Sport Performance Coaching at University of Stirling

About

The first course of its kind in Scotland, this innovative online Masters gives experienced coaches the chance to improve their coaching knowledge and skills through cutting-edge best practice and research. The course is also suitable for coach developers who are seeking to enhance their work with coaches.

This MSc Sport Performance Coaching degree will develop your critical analysis skills, improve your problem-solving abilities and teach you innovative solutions to coaching problems. You'll examine modern best practice in coaching from case studies, peers and leading coaches. Throughout the course, you'll examine and improve your understanding and practice of coaching, developing the skills to critically reflect on decisions, develop smart strategies and boost performance.

Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence

As Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence, we've developed an international reputation for delivering sport courses that get results. We bring together leading academics to deliver high-quality teaching in a range of areas - with a primary focus on your future career prospects. We're closely aligned with many sports bodies and have formal links with a growing number of organisations who can help to facilitate your learning. Our campus is also home to the National Tennis Centre, National Swimming Academy and headquarters of a number of Scottish sport governing bodies and regionals offices including the Scottish Institute of Sport.

96% overall student satisfaction for Sport Performance Coaching - Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2021

We're ranked Top 5 in Scotland and Top 10 in the UK for Sports Science (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022)

Become part of Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence international network of coaches

Our Sport Performance Coaching MSc is for experienced coaches and coach developers who wish to extend their expertise alongside their sport-specific qualifications. It will develop your critical analysis and reflective practice skills, enhance your problem-solving capacity and promote innovative solutions for coaching problems.

We'll help you become a coach or coach developer who can:

reflect and challenge personal assumptions and beliefs to improve future performance
critically reflect on decisions in complex and unpredictable situations
recognise and resolve problematic coaching issues through the generation of innovative strategies and solutions
design and implement an optimal learning environment to impact athletes' performance needs
design and implement a planned and strategic approach to performance improvement
develop and manage appropriate support structures to facilitate improved performance

Coaches from British Canoeing study for the PGDip Performance Coaching as part of the British Canoeing Coaching Diploma (formerly UKCC Level 4).

To gain the most from the course it is expected that you will be actively coaching or coach developingâ€¯while youâ€¯completeâ€¯yourâ€¯MSc Sport Performance Coaching degree. This will enable you to explore and critically examine your coaching practice and context using the content provided within each module. Tasks frequently require you to gather and critically reflect on insight from your own coaching.

Individual modules can be taken for continuing professional development or grouped for an award such as the Postgraduate Certificate which consists of 60 credits (e.g., three 20 credit modules), and the Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits e.g., six 20 credit modules), or the MSc consisting of 180 credits including a 60 credit Applied Coaching Project.

The online delivery ensures you can study when and where it suits you and fit study around your current career.

If you're interested in studying a module from this course, the Postgraduate Certificate or the Postgraduate Diploma then please email Graduate Admissions to discuss your course of study.

The staff delivering this programme are experienced coaches and also researchers. See individual staff pages for more information. Staff regularly work with MSc students to assist them to publish research conducted as part of the Applied Coaching Project. Examples include:

Ritchie, D. & Allen, J. (2015). â€˜Let them get on with it': Coaches' perceptions of their roles and coaching practices during Olympic and Paralympic Games. International Sport Coaching Journal, 2, 108-124. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/iscj.2014-0092

Ritchie, D., Allen, J., & Kirkland, A. (2018). Where science meets practice: Olympic coaches' crafting of the tapering process, Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(10), 1145-1154. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2017.1362717

Macdonald, S. & Allen, J. (2019). An examination of the coach-created talent development motivational climate in Canoe Slalom in the United Kingdom. International Sport Coaching Journal, 6(1), 74-87 https://doi.org/10.1123/iscj.2017-0091

Cooper, D. & Allen, J. (2020). â€œI don't want to give them my brain for the dayâ€¦ and then take it backâ€: An examination of the coach-created motivational climate in adult adventure sports. International Sport Coaching Journal, 7(2), 175-188 http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/iscj.2019-0026

Carroll, M. & Allen, J. (2021). 'Zooming in' on the antecedents of youth sport coaches' autonomy-supportive and controlling interpersonal behaviours: A multimethod study. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 16(2), 236-248 https://doi.org/10.1177/1747954120958621

Mason L, Kirkland A, Steele J & Wright J. (2021). The relationship between Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull variables and athletic performance measures: empirical study of English professional soccer players and meta-analysis of extant literature. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 61 (5), pp. 645-655. https://doi.org/10.23736/S0022-4707.20.11205-2

Earn a Masters in Sport Performance Coaching by studying online at Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence and find the winning formula for your career advancement.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Postgraduate

The University welcomes applications from students holding a minimum GPA of 2.8/4 in a 4 year Bachelor degree.

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

GBP 11,025 / year

How to Apply

If you are liable to pay tuition fees at the overseas rate you can apply via the following routes:

Full-time study - all students can apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). If you only want to apply to the University of Stirling, then you can apply to us directly for a full-time course.

January entry for full-time study - we have an option to start your degree in January on some of our courses. Applications for January entry must be made directly to the University and not through UCAS. See what courses are available and apply.

Common Application for full-time study - if you’re from the USA and you’re liable to pay tuition fees at the overseas rate and you’re not applying via UCAS or direct to us, then you can apply via the Common Application.

Part-time study - this is an option on some undergraduate courses. Part-time study is not available for those who require a visa. For part-time study starting in September or January you need to apply to us directly.

EU applicants - if you have pre-settled or settled status living in Scotland or the UK, you may be eligible for “Home/Scottish” or “Rest of UK” (RUK) fee status. Fee status can be checked with Admissions once an offer on a course has been made. For EU students who have a “Home/Scottish” fee status, all applications must be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Sport Performance Coaching

University of Stirling

University of Stirling

Key Facts

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