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Bsc Hons Sport Performance L6

Sports Performance

BSc (Hons) Top-up Level 6

Top-up your existing qualifications to a full BSc degree in one year. Top-up courses are equivalent to the final year of an undergraduate degree and allow you to 'top-up' an existing qualification into a full honours degree.

You can focus on the topics that interest you most and tailor your study towards your career goals. Gain the experience and skills to progress into a range of career options including sports performance, sports science, health, education, coaching or business. This degree is an ideal option for international applicants. It could reduce the time it takes to obtain a full Honours degree, compared to your home-based programme options.

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Key Information

Course Duration: 1 year full time
UC UCAS Code: C627
Part or Full Time: Full Time
Level of Study: Top-up Level 6
Typical Offer: A pass at Foundation Degree or HND in a sports science, coaching or management related subject

Course information

Designed for students progressing from a foundation degree or equivalent, this one-year programme enables you to refine your specialise skills and graduate with a full honour's qualification. You’ll study within a performance-focused environment that blends evolving theory with real-world application, preparing you to thrive in the fast-paced professional sports performance industry.

You’ll learn from experienced practitioners who bring current industry insight directly into your teaching and benefit from our strong professional networks, gaining exposure to contemporary challenges in performance sport such as athlete development, performance enhancement, and professional practice. 

We have a career-focused curriculum, designed to provide you opportunities to specialise in specific performance areas such as performance nutrition, performance analysis and development of athletes. You’ll also conduct your own research project in an area of personal interest, strengthening your evidence-informed approach and developing the professional skills valued by employers.

Academic requirements 

  • A pass at Foundation Degree or HND in a sport science, coaching or management related subject 
  • We welcome students with equivalent qualifications; please contact us to discuss 

 

Non-academic options 

  • Direct entry into Level 6 can be subject to interview and approval of prior content covered 
  • Previous learning towards a university-level qualification or relevant work experience may count as credit for this course. Specific work experience within a sports performance environment of up to 140 hours (or equivalent) would be desirable but will be managed on a case-by-case basis.

 

International students 

  • We welcome applications from international students and accept international qualifications at equivalent levels to the above 
  • You may also need to evidence proficiency in English language
  • Please read the entry requirements for your country and contact our admissions team if you have any questions.  
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Your career

This Top Up degree is designed to accelerate your career readiness by immersing you in professional practice and developing the skills employers value most. The programme places a strong emphasis on industry engagement, with opportunities to collaborate with guest speakers from professional sport who share insights into current trends and best practice.

You’ll undertake work-based learning through your Advanced Professional Practice in Sport module, enabling you to apply your skills in live performance environments. These experiences help you develop communication, teamwork, problem solving, and adaptability – all highlighted in the specification as essential professional attributes.

Your Sport Research Project further enhances your employability by demonstrating your ability to design and deliver an independent investigation, a skill valued across coaching, analysis, athlete development and sport management roles.

Graduates leave with confidence, applied experience, and evidence-informed approach needed to succeed in the sports performance industry or progress to postgraduate study.

Professional courses

You’ll also have opportunities to engage in volunteering, short professional courses and campus-based performance support roles, helping you build a strong CV and professional network. Hartpury’s industry connections and reputation in performance sport provides a valuable platform for securing placements, internships and employment. 

Graduate destinations

As a Sport Performance graduate, you could go on to work in various roles within the sports industry.

• Performance analyst 
• Strength and conditioning coach 
• Athlete development coach 
• Sport development officer 
• Performance nutrition assistant 
• Sport business and marketing roles 
• Coaching and leadership positions within clubs and academies

You could also continue in further study or pursue a teaching qualification.

You’ll also have the transferable skills you need for other graduate careers. Our careers team can support you to find and prepare to secure your perfect role.

Success Stories

Your support network

You'll benefit from a strong support network from day one to be the best you can be. This will range from your personal tutor and specialist academic support team (our Achievement and Success Centre) to dedicated wellbeing and employability (Employability, Skills and Careers) centres.

Academic support

You’ll have your own personal tutor while you’re here who will support you to succeed in your studies. You’ll also have access to our academic and wellbeing support teams who run regular workshops and one-to-one sessions on campus and online.

Alongside this, we have a comprehensive bank of online study skills resources to help you make the most of your qualification.

Your learning experiences

You'll experience a range of teaching methods to strengthen your digestion of topics, including lectures, workshops and practical sessions, as well as supported work placement learning as part of many courses.

Your career

Your course will be made up of two semesters, within which you’ll study compulsory and optional modules on different industry-focused topics, enabling you to develop your own unique portfolio of knowledge, skills and experience, ready for your career. The course is taught in English.

