Gain hands-on experience in coaching, leadership, and physical education, tackling real challenges and building skills like communication, problem solving, and team management.

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UCAS Code

Start Date

September 2027

Location

Pontypridd

Campus Code

UCAS Points

International students: £17,600*

September 2026

Home students: £9,790*

International students: £17,200*

In this section

* Overview

* Course Content

* Teaching and Assessment

* Career Prospects

* Entry and Fees

How to apply Register for open day

## Course Overview

Graduate ready to make an impact in sport, schools, and communities.

From day one, you’ll get practical experience, working on real projects in coaching, PE, and sport leadership. Learn from industry experts, build your skills, and graduate confident, career-ready, and connected to the wider sports world.

This course gives you the chance to explore all kinds of community sport, connecting with people from every background who are keen to get moving and take part in fun, active experiences.

### Endorsements

Image: CIMPSA

Endorsed by CIMSPA Coach Professional Standard and CIMSPA Physical Literacy Technical Specialism.

## Why study this course?

### Level up your skills

Work alongside leading National Governing Bodies, with real placement opportunities and built-in qualifications to get you ready for a career in sport.

### Train in next-level facilities

Push your limits in a purpose-built sporting space - from a specialist strength and conditioning centre to a full-size indoor 3G pitch.

### Launch your career in sport

80% of our graduates are working or continuing their studies within 15 months - get ready to take your next step.

## What you'll study

[Button: Year One][Button: Year Two][Button: Year Three]

Build core coaching, PE, health and sport‑leadership skills.

Explore foundations of coaching, sports development, inclusive PE and managing sport, gaining the essential knowledge needed for work in schools, clubs and community sport.

## Foundations of Coaching

Begin your coaching journey by developing the knowledge, practical skills, and confidence to lead effective sessions. Plan, deliver, and reflect on inclusive coaching while shaping your identity and preparing for real-world experience.

## Sport Development in Action

Explore how sport shapes communities, inclusion, and social change. Learn how policies, pathways, and professional practice support participation, progression, and impact, while building the knowledge and skills needed for a career in sport.

## Managing Sport

This module develops your ability to manage and deliver sport in community settings, covering governance, resource and facility management, event planning, and participant engagement, while building professional skills and reflective practice.

## Fundamentals of PE, Health & Wellbeing

This module develops your knowledge and skills in PE, health, and wellbeing, helping you design inclusive, engaging activities, create resources and campaigns, and build confidence to inspire lifelong physical activity in young people.

Advance your coaching practice, learn how sport drives social change, develop inclusive PE and school‑sport delivery, and build leadership confidence through applied modules focused on real‑world sport and community impact.

## Applied Coaching

Drawing on your growing coaching experience, this module helps you apply coaching theory in real-world settings, plan inclusive sessions for different participants, and develop your coaching identity through meaningful reflection.

## Sport for Development

Examine how sport drives social change locally and globally. Learn to design, deliver, and evaluate inclusive programmes, tackle inequality, and develop the ethical, practical, and professional skills to make a real impact.

## Leadership and Organisational Practice

Develop the leadership and management skills needed to succeed in sport. Learn to communicate, build relationships, tackle real-world challenges, and reflect on your professional practice while shaping your identity in the industry.

## Inclusive Physical Education and School Sport

Build advanced skills in inclusive PE and health education by planning, delivering, and evaluating lessons. Apply evidence-based strategies, reflect on your practice, and develop the confidence to inspire lifelong activity and wellbeing.

Refine advanced coaching, strategic sport development and innovative PE practice while gaining high‑level leadership and change‑management skills, preparing you for professional roles across sport, education and community sectors.

## Advanced Coaching

Develop your coaching skills by applying theory in real-world settings, designing inclusive sessions, adapting to diverse participants, and reflecting on your approach, building the confidence, insight, and professional identity needed to coach effectively.

## Strategic Sport Development

Discover how politics, strategy, and planning influence sport in the UK and around the world. Learn how organisations make decisions, manage change, plan effectively, and increase participation and performance.

## Transforming Sport Leadership

Explore how strategic leadership and planning shape sport. Learn to build stakeholder relationships, lead teams, drive high performance, and use research to evaluate impact, innovate, and improve practice across sport organisations.

