School of Health and Wellbeing

BSc (Hons) Football Coaching and Performance with Foundation Year

BSc (Hons) Full-time 4 years, Part-time 8 years

Award
BSc (Hons)
Start date(s)
14 September 2026
UCAS Code
C627
Course specifications
Course length
Full-time (4 years),Part-time (8 years)
Campus location
University: Walsall Campus
UCAS points calculator

Why choose this course?

This unique course been developed alongside industry partners and endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA). It has been mapped against the Coach Professional Standard, meaning that you will be equipped with the competencies and skills needed to meet the requirements of potential employers. The course covers aspects of football coaching such as pedagogy, coaching science, and performance analysis in combination with opportunities to apply your knowledge in industry. Placement modules are a leading feature of the course allowing you to gain hands-on experience and mentoring in an applied setting. These settings include the option to work with our partner clubs such as Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion, Walsall FC, AFC Telford and our University team, WLV Sport FC.

 

What happens on the course?

Our Partners:

             

 

1. Placement modules allow you to gain hand on experience and receive mentorship within professional environments, including opportunities with some of our key partners such as Wolverhampton Wanderers, Walsall FC, West Bromwich Albion and WLV Sport FC.

2. The first two years of our football coaching degree will prepare you to complete the Football Association (FA) Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications (although completion of these qualifications will require additional tasks outside of the degree programme).

3. This degree is delivered by academic staff who are Union of European Football Association (UEFA) qualified coaches, coach educators, and who have extensive applied knowledge and experience from grassroots to international level.

4. Our employability modules enable you to explore careers in football coaching and engage in career development planning that prepares you for graduate-level employment in the football industry or elsewhere.

5. Each year you will have opportunities to participate in career development activities and network with employers from sports businesses, sport development and performance sport.

6. The course has been designed in line with The International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) coaching degree standards. On completion of this course you should, therefore, have the knowledge and skills required to meet the sector standards for employment in certain specific roles, as well as a range of other related roles.

7. You will have the opportunity to transfer to a sandwich placement year* in a coaching or football related context, with a partner club or organisation. Our sandwich placement option allows you to take a full-year work placement, which can be undertaken abroad. A number of students in our department have been successful in securing places on these schemes in countries such as Spain, France, Canada and the US

*You should be aware that transferring to a sandwich placement year would result in a total course duration of 5 years. There would therefore be funding implications if you failed to complete the course within 5 years if you were studying on a full-time basis.

Placements on the course

We’ve built professional placements into every degree, every student will be guaranteed a professional placement. Our placements give you the real-world exposure and proven experience your CV needs, while building the industry networks essential for your career.

These short-term, structured experiences include:

  • Short duration: condensed work-like experience in professional environments
  • Academic integration: always linked to coursework, assessments or professional development modules
  • Project-based learning: students work on specific tasks or research with an organisation
  • Flexible format: can be in-person, remote, hybrid or virtual
  • Skill development: enhances workplace skills like communication, teamwork and problem-solving
  • Experiential learning: helping to close the gap between knowledge gained and the skills needed to succeed

Employability on the course

Our courses are designed from day one to prepare you for your future career. You will benefit from:

  • Extended induction: a period to familiarise yourself with your new university
  • Structured learning pathways: courses are crafted with a focus on preparing students for future careers
  • Hands-on project experience: projects and practical activities designed around real-world activities
  • Embedded professional development: all courses are designed with workplace skills development and professional placements as part of the course
  • Industry-informed modules: course content is kept up-to-date with industry standards through our industry links, staff's research and work in the field
  • Placement opportunities: professional development placements for every student

Course Modules

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

Why study sport at the University of Wolverhampton?

Why Study Sport at the University of Wolverhampton

  • We're proud to confirm our £300 travel fund helping eligible new UK full-time undergraduate entrants* with the costs of travel continues for students starting in 2019/20 and 2020/21! For further information please click here. 

  • 99% sports graduate employability*. Our students get jobs!
  • Free university branded sports kit for all students in their first year.
  • We have a proud history of delivering sector-leading sports courses in partnership with major sporting organisations in the Black Country and West Midlands.
  • Specialist sports facilities including human performance and movement labs with an environmental chamber and 3D motion capture software; physiotherapy and sports therapy suites; sports performance clinic; elite strength and conditioning suite; multi-million pound Sports Centre; 3G football pitch; tennis/netball courts.
  • Inspirational teaching staff who are cutting edge practitioners and researchers in their subject areas.
  • Access to motivating, high level sports coaches who work with our WLV Sport teams.
  • Sports Scholarships available up to £4,500 across the three years of a degree (subject to successful Scholarship application).
  • Innovative block curriculum delivery model, including modules focussed on introducing you to Higher Education, and developing your employability

For more information about sport at the University of Wolverhampton please see our WLV Sport Page

*Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey

Location Mode Foundation Year Fee Sep intake Fee Year
Home Full-time £9535 £9535 per year 2025-26
Home Full-time £9790 £9790 per year 2026-27
Home Part-time £4895 £4895 per year# 2026-27
International Full-time N/A £15995 per year 2025-26
International Full-time £17600 £17600 per year 2026-27

The University is committed to a transparent fee structure, with no hidden costs, to help you make an informed decision. This includes information on what is included in the fee and how fees are calculated and reviewed.


