University course · real outcomes from HESA / Discover Uni · part of Careermash

University degree

Adventure Performance and Coaching

University of the Highlands and Islands

Qualification

Degree

Length

4 yrs

UK fees / yr

£9,250

Study

full-time

Worth knowing: about 30% of students don't make it past first year here - ask the uni what support they offer.

Robin · your guide

Here's the honest picture on this course - what you'd study, whether you'd likely get in, what it pays, and where it leads. Everything's real data.

About this course

Adventure performance and coaching sits at the intersection of outdoor education, sports science and coaching practice, addressing how people learn, develop and perform in challenging natural environments. The field has grown significantly as adventure sports and outdoor pursuits have expanded in participation and professional sophistication, and there is now a substantial body of knowledge around how to coach effectively in these demanding contexts, how to optimise performance under physical and psychological stress, and how outdoor experience can be used as a vehicle for broader personal and educational development.

At the University of the Highlands and Islands, this four-year programme is delivered in one of the most naturally suited environments in the United Kingdom for outdoor and adventure activity. You will develop your understanding of the scientific and practical dimensions of coaching, including how the human body and mind respond to challenge and exertion, how coaching relationships are formed and sustained, and how performance is developed over time in outdoor sports contexts. The programme combines academic study with practical fieldwork and activity-based learning, placing your professional development within the landscapes of the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

Graduates in adventure performance and coaching typically pursue careers as outdoor education instructors, adventure sports coaches, physical education teachers, community sports development officers and youth workers. The programme also prepares you for roles in activity centres, outdoor learning providers, mountain leadership and expedition guiding. Many graduates go on to professional coaching qualifications or postgraduate study in sport and exercise science, education or coaching science, building on the foundation the degree provides.

The combination of performance knowledge and outdoor expertise is increasingly relevant as wellbeing, outdoor learning and mental health provision expand as professional fields.

Could you get in?

The grades students arrived with

<48 pts10%

64-79 pts10%

96-111 pts10%

112-127 pts10%

128-143 pts10%

144-159 pts20%

160-175 pts10%

How they qualified

60% got in with A-levels. The rest came in a mix of ways:

A-levels60%

other higher education40%

Other5%

Could I get in? Try your grades

120 UCAS pts

Pay & prospects

80%

In work or further study after

70%

Continue past first year

81%

Student satisfaction

What graduates earn over time

£22,500

After 15 months

£18,000

3 years on

£23,500

5 years on

What graduates actually go on to do % of leavers

Sports and fitness occupationsHighly skilled30%

Elementary occupations15%

Managers, directors and senior officialsHighly skilled20%

Sales occupations5%

Engineering professionalsHighly skilled5%

Process, plant and machine operatives5%

Teaching and Childcare Associate ProfessionalsHighly skilled5%

What students say National Student Survey

81%

of students are satisfied with the course overall

Teaching80%

Assessment & feedback81%

Academic support77%

Well organised71%

Learning resources90%

Student community88%

In students' own words

★★★★★

Would do it again

The programme genuinely lives up to its reputation. The best part: the opportunity to do independent research in the final year is a highlight. If I'm honest, some seminar groups were too big for meaningful discussion. On the city — the cit…

Postgraduate · Full-time

★★★★★

Genuinely worthwhile

The course has exceeded my expectations. The best part: the course strikes a good balance between theory and practical application. If I'm honest, accommodation allocation was stressful in the first year. On the city — the city is a brillia…

Class of 2022 · Full-time

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