University of Cumbria
UCAS Code: C604 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
Must pass all 60 credits, 45 at level 3
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Higher
T Level
Pass (C and above)
UCAS Tariff
About this course
Do you want to help others discover the physical, mental and social wellbeing impacts of sport?
On this course, you will examine the theory of physical education, sport and coaching pedagogy across the education, leisure and community sectors. You will build on this with a focus on teaching and coaching, and our academic team will ensure you feel fully supported throughout the programme.
Teaching will be complemented by practical sessions using facilities including our sports hall and performance laboratories, as well as the Lake District. You will also complete approximately 50 hours of work experience in schools, clubs and community groups. We have strong links within the sport industry, including with professional sport clubs and national governing bodies of sport.
There is a strong focus on employability and personal enhancement throughout the course. You will have the opportunity to complete a series of additional qualifications, at no extra charge, which are highly valued by employers and will help you secure your dream job once you graduate.
**Course Overview**
This sport coaching and physical education degree, accredited by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), is designed so you can be supported by our expert lecturers to confidently step into your ideal future career and gain the knowledge required to make a difference.
A learn-and-do ethos sees teaching complemented by practical sessions while experience in schools, clubs and community groups provides real-world application. You’ll be supported by industry-sourced professionals and have access to our facilities, including a sports hall, performance laboratories, Salt Ayre Leisure Centre and Brathay Hall and Estate. You may also be eligible upon graduation for additional qualifications, including coaching awards.
You’ll have numerous career options upon graduation including sport coaching, teaching, sport development, performance analysis and event management.
What’s more, our sport courses are ranked 1st in the North West for continuation and 2nd in the North West for Career Prospects (Guardian University Guide 2023 Results).
**On this course you will:**
- Gain academic and vocational key skills through both classroom and community engagement projects linked to specific modules.
- Be taught in small class sizes which means you get to know your class and tutors well, allowing you to feel supported during your studies.
- Gain CIMSPA accreditation boosting your graduate prospects and gain free qualifications recognised by industry during your studies.
- Have access to an extensive range of partner organisations in sport including Active Cumbria, Active Lancashire and Golf England facilitating learning opportunities, guest speakers and placements.
- Follow the successes of our graduates who have pursued careers in PE teaching, sport development, event management, high-performance coaching and community coaching roles.
**What you will learn**
There are distinctive features of the programme:
Emphasis on experiential learning through its applied and vocational nature. You will study a range of disciplines, delivered with an applied focus on the complex reality which is modern physical education, sport coaching and sport development.
Flexible nature of the delivery of the programme, which utilises a range of learning strategies with an emphasis on the skills and practices involved in physical education, sport coaching and sport development, alongside an understanding of vocational practice.
Strong focus on employability and personal enhancement. You will be provided with the opportunity to achieve a vast range of additional qualifications throughout the entirety of the programme, free of charge.
You will make links with the careers team to discuss your skill development and to help you reflect on how these link to your employability, graduate skills and career development in your chosen future specialism.
Modules
**Year one**
- Personal & Professional Development
- Developing the Practitioner Toolkit
- Introduction to Sport Development
- Introduction to Sport Psychology
- Principles of Human Movement & Function
- Multi-Skills Development in Physical Education and Sport
**Year two**
- Delivering Sport and the Physical Education Curriculum
- Leadership and Relationships in Sport
- Work-Based Learning
- Investigative Techniques
- Developing Communities through Sport
- Field Based Conditioning for Sport
**Year three**
- Independent Investigative Project
- Outdoor and Adventurous Activities
- Club and Coach Development
- Performance Analysis in Sport
Assessment methods
Modules use formative and summative assessment so you progress through modules build knowledge coherently and logically.
Formative assessments are designed so that feedback on your performance is provided before the submission of the final, summative assessment and will occur regularly to inform your progress and performance. Formative work does not contribute to the final module mark or the credit awarded. Formative tasks and assessments will feature in all modules and provide you with further learning opportunities, alongside skill development, for example, non-graded presentation skills, delivery and reflection.
A variety of assessment methods will be utilised, reflecting the multi-disciplinary nature of this programme and the increasing demand for employment-ready graduates. Assessment methods are specified in each module guide and will include:
- Practical presentations
- Research reports/written assessments.
- Data analysis and interpretation.
- Class presentations (individual and group).
- Poster presentations and conferences.
- Reflective learning *portfolios (placement module).
*Portfolios may be comprised of several pieces of work that together provide evidence of learning and demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes in a variety of modes. For example, written pieces, video recordings of practical activities or presentations, PowerPoint slides and a series of reflections or online discussions, are just some of the ways you may evidence your learning.
Tuition fees
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What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Sport and exercise sciences
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Sport and exercise sciences
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
One of the fastest growing subjects in the country, the number of sports science graduates went from under 3,000 in 2003 to over 10,000 in 2013. Numbers have fallen slightly since 2015, but we still have over 9,000 graduates in the subject. However, the good news is the country's appetite for good health and fitness - and the adaptability of graduates in the subject - means that sports science grads are less likely than average to be out of work. Sports science graduates, not surprisingly, tend to get jobs in sport, fitness and health - coaching and teaching especially - but they're found all over the economy. Management and business are also popular options for graduates from this subject — and sports science graduates are particularly found where drive, determination and physical fitness are an advantage.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Sport and exercise sciences
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£17k
£23k
£25k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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