Football Coaching (With Professional Practice Year)

We offer three football-related pathways (coaching, studies or business) where you choose your preferred specialism after your first year. This course prepares you to work as a skilled coach across a variety of football settings. You learn a range of coaching skills to help you deliver and plan training sessions; evaluate performances; implement improvement strategies; and put your learning into practice in football-related scenarios. There are also opportunities for placements, including with our official Education Partners, Luton Town FC.

Professional Practice Year Take your course over four years and include a Professional Practice Year after your second year of studies. It is an opportunity to apply your learning in the workplace while enhancing your knowledge and skills through fee-free paid practice. It also builds your CV and industry contacts with many students progressing to employment within their practice-year organisation or institution.

Facilities and Specialist Equipment

Purpose-built strength and conditioning facility.

Free gym and Olympic weight room.

Sports arena.

Multi-use games areas.

Sports therapy and rehabilitation centre with a sports injury clinic, open to staff, students and external athletes/clients.

Sports massage rooms.

Industry-leading performance-analysis equipment, including a Nacsport camera system, In-Play Sports online performance analysis and Catapult GPS system.

Partnerships and Collaborations

We are official Education Partners of Luton Town FC. We also enjoy working relationships with other football clubs and organisations, giving you the opportunity to put your learning into practice.

We are also a Higher Education Partner of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).

Your Student Experience

Our Bedford campus is a small, thriving academic community where academic staff get to know you well.

You also have the support of your own personal academic tutor who will guide and support you throughout your student journey.

Gain valuable work experience at our Human Performance Centre, which offers testing to sports people, teams and the public for fitness, flexibility and body composition assessments.

Take advantage of coaching opportunities with local schools and football clubs.

Gain recognised awards such as FA Coaching Level 1 (Introduction to Coaching Football) and Level 2 (UEFA C).

Take part in behind-the-scenes tours and match-day experiences to football clubs such as Luton Town FC and MK Dons as well as local football organisations and non-league clubs.

Field trips include St George’s Park, Burton-on-Trent, the home of England Football, and football clubs around the country