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You are in: Home > Courses > Sports Development and Coaching
Sports Development and Coaching BA(Hons)
UCAS code: C603
Fact File
Location Stoke Campus
Course Length
Full-time normally 3 Years
Part-time up to 8 Years
Fees and
Bursaries
Standard undergraduate fees
(more about fees and funding)
Course Start October
Entry
Requirements
Undergraduate entry requirements
We welcome applications from people with a variety of
qualifications, skills and experience. Applicants are
individually assessed. However, a typical three A level or
BTEC National Diploma offer will be 240 UCAS tariff points.
Application Via UCAS
Summary
This degree is for people who love sports development and coaching and want to gain the experience,
knowledge and skills required to give you the best chance of succeeding in your chosen career. The UK
in particular has seen a significant growth in sport, and you will have the opportunity to examine issues
and gain valuable work experience related to the policy and practice of sports development and coaching.
Here at Staffordshire University, we know the importance of making our graduates competitive in the work
environment, so as well as undertaking vocationally orientated work experience in your final year, you are
also given numerous opportunities to develop your coaching skills further by gaining governing body
accredited awards in a large number of sports. Outside of the playing environment, your academic and
transferable skills will also be greatly enhanced through the opportunities we offer. For instance,
employers all recognise the importance of writing and researching effectively, presentations and group
work all of which are opportunities that are available across the first, second and third year in this award.
Course content
Whats great about this award is the opportunity, at first, to not only broaden your knowledge and
understanding of sports development and coaching but to also enhance your subject knowledge across a
number of other disciplines including sport sociology, sport policy and sport management. To recognise
the importance of this, a broad programme of compulsory material at Level 1 (including more practically
based modules) provides the foundation of skills and knowledge required for development and
specialisation at later levels. At Level 2 the core modules develop your knowledge base further and are
designed to give you a greater depth of the sporting environment.
One of the key attractions of this award is the part-time placement opportunity students undertake in their
final year (running over the two semesters) whereby you will gain valuable vocational experience in an
area of potential employment of your choice. In terms of strengthening your employability further, as part
of your final year you also have to complete a dissertation project which can focus on any area of sports
development and coaching. Thus, by undertaking both of the above, you can direct a large part of your
final year towards the area of employability you feel passionately about.
Teaching and Learning
The Sports Development and Coaching award aims to develop in students an ability to apply research in
the social sciences to the policies and practices within the sports development and coaching context. The
Sports Development and Coaching award aims to produce students able to employ strategic planning
and development planning skills in analysing, understanding and addressing the development needs and
intentions of sports organisations. The final level placement may require CRB approval.

A range of learning and teaching strategies will be employed to suit the various types of learner, and to
meet the needs of the specific learning outcomes of the modules. Typically the Sports Development and
Coaching award modules employ lectures that are supported by smaller-group seminars, workshops and
coaching practicals which are led by experienced staff. Students are actively engaged in these sessions.
Students are also given independent learning activities. Where appropriate, student learning is supported
by materials, tasks and activities, which are provided via a virtual learning environment. The balance of
lecture to tutorial/seminar/practical time is a deliberate attempt to allow theoretical and generic knowledge
taught in lectures to be given context and meaning in real-world scenarios, which are achieved through
the use of case studies (Marketing and Sport Policy level 5), research data (Social, Cultural and Historical
Aspects of Sport level 5), the students' own experience (Employability modules at levels 4, 5 and 6) and
discovery learning or experiential approaches (Coaching and Teaching in Sport level 4).

There are 3 levels of study for the BA Sports Development and Coaching award: Level 4, 5 and 6 as
indicated in the Award structure. There will be a shift over these three levels to promote independent
learning. In level 4, students will receive a high level of direction in the identification and solving of
problems given during tutorial and practical time.

In level 5, students will still receive a high level of direction in problem identification but will notice a
greater emphasis on student-led problems and solutions. In level 6, students will receive less direction in
identifying the key aspects of presented problems and will be encouraged to develop their own solutions
to these problems (Personal and Professional Development module at level 6). The Award is designed so
that skills and knowledge gained in core modules (Coaching, Management, Policy, Sociology, Research
and Employability) can be transferred, applied and developed within other modules both within and
between levels. The modules which focus on developing students research skills and enhancing their
personal success, require students to meet with tutors regularly, and in which Personal Development
Planning (PDP) will be incorporated will ensure that students are constantly reflecting upon, adapting and
enhancing their learning. Tasks which link to `Employability will be strongly featured in many learning
activities, requiring reflection upon key skills which prepare students for, and enhance their contribution
to, the world of work. Students will be strongly encouraged to seek work experience and reflect upon the
skills being developed. Students will be enabled to gain valuable vocational experiences throughout their
award.

