Applied Sport Science and Coaching [Top up]

Develop skills and knowledge on how to work with athletes and members of the public and apply these to the key disciplines of sport science and coaching.

Why study Applied Sport Science and Coaching (Top Up) at ARU
- Develop your theoretical understanding and applied practice in sport science and coaching.


- Study on one of the leading Sports Science courses – ranked second in the UK and 17th in the World (Shanghai Rankings 2023) and ranked fourth in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2023).


- Discover what makes great sports performers in our high-performance specialised labs accredited by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES).


- Join a school with a long-standing reputation for teaching excellence and innovative research.


- Bring the world of work to life through Live Briefs; designed and developed with regional employers to give you exposure to ‘real world’ problem-solving.


Our BSc (Hons) Applied Sports Science and Coaching (Top Up) course is an exciting opportunity to progress your qualification and gain a full honours degree. You’ll develop your understanding in areas such as a sports coaching, PE teaching, athlete support, clinical practice, sport development and athlete support. Additionally, you’ll develop employability skills such as communication, teamwork, problem solving, creative thinking and independent working in both an applied and research settings.

This top up degree will give you the opportunity to work in sport clubs, sporting organisations, local government, clinical practice, primary and secondary schools, and in sport development.

Throughout the course you’ll learn the most important aspects of sports coaching and sport and exercise science which are carefully selected to align with industry needs and standards, and your prior learning. They’ll include sport development, athlete development, sport and exercise psychology, strength and conditioning, and the principles of exercise in relation to health and wellbeing.

You’ll learn how to apply this knowledge and as a result, you’ll become more effective in teaching, coaching, athlete support and broader areas where sport is used to support individuals and communities. Our modules cover both the theoretical and practical approaches to Sport Science and Sports Coaching and you’ll have a unique opportunity to choose between a final year research project or to work and complete a project in industry and deliver on an organisation’s strategic priority.

As a graduate of this course, you’ll be in great demand. There are wide-ranging employment opportunities for sport scientists, from introducing people to sport and exercise, to helping take them to the top. In addition, you might consider teaching roles in schools and colleges, coaching at community or performance level, and performance (notation) analysis for sport teams or athletes.