## Innovative Teaching in Physical Education

Advance your skills in PE, health, and wellbeing by designing and evaluating innovative, technology-enhanced interventions. Apply research-informed practice, tackle contemporary challenges, and develop leadership and reflective skills to drive positive impact.

We regularly review our courses to keep pace with changing skills and employer needs. If a review leads to significant changes, we’ll contact you to explain what’s changing for the coming year.

## Teaching and Assessment

## [Button: How you’ll learn ]

You’ll dive into sport coaching and development through a mix of hands-on workshops and flipped learning. Each week, build your knowledge with pre-session videos and digital resources, then hit campus to tackle real-world challenges in collaborative, problem-solving activities. From simulations to guest speakers, you’ll actively apply what you learn, developing the skills, confidence, and creativity to lead, innovate, and make an impact in community sport.

## [Button: How you'll be assessed ]

You’ll be assessed through tasks that are practical, real-world, and designed to build your skills. Early on, you’ll complete structured activities to learn the basics, then move on to bigger projects that test your leadership, planning, and problem-solving. Assessments include practical delivery, simulations, team projects, and reflective tasks, all with clear guidance so you know what’s expected.

Each task helps you apply what you’ve learned, gain confidence, and develop the skills you need to work in sport and community coaching. By the end, you’ll be ready to step into the workplace and make a real impact.

## [Button: Placements ]

In years two and three, you’ll step straight into work placements where you can put your skills into action. Thanks to USW’s vast partnership connections, alongside internal opportunities through the USW Active programme, you’ll experience the day‑to‑day of the sport industry, tackle real challenges, and build the hands‑on experience employers value. It’s your chance to get moving, make an impact, and see first‑hand what a career in sport really looks like.

## [Button: Facilities ]

The course is based at USW Sport Park, just a few miles from the Pontypridd Campus. This purpose-built performance hub caters to a wide range of sports, featuring a specialist strength and conditioning centre with 12 lifting platforms, a full-size indoor 3G pitch built to FIFA Pro and World Rugby 22 standards, six grass football pitches, three grass rugby pitches, and a large changing pavilion.

Our facilities are used by top international teams, including the Wales national football team, Newport County FC and touring rugby squads from New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia - giving you a true taste of elite-level sport.

### Course Leader

### Tony Wallis

Tony brings over 25 years of experience across professional football, community sport, and higher education. A former Cardiff City FC professional player, he progressed into football and sport development roles with the FAW Trust and Caerphilly County Borough Council, later becoming Wales’ first Competitions Organiser Officer and moving into strategic leadership within sport development. Alongside industry roles, he has also taught in FE colleges before completing an MA in Sports Management & Leadership.

Tony joined USW in 2016, becoming a Senior Lecturer and Course Leader. His expertise spans community sport, leadership, PE, and the wider sporting landscape.

Email Tony

## Career Prospects

A degree in Sports Coaching and Physical Education prepares you for a people‑focused career in a fast‑growing sector where no two days are the same. You’ll graduate ready for active, hands‑on roles that combine leadership, communication, planning and problem‑solving, skills that employers value well beyond sport.

### Your future career

The course equips you to work across schools, clubs, community organisations and private sport providers, with opportunities to progress into senior, specialist or self‑employed roles. Whether you want to coach, teach, lead programmes or run your own sport‑related business, you’ll develop practical experience and transferable skills that support long‑term career flexibility (CIMSPA, 2024). Potential career paths include:

Teaching

Sports Coaching (Youth, Performance or Community)

Community Sport Development and Leadership

Sport Leadership and Management

Sport Entrepreneur and Self‑Employment

96% of USW Sport graduates are in work or further study fifteen months after graduating from USW.

Graduate Outcomes Survey 2022/23

Image: A football graduate in a black jacket and hat trains players, holding a green cone on the pitch.

> "I learned so much about coaching and development that I could apply in my own work."

