Football Coaching (With Foundation Year)

This course prepares you to work as a skilled coach across a variety of football settings. You learn a range of coaching skills to help you deliver and plan training sessions; evaluate performances; implement improvement strategies; and put your learning into practice in football-related scenarios. There are also opportunities for placements, including with our official Education Partners, Luton Town FC.

Foundation Year
Whether you’re returning to learning and require additional help and support to up-skill, or if you didn’t quite meet the grades to pursue an undergraduate course, taking a Foundation Year can provide a fantastic entry route to a degree-level qualification. The Foundation Year supports you to build up your academic writing skills and numeracy while exploring a range of subject-specific content so you are fully prepared for the core three-year course. You will need to successfully complete the Foundation Year to progress on to the first year of your degree.

Course accreditation/industry endorsement
We increase the employability of our graduates by being a Higher Education Partner of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA). You also have the opportunity to gain a free CIMSPA qualification in Gym Instruction.

Facilities and specialist equipment
Purpose-built strength and conditioning facility
Free gym and Olympic weight room
Sports arena
Multi-use games areas
Sports therapy and rehabilitation MSK centre with a sports injury clinic, open to staff, students and external athletes/clients
Sports massage rooms
Industry-leading performance-analysis equipment, including a Nacsport camera system, In-Play Sports online performance analysis and Catapult GPS system

Career-powered links
We are official Education Partners of Luton Town FC and Bedford Blues RFC as well as other sporting organisations in the region such as Bedford Tigers RLFC, MK Dons, Cricket East and Be Active, giving you opportunities to build your employability through work placements. Our partnership with Luton Town Football Club opens up opportunities for work experience; behind-the-scenes involvement and observation; guest speakers and masterclasses; and field trips to matches and training sessions.

Your student experience
Learn from academics who are practising coaches through a combination of lectures/seminars, field trips and practical experience – including on-site events management operations.

Gain valuable work experience at our Human Performance Centre, which offers testing to sports people, teams and the public for fitness, flexibility and body composition assessments.

Take up opportunities for placements at local football organisations and non-league football clubs as well as coaching opportunities with local schools.

Take part in behind-the-scenes tours and match-day experiences to football clubs such as Luton Town FC and MK Dons.

Extend your learning through guest speakers. Recent speakers include Jack Cassidy, first-team assistant coach at Aalborg BK in the Danish Superliga; Scott Hazard, co-founder of In-Play Sports; Frank Fry (alumnus), academy coach at Peterborough United FC; Kyri Zavros (alumnus), Head of Coaching, Bloomsbury Football.

Field trips include St George’s Park, Burton-on-Trent, the home of England Football, and football clubs around the country.

Our Bedford campus is a small, thriving academic community where academic staff get to know you well.

Benefit from the support of your own personal academic tutor who will guide and support you throughout your student journey.

Course modules

This four-year degree begins with a Foundation Year.

Throughout the core three-year degree, you undertake placements in a range of settings. To prepare you for your final-year dissertation, we also include two units focused on building your research skills: Introduction to research methods (Year 1); Research methods for sport, exercise and physical activity (Year 2).

Your subject-specific units are:

Year 1
Working in sport and physical education – An overview of the sector, its challenges and career options. Introduction to football studies – Explore key areas like performance analysis, player development and new tech. Sport in action: management – Learn how to manage and lead in sports environments. The football industry – Discover how football has evolved and become a global cultural force. Foundations for football coaching – Start building the skills to become a great coach.

Year 2
Social psychology of sport – Understand how and why people behave as they do in sport settings. Performance analysis – Learn how to analyse performance and give individual feedback. Applied football coaching – Boost your coaching skills through hands-on workshops and real-life scenarios. Football development – Explore how young talent is spotted and nurtured around the world. Football in the community – Deliver a case study using a community-based placement experience. Football governance – Understand how the football industry is run, from top clubs to grassroots. Dissertation preparation – Sharpen your research skills and prepare your proposal.

Year 3
Applied sport and exercise psychology – Practise using psychological strategies to boost performance. Work experience – Apply your coaching skills in real settings. Work placement project – Complete a project based on your placement. Advanced football coaching – Deepen your game knowledge and support skills. Coaching alternative populations – Inclusive coaching to meet a range of needs. Performance analysis for football – Use performance-analysis tools to give feedback. Long-term player and coach development – How to help players and coaches grow over time. Dissertation – Conduct original research in your chosen area.

We make every effort to ensure the course information given here is accurate. However, for the most up-to-date information, see our website.