Sports Coaching places you at the forefront of coaching practice. Apply your skills and experience to real world contexts across the UK and abroad.
Course Overview
Our programme supports the strategic objectives outlined in the UK Coaching Framework.
This framework is our challenge and it enables us to produce postgraduates with a high degree of knowledge and understanding to innovate in their own practice. You’ll apply new skills in real world contexts across professional and amateur sport.
You’ll gain knowledge of leadership, communication, pedagogy, allied sport sciences and relevant management principles, all whilst working in an environment relevant to your developmental needs. The programme can be completed full time in one year or part time over 2-3 years.
The School has strong links with a large number of sports organisations, including professional sports teams, public and private sector sports providers and grassroots sports clubs. We regularly invite guest speakers from industry to speak on this course.
This represents a valuable opportunity for you to meet potential employers and learn about life in the sports industry. Guest lectures have been delivered by representatives of Wigan Warriors Rugby League Club, Bolton Wanderers Football Club, Blackburn Rovers Football Club, Lancashire Football Association, The Rugby Football League and Preston City Council.
The MSc Sports Coaching course also benefits from a number of unique opportunities. Within the School there are strong links with the University’s Institute of Coaching and Performance (ICaP). The School is also responsible for the delivery of the  PGDip in Elite Coaching  (UKCC Level 4 Coach Education: Pentium Group). As both ICAP and PGDip are central to the School, there are a number of opportunities to share current research and practice from within the elite coaching environment.
Why study with us
- You can either study on Campus one day per week or take a more flexible approach and study online with the support of a tutor and online resources.
- Learn about life in the sports industry through guest lectures - representatives from Bolton Wanderers Football Club and Wigan Warriors Rugby League Club are just some of our speakers.
- The course team have a wealth of experience both within academia and in the sports industry and you’ll be taught by academics who are actively researching and publishing.
Module overview
• Analysis of Coaching and Performance
• Dissertation for Sport
• Research Methods for Sport
• Philosophy to Practice
• Contemporary Practice for Sport
Course delivery
This course is taught face-to-face at one of our UK campuses.
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.
Future careers
Our graduates have gone on to gain positions within the public, private or voluntary sector of sport in a range of coach, coach development, coach education, coach mentoring, management and academic roles.
Examples of roles from our past graduates include:
- Lecturers at FE/HE colleges: Myerscough College, Burnley College, Accrington and Rossendale College.
- Football Coach / Coach Educator: Beijing International Junior Football League.
- Norwich City Community Sports Foundation: Football Coach.
- Head Coach Great Britain & England men's hockey team.
- Performance Analyst: Preston North End Football Club / Blackburn Rovers Football Club / Fleetwood Town Football Club.
- Cricket Coach at Twenty20 Cricket Company
- Multi Sports Coach/Sports Co-ordinator for National Deaf Children Society.
- Head Swim Coach / Coach Educator – North West Swimming.
- National Player Development Manager, Rugby Football League.
- England Regional Performance Coach with The Rugby Football League.
- Lecturers at UCLan / Salford University.
- PhD students at UCLan.
Scholarships and bursaries
We have a wide range of scholarships, bursaries and funds available to help support you whilst studying with us.
Learning and assessment
The full-time MSc in Sports Coaching course is a 12-month programme comprising of three parts. The first two parts are the taught element (running in semester 1: September to January and Semester 2: January to April) and the final part is the research element (Master Dissertation running May till August).  
The taught element focuses on key aspects of sports coaching, where you are required to complete a reflective profile of evidence regarding personal and professional development.  For full-time students, the taught element is normally completed over a 12-month period starting at the end of September. Part-time students will normally attend on a half a day per week basis and complete the taught element in two years. Students who complete the taught element of the programme, in part or in its entirety, may graduate with either a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in Sports Coaching.
Students wishing to complete the MSc in Sports Coaching must complete the research element. The research element culminates with a dissertation. Full-time students will normally complete this in the four months (May-August) that follow the taught element, whilst part-time students will complete at the end of their second year (May-August) or during a third year of study (as required).
All face-to-face delivery will use several types of media to encourage learning. There will be seminars, debates, practical workshops and problem-based learning. This will be supported with some electronic learning activities and resources. Those who choose the blended mode of delivery will be taught through a combination of interactive electronic learning activities and face-to-face delivery on residential blocks, eg weekends.
The use of guest speakers on the course is designed to facilitate networking opportunities for you to meet with potential employers.
Every effort will be made to apply theory to practice, and in some cases, practice to theory. There will be a requirement for independent learning throughout the programme, culminating in a dissertation.
Pathway opportunities
A number of our graduates progress into roles in local county, city council sport development programmes or sports management positions.
A high proportion of students also progress onto teaching and support roles in secondary, FE and HE institutes. Some students progress into support roles at high performance sports clubs as coaching staff and performance analysts. A suitable progression would also be into a research role, such as PhDs and professional doctorates.
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