Course information

Overview

Designed for students progressing from a foundation degree or equivalent, this one-year programme enables you to refine your specialise skills and graduate with a full honour's qualification. You’ll study within a performance-focused environment that blends evolving theory with real-world application, preparing you to thrive in the fast-paced professional sports performance industry.

You’ll learn from experienced practitioners who bring current industry insight directly into your teaching and benefit from our strong professional networks, gaining exposure to contemporary challenges in performance sport such as athlete development, performance enhancement, and professional practice. 

We have a career-focused curriculum, designed to provide you opportunities to specialise in specific performance areas such as performance nutrition, performance analysis and development of athletes. You’ll also conduct your own research project in an area of personal interest, strengthening your evidence-informed approach and developing the professional skills valued by employers.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements 

  • A pass at Foundation Degree or HND in a sport science, coaching or management related subject 
  • We welcome students with equivalent qualifications; please contact us to discuss 

 

Non-academic options 

  • Direct entry into Level 6 can be subject to interview and approval of prior content covered 
  • Previous learning towards a university-level qualification or relevant work experience may count as credit for this course. Specific work experience within a sports performance environment of up to 140 hours (or equivalent) would be desirable but will be managed on a case-by-case basis.

 

International students 

  • We welcome applications from international students and accept international qualifications at equivalent levels to the above 
  • You may also need to evidence proficiency in English language
  • Please read the entry requirements for your country and contact our admissions team if you have any questions.  

Employability

Your career

This Top Up degree is designed to accelerate your career readiness by immersing you in professional practice and developing the skills employers value most. The programme places a strong emphasis on industry engagement, with opportunities to collaborate with guest speakers from professional sport who share insights into current trends and best practice.

You’ll undertake work-based learning through your Advanced Professional Practice in Sport module, enabling you to apply your skills in live performance environments. These experiences help you develop communication, teamwork, problem solving, and adaptability – all highlighted in the specification as essential professional attributes.

Your Sport Research Project further enhances your employability by demonstrating your ability to design and deliver an independent investigation, a skill valued across coaching, analysis, athlete development and sport management roles.

Graduates leave with confidence, applied experience, and evidence-informed approach needed to succeed in the sports performance industry or progress to postgraduate study.

Professional courses

You’ll also have opportunities to engage in volunteering, short professional courses and campus-based performance support roles, helping you build a strong CV and professional network. Hartpury’s industry connections and reputation in performance sport provides a valuable platform for securing placements, internships and employment. 

Graduate destinations

As a Sport Performance graduate, you could go on to work in various roles within the sports industry.

• Performance analyst 
• Strength and conditioning coach 
• Athlete development coach 
• Sport development officer 
• Performance nutrition assistant 
• Sport business and marketing roles 
• Coaching and leadership positions within clubs and academies

You could also continue in further study or pursue a teaching qualification.

You’ll also have the transferable skills you need for other graduate careers. Our careers team can support you to find and prepare to secure your perfect role.

How you'll study

Your support network

You'll benefit from a strong support network from day one to be the best you can be. This will range from your personal tutor and specialist academic support team (our Achievement and Success Centre) to dedicated wellbeing and employability (Employability, Skills and Careers) centres.

Academic support

You’ll have your own personal tutor while you’re here who will support you to succeed in your studies. You’ll also have access to our academic and wellbeing support teams who run regular workshops and one-to-one sessions on campus and online.

Alongside this, we have a comprehensive bank of online study skills resources to help you make the most of your qualification.

Your learning experiences

You'll experience a range of teaching methods to strengthen your digestion of topics, including lectures, workshops and practical sessions, as well as supported work placement learning as part of many courses.

Your career

Your course will be made up of two semesters, within which you’ll study compulsory and optional modules on different industry-focused topics, enabling you to develop your own unique portfolio of knowledge, skills and experience, ready for your career. The course is taught in English.

Modules

What you'll study

This course is completed over one year and contains compulsory modules covering research and professional development, as well as a series of optional modules.

Optional modules change each year in line with student, industry and research demands - you'll find recent topics studied below. You can attend introductory sessions for optional modules before deciding which ones to study.

Module credits

The modules contain a mixture of scheduled learning – lectures, workshops and practical sessions.  In support of this delivery you’ll be expected to dedicate at least two to three hours of independent study per contact hour.

You’ll improve your research and personal development skills through two compulsory modules. One requires you to undertake a research project of your choice, with the other focusing on improving your employability skills, ready for the sports industry.

A wide range of optional modules give you the chance to really focus on the areas that interest you most, and to best suit your career goals, you will get to select two optional modules.

