Physical Education and Youth Sport Coaching BSc(Hons)

Select the year

2026-27

2027-28

Start Dates

21 September 2026

Duration

3 years full-time

UCAS Tariff

112-104

Recent Awards For Excellence

Find out more about these awards

About this course

Overview

There is an increasing emphasis on physical education and youth sport coaching to meet a range of agendas, including developing a sporting nation by increasing participation, performance, and an active lifestyle.

This degree will help you to develop a critical and practical understanding of sport coaching, physical education, sport management and development, sport analysis, and sport science. The course adopts an innovative and flexible approach to the curriculum design, emphasising the need to meet the changing demands of Physical Education and Sport Coaching professions.

You’ll learn by studying a combination of teaching and coaching pedagogy (how people teach/coach and learn), child development and maturation, performance analysis, safeguarding, and the psychology of coaching.

Innovative and unique approaches to teaching and coaching will be applied, including the importance of inclusive practice, teaching and coaching styles, and the need for individualisation. You’ll also be taught the skills required to critically reflect on your own delivery.

Contemporary issues in physical education and coaching will be explored, examining motivations and barriers to participation for children and young people with different abilities and from different backgrounds, focusing on equality, diversity, and inclusive practice.

Why study Physical Education and Youth Sport Coaching BSc(Hons)

You’ll explore pedagogical and coaching practice in practical lectures using the sports hall facilities and specialist equipment in our dance studios, fitness suites, and sport science labs. This will support your learning to coach and teach children and young people effectively. You’ll work on a range of projects which can be transferred into employment, and visiting expert practitioners from a range of national, regional, and local teaching and coaching organisations will also share their knowledge and experience with you.

The course is delivered by a team of highly experienced and enthusiastic Physical Education and Coaching practitioners, committed to ensuring a quality experience that will provide you with the tools to become an effective and employable graduate. You’ll take part in lectures, seminars, practical workshops and work placements, gaining valuable experience in primary and secondary schools and other sport or physical activity settings. In addition, you’ll gain real-world experience through a work placement in your second year.

Through exploring physical education and youth sport coaching you’ll have opportunities to develop interpersonal qualities that will allow you to apply your knowledge in a variety of sporting career pathways. These include effective communication, presentation skills, critical -reasoning, problem -solving, and reflective practice. The qualities and experiences gained on the course will put you in a strong position to apply for teacher training and postgraduate study.

Progressing from this course, you may wish to apply for an Initial Teacher Training course leading to Qualified Teacher Status to work as a primary or secondary teacher or pursue further study in other areas, including sports performance, strength and conditioning, performance analysis, sports coaching, or sports development. Alternatively, you could work as a sports coach at recreational and elite level, in sports marketing and hospitality, as a sports performance analyst, or working for organisations including the Youth Sport Trust and Yorkshire Sport Foundation, as well as private sport providers.

This course is endorsed by Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMPSA), which enables you to meet industry-recognised standards and gain qualifications within your degree which are recognised by major employers. Whilst studying the course you can also apply for annual student membership of CIMSPA at a cost of just £5 per student (an 83 per cent saving). This provides access to e-learning, work placement, volunteering, job opportunities, and more. On successful completion of the course, you’ll be eligible to apply for CIMSPA graduate membership.

Who can apply?

Entry Requirements

BBC-BCC at A Level.
112-104 UCAS tariff points from a combination of Level 3 qualifications.
DMM-MMM in BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma.
Pass at T level with grade C or above on core.
Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits at Merit or above.
112-104 UCAS tariff points from International Baccalaureate qualifications.

No specific subjects are required but subjects including Physical Education, Sports Studies, Sport Development and Coaching, Psychology, Health-related or Science subjects (Applied Science, Biology, Physics, Chemistry) provide a good foundation for our Sport degrees.

Applicants will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prior to commencing the course, because prior convictions may preclude working with young people.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

Other suitable experience or qualifications will be considered. For further information please see the University's minimum entry requirements.

What will you learn?

Course Details

Two branches of science, anatomy and physiology provide the foundation for understanding the body’s parts and functions. You'll be supported to develop an underpinning knowledge and understanding of the human body systems that are of most relevance to sport, exercise and health, as well as homeostatic control and how this relates to the pathophysiology of disease.

Biomechanics is the study of the forces acting on and produced by the body. You'll be supported to develop an understanding of the academic and practical skills required of a sport and exercise scientist, providing you with knowledge to interpret biomechanical principles that govern human motion. Biomechanics is one of the key sport and exercise science disciplines recognised by British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences.

