Course summary
Take your passion for the outdoors and turn it into a rewarding and fulfilling career. Whether you want to work as an outdoor leader, adventure sport coach or in outdoor education, acquire the skills and knowledge to give you the tools to kick start your career. You will learn from academics with a great passion for the outdoors. They will not only inspire and upskill you but also guide you to become the best leader possible. Along the way, you will gain transferable skills such as confidence and communication, mastering the art of safely experiencing and teaching adventurous land and water-based activities. Enhance your theoretical knowledge with engaging practical sessions, including activities such as kayaking and mountaineering. Set in the inspiring landscapes of the Lake District and beyond, these hands-on experiences provide valuable skills and lasting insights that will enrich your academic and personal development. Harness the power of Cumbria’s robust industry connections to cultivate a network of like-minded individuals and employers. This network opens doors to valuable work experience and enticing career prospects, propelling you into an exciting journey of adventure and opportunity. Course Overview You’ll develop outdoor and leadership skills, as well as knowledge and experience working with people in challenging environments. You will have access to all our great facilities, gaining all the skills you need to work in the outdoor sector. There will be plenty of opportunities to get outside and enjoy exciting field trips in a range of locations which may include the Scottish Highlands, North Wales and the Spanish Pyrenees. Our outdoor leadership degree is taught at our Ambleside campus which is based in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Lake District National Park. You’ll live and study surrounded by breath-taking mountains and beautiful lakes – an unrivalled location for pursuing your degree in outdoor education. This course is designed to integrate theory and practice seamlessly, using a variety of adventurous outdoor activities to enhance your learning. You'll gain valuable experience and skills that support your progression towards National Governing Body Awards (NGBAs)—widely recognised qualifications in outdoor leadership and instruction. On this course you will...
- Benefit from the outdoor experience that's at the heart of this course with theory backed up by practice.
- Improve your competencies in mountaineering, climbing, sailing, caving and paddling.
- Explore the Cumbrian outdoors while developing academic, critical-thinking and valuable life skills.
- Learn to successfully lead people with the most up-to-date and best practice coaching.
- Gain valuable commercial and entrepreneurial skills – enhancing your employability.
Modules
Year one You'll explore the relationships between environmental, cultural and personal space in various outdoor settings. Plus, you'll develop your core skills in climbing, mountaineering and paddling.
- Outdoor Adventure Skills and Learning (Water)
- Outdoor Adventure Skills and Learning (Land)
- Living and Working in Groups Outdoors
- Outdoor Professional Development
- Physiology and Psychology for the Outdoor Leader
- Outdoor Leadership Theory and Practice 1
- Outdoor Leadership Theory and Practice 2
- Psychological Applications in Outdoor Contexts
- Coaching Individuals and Groups
- Evaluating Outdoor Leadership
- Research Design
- Traditional and Innovative Approaches to Outdoor Education (Optional)
- Sustainable Outdoor Event Management (Optional)
- Health, Wellbeing and Environmental Health (Optional)
- Dissertation
- Coaching and Facilitation in Outdoor Environments
- Outdoor Leadership Theory and Practice 3
- Commerce and Employment in the Outdoor Sector (Optional)
- Outdoor and Environmental Education (Optional)
- Therapeutic Opportunities (Optional)
Assessment method
Assessment methods are designed to provide both a creative and balanced strategy but also a range of engaging and challenging opportunities which include essays, reports, practical tasks, posters projects, portfolios and oral presentations to name a few. The assignment methods are related specifically to the stated module aims and learning outcomes, and the staff team work hard in the planning phase of programme delivery to ensure all assignments are equitably spread, through the use of the department assessment calendar across all levels. Furthermore, there is an over-arching ethos within the department that assignments are designed to encapsulate the idiom of ‘assessment for learning’ rather than of learning. A variety of modules are linked directly to employability, and particularly the actual behaviours and capabilities required of a professional outdoor leader. This is exemplified in the Level 6 module, entitled Participant Coaching, whereby students are assessed in coaching their peers, with the specific intention of improving their outdoor performance. Formative assessment is available in most modules, where students receive specific feedback on their progress this far, without the attempt being graded.
How to apply
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- NX23
- Institution code:
- C99
- Campus name:
- Ambleside
- Campus code:
- A
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - 104 - 120 points
A level - BBC - BBB
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DMM
Access to HE Diploma - D: 21 credits M: 24 credits
Scottish Higher - BBBC - AABB
T Level - M
Student Outcomes
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Provider information
University of Cumbria
Registered Office
Fusehill Street
Carlisle
CA1 2HH
Course contact details
Visit our course pageUniversity of Cumbria
0845 606 1144