
BA (Hons) Sports Coaching
- Study Mode: Full Time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: Three or Four Years
- Start Date: September 2023
Do you want to be a world class coach or an inspiring mentor to hard-to-reach populations? Our Sports Coaching programme is the perfect springboard for a range of career opportunities.
Whether you are helping elite athletes on their journey to superstardom or just getting people more active, you can do what you love to do every day and use your skills to nurture potential and change lives.
Pathways
Our Sports Coaching programme gives you the opportunity to choose your specialism for your future career after your experience of the core curriculum in year one. Rather than having to make your big career decision before you join us, we introduce you to various specialisms and offer you the flexibility to choose the pathway which leads to your chosen career.
These pathways are also offered as four-year programmes, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate programme.

What will I study on this pathway?
This pathway combines both a theoretical and practical approach to teaching to suit your needs and objectives. We will learn how to engage with the community sport and coaching industries in a variety of capacities both in the community and in the teaching environment. This pathway introduces focus on the PE curriculum and pedagogies and can offer a route towards your external teacher training and coaching qualifications.
You will graduate with BA (Hons) Sports Coaching with Physical Education.

What will I study on this pathway?
This pathway introduces you to knowledge of hard-to-reach populations, government policies and strategies related to health and wellbeing, and the organisations that deliver sport and physical activity at the non-elite, participatory level. This pathway would be great for you if you have ambitions of engaging your local community in sport, supporting vulnerable people, working in or helping to set up local community clubs and engaging with your local sports teams.
You will graduate with BA (Hons) Sports Coaching with Community Health and Physical Activity.

What will I study on this pathway?
This pathway introduces you to performance sport and will include additional focus on scientific concepts and protocols for the improvement of human performance. It is designed to open doors to postgraduate study in sports performance and careers in elite sports coaching or athlete support roles. This is great for you if you would like to work with elite athletes and high level sports teams.
You will graduate with BA (Hons) Sports Coaching with Performance Sport.

