Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Science with Foundation Year

at University of Wolverhampton - Walsall Campus United Kingdom

If you have an interest in young people, families and communities then this course will develop your skills and knowledge required for a range of careers working with young people, families and the communities where they live.

Whether you are new to this area or you have experience and you are looking for career development then this course will suit you. There is an increasing need for graduates to work in the field of family support and community work as well as increasing opportunities to work directly with young people and this course is designed to prepare you for these roles.

The MA in Education is designed for teachers, lecturers and educational managers in primary, secondary and further and higher education, and for other professionals working in education, both in their early careers and with substantial experience in education. The course is concerned with the development of critical enquiry and reflection in the field of education, and the development of professional knowledge and expertise. This course also offers opportunity for those interested in research to progress onto doctoral study.

Ideal for  those working in education across a range of contexts, and for those wishing to study and research in education the MA Education is designed to provide an excellent opportunity to develop career  and employability skills. For those students with previous study at Level 7 such as PGCE, there is opportunity to build on your previous experience and qualifications. This course also allows you to customise your learning  experience through  flexible and varied assessment approaches. Our MA Education programme includes opportunity to develop your skills, knowledge and understandings and apply what you learn to your current or future role, responsibilities or career aspirations. As well as provide a high-quality learning experience in a collaborative and supportive environment.

Previous participants on the course have told us that the MA Education has developed  skills in flexibly thinking with the ability to underpin change with theory.

The BA Drama and Musical Theatre course at Wolverhampton offers a unique opportunity to develop performance skills as a ‘singing actor’ in a department at the cutting edge of international musical theatre research and drama practice.  Our staff members have professional industry experience as directors, musical directors, performers, dramaturgs and writers, and this is reflected in the breadth of the course.  The course is vocationally-led and aims to enhance your future employability so that by the end of the course, you will have the know-how to develop your professional skills further.  The balance of practical and academic work in the programme allows for a wide range of career choices upon graduation.

What happens on the course?
Our course prepares students for employment in all areas of theatre and beyond.  The practical element of the course focuses on developing singing and performance skills, with a particular emphasis on the role of the ‘singing actor’ and the application of theatre in different educational settings.  There is a particular focus on the use of text and physical theatre alongside contemporary musical theatre, and students are encouraged to enhance and expand their chosen repertoire through weekly individual singing lessons with professional vocal tutors.  Practical work is supported by an outstanding academic programme that investigates how identity shapes our experience of musicals as creatives, performers and audience members through the lenses of gender, race, nationality, sexuality and class.  The continued dialogue between practical and academic skills make our graduates particularly versatile for future employment prospects, as evidenced in our 100% graduate employment rate.   

The BSc (Hons) Early Childhood Studies (with Foundation Year) is designed to help you to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed in your studies with the University of Wolverhampton at degree level and beyond. During your Foundation Year you will develop skills appropriate to University study such as finding and using information, working collaboratively with others, challenging and debating ideas and expressing yourself with greater confidence.

The Early Childhood Studies degree will develop your skills and knowledge required for a range of careers working with children, their families and the services that support them.  The course will draw on a range of disciplines such as history, psychology, education, sociology, welfare and social policy.

The course is suitable for people new to this area or experienced staff searching for career development.  The course takes account of the ecology of children’s lives in studying the complexities of family life and of children’s development from conception onwards and the significance of childhood across cultures and societies. 

Work experience placements are an integral part of the course and can be negotiated in a variety of settings such as schools, nurseries, community care centres, hospitals, social services, libraries, children’s centres, and other relevant settings. The course will consider theory in relation to the implications for practice and enable you to evaluate and develop appropriate pedagogical approaches to work with children and their families and to consider ethical principles and high quality practice.

This exciting Sport Business Management programme has been developed alongside industry partners and endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA). The course has been mapped against the Professional Standards of a General Manager, meaning that you will be equipped with the competencies and skills needed to meet the requirements of potential employers.

The programme will provide opportunities to explore different strands of sport business management including marketing, strategy, policy, finance, economics, and sport event management. Studying these key areas will prepare you to enter a range of careers including sport development management, governing body management, insight and data management, facility management and business management.

The BSc (Hons.) Football Coaching and Performance degree will give you the skills and experience to help gain employment in the football industry as a coach within an academy, performance, community or grassroots setting, as a football performance specialist. You will also be well prepared for a range of coaching and related roles within the wider sport and physical activity sector. 
The course has been designed through consultation with West Bromwich Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Walsall FC, as well as The Football Association (FA) Coach Educators to identify the skills and qualities needed to work in the football industry. Our unique coaching course combines a football specific degree with the opportunity to apply your knowledge in industry through our excellent placements with our partner clubs, at home or abroad. 

You will study all disciplines of football coaching, covering modules in; pedagogy, coaching science, and performance analysis, all of which are taught both theoretically and in a range of practical contexts.

What happens on the course?

