The course provides students with a choice of content - including the chance to study areas that interest them in their dissertation and placement. Also during the Top-Up course, students will complete a research project on the topic of their choice. This helps build a student’s research skills and may help students progress to further study such as teacher training, masters level or PhD level study. Indeed, in recent times students have presented their research at national conferences on topics such as coaching philosophy, anxiety in sport, confidence in sport and youth coaching practice. Alongside all of the above, students will have opportunities to acquire additional qualifications such as coaching ‘badges’ and gym instruction qualifications that will help to make students employable across the sport sector. Furthermore, student sport is thriving at UoC and coaching and sport development students will have opportunities to play, coach and manage university teams.

The course focuses on the coaching and development of sport, blending academic rigour and vocational skills. It consistently links up-to-date theory with practical skills. Specifically, students will explore how coaches ‘plan, deliver, and evaluate coaching sessions’. Students will also gain knowledge of ‘what to coach’ by examining the technical and tactical aspects of a range of activities such as team sports, individual sports, outdoor activities in the Lake District and aesthetic activities such as dance or gymnastics. Students will use this knowledge to deliver coaching sessions to children, strength and conditioning sessions, and analyse the performance of athletes in the sport of their choice. The course also helps students explore the development of sport. Students will examine how organisations such as local councils, governing bodies of sports such as the FA, schools, and clubs can develop both coaches and sport in general. Furthermore, students will examine how communities can use sport to address issues in education, health, crime, and social inclusion. Indeed students have the opportunity to organise sport events that achieve these aims such as fun runs, tournaments, and coaching programmes. Small group sizes mean individual attention and personalised learning. The diverse range of content included in the course means students can study the topics they are interested in. The programme includes a 100-hour placement in the area of your choice, such as a professional sports club, school, sport development office, or national governing body. Students will have many opportunities to use their knowledge by working with a range of participants. These include children from local schools, community groups such as elderly people, and athletes while on placements. In the past students, have completed placements at a range of organisations such as: * Premier league football clubs, * Sports camps in the United States, * County cricket clubs, * Primary, secondary, state, independent and special educational schools * National governing bodies of sport e.g. Football Association * Local authority sport departments * Gyms and leisure centres