Everything you need to know...
International/EU: £15,860 per year
Employability
93% of our graduates are in work or further study fifteen months after graduating (2019/20 Graduate Outcomes Survey).
Course summary
- Learn to coach in a variety of contexts and settings, with a range of different facilities.
- Explore and experience the world of work in a sports environment, either in the UK or abroad.
- Benefit from a teaching team who combine active coaching with coach education, employment and development experience.
On this course you’ll develop the skills to prepare you for a range of potential careers in sports coaching, whether in performance or participation-focused roles. You’ll learn the behaviours expected and needed for working in schools, sport governing bodies, and professional or commercial sport and physical activity settings.

Come to an open day
Find out more at our undergraduate open days. Book now for your place.
How you learn
All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.
You’ll learn how to coach children, adolescents, adults – or all three. You’ll gain the knowledge you need to design coaching sessions for long-term client development, evaluating their progress and adapting your coaching to achieve their goals.
You may also be able to work or study abroad with the possibility of funding through the Erasmus+ programme (until 2023) or the Turing scheme, and engage with our external partners to build your professional coaching experience.
You learn through
- group lectures
- small group seminars
- practical coaching, coach education sessions and workshops
- project supervision – exploring your interests by researching a range of topics
- field trips and external visits
Course leaders and tutors
Applied learning
Work placements
In your second year you’ll have the opportunity to plan a work placement – which takes place between your second and third year. Placements give you real-world experience, helping you develop personally and professionally to prepare you for your future career.
Previous students have worked in Sheffield and the wider South Yorkshire area – others have organised their placements further afield in the UK or abroad. These opportunities usually focus on the delivery of sport coaching, coach education or coach development. Recent international placements have included Fiji, Italy, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Thailand. Some students have even provided coaching for the US kayaking team and children in South African townships.
Live projects
You’ll be supported and encouraged to actively apply coaching practices while you’re at Hallam. With digital technology and observational analysis of your practice, you’ll explore your coaching style and working relationships with clients.
This could be either through our Hallam Active team or at a variety of local community-based organisations. These opportunities often support additional professional development, research or module assessments.
Future careers
This course prepare you a career in
- professional sport clubs, commercial sport providers or sport governing body organisations
- physical education roles in schools
- commercial organisations, delivering physical literacy or sport-specific programmes
- physical activity and strength & conditioning roles in universities, colleges or sport and leisure centres
- management of coaching teams or programmes
Where will I study?
You study at Collegiate Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
Collegiate campus
Collegiate Campus can be found just off Ecclesall Road, a bustling student district.
Collegiate Campus map | Campus facilities | Keeping safe on Campus

Collegiate library
Collegiate Library can be found just off Ecclesall Road. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEquipment and facilities
We have a number of world-class sports facilities, which our students have previously been able to take advantage of to gain real- world experience, including
- digital technologies
- a range of locations and facilities across Sheffield
Learn more about your department
Find out about the Sports and Physical Activity subject area at Sheffield Hallam University.
Entry requirements
All students
UCAS points
- 112-120
From at least two A levels or equivalent BTEC National qualifications one of which must be in Physical Education, Sport Studies or a Science subject (such as Applied Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology). We do not accept General Studies. For example:
- BBC at A Level including relevant subject(s).
- DMM in BTEC Extended Diploma in a relevant subject(s).
- Merit overall from a T level qualification with extra from core
- A combination of qualifications including relevant subject(s) which may include AS levels or EPQ.
GCSE
- English Language or Literature at grade C or 4 or equivalents*
- Maths at grade C or 4 or equivalents*
You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.
- Approved Access to HE Diploma in a sport science or science-based course. Normally we require 15 of the level 3 credits to be graded at distinction level with 6 of these distinctions from science units.
You also need to demonstrate an ability to
- study academic subjects at degree level
- debate topics and issues
- draw on conclusions from written material
- study independently as well as a member of a group
- use computers and technology associated with contemporary teaching, learning and assessment methods
- successfully complete a range of assignments including researched essays and practical examinations
This is normally achieved by completing academic study at level three or above in the last four years.
* GCSE English and mathematics equivalent
- equivalency test from www.equivalencytesting.co.uk
If English is not your first language you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
We strongly recommend that you tell us about any long term health conditions or disabilities you may have. This is so we can assess whether we can deliver the course in such a way that you can meet the course requirements and take part without disadvantage. You can contact our University student support staff on 0114 225 3964 (voice and Minicom) and explore any issues you may have.
Please note the University will only admit students who are aged 18 or over at the point of enrolment.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.
You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.
Year 1
Module | Credits | Assessment |
---|---|---|
Module: Coaching Active Lifestyles | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Practical |
Module: Developing Academic And Professional Practice 1 | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Module: Science Of Physical Education And Coaching | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Module: Scientific Application To Coaching 1 | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Module: Sport Coaching And Leadership | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Module: The Sport Coaching Process | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Year 2
Module | Credits | Assessment |
---|---|---|
Module: Applied Professional Development | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Module: Coaching Physical Literacy | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Module: Innovative And Inclusive Delivery | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Practical |
Module: Research Methods In Sport | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Module: Scientific Application To Coaching 2 | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Module: Society, Communities And Coaching | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Year 3
Module | Credits |
---|---|
Module: Placement Year | Credits: - |
Final year
Module | Credits | Assessment |
---|---|---|
Module: Project In Sport | Credits: 40 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Module | Credits | Assessment |
---|---|---|
Module: Analysis Of Performance | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Practical |
Module: Coaching Adult Communities | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework Practical |
Module: Coaching Children And Young People | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Module: Coaching High Performance | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Practical |
Module: Enterprise In Sport Coaching | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Module: International Sport Coaching | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Module: Strength And Conditioning | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Module: Talent Development | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Practical |
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time undergraduate study in 2023/24 is £9,250 per year. These fees are regulated by the UK government and are therefore subject to changes in government policy. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
† If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2023/24 is £15,860 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.

Financial support for home/EU students
How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.
Additional course costs
This link allows you to view estimated costs associated with the main activities on specific courses. These are estimates and, as such, are only an indication of additional course costs. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
Additional costs for Sport and physical activity courses (PDF, 233.7KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.