Course details

Summary

The Bachelor of Sport Coaching (BSpC) is the only specialist sport coaching degree in New Zealand. With options for flexible learning, endorsements and internships, this qualification can cater for a wide variety of students.

Using sport coaching as the context, UC students gain key skills employers are looking for, not just in sport and related fields but in everything from communications to corporate management. BSpC students learn skills such as leadership, accountability, communication and teamwork, and knowledge of motivation and psychology.

This degree also provides a recognised pathway to teaching, in particular physical education and health teaching, with the option to include an additional teaching subject such as maths or science, when combined with a graduate teaching qualification.

Qualification structure and duration

The BSpC requires 360 points. These are grouped into three main strands:

• Pedagogy (the theory and application of coaching and learning)
• Sport and exercise sciences
• Sociology of sport.

Flexible Learning Option

All BSpC courses are available to study on campus or as a flexible, online learning option.

Flexible learning options support STAR students, students from other UC degree programmes as well as people who are employed or lead busy lives. You may enrol full-time or part-time according to your interests and needs.

If you are enrolled in an online distance course you will be supported through online resources, discussion forums, recorded lectures, power points, video tutorials and other electronic media.

Further study

Graduate option

The Graduate Certificate in Sport Coaching enables practising coaches, those employed in the sports industry and students wishing to work in performance sports coaching to develop their professional coaching skills. The GradCertSpC may be completed part-time over a period of up to four years or as a six-month full-time qualification. The GradCertSpC is offered as an online, flexible learning option.

Careers in teaching and management - options

Following a Bachelor of Sport Coaching, graduates can complete a qualification in one year to become a teacher or manager:

• Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning (Secondary) - to become a secondary school Physical Education teacher
• Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning (Primary)
• Graduate Diploma in Commerce.

Career opportunities

By gaining a broad range of professional competencies throughout your Bachelor of Sport Coaching, you can enjoy a varied career in professional and community sporting organisations and management roles both within and beyond sports.

Past students have used the 120-hour internship to gain experience at the Canterbury Rugby Union, High Performance Sport New Zealand and the New Zealand School of Gymnastics.

Recent graduates have become strength and conditioning coaches, nutritionists, community sports coordinators and advisors, performance analysts, sport scientists, as well as teachers, police officers, project planners and managers.

Entry criteria

Admission to UC with University Entrance, or equivalent, is required to enrol for a Bachelor's degree. Applicants must have completed New Zealand University Entrance through NCEA; or Cambridge International Examinations (CIE); or International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) or any other equivalent overseas qualification.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 550 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum C+ grade; CAE or CPE minimum score of 169 with at least 162 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 57 and no PTE communicative skills score below 50.