Sports Coaching and Physical Education
Sports coaching and physical education is a discipline that addresses two closely related but distinct domains: the coaching of athletes and the teaching of physical education in school settings. Sports coaching is concerned with how you develop athletic performance across different sports, ages, and levels of ability, drawing on exercise science, pedagogy, and psychology. Physical education in schools is about much more than sport, encompassing the development of physical literacy, healthy habits, and the confidence to be physically active across a lifetime.
Together, the two strands prepare graduates to work across both the sports and education sectors.
At Birmingham City University, this part-time programme is designed to develop the pedagogical practice needed both to coach athletes across a range of ages and abilities and to deliver physical education across the primary and secondary school curriculum. You will study coaching theory and practice, physical education pedagogy, child and adolescent development, and the psychology of performance and physical activity, developing a well-rounded foundation for professional practice in either or both settings. The part-time structure makes the degree accessible to students who are already working in sport or education and want to develop their professional qualifications alongside their existing commitments.
Graduates from sports coaching and physical education programmes are well placed for careers in schools, sports academies, community sports organisations, national governing bodies, and leisure facilities. Teaching physical education is a direct career path, typically following the degree with PGCE or School Direct teacher training in physical education. Sports coaching in professional, semi-professional, or community settings is another natural route.
The combination of coaching expertise and educational knowledge is also valuable in roles in sports development, youth sport, and health and physical activity promotion. Postgraduate study, including PGCE in physical education, is a common next step.