BSc (Hons) Equine Sports Science and Coaching

You will be required to have:

- A minimum of 96 UCAS points

OR

- A relevant BTEC Level 3 and significant industry experience

AND

- GCSE English at grade 4 or above, or an equivalent qualification

- A suitable reference

UCAS points may be from qualifications such as A Levels, T Levels, BTEC Level 3 Extended Diplomas, Access to Higher Education Diplomas, and City and Guilds Advanced Technical Diplomas amongst others. Please use the UCAS Tariff points calculator to determine the UCAS points value of your qualifications.

Life and/or experience of non-traditional students will be taken into account when considering applications. The successful completion of an entry task may be required when considering applications without the required formal entry qualifications.

If your first language is not English, or a Tier 4 student visa to study is required and GCSE grade C/4 English or equivalent is not held, English language proficiency level such as International English Language Testing System (IELTS) 6.0 overall (with a minimum 5.5 in each skill) will need evidencing.

Advanced entry may be possible due to prior experience or certificated learning; applicants are invited to complete the accreditation of prior learning approval process.

This programme is delivered with a variety of learning and teaching approaches, utilising excellent onsite resources and extensive industry links for applied aspects. For all modules, there are theory lectures delivered, aimed at providing the core content and underpinning knowledge. Lectures are used to convey the basic concepts, and facilitate further expansion of such concepts through your independent study.

To complement the theory lectures, you will have group seminars and practical sessions that are used to reinforce those concepts delivered theoretically. This programme has a focus on practical ability in a yard and coaching setting, therefore many modules will have theory content supported by active development of practical skills utilising specialist equipment.

The teaching methods focus on facilitating a student-centred approach to enhance the independent learning that takes place outside of the classroom.

You can expect:

Experienced, supportive and motivated staff with both academic and industrial experience.

Access to an Online Virtual Learning Environment called iLearn, which is used to enhance and facilitate teaching and independent learning on all programmes.

Guest lectures and demonstrations from a range of visiting speakers and off-site trips.

Contact time includes approximately 12-13 hours a week in the first two years and 9-11 hours a week in the final year, incorporating lectures, seminars, practicals and tutorials.

You are also expected to carry out a significant amount of independent study in addition to contact time (approximately 25-30 hours a week). Independent study includes reading around the subject, preparing for tutorials and seminars, preparing for, and completing, module assessments and revision for examinations; forming an essential part of your learning journey.

There is no formal work experience as part of this programme, however, you will participate in activities in some modules that are reflective of industry practice. For instance a yard design and management portfolio and practical coaching scenarios. We encourage and support students who wish to undertake relevant extra-curricular activity and work experience.

The programme will incorporate a variety of assessment methods across each academic year. The mix of assessments will seek to challenge and evaluate your knowledge, understanding and skills. Assessments for this programme may include written assignments, time-constrained assessments, logbooks and portfolios, practical assessments, seminars and presentations, project-based assessments, examinations and a dissertation. Tutors provide support for assessments in class. There will also be opportunity for formative assessment and feedback during the delivery of each module to monitor learning, and to support and prepare you for the summative assessments which make up the module. Feedback on your summative assessments will be given which will allow you to guide efforts and activities in subsequent modules. Staff aim to return assessed work within a 20 working day timeframe (not including holidays) in order that students can most benefit from the feedback.

The programme is designed to enable you to progress to post-graduate qualification such as an MSc or MRes in Equine Performance or Sport Coaching, to extend your knowledge of equine sport science or focus on an area of specialist scientific knowledge. You may also undertake further BHS or UKCC Coaching Pathway examinations following your degree to compliment a scientific background knowledge gained on the programme.

Upon graduating from this programme, you could follow a career within coaching settings in all disciplines, rider psychology, equine product development and sales, yard managerial roles, as a self-employed coach, rider performance and rehab specialist. You may become a lecturer or researcher (may need relevant post-graduate qualification). You could also gain positions within the wide area of the application of equine sport science and/or coaching to horse performance and physiology, rider performance and psychology, and producing combinations to elite level for competition with up to date coaching techniques.