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Why choose the School of Sport Science and Physical Activity
Our sport science courses rank in the UK top 15 in their subject field for graduate prospects in both the Complete University Guide and The Guardian, 2025.
Our courses rank in the UK top 15 overall in their subject field (Daily Mail university rankings, 2024).
Take up placement opportunities with our official Education Partners Luton Town FC and Bedford Blues RFC as well as other sports organisations and clubs.
About the course
The sports sector’s continued growth has created opportunities to become a business professional in an expanding, borderless industry. Offering a wide perspective of the sports sector, this business-focused course explores areas such as economic impact, investment in facilities, community programmes, sport event management, sport marketing and sport management. You learn the academic theory related to sport and leisure, and apply your knowledge to industry-related scenarios and real-world simulations, with opportunities for placements including with our official Education Partners.
Course accreditation / industry endorsement
We increase the employability of our graduates by being a Higher Education Partner of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).
Facilities and specialist equipment
- External sports pitches
- Sports arena
- Purpose-built strength and conditioning facility
- Free gym and Olympic weight room
- Multi-use games areas
- Sports therapy and rehabilitation centre with a sports injury clinic, open to staff, students and external athletes/clients
- Sports massage rooms
Industry links
We are official partners of Luton Town FC and Bedford Blues RFC as well as other sporting organisations in the region such as Bedford Tigers RLFC, MK Dons, Cricket East and Be Active, giving you opportunities to build your employability through work placements.
Your student experience
Learn from top-class professionals within the field as well as experts from professional sports organisations.
Course assessments are based around real-world industry issues and scenarios.
Take part in behind-the-scenes tours and match-day experiences to various sport clubs such as Luton Town FC and Bedford Blues RFC as well as other local sports organisations and clubs.
Our Bedford campus is a small, thriving academic community where academic staff get to know you well; you also have the support of your own personal academic tutor who will guide and support you throughout your student journey.
with Professional Practice Year
This course has the option to be taken over four years which includes a year placement in industry. Undertaking a year in industry has many benefits. You gain practical experience and build your CV, as well as being a great opportunity to sample a profession and network with potential future employers.
There is no tuition fee for the placement year enabling you to gain an extra year of experience for free.
*Only available to UK/EU students.
with Foundation Year
A Degree with a Foundation Year gives you guaranteed entry to an Undergraduate course.
Whether you’re returning to learning and require additional help and support to up-skill, or if you didn’t quite meet the grades to pursue an Undergraduate course, our Degrees with Foundation Year provide a fantastic entry route for you to work towards a degree level qualification.
With our guidance and support you’ll get up to speed within one year, and will be ready to seamlessly progress on to undergraduate study at Bedfordshire.
The Foundation Year provides an opportunity to build up your academic writing skills and numeracy, and will also cover a range of subject specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree.
This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will need to successfully complete the Foundation Year to progress on to the first year of your bachelor’s degree.
Why study a degree with a Foundation Year?
- Broad-based yet enough depth to give you credible vocational skills
- Coverage of a variety of areas typically delivered by an expert in this area
- Gain an understanding of a subject before choosing which route you wish to specialise in
- Great introduction to further study, and guaranteed progression on to one of our Undergraduate degrees
The degrees offering a Foundation Year provide excellent preparation for your future studies.
During your Foundation Year you will get the opportunity to talk to tutors about your degree study and future career aspirations, and receive guidance on the most appropriate Undergraduate course to help you achieve this; providing you meet the entry requirements and pass the Foundation Year.
What will you study?
- Working in Sport and Physical Education
- Introduction to Research Methods
- Sport in Action - Management
- The Football Industry
- Personal Development for Sport Business, Coaching and Development
- Introduction to Sport Business Management
- Professional Development (Sport Policy Enactment)
- Sport and Physical Activity Management
- Contemporary Issues in Football
- Dissertation Preparation
- Research Methods for Sport, Exercise and Physical Activity
- Sports Marketing
- Football Governance
- Sporting Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
- Professional Development and Employability
- Dissertation for Sport Science and Physical Activity
- Work Placement Project
- Sport Economics and Finance
- Managing Elite Sport
- Sport in a Global Context: Sustainability and Development
- Strategic Sport Management
- Running A Business
How will you be assessed?
You will be required to undertake a variety of assessments that vary depending upon the learning outcomes of the unit delivered. The range of assessment styles includes: written reports and essays oral presentations e-portfolios phase tests and collaborative projects. In addition you will undertake practical assessments related to the design planning and delivery of a wide variety of football projects providing opportunity to develop and demonstrate critical analysis problem solving communication styles needed in business.
Assessment of these activities will be based on tasks which develop vocational skills underpinned by subject knowledge requiring higher levels of cognition in the upper levels of the course. As you progress through the levels of study the marking criteria for all assessment styles undertaken will be that much more rigorous with the expectation you progressively demonstrate a more theory driven understanding of the football industry and practices.
The workshop approach of the teaching and learning strategy enables formative assessment to be ongoing. Units combines formal -summative' (e.g. individual and group-based assignments) and informal -formative' (e.g. reflective tasks) modes of assessment drawing also upon peer review and peer support techniques staggered periodically throughout the units so as to emphasise and support incremental individual student learning as process.
Careers
Career paths for graduates of this course include sport management, sport development and specialised posts in the leisure, sport and recreation industries, including going on to pursue careers with companies like FIFA and Sport England. Possible roles include broadcast executive, sport technology specialist, sport/sports technology business owner, commercial development manager, global strategic partnership manager, and academic roles in universities in the UK and abroad.
Graduates can also progress to a Master’s degree in a related subject.
Entry Requirements
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £9,535 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees. You can also apply for a maintenance loan from the Government to help cover your living costs. See www.gov.uk/student-finance
Excellence Scholarships
Worth £2,500 per year of study over three years when you score a defined number of UCAS tariff points from specified qualifications*
» If you don’t qualify for an Excellence Scholarship but have 120 UCAS tariff points, you have enough points for one of our Achievement Scholarships offering £500 per year of study**
» Other scholarships, bursaries and financial support packages are available
* Points requirements vary depending on type of qualification.
** Threshold is 120 UCAS tariff points across all awarding bodies and qualifications.
International
The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 2025/26 is £16,900 per year.
There are range of Scholarships available to help support you through your studies with us.
A full list of scholarships can be found here.
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