Sports Coaching with Physical Education BA (Hons)

Buckinghamshire New University

This course has a shared first year across multiple specialisms. After your first year, if you want to study a different specialism you can choose to change between Sports Coaching with Business, BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching with Community Health and Physical Activity, and BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching with Performance Sport.

Why study at BNU?

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.

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.

What will I study?

Sports coaching with physical education combines both a theoretical and practical approach to teaching to suit your individual 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 specialism introduces focus on the PE curriculum and pedagogies and can offer a route towards your external teacher training and coaching qualifications.

Career Prospects

We’re proud of our consistently high employability rate for our social work graduates. We have close relationships with a range of Local Authority employers, and many of our graduates work with them now. We offer a recruitment event in your final year where you’re able to meet with employers to explore the next steps in terms of your first year of newly qualified status. Our employer partners are very keen to ensure that they provide opportunities for our successful graduates every year.

We also encourage you to start networking in your final year placement, which is often a springboard to future employment. We recognise that your journey to becoming a Social Worker does not simply end with graduation and we strive to provide a clear path from your education to your new career. When you graduate, you’ll be eligible to apply for professional registration with Social Work England (SWE) and your degree can also be recognised and accepted in other countries around the world.