In this module you'll explore the specific roles of the coach in the context of youth sport. You'll be provided with opportunities to develop practical skills including communication and demonstration skills. It will also help you gain an understanding of underpinning principles of coaching including models of youth development, positive youth development through sport, and coaching styles.

This module will explore your understanding of pedagogical approaches in physical education (PE) and school sport and their differences and similarities. You'll investigate the most effective methods for delivering high-quality, student-centred PE, developing healthy, confident and motivated learners. You'll have the opportunity to put theory into practice through practicals, lectures and teaching sessions in schools, reflecting on your own and others’ delivery. You’ll explore innovative ways of teaching that make it comprehensible and exciting. The module will look at the National Curriculum for PE and provide an insight into current issues and initiatives, including what constitutes a high-quality PE lesson.

This module focuses on establishing an understanding of the research process and developing the academic skills required to progress in higher education and successfully complete the course. You'll examine essential areas such as essay and report writing, referencing and the use of Summon in searching for information. You'll explore concepts of research design and the research process and you'll identify where support can be accessed to enable academic progression. This module will also introduce key concepts in Professional Practice to support future career goals.

This module will raise your awareness of current legislation, policies and procedures which exist to keep children and young people safe in sporting contexts. It emphasises the knowledge, skills and qualities required to work with children, young people as well as National Governing Bodies and other organisations involved in protecting children. You’ll explore broader safeguarding concepts (such as PREVENT in the context of sport).

Children and adolescents are not simply ‘mini-adults’, thus physiological responses to exercise are different from adults. This module aims to describe, understand and critically evaluate the processes of growth and development in children and adolescents, as well as the potential impact of these on health and performance. You'll explore the physiological function, the benefits and risks, including common injuries of participating in sport and exercise, as well as development models.

This module helps you gain the knowledge and practical skills required to effectively coach youth sports across various competition levels. You'll explore key coaching principles, holistic coaching practices, ethical considerations and investigate key challenges in youth sport. You'll also examine how climates created by key social agents, for example coaches, parents and peers can impact athletes, along with an understanding of how video analysis can be used to evaluate how you coach.

This module aims to develop your awareness and understanding of the pedagogical social, and cultural foundations of teaching practice. It will assist your understanding of teaching and learning theories and models in PE and school sport, helping you to develop a critical appreciation of their value to lifelong learning and participation. You'll have the opportunity to lead practical sessions for your peers and within various school environments, furthering your knowledge of the National Curriculum for PE at all key stages. The focus is on the child and young person being at the heart of learning, regardless of their learning context.

In this module you'll explore psychological principles of coaching, learning and factors that affect the acquisition, performance and retention of sport skills in novice, expert or elite athletes. It will aid in your understanding of movement skills and help to develop your pedagogic and coaching practice. You'll learn how to profile a performer, whilst developing an understanding of skill acquisition theory and the processes involved in executing, transferring, retaining and learning physical skills. Using these exemplar theoretical and pedagogic principles, you'll also have an opportunity to practice these methods to facilitate your understanding.

This module will help you further develop the skills and knowledge of research methods you learnt in Year 1, supporting you to produce a more considered research proposal for your final year project. You'll focus on the applications of research methods to different kinds of problems, allowing experiential learning to take place. This will help you to become better equipped to undertake your own research and offer a critique of the research of others.

This module provides the opportunity to gain work experience in an industry placement and develop an understanding of the core purpose and management of the organisation. You’ll complete 100 hours on placement where you'll identify, develop and maintain a role as a working member of the team, appreciating the rights and responsibilities of yourself and the organisation.

You'll have the opportunity to develop practical research skills by investigating a specific aspect of sport, exercise or nutrition by reviewing the most up-to-date research literature available. You'll produce a project, which will be individually negotiated with a university appointed supervisor and, in some cases, an employer or work-based supervisor who will provide ongoing support. All research projects will be approved by the University’s School Research and Ethics Panel.

In this module, you'll critically examine key principles and practices in youth sport. You'll explore young people’s participation across the sports development continuum and critically analyse the role and behaviours of a coach at all levels. The demands of coaching elite youth athletes will be considered from practical and theoretical perspectives. You'll also explore transitional stages affecting participation and progression in youth sport. Key issues for youth athletes will be investigated and the role of the coach in supporting and managing the athlete.

This module explores the role of sport and physical education (PE) within the lives of children and young people. The module evaluates global perspectives and explores issues affecting children and young people in sport and PE. You'll critically appraise some of the most significant themes and issues in contemporary society. From a UK perspective, the module also explores political, social, and economic factors that influence children and young people’s participation. You'll critically examine current issues affecting all levels of participation from foundation to elite, as well as consider how sport and PE may evolve to meet the needs of changes in society.

