Sport with a Foundation Year (Elite Athlete Pathway)

Sport with a Foundation Year is only available to students performing at a very high standard in a chosen sport, who wish to study at Loughborough, but do not have the required qualifications due to sporting commitments.

Our Foundation Studies programme at Loughborough is designed to help a range of students realise their university ambitions. Our streamed approach enables you to progress on to one of multiple courses within your chosen stream – giving you further time to decide which course is right for you.

- Students who have not studied the prerequisite subjects needed for first year entry on a preferred course.

- Students performing at elite athlete level who have the added challenge of combining study with high-level sporting competition.

At Loughborough, we recognise that elite athletes can find their demanding training and competition schedules challenging to manage alongside their academic studies. As a university, we have a long-standing reputation for supporting students to succeed in both their academic studies and their sporting career.

As a performance programme athlete studying at the UK’s top sporting university, you will benefit from coaching and performance support, providing a unique opportunity to continue your progression in both your academics and sport.

As a student on the course, you will be a full member of the University, enjoying access to the Students’ Union, clubs, societies, sports facilities and support departments, and the outstanding student experience Loughborough University offers.

This course is placed within the Sport Science stream which is one of our four Foundation streams. Foundation courses in this stream include:

- Psychology with a Foundation Year

- Sport with a Foundation Year

Why complete a foundation year

- Completing a foundation year within the Sport Science Stream will enable you to progress onto the first year of our courses in Sport Science, provided the relevant progression criteria are met.

- Completing a foundation year can be a real attribute to your overall degree success. It not only opens doors to courses that may have previously looked closed, but also provides a sound base on which to establish a successful academic career. Many who have completed the foundation pathway have also said how beneficial it was to them in supporting their transition into university life.

- Our foundation course is taught in-house by university staff.

If you think your sport profile qualifies you to be considered for the elite athletes programme, please contact performancesport@lboro.ac.uk before applying.