Compulsory Modules

Advanced Professional Practice in Sport 

Providing students with the industry and practical knowledge to thrive in advanced sports settings. 

High Performing Teams 

Evaluate the leadership and management of sport science support within the performance environment. 

Sport Research Project  

Your opportunity to independently research a topic related to your programme of study and develop a range of graduate skills. 

Optional Modules

Developing the Youth Athlete 

This module provides students with the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical application to provide strength and conditioning provision to the youth population for both sporting and health purposes.  

Performance Analysis in Practice  

Students apply and evaluate the impact of performance analysis techniques within the coaching cycle. 

Performance Nutrition 

This module will provide students the opportunity to explore nutrition concepts and topics related to performance in elite sport. 

Sport and Social Media 

This module allows students to explore the growing influence of social media within the sports industry. Students will also analyse social media content and consider their findings within the context of relevant contemporary research. 

Sport Sponsorship and Brand Development 

This module allows students to explore the role and significance of sponsorship within the sports industry. They will have the opportunity to align theory with practice by developing a new sponsorship proposal for a chosen sports property. 

Modules

Overview

What you'll study

This course is completed over one year and contains compulsory modules covering research and professional development, as well as a series of optional modules.

Optional modules change each year in line with student, industry and research demands - you'll find recent topics studied below. You can attend introductory sessions for optional modules before deciding which ones to study.

Module credits

The modules contain a mixture of scheduled learning – lectures, workshops and practical sessions.  In support of this delivery you’ll be expected to dedicate at least two to three hours of independent study per contact hour.

Level Six (year one)

You’ll improve your research and personal development skills through two compulsory modules. One requires you to undertake a research project of your choice, with the other focusing on improving your employability skills, ready for the sports industry.

A wide range of optional modules give you the chance to really focus on the areas that interest you most, and to best suit your career goals, you will get to select two optional modules.

Compulsory Modules

Advanced Professional Practice in Sport 

Providing students with the industry and practical knowledge to thrive in advanced sports settings. 

High Performing Teams 

Evaluate the leadership and management of sport science support within the performance environment. 

Sport Research Project  

Your opportunity to independently research a topic related to your programme of study and develop a range of graduate skills. 

Optional Modules

Developing the Youth Athlete 

This module provides students with the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical application to provide strength and conditioning provision to the youth population for both sporting and health purposes.  

Performance Analysis in Practice  

Students apply and evaluate the impact of performance analysis techniques within the coaching cycle. 

Performance Nutrition 

This module will provide students the opportunity to explore nutrition concepts and topics related to performance in elite sport. 

Sport and Social Media 

This module allows students to explore the growing influence of social media within the sports industry. Students will also analyse social media content and consider their findings within the context of relevant contemporary research. 

Sport Sponsorship and Brand Development 

This module allows students to explore the role and significance of sponsorship within the sports industry. They will have the opportunity to align theory with practice by developing a new sponsorship proposal for a chosen sports property. 

The modules contain a mixture of scheduled learning – lectures, workshops and practical sessions – alongside independent learning. Students are expected to dedicate at least two to three hours of independent study per contact hour.

Year Contact learning Placement learning Independent learning
Level six (year one) 16% 4% 80%

You’ll be assessed through a mixture of written exams, practical exams, written assignments and presentations. Many of the modules will be marked based on a mixture of assessment types, whilst others will be based solely on one type of assessment. Feedback will be given using a mixture of verbal and written comments; these will be offered to help you achieve your goals as a student on this programme.  In support of this, your personal tutor will be available to help you build upon feedback and develop skills that are necessary for a sports graduate.

Year Written exam Practical exam Coursework
Level six (year one) 13% 39% 48%

This programme is taught over two semesters, normally consisting of 12 weeks of scheduled teaching and then assessment weeks, with an overview below:

  • Scheduled teaching takes place between 8:30 to 20:30 Monday to Friday
  • Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities
  • Work placements may entail different days and hours
  • Part-time students may need to attend learning activities five days each week, depending on modules selected
  • Timetables are available during enrolment week
View term dates

Please visit our student finance page for information on tuition fees and student loans, as well as non-repayable grants, bursaries and scholarships, eligible to different groups, to support with study costs.

Below, you'll find extra costs associated with studying this course.

Clothing and footwear

Clothing and footwear will be dependent upon your option module choices; consequently, you’ll be advised of these requirements when you start your course.

Additional costs

In the final year of the degree, students are expected to source an external placement that meets the accredited criteria. This may have additional travel costs.

Hartpury University may host various extra-curricular activities and courses, prices may vary dependent on the nature and duration of the course and external provider, but these are not compulsory.

