Sport Studies BA(Hons)

Course structure

On the first year of your degree, you’ll develop vital study skills and be introduced to the academic study of sport.

At the beginning of year 2 you can opt to study the Sport Studies with Physical Education route which prepares you to apply for the PE PGCE.  

During the second year, you will further develop your skills and can gain a standalone qualification in Sports and International Development through the university’s award-winning Football for Peace programme. You’ll also spend time on placement with a sport-related organisation and study option modules.

During your final year you'll explore a subject of your choice through the dissertation module. Many students use this time to explore a topic they experienced on placement whilst others make the most of the opportunity to explore an issue of personal interest in depth. The final year offers a wide range of option modules which will allow you to tailor the degree to suit your interests, and career aspirations.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, we will inform you of any improvements or innovations to the curriculum through Student View.

Year 1

Topics include the role of sport and leisure in people's lives, debates over the purpose and roles of sport in society, the ethics of sport, questions of governance and media representation, and how politics, economics, legal and social issues influence sport.

Modules

• Who Runs Sport?

  Understanding why sport is structured and organised in the way it is has become the most important factor for anyone thinking of developing a career in sport. This module will introduce you to issues of governance, government, policy initiatives, funding and media coverage. Content includes a view of the relationships between sport and sports coaching, sport and health/physical activity, sport and physical education, the sources of funding for sport and why sport is such 'big business'.

• The Global Sport Industry and the Media

  This module will introduce you to globalisation with specific focus on sports media and the global sports industry. Key concepts will be explored via globally mediated flows of sport events, sport commodities, and sport agencies and organisations. You will learn about how the media drives the sports economy and the consequences of this dynamic, such as shifts in the roles of fans from citizens to consumers, the rise of sports mega-events, gambling, corruption and performance-enhancing drug taking.

• Sport, the Body and Society

  This module will give you an insight into a range of social issues connected to the sporting body. It will introduce you to socio-cultural theories and concepts about the body and sport. This is done through a variety of case studies and topic areas that you will explore through an active and engaged problem-solving pedagogy. You will be encouraged to reflect on taken-for-granted behaviours and experiences in sport to enable you to develop your own social scientific approach to understanding the sporting body.

• Sport and Social Issues

  This module will provide you with an overview of historical and contemporary social issues affecting the world of sport. You will be encouraged to view sport as interconnected with a range of wider problems which impact upon experiences of participation, shape the provision of sport in communities, and affect the place of sport in popular culture.

• Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology

  This module will provide the foundation in sport and exercise psychology essential for future physical educators, sport and exercise scientists or leisure employees. You will examine such factors as how and why people participate in activities and the psychological factors that influence successful participation. You’ll also gain an understanding of the cognitive processes involved in learning and skilled performance. This in turn, aids your understanding of successful teaching, coaching and applied sport psychology techniques.

• Preparing for the World of Sport

  This module will support you in the transition to academic study at university. You will be encouraged to take responsibility for, and reflect upon your own learning, development and employability. You will be given support to develop the skills needed to produce high quality academic work. This module will also introduce you to research skills and practices used to investigate sport as well as raising awareness of careers information and services.

Year 2

Core modules

• Power and Politics in Sport
• Reading Sport Media
• Conducting Research in Sport
• Sport for Development and Peace
• Working and Volunteering in the World of Sport (Sport Studies pathway only)

Options*

• Globalisation in Sport
• Sport and Exercise Psychology

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

You will have the opportunity at the start of year 2 to choose specialist pathway and graduate with Sport Studies with Physical Education BA(Hons). Options for the specialist pathway are:

• Pedagogy and Practice
• Learning and Teaching Through Games and Dance
• Learning and Teaching Through Athletic and Adventurous Activities
• Learning and Teaching Through Gymnastics and Swimming
• Creating a Positive Teaching and Learning Environment
• Primary Physical Education: Theory and Practice of Teaching KS1 and KS2 PE
• Games
• Outdoor Adventurous Activities

Final year

Core modules

• Dissertation
• Sport and Social Theory
• Education Studies 3: Inclusive Practice (PE pathway only)

Options* – Sport Studies

• Community Sport Development: Policy and Practice
• Applied Sport Psychology
• Sport Events Tourism
• Critical Social Issues in Sport

Options* – Sport Studies with PE

• Physical Education and the National Agenda
• Physical Education in the 14–19 Curriculum
• Physical Practical Activity
• Primary Physical Education: Active Learning in the Primary Setting

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Examples of dissertation projects

• Young people and surfing in Bournemouth
• Golf Xtreme in secondary schools
• Disability sport in East Sussex
• Drugs and the body building community
• Muslim girls and physical education
• Why boys don’t dance
• Racism on the terraces

Placements

At the halfway point of your degree you’ll spend time with a sport-related organisation on placement.

The placement involves 50 hours at your chosen organisation and enables you to put your learning into practice in a professional environment.

Our employability hub will help you to find a placement that meets your career aspirations and interests. We will support you leading up to your placement and keep in touch with you while you are in the workplace.

The placement will help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses and encourage reflection and goal setting.

Meet the team

Dr Alex Channon - course leader

Dr Alex Channon holds a PhD in the Sociology of Sport from Loughborough University. He has worked in academia since 2008, holding posts at Loughborough University, the University of Greenwich and Syracuse University in London, before joining the University of Brighton in 2015.

Alex teaches on a range of programmes and is the course leader for the Sport Management and Sport Studies degrees. His teaching responsibilities focus on sociological issues as they pertain to a variety of sport and physical activity contexts. He also teaches research methods and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate research.

Alex’s own research largely focuses on exploring various socio-cultural aspects of martial arts and combat sports. He has published numerous academic articles on this work, which covers theoretical issues including gender, media, violence, risk taking, education, and medical support. He is also the editor of three academic books, concerning combat sports, sport and gender, and teaching methods in higher education respectively.

Other key members of the teaching team:

• Dr Dan Burdsey
• Dr Tom Carter
• Dr Mark Doidge

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you’ll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports Scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about Sport Scholarships.

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We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

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Course fees

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2023–24.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

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