Billy Liptrot, Sports Coaching and Development graduate

### Salary expectations

A Sports Coaching and Physical Education degree can open opportunities across the sport sector. Sport careers offer strong earning potential:

Median wage

UK: £31.4k per annum

Wales: £29.8k per annum

Total jobs in 2025

UK: 644,306

Wales: 26,817

### Industry partners

Industry partners provide real-world challenges, expert insight, authentic assessments, and placement opportunities across schools, sport organisations, and NGBs. Their ongoing feedback shapes curriculum content and professional standards, ensuring students gain applied experience, sector-relevant skills, and clear pathways into teaching, coaching, and sport development careers.

## Entry Requirements

### Additional

The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.

An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check on the Child Workforce and Child Barring List and subscription to the DBS Update Service is required. (Overseas equivalent required for non-uk applicants).

### Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

How to apply Contextual admissions policy Ask us a question

112 UCAS points or above

#### Typical qualification requirements

A Level:

BBC to include a Science subject or PE and to exclude General Studies

Welsh BACC:

C in the Skills Challenge Certificate and BB at A Level to include a Science subject or PE but to exclude General Studies

Distinction Merit Merit in a relevant subject

Access to HE:

Pass the Access to HE Diploma in Sport/Science with a minimum of 112 UCAS tariff points

T Level:

Pass (C and above)

### International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages .

International students Pre-Sessional English

### English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 4 overall and a minimum of 4 in each component or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages .

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages .

## Fees and Funding

UK Full-Time Fee £ 9,790

per year

Fees and funding Scholarships and bursaries Cost of living support

## [Button: Further information ]

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.

We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

## [Button: Additional costs ]

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment. *Obligatory

Enhanced DBS Check*

Students are required to complete a placement that is relevant to the course. Placement and on-campus sport delivery to children will require an Enhanced DBS. £66

DBS Updating Service*

Subscription required for each year of the course for a yearly fee of £13. Please note the service has to be joined within 30 days of receipt of your enhanced DBS certificate. £13

Placement*

Students have to pay travel and subsistence costs for their placement. Cost is dependent on placement location.

International Full-Time Fee £ 17,200

## What sets us apart?

Top in Wales for quality in Sport Science.

Guardian University Guide 2026

Top university in Wales and 24th out of 123 universities in the UK.

Guardian University Guide 2027

Image: Three USW students walking outside of Cardiff Campus - Atrium

10 subjects ranked in the Guardian University Guide 2027 Top 10, including two at #1.

2nd in Wales for Graduate Prospects on track.

Complete University Guide

Image: Three students studying in a pod in the library at Cardiff campus

Top in Wales for new business startups and 7th in the UK.

## How to apply

All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS

You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time).

* ### Sports Coaching and Physical Education

* Full-time, 3 years

* September

* Pontypridd

Apply direct

## Advanced entry

If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.

Applicants accepted through advanced entry may study a different combination of modules to those advertised, as they will be joining a course already in progress. You will be contacted and advised about these modules once your application has been processed and an offer made.

## International admissions

International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.

* Learn more

* Application toolkit

## Explore our facilities

Image Get a feel for life at USW Sport Park. Play video

## Sport facilities

Step into a high-performance sport environment, from elite pitches and advanced labs to a fully equipped strength and conditioning suite. Everything here is designed to help you train, test and perform at your best.

Image Play video

## Sport Park virtual tour

Our full-size indoor 3G pitch is built to the Fifa Pro standard and guarantees training all year round. We are the only university in England and Wales to offer this facility.

We also have a notational analysis suite and over 30 acres of playing fields. We have a sand-dressed 'AstroTurf' pitch, as well as a full-size FIFA approved 3G pitch. Our facilities are regularly used by international teams, such as the Wales national football team and Cardiff City Football Club.

Learn more

## Student Stories

> "I was hoping to gain experience and knowledge within the coaching and development field, and it fulfilled all my expectations. Balancing playing sport and my studies was tough at times; however, with assistance from my teachers, I was able to get through it and ensure my work remained at a high level."

Max Roberts Sports Coaching and Development graduate

View student profile

> "I had gained knowledge from coaches I’d worked with in the past, as well as developing my own ideas about coaching, but I wanted to build on this with more knowledge and confidence to help me reach the next level. This course helped me to develop the skills I needed to achieve my goals."

Billy Liptrot Sports Coaching and Development graduate

## Ready to apply?

* Apply via UCAS

* How to apply

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