Work placements can require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, paid for by the student or placement provider.

Performance Sports Academy membership

Find out costs and details for joining one of our performance Sports Academy teams.

Hartpury gym

Find out about costs and details for joining the Hartpury gym.

Accommodation and living costs

Please visit our student accommodation page for details.

Fees & finance

Our Resource Library is where you'll find all the essential details about Hartpury University's courses. It includes Programme and Module Specifications, along with Course Information Sheets for every course. You can easily download a complete revision history for each of these, clearly showing the dates changes were made.

Course Information Sheets: These are PDF versions of the course webpages. They provide an overview of the course, what to expect during your studies, and the topics covered.

Programme Specifications: These are detailed, validated documents containing academic specifics for each programme. They include descriptions of the programme, its aims, learning outcomes, year and module structure, as well as teaching, learning, and assessment strategies.

Module Specifications: Each Programme consists of several Modules. Our Module Specifications outline the topics covered and the expected outcomes for students studying each Module.

Resource library

Academies

If you’re playing sport competitively, or you have the talent and drive to do so, you may want to join one of our Sports Academies. Over 400 international athletes have developed their talents with us over the past 20 years. You could be our next success story. We're a semi-professional sports environment offering world-class facilities and professional coaching and support services.

Hartpury College Mens Football Academy

Accommodation

Settle into an accommodation option to suit your taste and budget – at Hartpury University, undergraduate students can choose to live on-campus surrounded by Gloucestershire’s beautiful countryside or off-campus in the heart of Gloucester City centre. Enjoy the best of both worlds.

Hartpury University Accommodation

Finance

We can help you understand how it all works, and what you need to do next. Find out everything you need to know about tuition fees, student loans and bursaries and scholarships. In 2021/22, we provided assistance to over 1/3 of our students through bursaries, scholarships and grants, totalling a little under £1million.

Hartpury University Finance
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Specialist University of the Year

Hartpury University has been named Specialist University of the Year 2026 – a major national recognition of its exceptional teaching, facilities, and student experience (The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2026).

Logo representing Hartpury University winning Gold in all three areas of student experience, student outcomes and overall in the Teaching Excellence Framework

TEF Gold

Our undergraduate provision has been awarded Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Gold in all aspects - Overall, Student Experience, and Student Outcomes.

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Graduate employability

95% of graduates are in employment, further study or other purposeful activity (Graduate Outcomes 2025).

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Academic support

We’re a top 10 university for academic support (NSS 2025, UK universities).

Hartpury Sport Facilities
Become a game changer

World-class sports facilities

Develop hands-on expertise and undertake research in our over £10 million Sports Academy, enabling our students to learn using some of the most advanced technologies in the UK.

With access to specialist laboratories, gyms and pitches, you’ll explore new ways to improve health and fitness for everyone – from elite athletes to school children.

Sport facilities
Success stories

Harrison's story

Success Stories
Harrison's story
Harrison Lowe
“The support I received from Hartpury is one of the main reasons the company is up and running today. I had so much support from Simon Spooner and all the ICE team, special thanks to Lucy Scannell and Vicki Crossland. I will always be grateful for the help and funding I received from Hartpury.”
Harrison Lowe
BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching
Dan Holloway Bsc Sports Coaching Graduate

"Being immersed in a high performance environment at Hartpury, both academically and practically, you develop a mindset that allows you to push yourself to perform at a higher level. That ethos and culture has helped me to take the path that I'm on now."

Dan Holloway, Nike Football UK Head Coach

"Being immersed in a high performance environment at Hartpury, both academically and practically, you develop a mindset that allows you to push yourself to perform at a higher level. That ethos and culture has helped me to take the path that I'm on now."

Dan Holloway, Nike Football UK Head Coach

Sport matters

When you have passion, you're far more likely to achieve your goals – especially when you study that passion in a place that shares it.

We're home to top-level coaches, sport and exercise scientists, nutritionists, conditioners, medics and athletes, across our Sports Academy programmes and student-led teams. Our students graduate with valuable skills to succeed in a range of different careers.

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Get in touch

Sports Students Laying Cones

Meet our academic team

Get to know our dedicated and passionate teaching staff who’ll help you achieve your very best. We’re proud to have been awarded Gold in all three areas of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF): Overall, Student Experience, and Student Outcomes. This places Hartpury University in the top 15% of published institutions in England.

Meet our team

Important information

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information, however our programmes are reviewed and developed regularly. Changes or cancellation of courses may be necessary to ensure alignment with emerging employment areas, to comply with accrediting body requirements, revisions to subject benchmark statements or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make necessary changes and will notify all offer-holders of changes as and when they occur.

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