Program Overview

Work with athletes, players and teams; refine their performance; boost their training, enable development. On our BSc Sports Performance and Coaching, you learn how science and practice underpins performance sport, and how you can use the skills you will learn to help improve it. Having a comprehensive knowledge of scientific theory and practical application is ideal for those who want to coach people of a variety of levels and ages.

Our excellent links with national governing bodies, such as the Football Association, Volleyball England, Basketball England, Rugby Football Union and the Lawn Tennis Association, give you real practical experience to enhance your learning. Our links also open up opportunities to gain experience working as a sports coach, and access coach education courses and workshops. You also have the option to work towards various, externally accredited, National Governing Body Sport and Coaching awards.

As well as gaining practical experience, you expand your knowledge and skills through studying topics including:

• Strength and conditioning
• Performance analysis
• Training and coaching techniques and methods
• Exercise programming
• Methods of assessing the fitness and training loads of sports teams and athletes 

You can get professionally certified whilst studying as many of our modules have embedded qualifications incorporated in them. This means that you are equipped with the qualifications needed to work in the field. For example, we have embedded a Level 2 Gym instructors qualification into the first year Anatomy and Physiology module, so after term 1, if you have enrolled on this module, you will be a qualified gym instructor. You’ll also have the opportunity to take a personal trainer course in the summer.

You can also work with our Human Performance Unit based on campus, supporting our sports scholarship students and national league teams.

Being part of our School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences you will join a community focused on sports and exercise science, sports therapy and physiotherapy. We bring together our internationally recognised research, share knowledge, and enhance placement and vocational opportunities for our students and graduates.

We offer you one of the best student experiences around. You experience a lively, informal environment with many possibilities to pursue your own interests.

Study abroad

Your education extends beyond the university campus. We support you in expanding your education through offering the opportunity to spend a year or a term studying abroad at one of our partner universities. The four-year version of our degree allows you to spend the third year abroad or employed on a placement abroad, while otherwise remaining identical to the three-year course.

Studying abroad allows you to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised.

If you spend a full year abroad you'll only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee to Essex for that year. You won't pay any tuition fees to your host university