What will I study on this pathway?
If you dream of being in the thick of the action, coaching and managing elite athletes, look no further than our hands-on, exciting Sports Coaching with Business pathway. This pathway is specifically designed to help you learn the fundamentals of business and develop the skills needed to effectively manage and lead people. If you see yourself in management, administration, board or corporate positions within a sports team, this pathway is the perfect option for you!
You will graduate with BA (Hons) Sports Coaching with Business.
Why study this subject?
You could be teaching or mentoring young people, inspiring older people or people with disabilities to engage in physical activity or polishing the performance of top-level athletes. Our sports coaching programme at BNU is unique to us and offers you the chance to gain exciting career opportunities both locally and nationally.
We make full use of combined industry and academic knowledge and the experience of our dedicated staff and partnerships within the public and private sectors to give you a cutting-edge and future-proof learning experience.
By studying this programme at BNU, you will be given the opportunity to gain externally recognised coaching qualifications in a variety of sports as well as gain work experience within local schools, colleges, sports clubs, and other community sport organisations, subject to a successful DBS check.
Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?
By studying this course with us, you’ll have the opportunity to look at athlete development and analysis when spending time in our state-of-the-art Human Performance Laboratory.
You’ll be given the opportunity to gain externally recognised coaching qualifications in a variety of sports as well as gain work experience within local schools, colleges, sports clubs and societies, subject to a successful DBS check.
Here at BNU, we always encourage you to get as much industry experience as possible. Our strong links with industry partners will enable you to seek volunteering and paid work opportunities. This, along with our practical approach to the course, will give you a deeper understanding of the professional environment and type of career that awaits you beyond graduation.
We also pride ourselves on the amazing opportunities we offer our students to start forming their own networks within industry. This means not only will you have access to first-hand accounts from those on the ‘front-line’ while you study, but you’ll also make priceless connections for when the time comes to jump into your first job.
We work with some incredible partners like the National Sports Centre at Bisham Abbey which is home to several governing bodies in sport, Leap (County Sports Partnership), Stoke Mandeville Hospital (the famous birthplace of the Paralympics), Reading Ladies Football Club and the National League basketball team, London United, to name just a few.
We also have a fantastic and lively student community for you to join, Our Students' Union was ranked 2nd in the UK in the National Student Survey 2022 and we offer a way to get involved in free societies, trips, social events, sports competitions and guest visits. We are only 30 minutes from London so perfect if you are planning to commute from home.
What facilities can I use?
Our Human Performance, Exercise and Wellbeing Centre includes our Human Performance Lab (HPL) and our Sports and Wellbeing Clinic.
Equipped for assessing the function and performance of a wide range of human physiological, biomechanical and psychological parameters, the HPL gives you the tools you need to succeed as you learn to use cutting-edge research tools for sport, exercise and therapy.
It includes an indoor three-lane running track, incorporating 3D motion-capture technology as well as advanced body and performance measurement devices. Our facilities will help you to enhance athletes’ performance through improved technique and assists with injury prevention and rehabilitation. This will give you a key understanding of what an athlete in the field expects to experience after your teaching and coaching.
We also have our Gateway gym, on our High Wycombe Campus, where you can benefit from great student rates. You’ll be able to get personalised help and advice from gym trainers, use a range of fitness equipment and choose from a wide range of exercise classes.
How will I be taught and assessed?
Our programme combines a theoretical and practical approach to teaching to meet your learning objectives. You will learn how to engage with the sports coaching industry in a variety of capacities at both the elite and grass-roots levels.
Assessment tasks are used as far as possible to link theory with practice, assessing knowledge and understanding alongside subject-specific skills as your modules are completed. Team working is incorporated into the programme to help you engage in more complex projects, getting you familiar with how you’ll work with colleagues in your future career.
Assessments are a mix of coursework, including essays and reports, and practical and authentic modes of showing your knowledge, including presentations, portfolios, team projects, lab practical’s, and the production and delivery of coaching plans. Some of the ways you will be assessed include:
- essays
- reports
- case study analysis
- presentations
- reflective writing and portfolios
- team projects
- lab sessions
- production and delivery of coaching plans

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.
What are the course entry requirements?
A typical offer will require a UCAS tariff score of: 88 - 112 (Full-time) or 32 - 56 (Foundation Year)
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.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
This course has Opportunity modules.
Opportunity modules are a key part of the BNU curriculum. You’ll choose modules in both your first and second year from a broad selection in areas such as sustainability, entrepreneurship, creativity, digital skills, personal growth, civic engagement, health & wellbeing and employment. Opportunity modules are designed to enable you to develop outside the traditional boundaries of your discipline and help you to further stand out from the crowd to future employers. Find out more.
You must choose 2 x 10 credit Level 4 Opportunity modules from the Opportunity module catalogue.
You must choose 2 x 10 credit Level 4 Opportunity modules from the Opportunity module catalogue.
You must choose 2 x 10 credit Level 4 Opportunity modules from the Opportunity module catalogue.
You must choose 2 x 10 credit Level 4 Opportunity modules from the Opportunity module catalogue.
What are the tuition fees
Home
Home, Academic Year 2023 - 2024
£9,250 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.
Many of our graduates go on to have careers as a PE Teacher, work in education or sports coaching and contribute greatly to society using the skills they gained on this pathway. Some students also enter community work or pursue other sports-related careers after graduation, and your career prospects are exciting.
Our pathway will help prepare you for a range of career possibilities, such as:
- community sports coaching
- performance sports coaching
- PE teaching
- sports development
- sports management and administration
Graduates can also choose to study for a postgraduate pathway, such as our MSc Sports Performance. In addition, our programme is structured in such a way that you will gain core skills that are transferable to a wide range of different teaching careers, giving you the confidence to succeed in whatever career you pursue.
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