The widening of access to programmes by students of an increasingly varied educational background,
which includes mature students, has focused tutors to consider innovation in the learning and teaching of
students for the Awards. Applicants with disabilities and learning needs will be identified and counselled
as to the reasonable adjustments that can be made to learning and teaching to ensure that they achieve
the Award outcomes.
Assessment
A range of assessment methods will be used throughout the three levels to assess the learning
outcomes. Students at each level will be required to complete a variety of sports specific assignments.
Students will be assessed in their ability to, for example, demonstrate competency in applying relevant
sports coaching techniques (Coaching and Teaching in Sport at level 4) (practical), give oral
presentations (UK and Global Sport in Development at level 6), write essays (Social, Cultural and
Historical Aspects of Sport a level 5 module), analyse sport specific movements (Acquisition, Analysis
and Coaching of Sports Skills at level 5), write reports (Placement: Sports Development and Coaching at
level 6), and work under examination conditions (Social, Cultural and Historical Aspects of Sport a level 5
module).

A matrix of assessment methods has been mapped to the modules. The mapping exercise has been
completed to ensure that a range of appropriate assessment procedures will be utilised, and to ensure a
balance of coursework and practical work. The learning outcomes, learning, teaching and assessment
methods for each module will enable students to achieve and demonstrate the BA Sports Development
and Coaching Award learning outcomes, plus Staffordshire Graduate characteristics.
While the curriculum has been designed to allow a degree of flexibility, assessments at level 6 are
generally focused more on the application of theories and techniques developed in levels 4 and 5 to real
world practical contexts. The research and enhancing personal success strand at level 4 and 5 will allow
for the teaching, development, assessment, reflection and self improvement of transferable skills. At level
6 each student will be required to conduct an independent piece of work (Personal and Professional
Development module at level 6) suitable to the demands and context of the award.
Employment Opportunities
The purpose of this Award is to produce graduates with critical and in-depth knowledge of current issues
relating to sports development and coaching. The Award provides the necessary theoretical underpinning
and practical competencies for individuals to work professionally in this developing area. The Award
requires students to study general subjects within sport and exercise, which underpin sports development
and coaching (such as coaching, policy, management and sociology) as well as developing key
transferable skills. These skills are embedded in the Staffordshire Graduate attributes and developed
within the research and employability modules at levels 4, 5 and 6.

The Placement module at level 6 requires 150 hours of experiential learning at a placement host. This is
a key module in developing and demonstrating a readiness for the world on employment.

Opportunities are available to undertake national governing body coaching awards in a variety of sports.
These are increasingly important to enable the demonstration of coaching skills by attaining recognised
qualifications. Students are strongly encouraged to undertake a range of these awards whilst studying for
their awards. The need for these qualifications will be indentified through the employability modules and
the use of PDP.

Students gain employment in a variety of professions from coaching, to teaching and employment in local
authority leisure providers. A number of students have demonstrated their enterprise skills by developing
their own coaching businesses. These skills were developed as part of their award. The award also seeks
to develop a global perspective and recognition of the nature of the global economy.
Key Features
Vocational placement in a work environment
Opportunity to gain numerous coaching badges
Combine both academic and practical study
Downloadable course guide
Read Sports Development and Coaching course information (PDF, file size: 354.95KB)
What students' say
As part of my degree I have gained an understanding of the management and development aspect of
modern sports as well as developing my coaching knowledge. Creating sports development proposals
has motivated me to explore the careers involved within this area.
Ben Hanford-Sadik (2008 Graduate)
Where next?
This vocationally orientated degree and the transferable skills it develops is designed to prepare you for
employment in the sports development and coaching industry, as well as a whole variety of graduate
careers, including teaching. Graduates are often found in sport development positions at local authorities,
coaching positions across a range of sports and teaching positions where students followed the PGCE
route.
Have you also considered?
Sports Studies
Contact
For more information about Sports Development and Coaching (C603) please contact:
Enquiries
Customer Contact Centre
Cadman
College Road
Stoke on Trent
t: +44 (0)1782 294400
e: enquiries@staffs.ac.uk
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