How to Make a Strong Application for a

Sport degree

Sport in the UK

Sport is now a very important part of our culture for both participants and observers

Approximately 20 million people take part in sporting activities each week

It is one of the fastest growing sectors of employment in the UK Sport related employment is estimated to be around 1.8% of all

employment in England Approximately 500,000 people are currently employed either

directly or indirectly in sport

What qualifications will I need ? Sport is one of the most competitive and popular

university subjects. You will need to achieve AAA or AAB or equivalent for the most competitive courses although you will find lower offers

Look carefully at GCSE requirements for each course Check with your teachers to find out your

predicted grades. Make sure they are good enough to meet likely offers

Offers will be made on the basis of your predicted grades NOT on what you think you can get at the end of the course

Check the ‘Course Specific Requirements’ on the Entry Profile for each course on the UCAS website

Check the content of each course carefully

Make sure the course is right for you

Beware!! Courses with same title in different universities can be very different in terms of their content.

Look at what you will do in all years of the course

Check on course options offered in each year

Do the course assessment methods suit you?

Which Degree Route?

There is tremendous variety in Sport degrees offered There are broad degrees which cover a number of relevant

subject disciplines There are also very specialised degrees degrees such as

Water Sport Science, Equine Sport Science or Sports Psychology

What skills/subject knowledge do you want to be able to offer a potential employer or post-graduate degree admissions tutor?

The different types of degree will lead to very different career routes

Apart from Sport there are course options such as....

Community Sport Equestrian Sport Studies Equine Sport Science Human Sport Science Marine Sport Technology Science Of Sport Sport Administration Sport Coaching Sport Design Sport Development Sport Economics Sport Education Sport Engineering Sport Equipment Design Sport Fitness Sport History

Sport Injuries Sport Journalism Sport Management Sport Marketing Sport Massage Sport Medicine Sport Needs Learning Disability Sport Performance Sport Performance Analysis Sport Physiology Sport Product Design Sport Psychology Sport Rehabilitation Sport Science Sport Studies Sport Technology Sport Therapy Sport Turf Management

Which Degree Route? Sport ScienceYou are likely to cover such things as: Anatomy Physiology The principles of training Sports nutrition Sports psychology It would enable you to: provide sport science expertise to support to athletes work in the health and fitness industry as lifestyle consultant,

personal trainer or rehabilitation specialist service exercise prescription and well-being exercise projects

in the community advise on sport nutrition

Need at least one science A level for most courses

Which Degree Route? Sports Management

You are likely to cover such things as: Role of health and fitness in society Business and finance Marketing Practical management of sport/leisure centres Placement experience

It would enable you to: Work in commercial (business) and community sport

management running sport/leisure facilities Work in local authority and voluntary sector sport running

sport/leisure facilities Work in event management

Which Degree Route? Sports StudiesYou are likely to cover such things as: Sport in society The development and history of sport Personal development Sport issues and ethics Global sport Sport tourism

It would enable you to: Work in community sport Work in sport media Work in local authority and the voluntary sector sport Work in sport research Teach or lecture in Sports Studies

Which Degree Route? Sport Development/Coaching

You are likely to cover such things as: The theory and principles of coaching The use of technology in coaching Sports science Sport psychology

It would enable you to: Work as a sport development manager/officer Work as a community sport development officer Work as a sport leader or coach for an organisation Work as a youth development officer

Which Degree Route? Sport/Physical Education

Another option is a Sport Education course with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) enabling you to teach PE in a school or college. Sport Education course codes with an ‘X’ in front on the UCAS system will give you QTS.

You are likely to cover such things as: Physiology, sociology and psychology of sport Principles of coaching Fitness and training How to teach sport Policies in sport

A three year Sport degree could also be followed

by a one year PGCE course as a route into teaching

Look at Entry Profiles on UCAS website

Use ‘course search’ on UCAS APPLY

Choose a course at a university

Look at ‘entry profile’ for History for that course

Sport and Exercise Science at Bath University

Link takes you to further information on the Bath University website

Research universities and courses at open days Book early Watch out for

subject specific open days

Don’t go to too many!

Use website to:

Search Access open days

calendar Book for many of

them Get advice Subscribe to

newsletter

opendays.com website

Open days calendar

Useful article at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/may/18/university-open-days

What skills will I need?