• Placement modules allow you to gain hand on experience and receive mentorship within professional environments, including opportunities with some of our key partners such as Wolverhampton Wanderers, Walsall FC, West Bromwich Albion and WLV Sport FC.
• The first two years of our football coaching degree will prepare you to complete the Football Association (FA) Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications (although completion of these qualifications will require additional tasks outside of the degree programme).
• This degree is delivered by academic staff who are Union of European Football Association (UEFA) qualified coaches, coach educators, and who have extensive applied knowledge and experience from grassroots to international level.
• Our employability modules enable you to explore careers in football coaching and engage in career development planning that prepares you for graduate-level employment in the football industry or elsewhere.
• Each year you will have opportunities to participate in career development activities and network with employers from sports businesses, sport development and performance sport.
• The course has been designed in line with The International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) coaching degree standards. On completion of this course you should, therefore, have the knowledge and skills required to meet the sector standards for employment in certain specific roles, as well as a range of other related roles.
• You will have the opportunity to transfer to a sandwich placement year in a coaching or football related context, with a partner club or organisation. Our sandwich placement option allows you to take a full-year work placement, which can be undertaken abroad. A number of students in our department have been successful in securing places on these schemes in countries such as Spain, France, Canada and the US.

This unique course been developed alongside industry partners and endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity

It has been mapped against the Coach Professional Standard, meaning that you will be equipped with the competencies and skills needed to meet the requirements of potential employers.

The course covers aspects of football coaching such as pedagogy, coaching science, and performance analysis in combination with opportunities to apply your knowledge in industry.

Placement modules are a leading feature of the course allowing you to gain hands-on experience and mentoring in an applied setting. These settings include the option to work with our partner clubs such as Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion, Walsall FC, AFC Telford and our University team, WLV Sport FC.

The BA (Hons) Drama is a versatile and exciting degree that offers an opportunity for you to gain experience in multiple areas of contemporary drama, theatre and performance. You will take a practical approach to these disciplines, developing physical and vocal performance skills alongside creative thinking and your work will be underpinned by critical performance theory.

The course also provides students with an opportunity to look beyond the role of the performer and consider the importance of designing, devising, directing, writing and teaching in performing arts.

Can't decide on which course you love the most? Why not try looking at our joint options... BA (Hons) Drama and Musical Theatre and BA (Hons) Dance and Drama.

During the degree you will:

• Acquire a portfolio of key skills and develop an understanding of why and how drama, theatre and performance practices work in different contexts.
• Engage in a substantial final year project that will enhance your future employability.
• Develop industry links through work with influential regional theatre companies such as Stan’s Café, Geese Theatre Company and Gazebo Theatre in Education. 
• Have the opportunity to perform in venues such as the Birmingham REP, the Arena Theatre and the Black Country Living Museum.

Many of our music education degree graduates progress to careers in teaching or community music. Our music education degree offers a unique balance of scholarly research and practical musicianship to produce an all-round teacher, musician or practitioner. Our aim is to facilitate and stimulate your personal musical growth and to help you to develop confidence in your ability through both practical and theoretical elements of the course.

We are partners with the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM) who help to inform our curriculum. As part of this music education degree, you will also be awarded the ABRSM’s prestigious Certificate for Music Educators.

You will study practical performance modules where you will develop your skills as both a soloist and an ensemble performer, as well as conducting, composition and arranging. You will also have the opportunity to study music in education and the community by exploring pedagogical processes and undertaking a series of placements in schools, colleges or community venues. You will use the latest technology and software for scoring, recording and engineering live music.

The course incorporates a variety of learning and teaching experiences including seminars, discussion groups, lectures, presentations, guest speakers and performers, visits to sites of musical importance and concert attendances. Placement opportunities are available within modules in the second and third year of this degree.

Members of staff are all actively involved in research, music education, performance and composition at a regional, national and international level and their expertise and enthusiasm will assist you in becoming a professional musician.

What happens on the course?
You will experience a wide variety of learning activities in our music education degree and they will contribute to the development of your graduate attributes.

Teaching and learning will normally take place in a variety of continually evolving contexts, including an appropriate balance of the following kinds of activity:

• Workshops, rehearsals, productions, practical classes, laboratory or studio-based practice, screenings, lectures, discussions (both online and in class), seminars, and tutorials. You will be encouraged to apply your knowledge and understanding of critical theory to case studies within regional, national and international contexts;
• Group and individual learning;
• Professional placements of varying types (which will be of especial relevance in enhancing your employability and ability to be enterprising);
• Tutor-led, (peer-group) student-led, and self-directed study;
• Use of subject-specific and generic technologies (these will be particularly helpful in the development of your digital literacy);
• Resource-based learning, including library work and attendance at performances.

This course aims to combine the intellectual exploration of acting and the practical development of skills. It will develop the actor as collaborator – able to exercise his/ her craft and to contribute to the creation of work.

The course will equip you to work with explorative companies such as Stan’s Café, Talking Birds, Knee High, Forced Entertainment as well as in more conventional performance environments such as repertory theatre, film and television. You will also be equipped to seek employment in applied drama contexts, directing, writing and arts marketing.

What happens on the course?

You will complete actor training in vocal and physical skills. In addition you will work on the skills that will make you a creative actor and collaborator.

You will have a unique opportunity to work on production modules during the degree which are taught full time and exclusively to other modules for a 3 week intensive period.

As part of your studies you will form companies to negotiate appropriate marketing strategies to promote your work to a public audience as well as prepare your audition portfolio, cv and showreel.  

You will develop your acting skills for the stage, screen and radio and apply a range of skills, techniques and new technologies to enable creative engagement with different performance/acting contexts.

You will develop your knowledge and understanding of forms, practices, traditions, texts, theories and histories of drama, performance and theatre in their cultural, historical and contemporary contexts

You will complete a substantial final year project in an area of your choice which will enhance your future employability.