• Study key areas of sport science (coaching) including coaching for performance, sports physiology and psychology as well as research methods and employability units.
• Develop your coaching skills and build partnerships with local sports clubs and teams with help from our excellent links with industry including Sport England and the Football Association.
• Learn from our team of experts in fitness, personal training and strength and conditioning.
• Gain a sound training, skills and knowledge of sport science (coaching) together with the transferrable skills needed for a range of careers.
• Build your employability through relevant work placement/internships at sports organisations, schools and within a coaching environment where you can also carry out a research project.
• Benefit from specialist teaching laboratories and sports facilities at our School of Sports Science and Physical Activity as well as world-class teaching from a team with research expertise in environmental physiology, health and metabolism and movement within sports science field.

Units

• Applied Exercise Physiology (SPO033-3) Compulsory
• Coaching In Context (SPO071-3) Compulsory
• Performance Coaching (SPO058-3) Compulsory
• Personal And Project Preparation For Bsc Studies (SPO080-3) Compulsory
• Psychology Of Physical Activity (SPO025-3) Compulsory
• Work Placement Project (SPO057-3) Compulsory

Assessment is both formative and summative in nature and occurs at various points throughout the academic year. Formative assessments are used to give students feedback early on in the year so they see how they are doing and if necessary seek support from staff or other services available. It also allows staff to see the level of student learning and support as necessary. A wide variety of assessment strategies are employed, appropriate to the specific learning outcomes which are being assessed. Modes of assessment include essay, practical performance, work placement project, oral presentation, poster presentation, portfolio, individual report and literature review. Feedback and grades will be given 15 working days after the assessment hand in dates.

Physical Education and Sports Science Centre

Sports Hall

The sports hall is an integral space in the School of Sport Science and Physical Activity, complementing discipline leading Sport and Exercise Science and modern biological analysis laboratories, all co-located on the Bedford campus.

The sports hall is a major teaching facility for the University's Sport and Physical Education degree courses which have trained physical educators in the UK for over a century.

Together with its associated facilities it provides our trainee teachers and coaches with a superb environment in which to coach and teach pupils from local primary schools who are also benefiting from this new facility.

The sports hall is proud to host all Bedfordshire Bulls students' sports matches as well as national standard sporting events including British University College Sports championships – one of the few indoor sporting venues in the county to host prestigious tournaments all year round.

The facility also plays host to a number of University promoted Get into Sport activities which are open to all University students and staff.

Specialist labs

Our specialist labs give students a fantastic environment to develop their research skills and expertise, where a student can explore the biology of an elite athlete who could be performing simultaneously within the sports hall.

Few Sport Science courses in the country offer students such unique discipline leading research experience and skills, alongside intimate access to world leading researchers within their field. Students are regularly offered the opportunity to be involved within discipline defining Sport, Health and Exercise Science research

Our state-of-the-art laboratories are purpose built for research and teaching in the fields of exercise and nutrition science. This includes specialised equipment and facilities for assessing human health risk and delivering exercise and diet interventions for health promotion.

This includes:

• Dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for assessing bone density and body fat content
• BodPod and underwater weighing tank for body composition assessment
• Environmental chamber that controls temperature, humidity, and oxygen levels in the air
• Wet lab for assessing metabolic and hormone markers in blood

Our £8m Physical Education and Sport Science Centre was used to train athletes in the 2012 Olympics.

Theatre and dance studio facilities

• 280 seat theatre
• 80 studio theatre
• Four fully-sprung dance studios
• Dance studios equipped with ballet bars, mirrors, audio playback, internet and projection
• Large dressing rooms with en suite showers
• A scenery workshop reserved solely for student productions
• Large 6m by 12m white Cyclorama screen for projection and lighting
• State of the art HD projectors
• Full backstage comms system with audio and video relay
• Extensive lantern stock including Led fixtures, strobes and moving lights
• State-of-the-art, industry-standard lighting and sound consoles
• Built in media desk and roll-down screen

Gateway Building

Opened in January 2015 the Gateway is an impressive building featuring high-quality teaching spaces, informal learning spaces, and lecture theatres (including a Harvard style lecture theatre); as well as a new student services centre.

Campus Centre

Campus Centre featuring a 280-seat professional theatre, dance studios, a fairtrade café and social space for students.

Accommodation at Bedford

For on-campus student accommodation choose from luxury living at Liberty Park's modern en-suite study bedrooms or the Student Village which offers standard rooms with shared bathroom facilities, and en-suite rooms with a private shower. All have fully-equipped kitchens. Our rooms are on-campus and have easy access to the town centre and train station.

Subjects studied at Bedford campus

• Primary Education
• Secondary and Post-Compulsory Education
• Education Studies
• Physical Education and Sport Studies
• Sport and Exercise Sciences
• Tourism and Leisure
• Accounting and Business Management
• Performing Arts and Dance
• Social Work

Bedford town location

The Bedford campus is a 20-minute walk from the town centre. The University offers a free bus service for staff and students that runs between Bedford town centre and the campus.

Directions to Bedford campus

Bedford offers excellent transport links to the rest of the UK as it sits between the M1 and the A1. The town connects by train to Luton (20 minutes) and London (40 minutes).