Sport Coaching and Physical Education (with Placement year)

Explore sport coaching, physical education, sport management and development in an inspiring environment in the heart of Cambridge.

• Study on a leading Sports Science course – ranked second in the UK and 17th in the World (Shanghai Rankings 2023).

• Learn from supportive staff who are applied teaching and coaching practitioners, informed by evidence-based theory.

• Develop critical, theoretical and practical skills in our specialist labs.

• Bring the world of work to life through Live Briefs; designed and developed with regional employers to give you exposure to ‘real world’ problem-solving.

• Learn with experts - 100% of our Sport Science research is recognised as internationally significant (REF 2021).

• Study on an industry-approved course – endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity and members of the International Council for Coaching Excellence.

• We’re delighted to be Cambridge United Football Club’s Official Education Partner which supports opportunities such as work experience at the club or volunteering with the Cambridge United Foundation.

Do you dream of being the great coach behind a great athlete? Or to inspire children through engagement with sport and physical activity? Or maybe you would like to have your say in the policing of sport and in the development of athletes? Work towards all these and even more careers at our Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences.

As a Sport Coaching and Physical Education student at ARU, you'll have access to amazing opportunities: you can use specialist labs accredited by the Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (CASES), gain safeguarding and coaching qualifications, and get first-hand experience working with schools and sports clubs.

We know that you want to learn from professionals, so our staff members include elite athletes and coaches who will be teaching you not just based on their academic knowledge, but also from their hands-on experience. As a graduate of our industry-endorsed degree, you'll be ready to work in the UK’s rapidly growing sport and fitness industry or to continue your learning journey to postgraduate study. Find out more about our approved and accredited courses.

By choosing to study BSc (Hons) Sport Coaching and Physical Education at ARU, you’ll be choosing an applied course that is embedded in real-life experiences and focused on getting you career-ready.

Our degree course is packed with opportunities to complete work placements in local schools and sports clubs. Moreover, you'll have the chance to gain unique work experience with organisations such as Living Sport and Cambridge City Council, who run community sports projects for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. You can also apply to internship programmes with professional sports teams.

In the final year of your Sport Coaching and Physical Education degree, you'll be offered a unique opportunity to complete a real-life research and development project immersed in industry. Our previous students have taken advantage of work placements in places such as Meldreth Primary School, Stephen Purse Foundation Senior School, Cambridge United Football Club, and University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Together, we’ll explore sport development, applied coaching pedagogy (how people teach and learn), athlete development, sport physiology and the psychology of sport coaching. You’ll learn how to use your knowledge as a leader, teacher and a sports coach – and to work safely, ethically and confidently on your own, or as part of a team. To do this, you’ll use state-of-the-art facilities including exercise testing and human movement labs, and a strength and conditioning suite. Within the Sport Coaching and Physical Education course you’ll be assessed via non-examination methods such as assessments, presentations and a research project.

And to top it all off, there’s financial support for talented athletes.

Year 1:
Multidisciplinary Sport and Exercise Science 1 (30 credits)
Introduction to Sport Coaching and Development (30 credits)
Multidisciplinary Sport and Exercise Science 2 (30 credits)
Practical Delivery of Sport and Physical Education (30 credits)

Year 1 optional module:
CIMSPA Level 2 Gym Instructor

Year 2 core modules:
Advanced Topics in Sport Psychology (15 credits)
Applied Research Skills (15 credits)
Analysing Performance in Sport (15 credits)
Applied Teaching and Coaching (15 credits)
Sport Development (15 credits)
Ruskin Module (15 credits)

Year 2 optional modules:
Strength and Conditioning (15 credits)
Nutrition for Health and Exercise (15 credits)
Perceptual Motor Skills (15 credits)
Applied Performance Analysis (15 credits)
CIMSPA Level 3 Personal Trainer

Year 3:
Work Placement (120 credits)

Year 4 core modules:
Talent Identification in Sport (15 credits)
Coaching Philosophy and Ethics (15 credits)
Mentoring and Learning in Coaching (15 credits)
Strategic Sports Management (15 credits)

Year 4 optional modules:
Undergraduate Research Project (30 credits)
Advanced Work Placement (30 credits)
Exercise Medicine (15 credits)
Contemporary Issues in Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology (15 credits)
Performance and Exercise Nutrition (15 credits)
Advanced Strength and Conditioning (15 credits)
Applied Sports Psychology (15 credits)

Throughout the course, we’ll use a range of assessment methods to help you and your tutors measure your progress. We’ll assess you throughout each year, meaning that we can help you stay on the right track.

You’ll complete exams, practical skills tests, presentations, scientific reports, data-handling exercises, case study critiques, computer assessments and a research project on a topic of interest.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• BASES, British Association of Sports and Exercise Sciences
• The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity