin them. You will delve into the complexities of working with diverse individuals and groups – encompassing a wide range of coaching experiences.

The foundation year is suitable either if you don’t meet the entry requirements for the degree, or if you’d like further preparation before you start. You’ll gain the knowledge and confidence you need to progress onto the course.

Work placements

In your second year you’ll have the opportunity to plan a work placement – which takes place between your second and third year. Placements give you real-world experience, helping you develop personally and professionally to prepare you for your future career.

Previous students have worked in Sheffield and the wider South Yorkshire area – others have organised their placements further afield in the UK or abroad. These opportunities usually focus on the delivery of sport coaching, coach education or coach development. Recent international placements have included Fiji, Italy, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Thailand. Some students have even provided coaching for the US kayaking team and children in South African townships.

Live projects

You’ll be supported and encouraged to actively apply coaching practices while you’re at Hallam. With digital technology and observational analysis of your practice, you’ll explore your coaching style and working relationships with clients. 

This could be either through our Hallam Active team or at a variety of local community-based organisations. These opportunities often support additional professional development, research or module assessments.

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

In your foundation year, you will study 4 modules that have been specially designed to prepare you for the degree pathway in your chosen area. The assessments for the course have also been designed with flexibility in mind and allow you to complete assessments on topics that you are interested in and relate closely to your chosen degree pathway.

You’ll learn how to coach children, adolescents, adults – or all three. You’ll gain the knowledge you need to design coaching sessions for long-term client development, evaluating their progress and adapting your coaching to achieve their goals.

There may also be opportunities to study abroad at one of our partner universities and engage with our external partners to build your professional coaching experience, with the possibility of funding through the Turing Scheme.

You learn through

• group lectures
• small group seminars
• practical coaching, coach education sessions and workshops
• project supervision – exploring your interests by researching a range of topics
• field trips and external visits

This course prepares you for a career in

• professional sport clubs, commercial sport providers or sport governing body organisations 
• physical education roles in schools
• commercial organisations, delivering physical literacy or sport-specific programmes
• physical activity and strength & conditioning roles in universities, colleges or sport and leisure centres 
• management of coaching teams or programmes

 

UCAS points

• 64

This must include at least 24 (Grade D) from one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. For example:

• DDE at A Level.
• MPP in BTEC Extended Diploma.
• A combination of qualifications, which may include AS levels and EPQ.

You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.

GCSE

• English Language at grade C or 4 or equivalent
• Maths at grade C or 4 or equivalent
• Science at grade C or 4 or equivalent

• Access - an Access to HE Diploma from a QAA recognised Access to HE course in a science based subject. Normally we require 15 credits at level 2 and 45 at level 3

If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 or above, with a minimum score of 5.5 in each skill.

If you do not have any of the qualifications above but have relevant experience you are welcome to discuss potential opportunities with the admissions tutor.

Please note the University will only admit students who are aged 18 or over at the point of enrolment.

Important notice:

The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.

Year 1 Compulsory modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Foundations Of Sport And Physical Activity	60	Coursework
Introduction To Investigating Contemporary Issues In Sport And Physical Activity	60	Coursework Practical

 

Year 2 Compulsory modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Foundations Of Coaching And Teaching	40	Coursework
Innovative Coaching Practice	40	Coursework
The Nature And Purpose Of Physical Education And Sport Coaching	20	Coursework
The Science Of Physical Education And Sport Coaching	20	Coursework

 

 

Year 3 Compulsory modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Applied Coaching Interventions	40	Courseworkl
Coaching And The Scientific Support Process	20	Coursework
Physical Literacy In Context	40	Coursework Practical

 

Elective modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Alternative Physical Activities	20	Coursework
Analysis Of Sport And Games	20	Coursework
Event Management For Sport And Physical Activity	20	Coursework
Exercise Prescription For The Prevention Of Disease	20	Coursework
Sport As A Tool For Social Change	20	Coursework
Sports Club Development	20	Coursework
Sports Facility Management Simulation	20	Coursework
Technology For Sport And Physical Activity	20	Coursework
Testing And Analysis In Sport And Physical Activity	20	Coursework

 

Year 4 Optional modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Placement Year

 

Final Year Compulsory modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Contemporary Issues In Sport Coaching	40	Coursework
Independent Project In Sport And Physical Activity	40	Coursework

 

Elective modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Approaches To Talent Development	20	Coursework
Coach Education And Development	20	Coursework
Economics And Finance Of Sport	20	Practical
Entrepreneurship And Innovation For Sport And Physical Activity	20	Coursework
Exercise Prescription For Long Term Conditions	20	Practical
Health Promotion	20	Coursework
Innovative Practical Pedagogy	20	Practical
Major Sport Events	20	Practical
Nutrition For Sport And Physical Activity	20	Coursework
Performance Analysis Of Sport	20	Practical
Programming And Prescription Of Training In Sport And Physical Activity	20	Practical
Psychology Of Sport And Exercise	20	Coursework
Sport And The Media	20	Practical
Sport, Brands And Culture	20	Practical
Sport Data Analytics	20	Coursework
Sport Injury	20	Coursework
Sport Journalism	20	Coursework
Teaching As A Profession	20	Practical