You will study a range of modules which focus on the key aspects of sport, coaching and physical education.
- In Year 1 students will start the development of the critical skills required to become an expert academic practitioner. It provides the initial learning focus that requires you to demonstrate your written, verbal, practical and presentation skills in all modules as preparation for year 1 and 2.
- In Year 2 you will have greater opportunities for choice and specialisation, directly reflected in the variety of modules and relevance of assessment types offered. The abilities to compare, contrast, reflect and relate concepts are evaluated. These are assessed through more challenging tasks and greater connectivity between academic, vocational and professional insights.
- In your final year you will need to demonstrate your ability to work independently with a focus on more research oriented work. You will be given all-important opportunities to cope with working under supervised conditions.
Study modules
Throughout the course you are guided by your academic adviser to ensure that your module choices give you the best opportunities for future employment in your chosen field. Students wishing to progress into a teaching or coaching career are encouraged to take the more practical modules. Students hoping for a career in other aspects of sport are encouraged to choose from a range of theoretically and practically informed specialisms.
As courses are reviewed regularly, the module list you choose from may vary from that shown here.
Year 1 (level 4)
First-year modules include introductions to the main themes within the degree programme, allowing you to gain insight into sports development, coaching and management.
Typical modules include:
- Sport Pedagogy
- Coaching: Practice to Theory 1
- Skill in Sport: Learning and Mechanics
- An Introduction to the Sociology of Sport
- Academic and Research Literacy
- Exercise Physiology and Anatomy
- The Sports and Exercise Practitioner
- Effective Coaching Practice
Years 2 and 3 (levels 5 and 6)
Second-year modules offer breadth of choice with topics such as sociology, psychology, physiology and pedagogy further developed. In the final year the focus is on advanced research and applied modules. You will be expected to develop links with local sports clubs, coaches and schools in order to collaborate on innovative projects. Honours modules give you the opportunity for in-depth research in areas of your choice.
Typical modules include:
- Research Methods for Sport and Health Sciences
- Coaching: Practice to Theory 2 (double)
- Work Experience
- Global and Cultural Studies in Sport
- Professional Practice in Sport Coaching
- Principles of Training for Sport and Exercise
- Sports Psychology
- Sports Development
- Sport and Exercise Biomechanics
- Applied Sport and Exercise Physiology
- Applied Sports Psychology (double honours component)
- Advanced Social Theory in Sports Coaching (double honours component)
- Independent Study in Sport and Health Sciences (honours component)
- Project/Dissertation (double honours component)
- Advanced Coaching Practice (double honours component)
- Integrated Approaches to Training and Performance (double honours component)
Work placements
Our degree has a compulsory, work experience oriented, teaching and learning strand across all three years. This combines lectures and workshops where students look at the range of careers within the sports sector, practise applying for jobs and shadow locally identified professionals. They will be immersed in work-based observation, placement opportunities and work-based analysis as part of this process.
Recent work placements have included working alongside the coaching team at Oxford United FC, supporting athletes funded by TASS (the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme), and placements in local school PE departments.
“The Inside Track” is a new initiative to match experienced industry-based mentors (within and outside of sport, coaching and teaching in both the private and public sectors) with final-year students to be encouragers, supporters and guidance providers as they prepare for immersion in the world of graduate-level work.
Study abroad
The University offers the opportunity to go on a European or international study exchange while you are at Brookes. Most students opt to go on exchange in the second year and are responsible for the organisation of such opportunities in conjunction with the relevant University department.
Studying abroad provides an amazing opportunity to add value to your studies by:
- increasing your employability within an international market
- boosting your language skills
- building your confidence in adapting to new situations
- improving your knowledge of different cultures.
While on exchange you will gain credits which count towards your degree.
We have more than 100 partner universities around the world. Funding is available through the Erasmus scheme, and also via some international programmes such as the Santander Student Awards.
There is also a European work placement programme which gives you the chance to work abroad as part of your studies.
Free language courses for students - the Open Module
Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
- studying at a Brookes partner college
- studying on any of our teacher education courses or postgraduate education courses.
Attendance pattern
Students are required to attend for two 12-week semesters. This normally means their studies are concluded by mid-May, freeing them to undertake experiential learning in sport and coaching worldwide.
Programme changes
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published
on the website. For more information, please visit our
Changes to programmes
page.