An enthusiasm for sport and exercise BUT some courses such as Sports Science may not require

you to play sport as part of the degree. Check carefully IT skills Interpersonal skills Communication skills Numeracy skills Team-work skills Tolerance and empathy An interest in science (often)

Think about the contemporary relevance of the subject

Develop your own ideas on the following:

Why sport is worth studying

What it offers the individual

What benefits it has to offer society

Whether it is worth studying for its own sake whether or not it benefits society

Read Peak Performance journal and use the website and article archive

Research on the leisure network website: jobswithballs.com

Use Career Tools link

Keep up to date with the ‘Inside Sport’ pages on the BBC website

Read PE Review

What should I put in my Personal Statement?

Use the ‘Entry profiles’ for your courses on the UCAS website to give you pointers about skills you will need and what is being looked for by selectors.

Details about your relevant experience, sporting achievements and reading, and your reasons for wanting to study sport should dominate rather information about extra-curricular activities, gap year plans, etc.

80% on Sport 20% on general interests Concentrate on interests and experiences that are

relevant to the course you are applying for Remember, not all universities will interview you so the PS

is all they may see BUT keep a copy in case you are interviewed

Your reasons for choosing the course Demonstrate that you know such a course involves What you enjoy in those of your A levels that are

relevant to the course Additional reading you have done BUT don’t just list book

titles. Say what you got from them Your sporting achievements Positions of responsibility held especially where relevant

to the course Relevant work experience/employment (What did you

get from it?) Skills that you have that are relevant to the course. Give

evidence for them

What to avoid in your Personal Statement? Being pretentious and trying to hard to impress. Write

clearly and concisely.

Being boastful

Poor written English

Following a formula

Plagiarism. You will get caught out

Writing in note form rather than continuous prose.

The interview Not all universities interview for all of their courses so you need to

make sure your Personal Statement is good because this may be all they see

It will often tell you what their policy about interviewing is either in the Entry Profile information on UCAS or in the prospectus

If you do get an interview you will need to prepare carefully and show evidence that you have gone out of your way to find out about the course

You will also need to show that you have tried to broaden your knowledge and experience of the subject

Remind yourself of the things you wrote about in your Personal Statement . They will probably ask you about this

General questions Tell me about yourself? How would you describe yourself? Tell us about your current courses? What are you best at? What are your main interests? Do you have any weaknesses

These are self awareness questions, so prepare by thinking about: 1) Your key personality characteristics 2) Your general and study interests 3) Try and be relevant and talk about those personality qualities and

interests that match the course.

Questions about your motivation for the course and the university

Why do you want to study for a degree?

Why did you choose this course?

What do you think university can offer you?

What else, apart from study, interests you about this university?

Why do you want to study at this university?

Why do you want to study in this town/city?

Subject related questions Why do you want to study this subject?

What do you know about the course?

What attracts you to this course?

Are there particular aspects of the course that attract you ? Why?

What have you read recently that is relevant to your interest in this course?

What experiences /work experience/ visits/ independent study have you done which is relevant to this course?

You may want to study the subject because:

1) You want to study it further and in more depth2) It is a strong interest and/or your best subject3) You will need it for your future career plans4) That a particular university has a type of course that is

suited to you5) Or some other reasons of your own.6) Use supporting evidence and examples where possible.

Topical questions

Interviewers may ask your opinion on something topical, that is something in the news or related to your subject.

Prepare for the interview by looking in the media to see what is current

You can reading the national serious newspapers online or in hard copy and pick out current stories that seem linked to your subject.

Collect them in a folder and think about how you could respond to a question on these topics.

Watch TV documentaries related to the subject

Hypothetical situation or problem solving questions

Be prepared to have to think on your feet and do not over rehearse prepared answers

Give me an example of a time when... you dealt with a problem, or overcame some obstacles, or worked in a team to achieve an outcome etc

If you were asked to....do something creative about ......what would you do?

What skills will a Sport degree give me?

Prospects.ac.uk website Click ‘Careers advice’ link

Click ‘Options with your subject’ link

Two page ‘Options with Your Subject’ sheets Skills the degree will give

you

Job options related to your degree

Jobs for which your degree would be useful

Links to each of the jobs for further details

Career Areas chosen by those with your degree

Where are the jobs?

What next: other possibilities after your degree

Examples of jobs directly related to a Sport degree

Sport coach/instructor

Sports development officer

Personal trainer Outdoor pursuits

manager

PE teacher/lecturer Higher education

lecturer

Examples of jobs for which a Sport degree would be useful

Sport psychologist Sports therapist Fitness centre

assistant Leisure club

assistant

Sport administrator Health promotion

specialist

What do graduates do with a Sport (Science)degree?

The HESA Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey