Sport Development
Award
BSc (Hons)
Duration & study mode
4 years full-time
School
Health & Life Sciences
Location
Lanarkshire
Ucas code
C600
Course starting dates
-
Lanarkshire: September
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An you can find full information on how to study at UWS in 2024 here.
Find your place at UWS in 2024
UWS’s BSc (Hons) Sport Development will focuses on how to help people lead healthy, active lifestyles.
You'll learn both about the development of sport and development through sport by exploring sports contributions to health, communities, economies, and societies on global and local scales.
This degree is unique in Scotland and was developed in consultation with partners from national sport organisations and governing bodies, NHS and the third sector, as well as senior sport development officers and expert coaches. These strong links to industry are reflected in course design, work experience opportunities, and employment opportunities available to UWS students.
UWS offers opportunities for our students to study abroad via our exchange programmes.
Study abroad is extremely beneficial to personal and professional development and research has shown that worldwide employers value graduates with intercultural awareness and global competences.
Our BSc (Hons) Sport Development students have completed successful exchanges with universities in the USA and Spain.
There is a strong emphasis on placement learning and developing the modern sport development industry. We have excellent links with a number of clubs and organisations, including SPFL football clubs, Active Schools, and South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture which provide work-based learning opportunities. However, we also encourage you to identify organisations which will be able to provide appropriate placement opportunities and that you are interested in working with as part of the course.
UWS have worked with the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) to achieve endorsement against industry professional standards for its undergraduate degree programmes in sport.
UWS joined CIMSPA as a higher education partner in June 2022 to further enhance students' employability. This programme has been endorsed against several professional standards:
of BSc Sport Development students are in work or study 6 months after completing their degree
of BSc Sport Development students felt staff were good at explaining the course
We welcome Scottish, UK and international students and consider all applicants on an individual basis.
Don’t worry if your qualifications are not listed here, we take a range of factors into account when assessing your application and are happy to consider other alternative combinations of qualifications and experience.
If you are applying with an EU or non-EU qualification, please check our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page which gives more information about country-specific entry requirements.
For Life Science and Sport degrees, unless stated otherwise, suitable science subjects include: Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Psychology, Sociology, and Geography, Modern Studies (Sports Coaching will also accept Politics as a Science).
* for more information on standard and minimum entry requirements, see our Undgergraduate Entry Requirements webpage
For Life Science and Sport degrees, unless stated otherwise, suitable science subjects include: Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Psychology, Sociology, and Geography, Modern Studies (Sports Coaching will also accept Politics as a Science).
Successful applicants who gain a place on this course will need to register on the PVG Scheme, managed and delivered by Disclosure Scotland. An application form will be sent from the University once you have accepted your offer. The fee for joining the scheme is £59.
Visit the Disclosure Scotland website for more information on the PVG scheme.
For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level. The qualifications below must have been gained within two years of the start of your course.
General English language requirements at UWS: International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)
Exceptions to this level of IELTS scoring exist for some accredited or professionally-recognised courses (see section below for more details).
SOCIAL WORK DEGREES
For our BA (Hons) Social Work and MSc Social Work programmes, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
All stated English tests are acceptable for admission for both home/EU and international students for this programme:
For our research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD, DBA, DProf) applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For Health, Nursing & Midwifery courses that lead to, or require professional registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council, applicants are required to have an IELTS or Occupational English Test (OET)*.
For such courses, the IELTS score is as follows:
* Note that the Occupational English Test (OET) will now be accepted in addition to IELTS as proof of a Nurse's English Language Competence (Nursing & Midwifery Council, 2019).
For our BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science, BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science and MSc Advanced Biomedical Science programmes, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For our Certificate of Higher Education courses, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
TOEFL IBT*: 78; no sub-test less than:
* Please note that TOEFL is still acceptable for admission to this programme for both home/EU and international students.
For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use TOEFL to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level courses. We therefore still accept TOEFL tests taken in the last two years for admission to this programme.
West African Senior School Certificate of Education (WASSCE) including acceptance of WAEC Scratchcard*
*UWS will accept a WAEC scratchcard confirming that an applicant has achieved C6 or above as evidence of meeting English language requirement from Nigeria if the student graduated within the last 5 years. After 5 years applicants would be required to provide the WAEC Certificate.
Applicants who do not meet the minimum English language requirements have the option to study one of our preparatory and pre-sessional English courses. The UWS courses available are:
The UWS BSc (Hons) Sport Development provides a broad understanding of the principles and application of sport development. In years 3 and 4 students will have the opportunity to tailor their learning to their interests and career options, and complete a dissertation in their own area of interest.
In Year 1 you will develop a basic understanding of sport coaching, sport development and sport and exercise science. You will also learn about general academic skills and physical activity and health.
In Year 2 you will develop your understanding of sport policy, sport development and the outdoors, and coaching. You will take part in your first placement with an industry partner.
In Year 3 you will begin to specialise in sport development, putting theory into practice. You will study modules including social issues in sport development and coaching, organisation and management of sport, and will choose options like psychology of sport and exercise or sport education. You will take part in your second placement with an industry partner and learn research skills that will prepare you for your Honours year.
In Year 4 you will consolidate the theory you have gained with sport-related modules including global issues in sport development, interventions in sport and physical activity, and operational aspect of sport and physical activity delivery. You will also complete a dissertation of your choice.
This degree will be taught through a combination of learning methods including tutor-led lectures, tutorials and seminars, practical workshops and exercises in a simulated work environment, small group teaching and group project work. Independent, online and peer-to-peer learning is an important element of this course.
Our BSc (Hons) Sport Development degree uses a variety of assessment methods. The below list provides a guide to the types of assessment methods you can expect:
"The course provided me with a platform into the sport development industry. The variety of modules allowed me to explore where my passion lay within sports.”
Preeti Jassal, BSc (Hons) Sport Development graduate, now Programme Co-ordinator, Shell Twilight Basketball
The programme will prepare you for a successful career in sport development but also sport, leisure and education settings in general. It will equip you with the knowledge and skills to find opportunities in a wide range of roles, including:
Many of our graduates go on to postgraduate courses in PE teaching, including the PGDE (Secondary) Physical Education and Postgraduate Certificate in Primary Physical Education at UWS Ayr, or the MSc Sport Coaching at UWS Lanarkshire. Others take part in or lead funded research projects with partner organisations.
All UK and EU applicants for undergraduate study, not applying through an agent or partner, should apply through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service)
The on-time application deadline for 2024/25 entry is 31 January 2024, 18:00 (UK time). For some courses it may still be possible to apply beyond this period, subject to suitable vacancies remaining. The final deadline for late applications via UCAS is 30 June 2024. Beyond this deadline, you may be able to apply via ‘UCAS Clearing’ if the course you are interested in has remaining places.
Please refer to our Undergraduate Application Guide for domestic & EU/EEA to find more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS.
Students from non-EU/non-EEA countries can apply directly to UWS via our dedicated online application system. The latest we can process your application is 6 weeks before the course start date to allow for visa processing times. For more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS please refer to our International Undergraduate Application Guide.
For part-time & online study, you should apply directly to the University through our online application system, not through UCAS. Please select the part-time mode of study when submitting your application. Before you begin your application, it is important to read the part-time application step-by-step guide for a smooth process.
To come to UWS as a visiting student on a study abroad or exchange programme, you must apply entirely through our online system.
An ATAS certificate is not required for overseas students applying for this course.
Do you have a question about applying for this course? Get in touch. We are here to help!
We will always try to make sure that we publish accurate course information but we do not accept responsibility for any mistakes or omissions. We will also try to make sure that we deliver our courses in line with our published information. However, we may not always be able to do so and you can find further information about this in our enrolment terms and conditions.