- Study Mode: Full time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: Three Years
- Start Date: September 2022
You can also study this course:
Do you love sport? Do you dream of a career enhancing the lives of young people? If yes, this course could be the one for you.
Our BA (Hons) Sport and Physical Education will set you up for a truly rewarding career working to promote the importance of and embed sport and wellbeing within our communities. Upon graduation you’ll have the CV, knowledge and experience required for a successful application into teacher training.




Open Days
We understand that when it comes to deciding where you’d like to study, there are a lot of things to consider. Come along to our Open Day and discover why BNU could be the place for you. You can find out more about your course, meet the course team, and get all your questions answered.

Application Guide
For everything you need to know about applying, check out our Application Guide. You can find useful information for each stage of your application journey – from before you even apply to what to do if you receive an offer, and everything in between.
Why study this subject?
Positive experiences at an early age help build the foundations for an active life. If children and young people have experiences that feel fun, positive and give them a sense of confidence, they’re more likely to want to be active in the future.
You could be a part of this in a career delivering sports education to children and young people, either as a PE teacher, sports coach or working in the community.
With the right teaching and hands on learning experiences, you could turn your passion for sport education into a rewarding and successful career.
Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?
This course is aimed at providing exciting career opportunities for those wanting to become a PE teacher. It offers a route towards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
You’ll develop knowledge of the fundamentals of physical education and youth sport, including applied coaching, child development, sports and education policy and practice, and sport science.
We’ll provide you with the knowledge and experience you’ll need to not only successfully apply for teacher training, but you’ll develop transferrable skills to work in the public, private or voluntary sectors.
If you’re interested in a career in physical education teaching or youth sport, this course will set you up perfectly to fulfil your dream of creating high quality sport and physical education experiences for children and young people.
By studying this course at BNU, you’ll be given the opportunity to gain National Governing Body qualifications in a variety of sports as well as apply for work experience within local schools, colleges, sports clubs and societies.
At BNU, you’ll also get access to:
- an outstanding gym, sports hall and facilities to enhance your experience
- a modern, well-resourced human performance lab
- a development coaching curriculum, including industry recognised awards
- an extensive student support system to strengthen your learning
- strong links with an outstanding network of schools and colleges.
What facilities can I use?
Our Human Performance, Exercise and Wellbeing Centre includes an indoor three-lane running track that incorporates 3D motion-capture technology. This facility helps to enhance athletes’ performance through improved technique, and also assists with injury prevention and rehabilitation.
The Human Performance laboratory is also equipped for assessing a range of physiological, biomechanical and psychological parameters.
What will I study?
In this course, you’ll explore the national curriculum at primary and secondary school level, including major games, dance, outdoor and adventure activities.
You’ll learn how to be a community sports coach, thinking about key youth sports issues like sustaining sports participation into adulthood, the obesity crisis and the need to promote physically active lifestyles.
Across your three years here, you’ll study areas like sports coaching, games in sport and education, sports and society, diversity and wellbeing, biomechanics, child development, energy and nutrition, strategies in youth sports and outdoor education.
In your final year, you’ll also work with a personal tutor to produce your final dissertation project which will reflect an area within sport and physical education that you’re particularly passionate about.
How will I be taught and assessed?
The BA (Hons) Sport and Physical Education course is practice-based and you’ll be taught through a combination of practical classes, workshops, lectures and seminars with a contemporary focus on coaching and physical education.
Assessment is 100% coursework based and will include essays, reports, case study analysis, presentations, portfolios and reflective writing.
There will also be an ongoing assessment of transferrable skills such as session planning, delivery and adaptation.
Collaborative working is incorporated too to help you engage in more complex projects, getting you familiar with how you’ll work with teammates and colleagues in your future career.
Placements Plus
BNU is a Placements Plus university. So, whatever degree you do, you can be sure there’ll be plenty of industry-relevant opportunities on offer, to help you get into your chosen field.
We’ll also prepare you for work beforehand, with special skills for work training, further boosting your CV, and building skills employers will value. In recognition of the value we place on these skills we have incorporated this experience into your study time.
Placements Plus is all about helping you get some valuable experience under your belt while you’re a student, to increase your choices later, and help you get the graduate-level job you want.
What are the course entry requirements?
A typical offer will require a UCAS tariff score of: 88 - 112
You will require GCSE Maths and English at grade C/4 or above. A minimum of two full A-levels (or equivalent) is required. Every application is considered on an individual basis.
For further details of our international English entry requirements, please visit our international pages.
Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements for the three-year undergraduate programme, or those who do not feel fully prepared for a degree course, can apply for a four-year programme including a Foundation Year; find out more.
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. Please refer to the Programme Specification at the bottom of the Course Details tab for the full breakdown of core and optional modules, as well as the credits needed to complete your degree. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
Year 1 Modules
Applied Sport Field Study
Introduction to Sports Coaching
Human Anatomy
Introduction to Physical Education
Games in Sport and Education
Human Sciences for Physical Education
Sport and Society
Foundations of Sports and Exercise Psychology
Year 2 Modules
Sport Diversity and Wellbeing
Applied Physical Education
Foundations of Biomechanics
Coaching and Athlete Development
Child Development and Learning
Research in Sport and Exercise
Sport Nutrition
Outdoor Education
Year 3 Modules
Dissertation
Contemporary coaching issues
Psychology of physical education and youth sport
Professional Development and Employability
Contemporary issues in Physical Education
Skills Acquisition and Learning
Strategies in Youth Sport
What are the tuition fees
Home
Home, Academic Year 2022 - 2023
£9,250 per year
International
Overseas/International, Academic Year 2022 - 2023
£14,250 per year
What are my career prospects?
Throughout your time with us we’ll support you on the route to your chosen career. We’ll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising, employable and good leaders. We also help you find employment after graduation. Have a look at our Careers and Employability pages to find out more.
Our BA (Hons) Sport and Physical Education course will help prepare you for a range of career possibilities, such as:
- Sports Coach
- Teaching Assistant
- Sports teacher.
Graduates can also choose to study for a postgraduate course such as MSc Sports Performance or MSci Sport and Exercise Science.
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