Coaching: Sport and Fitness
Wrexham University
UCAS Code: FDSF | Foundation Degree in Science - FdSc
About this course
Why choose this course?
Our FdSc sports coaching degree has been designed to offer our students a hands-on approach to learning coaching skills and approaches whilst incorporating our outstanding geographical location within North Wales.
The course:
- provides you with all the necessary skills and insight required to work within the sports and fitness industry
- involves collaboration with external partners to help ensure you leave us with a CV bursting with number of recognised awards and qualifications
- helps you to get that first foot on the employment ladder.
- *is part of a subject area rated 2nd in Wales for satisfaction with teaching in the Sports Science subject league tables, The Guardian University Guide 2022.
leads onto the enrolment of 1-year top-up if you choose to continue, which will provide you with a full BSc (Hons) qualification.
Key course features:
- The programme has additional, free of charge, integrated qualifications embedded within it: Level 2 Gym Instructor, Level 3 Personal Trainer, Hudl Sportscode - - Scripting Levels 1 & 2, Leaders Awards and Level 1 qualifications in numerous sports and activities as well as basic operating qualifications.
- The programme offers real-world opportunities to experience the workplace
- The programme is taught by lecturers from a wide range of backgrounds who are experienced, applied practitioners (from sports coaches to analysts, psychologists, and physiologists) and researchers within the fields of sport and exercise.
- Study in a British Association of Sports and Exercise Sciences (BASES) accredited laboratory.
- Field trips to explore the sport and fitness challenges within North Wales.
- Cutting-edge technology including our strength & conditioning suite and human performance lab to support your understanding and enjoyment of the topics covered.
- We have an excellent support and personal tutor system to ensure students are supported throughout their studies.
Collaboration with external partners ensures students can leave us with a CV bursting number of recognised awards and qualifications, helping to get that first foot on the employment ladder.
Modules
What you will study
The FdSc degree is initially made up of a two-year study programme, with the option after the FdSc is completed to enrol on a 1-year top-up. Completion of the top-up year will provide students with a full BSc (Hons) qualification.
LEVEL 4 (YEAR 1)
In this year students are introduced to all the elements associated with sport and fitness. Students gain an understanding of the link from theory to practice across a range of disciplines including Coaching, Strength and Conditioning, performance analysis and aspects of psychology and physiology. You will have 36 hours of contact time per module.
MODULES
Fitness and Conditioning for Sport (20 credits) This module aims to provide you with an overview of strength and conditioning training methods. You will also develop your knowledge and coaching skills during practical sessions.
Analysing Performance: Making a Difference (20 credits) This module aims to provide you with an overview of performance analysis and how the use of it can utilise time and talent more effectively.
Understanding the Coaching Process (20 credits) This module aims to help you understand the elements that go into making a good coach and considers how the coaching profession has been driven forward through innovative research into the discipline around how people learn and communicate.
Outdoor Pursuits (20 credits) This module aims to provide opportunities to experience outdoor pursuits and how they are organised and delivered.
Fundamental Skills in Sport (20 credits) This module aims to provide opportunities for students to assess a range of sport/fitness environments, to examine the characteristics that sport requires of its participants, regardless of level.
Academic Discovery within the Sports Sciences (20 credits) This module investigates qualitative and quantitative approaches to researching sport science disciplines
LEVEL 5 (YEAR 2)
MODULES
Fitness and Conditioning Methods in Practice. (20 credits) This is an applied module with embedded industry qualifications. Taking a holistic approach to fitness and conditioning, you will explore a range of training methods from the position of both participant and fitness/strength & conditioning coach.
Analysing Performance: Technique Impacting Tactics (20 credits) This module provides students with an opportunity to explore the use of performance analysis techniques within sport and fitness to promote tactical and planning development, through improving baseline technical qualities.
Becoming a Coach (20 credits) This module encourages the student to examine the pedagogical issues faced by sports/fitness coaches whilst reflecting and evaluating their own practice.
Delivering Outdoor Pursuits (20 credits) This module offers the experience of delivering non-traditional sports, identifying similarities and unique features that outdoor activities present.
Coaching Environments (20 credits) This is a negotiated module that requires the student to identify a sport of their choice. The student will then immerse themselves within the environment to understand how things operate and the systems that support this operation.
Academic Discovery - Building Strong Research Ideas (20 credits) This module aims to educate students on carrying out research from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective. Students will gain insight into different research methods and analyses whilst also starting to create an idea for final year dissertations should they choose to move on to Level 6.
There is an option to stay with us for an extra year to graduate with a BSc (Hons) undergraduate qualification.
The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the programme that will take the form of either core or option modules. Modules are designated as core or option in accordance with professional body requirements and internal academic framework review, so may be subject to change.
Assessment methods
Teaching & Assessment
Teaching and Learning
Wrexham Glyndŵr University is committed to supporting our students to maximise their academic potential and the introduction of our Active Learning Framework (ALF) helps deliver this commitment. Grounded in the University’s values of being accessible, supportive, innovative, and ambitious, ALF will support flexible learning that makes the best use of spaces on Campus together with digitally enabled learning opportunities designed to be accessed anytime, anywhere as appropriate. In addition, ALF embodies ways of teaching and learning that create and support a sense of belonging for students – critically important for us as a university that prides itself on being a supportive community.
Incorporating everything mentioned above, our teaching will use a combination of face-to-face and online techniques. There are practical elements across all years that may include off-campus trips to environments that facilitate the learning experience. On average, students will receive 16 hours of taught content through the delivery of ALF per week.
In addition, the university offers workshops and support sessions in areas such as academic writing, effective note-making and preparing for assignments. Students can book appointments with academic skills tutors dedicated to helping deal with the practicalities of university work. Our student support section has more information on the help available.
In terms of particular needs, the University’s Inclusion Services can provide appropriate guidance and support should any students require reasonable adjustments to be made because of a recognised prevailing disability, medical condition, or specific learning difference.
Assessment
A wide range of assessment methods will be used to test your knowledge and understanding. This includes essays, portfolios, practical sessions, reports, presentations, online discussions, and case study evaluations. You will be assessed on your ability to describe, explain, and analyse sport / fitness coaching concepts. This will be achieved through the investigation of previously published research, individually collected field-based data and specialist computer software and equipment.
If Level 6 study is taken, your time with us culminates in the submission of an independent Learning opportunity (dissertation project), in an area that supports your future aspirations.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Wrexham (Main Campus)
School of Social and Life Sciences
What students say
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Sport and exercise sciences
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Sport and exercise sciences
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
One of the fastest growing subjects in the country, the number of sports science graduates went from under 3,000 in 2003 to over 10,000 in 2013. Numbers have fallen slightly since 2015, but we still have over 9,000 graduates in the subject. However, the good news is the country's appetite for good health and fitness - and the adaptability of graduates in the subject - means that sports science grads are less likely than average to be out of work. Sports science graduates, not surprisingly, tend to get jobs in sport, fitness and health - coaching and teaching especially - but they're found all over the economy. Management and business are also popular options for graduates from this subject — and sports science graduates are particularly found where drive, determination and physical fitness are an advantage.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Sport and exercise sciences
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£23k
£23k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Explore these similar courses...
Lower entry requirements
Nearby UniversitySame University
Higher entry requirementsThis is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Course location and department:
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
