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University of Wales Trinity Saint David

UCAS Code: ODL6 | Certificate of Higher Education - CertHE

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff

32

We also welcome applications from mature students (21 or over) with relevant outdoor experience.

About this course

Course option

1year

Full-time | 2026

Subject

Sport and exercise sciences

Do you love the outdoors and want to turn your passion for adventure into a career? Our Certificate of Higher Education in Outdoor Learning is perfect for you. This course combines practical learning with academic knowledge, giving you a solid foundation for a career in outdoor education.

You will gain hands-on experience through a variety of activities and expeditions. Imagine learning in wild locations, tackling challenging environments, and growing your skills in real-world settings. Our course covers everything from teaching and coaching to understanding important theories and practices.

Our unique location gives you access to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Bannau Brycheiniog, and Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. These areas offer some of the best sea kayaking, coasteering, mountain biking, and rock climbing in the world. You can also enjoy hill walking, caving, white-water kayaking, and woodland activities.

Our programme is designed to help you develop essential skills through practical learning and fieldwork. You will learn from experienced tutors and adventure education providers who are passionate about outdoor learning. They will guide you in creating safe experiences and building a strong community of outdoor enthusiasts.

Throughout your studies, you will explore subjects like teaching methods and the psychological, sociological, and philosophical aspects of outdoor education. This mix of theory and practice will prepare you for various roles in health, education, and physical activity sectors.

Join us and become part of a vibrant community that values the great outdoors. You can also study some modules in Welsh to make your learning experience even richer.

Our programme benefits from its own specialist facility for outdoor adventure provision, Cynefin. This space offers fantastic opportunities to develop your skills with excellent resources, teaching spaces, and on-site facilities.

Modules

In the first year, you’ll build a strong foundation in outdoor adventure education, focusing on practical learning and fieldwork. You’ll explore key principles such as Learning in the Digital Era and the Ecology of Adventure, develop essential skills, and engage in various outdoor activities. This year is all about immersing yourself in the great outdoors and starting your journey in outdoor learning.

The Great Outdoors (20 credits)
Adventure Sport Training (10 credits)
Facilitating Learning in the Outdoors (20 credits)
Foundation Adventure Skills (20 credits)
Managing Risk in Adventure (20 credits)
Psychological Approaches to Outdoor Adventure (10 credits)
Academic Skills (Sport, Health and Outdoor Education) (10 credits)
Adventure and Ecology (10 credits)

Assessment methods

The aim of the assessments are to enable students to demonstrate that they have met the aims of the programme and achieved the learning outcomes of each module.

Given the practical nature of the programme, assessments are devised to maximise the link between theory and practice and allow students to demonstrate intellectual rigour and to reflect critically on their own experiences.

A variety of formats are used for coursework and practical assessments, including:
Portfolios
Practical teaching/coaching
Essays
Journals
Presentations
Digital Media
Blogs
Academic interviews

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,535
per year
England
£9,535
per year
EU
£15,600
per year
International
£15,600
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,535
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,535
per year
Scotland
£9,535
per year
Wales
£9,535
per year

The Uni

Course location:

Carmarthen Campus

Department:

Sport and Healthy Living

Read full university profile

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.

88%
Sport and exercise sciences

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

85%
Staff make the subject interesting
85%
Staff are good at explaining things
85%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
59%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

69%
Library resources
78%
IT resources
78%
Course specific equipment and facilities
52%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

98%
UK students
2%
International students
36%
Male students
64%
Female students
79%
2:1 or above
15%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
E
E

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.

£22,000
low
Average annual salary
75%
low
Employed or in further education
60%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

29%
Sports and fitness occupations
25%
Health associate professionals
14%
Childcare and related personal services

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.

£20k

£20k

£22k

£22k

£23k

£23k

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.

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the 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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here