In this module you’ll focus on developing your own teaching style and philosophy by delivering and reflecting on practical sessions to your peers and in the school environment. You’ll explore and critique different methods of assessment within Physical Education (PE) and how they should be embedded throughout a high-quality curriculum. You’ll also explore the importance of assessment and how it can be used to ensure learners make progress and improve their attainment, and the relationship between schemes, units of work, and lesson planning. You'll also have the opportunity to appraise quantitative and qualitative assessment tools used within PE.

In this module you'll explore the skills required to lead a project within the Sports, Physical Education and School Sport (PESS) or Health industries. It aims to build on previous knowledge gained from disciplines you have studied, examining sport, physical education (PE) or health project management from conception to evaluation. You'll also understand the importance of applying the theory of the benefits of sport, exercise or PE and school sport to the practical side of developing a community initiative.

Teaching and Assessment

Discover what to expect from your tutor contact time, assessment methods, and feedback process.

Global Professional Award

At Huddersfield, you’ll study the award-winning Global Professional Award (GPA) alongside your degree* — so you’re ready for the career you want, whatever subject you choose.

Interested in a placement?

Placements

The course includes a compulsory 100-hour work placement in your second year, in an appropriate environment, helping you to relate theory to practice and develop skills in a real work context. The teaching staff have developed excellent links with local employers and can provide assistance in finding a suitable placement.

Previous placement providers have included strength and conditioning, professional sports clubs (performance analysis and sport science support), primary and secondary schools, further education colleges, local authority sport development and physical activity units, research assistants, and private physical activity and sport providers. The University also has strong links with local professional sports clubs, so there may be opportunities for you to work with these athletes, for example Huddersfield Town FC and Huddersfield Giants.

Find out more

I coached two basketball teams and delivered afterschool activities in local schools on my work placements. They provided the opportunity for me to apply what I have learnt at university to a real-life situation. It also highlighted my strengths and areas I could improve.

- David Jane
Studied Sport and Physical Education BSc(Hons)

Where could this lead you?

Your Career

Previous graduates from the Division of Sport, Exercise and Public Health have gone on to work in education, research, teaching, community and social services in organisations including the NHS (Dietetic Assistant), Huddersfield Giants RLFC (Community Development Officer), Halifax RLFC (Performance Analyst), Barnsley Council (Senior Public Health Officer), Kirklees Active Leisure (Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor), Huddersfield Town FC (First Team Performance Analyst), Liverpool FC (Academy Fitness Coach), Everton FC (Lecturer and Coach), Manchester United (Sports Performance Analyst), Leicester City FC (Women's First Team Performance Analyst), Project Sport (Sports Coach) and Nuffield Health (Performance Lead).

89.6%
graduates from the school of Human and Health Sciences were in work or further study 15 months after graduation

* HESA Graduate Outcomes 21/22, UK Domiciled

How much will it cost?

Fees and Finance

£9,790 per year

This information is for Home students applying to study at the University of Huddersfield in the academic year 2026/27.

Please note that tuition fees for subsequent years may rise in line with inflation (RPI-X) and/or Government policy.

From January 2027 the UK government is launching a new student funding system for people starting university education. Read more about the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE).

For detailed information please visit https://www.hud.ac.uk/study/fees/

£17,600 per year

This information is for international students applying to study at the University of Huddersfield in the academic year 2026/27.

Please note that tuition fees for subsequent years may rise in line with inflation (RPI-X) and/or Government policy.

For detailed information please visit https://www.hud.ac.uk/international/fees-and-funding/

If you are competing at a regional or international level you could be eligaible for a Sports Scholarship:

Performance Netball - University of Huddersfield

Performance Basketball - University of Huddersfield

Scholarships and Bursaries

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What’s included in your fee?

We want you to understand exactly what your fees will cover and what additional costs you may need to budget for when you decide to become a student with us.

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If you have any questions about Fees and Finance, please email the Student Finance Team.

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What does the univsersity offer?

Gallery

Teaching experience in our on-site sports hall

Sports coaching student demonstrating correct technique to athletes

Coaching the correct technique to athletes

Student peer teaching and learning how to instruct

Halifax FC pre-season testing with sport students

Plyometric testing with professional footballers

Halifax FC Players carrying out VO2 Max Testing

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Facilities video

Students Lily and Rohaan provide a tour of the state-of-the-art facilities and equipment you'll use when studying a course in Sport, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at the University of Huddersfield.