If a tuition fee is not showing, we may not offer this intake for this course. Please check the start date information on the course finder for start dates.

# Undergraduate part-time fees for 50% rate of study

Prepare for Foundation Pathway: - We will consider applicants who have not achieved level 3 qualifications if you have a keen interest in this subject area or hold relevant experience. To receive an offer through this route you will be required to successfully attend and pass a Prepare for Foundation event. This is a one-day programme which is designed to assess your keen interest or recent experience in the subject, through a written assessment and a variety of activities. During the event you will have the opportunity to ask questions, be introduced to studying a higher education foundation course and meet staff and fellow students. If you would like more advice and guidance about this admissions pathway, please contact Gateway to discuss and support you making an application to us.

Other Requirements

Entry to this course requires a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check and an Occupational Health Check.

Free Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and Occupational Health Check:

Due to the professional nature of some of our courses you may also be required to complete a Declaration of Health and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check. We will coordinate both of these non-academic conditions with you should your course require this and you receive an offer from us

There will be no cost for the DBS this is free to applicants who have secured an offer and have chosen to study at the University of Wolverhampton.

Other Requirements: Applicants must be 18 years old or above at the start of the course.

Ibrahim smiling at camera wearing a red top

"My name is Ibrahim Diallo and I'm currently in my second year studying Football Coaching and Performance at Wolverhampton. I've always been a huge fan of football and had a passion for the sport. I was fascinated by how a football coach deals with players and how they approach sessions on a day-to-day basis.

My time of study at university has been very interesting because I have met good people and have the right support group around me. The balance between learning in the classroom and learning in a practical element is really good because it helps me as a coach to understand how to apply techniques to my sessions and develop. The classroom work is vital because as a student you can research different articles for your assignments. I like how the timetable flows - in the morning we're in the classroom and then after lunch we're on the astro doing practical work, which makes the lessons more engaging.

A real turning point for me was the sports coaching and pedagogy module, where I had to do a presentation regarding my sessions over the weeks. That's where I learned the different types of coaching techniques that I can apply as a coach and reflect on what I can improve on.

I'm currently working with a grassroots team called TT Elite. I started as a volunteer and used this to learn about other coaches and see how they deal with the players they're coaching. I see what makes other coaches stand out and try to add that to my own coaching. I've enjoyed it because it has really helped me understand that if you want to make it as a coach, you must have a certain level of commitment and make huge sacrifices. What I'm learning is that as a coach you must be adaptable because the session might not go as planned, so I make sure I have a backup plan so the session flows without any major distractions.

The teaching staff have supported me massively with my assignments, giving me really good feedback. They've also supported me with extra qualifications like the multi-sport certification, which can help me with getting a job at school. The most valuable connections I'm making are with coaches that work in an academy or professional setting. These connections are valuable because they can lead me to get an opportunity to coach at a good level and help me learn about their journeys.

Since coming to the university, I've always enjoyed using the astro turf for the practical side of the course. I'm doing what I like, which is playing football, so using the facilities has been good. The size of the classrooms are at a good standard and the computers I've had to use for the analysis module were really impressive - there were features I didn't know you could use.

Where I see myself in five years is working in an academy setting or in other departments in the football field. I'm confident that this course is helping me out, so I have to make sure that I make the most of it - if not, then I only have myself to blame for not being proactive."

- Ibrahim Diallo - Second Year Student -

Olympic superstar Kristian Thomas has added a First Class degree from the University of Wolverhampton to his long list of accolades (September, 2019).


The captain of Great Britain’s men’s gymnastics team at Rio 2016 said: "It’s a very proud moment after three years of hard work to be in the Grand Theatre with my cohort and my peers and the people who have helped me including the academic staff. I was out of education for quite a few years so to come back into it was a little bit daunting but they made that process so seamless. I’m very proud to come to the end of the three years and to come away with a first class honours as well."

Watch Kristian's full video here | Press Release (Express and Star)

Tuition Fees Loan (Home Fee Status):

Most students will be able to apply for a loans to pay for these subject to eligibility. To find out more information please refer to the government Student Finance website.

Changes for EU students:

The UK government has confirmed that EU students starting courses from 1 August 2021 will normally be classified as having Overseas Fee status. More information about the change is available at UKCISA:

EU citizens living in the UK with 'settled' status, and Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland, will still be classified as Home students, providing they meet the usual residency requirements, for more information about EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)


Self-funding:

If you don’t want to take out a loan to pay your fees or if you aren’t eligible to receive a loan, you might want to take advantage of the University’s scheme to pay by instalments: See How to pay.

For more information please contact the Gateway.


Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees:

If your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.

We must receive notification of sponsorship in writing as soon as possible, and before enrolment, confirming that the sponsor will pay your tuition fees.


Financial Hardship:

Students can apply to the Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund.

for help with course related costs however this cannot be used for fees or to cover general living costs.


Bursaries and Scholarships:

In addition the University also offers a range of Bursaries and Scholarships packages

You can find more information on the University’s Funding, cost, fee and support pages.

Telephone

01902 32 22 22

Email

enquiries@wlv.ac.uk

Online

Order a prospectus

How we compare

Find out how our course is rated on Discover Uni, the official website for comparing UK higher education courses.

Find out how our course is rated on Discover Uni, the official website for comparing UK higher education courses.

Full-time Course

Part-time Course