Course Overview
The BA (Hons) Sport and Physical Education is designed to prepare you for a career delivering sports education to children and young people, either as a PE teacher, sports coach or working as a teaching assistant.
The course will help provide you with the knowledge and experience required for a successful application to teacher training. Throughout the course you will be given the opportunity to work with local schools and coaching organisations. You will also benefit by having access to the University’s modern, well-equipped human performance laboratory.
What will this course cover?
This course combines both the practical and theoretical study of the techniques and skills involved in the teaching and learning of sport, and how to respond to the changing demands of physical education. You will develop knowledge of the fundamentals of physical education and youth sport, including applied coaching, child development, pedagogical skills, sport and education policy and practice, and sport science.
More placements, more choices
Bucks is a Placements Plus university. So, whatever degree you do, you can be sure there’ll be plenty of industry-relevant opportunities on offer, to help you get into your chosen field.
We’ll also prepare you for work beforehand, with special skills for work training, further boosting your CV, and building skills employers will value. In recognition of the value we place on these skills we have incorporated this experience into your study time.
Placements Plus is all about helping you get some valuable experience under your belt while you’re a student. To increase your choices later, and help you get the graduate-level job you want.
Course Details
UCAS CODE: SPPH
The BA (Hons) Sport and Physical Education is practice-based and you will be taught through a combination of; practical classes, workshops, lectures and seminars with a contemporary focus on pedagogy in coaching and physical education. Through the coaching studies module you will also have the opportunity to gain National Governing Body qualifications in a variety of sports. There will also be opportunities for you to apply for work experience within local schools and colleges, sports clubs and societies to enhance the development of practical skills and teaching capabilities.
You will explore the national curriculum at primary and secondary school level and be involved in the full range of curriculum areas including major games, dance and outdoor and adventure activities so that you will have a complete background to move onto PGCE teacher training or be a community sports coach.
Assessment is 100% course work which includes; essays, reports, case study analyses, presentations, portfolios, and reflective writing. There will also be on-going assessment of transferable skills such as session planning and delivery and adaptation. Collaborative working is incorporated where appropriate to enable you to engage in more complex projects which will also be assessed.
What are the course entry requirements?
A typical offer will require a UCAS Tariff score between 80-104 points and GCSE Maths and English at grade C/4 or above. A minimum of two full A-levels (or equivalent) is required. Every application is considered on an individual basis.
For further details of our international English entry requirements, please visit our international pages.
Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements for the three-year undergraduate programme, or those who do not feel fully prepared for a degree course, can apply for a four-year programme including a Foundation Year; find out more.
Course Modules
Module Map
This module map provides a list of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
The modules available on this course are as follows:
Year 1 Modules
- Applied Sport Field Study
- Introduction to Sports Coaching
- Teaching in dance
- Human Anatomy
- Introduction to Physical Education
- Games in Sport and Education
- Human Sciences for Physical Education
- Sport and Society
Year 2 Modules
- Sport Diversity and Wellbeing
- Applied Physical Education
- Foundations of Biomechanics
- Coaching and Athlete Development
- Child Development and Learning
- Research in Sport and Exercise
- Energy and Nutrition
- Outdoor Education
Year 3 Modules
- Dissertation
- Contemporary coaching issues
- Psychology of physical education and youth sport
- Professional Development and Employability
- Contemporary issues in Physical Education
- Skills Acquisition and Learning
- Strategies in Youth Sport
Fees
How much does it cost
Full Time Home and EU, Academic Year 2021-2022: £9,250 per year
Full Time International, Academic Year 2021-2022: £13,750 per year
Most courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees.
You could benefit from financial support through a bursary or scholarship during your time as a student. For more details visit our financial support, bursaries and scholarships section.
Questions about fees?
Contact our Enquiries Team:
0330 123 2023
advice@bucks.ac.uk
How do I apply?
For application details please visit bucks.ac.uk/applying-to-bucks
Teaching team
Student Testimonials
Our students are our best ambassadors and their voices here will provide you with a clear sense of their Bucks experience.

Paul Fitzgerald
I love the course. It’s everything I thought it would be. I’m 36-years-old and have come back to education as a mature student. Having been out of formal education for so long it’s been great to come back in to it and feel comfortable. The lecturers have been very good and the facilities are excellent. I live in Aylesbury so the University is local to me and convenient. I am a personal trainer and retraining to become a PE teacher and this course should help equip me ideally for that profession.