Halifax FC pre-season testing

Our Physiotherapy and Sport students collaborated with academics, technicians, and FC Halifax Town to deliver a comprehensive pre-season testing event. This invaluable experience supported player performance and rehabilitation while providing students with hands-on experience with professional athletes.

Complete PE Partnership

Our partnership with Complete PE gives students hands-on experience that bridges theory and practice. Industry experts at Complete PE deliver sessions within the Pedagogy strand, while students gain hands-on experience developing inclusive resources, particularly for SEND pupils, which enhances students employability and prepares them for real impact in teaching and coaching.

Ethos Academy Trust Partnership

Our partnership with Ethos Academy Trust provides students with specialist training to support young people with SEND. Through trauma-informed and attachment-aware teaching, students learn to recognise, understand, and respond to trauma, developing the skills to make a real impact in education and sport.

Why Hud

Explore the unique opportunities and resources that make our institution a top choice for students seeking a well-rounded and future-focused education.

Explore Huddersfield

Make Huddersfield your home. A Yorkshire town, surrounded by beautiful countryside, with easy access to neighbouring cities; Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield. You’ll find plenty of places to eat, drink, shop and socialise, there’s ambitious plans for future development. Our campus is situated next to the town centre - making your commute a breeze.

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Your Student Experience

Get involved in great opportunities helping you to make friends from all across the world and create lifelong memories. Join one of over 100 societies with the Students’ Union, experience new cultures through global events, earn whilst you learn and build your skills via our Global Professional Award.

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Budget Friendly

Huddersfield is not only one of the friendliest towns, it also offers you a lower cost of living than most big cities. This means you could have more money to spend, making your uni experience even better. On campus you’ll also find plenty of facilities and services to help you budget and make your money go further.

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Sustainability Matters

We’re committed to sustainability and aim to be carbon neutral by 2030. Our plan includes reducing emissions, enhancing biodiversity, and improving wellbeing through sustainable buildings. We’re investing in digital solutions, low-impact travel, and embedding sustainability into teaching and research, investing over £1m in carbon reduction.

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Committed to Your Future

Since 2015, we’ve invested £198 million to create spaces where you can learn, collaborate and thrive. We’re continuously investing in our campus with your wellbeing in mind—adding features that make our buildings healthier, more supportive and better places for you to succeed.

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Careers support

We know you’re coming to university to study on your chosen subject, meet new people and broaden your horizons. However, we also help you to focus on life after you have graduated to ensure that your hard work pays off and you achieve your ambition.

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Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you’ll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you’ll soon discover that you’re never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey.

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Teaching Excellence

Great teaching is engaging and inspiring — it helps you reach your full potential and prepares you for the future. We don’t just teach well — we excel — and we have the awards and recognition to prove it.

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Inspiring Academics

Our researchers carry out world-leading work that makes a real difference to people’s lives. Staff within the Department of Allied Health Professions, Sport and Exercise may teach you on this course.

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Research Excellence

You’ll be taught by staff who want to support your learning and share the latest knowledge and research.

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Accommodation

Looking for student accommodation? Huddersfield has you covered. HudLets has a variety of accommodation types to choose from, no matter what your preference. HudLets is the University’s approved accommodation service, run by Huddersfield Students’ Union.

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Further Study

If you want to continue your learning beyond your undergraduate degree, there is a range of financial support available for postgraduate study, including discounts for Huddersfield graduates.

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Legal information

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons:

Changes to a course you have applied for but are not yet enrolled on

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment. We may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and if you are unhappy with the change we will discuss with you other suitable courses we can transfer your application to. If you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

Changes to option modules

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have an equivalent range of options to that advertised for the course. We will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes

We will only make major changes to non-optional modules on a course if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that substantially changes the outcomes, or a significant part of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum. For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators or a commissioning or accrediting body. We may also make changes to improve the course in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback or to ensure you are being taught current best practice. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff being unable to teach due to illness, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to pandemics, other disasters (such as fire, flood or war) or changes made by the government.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but may happen sooner in an emergency. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will consult with affected groups of students and any changes would only be made in accordance with our regulations. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you let us know before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for any additional tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so and you may be eligible for an exit award depending on how far through your course you are.

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed in accordance with the student protection plan.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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Physical Education and Youth Sport Coaching BSc(Hons)

Overview

Why choose Huddersfield for this course?

Accreditation and Professional Links

Why study Physical Education and Youth Sport Coaching BSc(Hons)

Entry Requirements