Football Science - Full Time (Taught)

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26Jun

Solent University (Southampton) - Postgraduate Afternoon (Virtual)

Postgraduate

21Aug

Solent University (Southampton) - Postgraduate Application Workshop (Virtual)

Postgraduate

Course summary

Designed specifically for those already working in a professional football environment, this master’s degree will enable you to develop and enhance your existing knowledge and skills in monitoring, analysing and implementing programmes of support to elite football players. You’ll engage with, and gain an understanding across, areas such as talent identification and recruitment, training and competition demands and team leadership and management dynamics. This will help to enhance your experience and knowledge with the application of a multidisciplinary age-appropriate programme for the development of academy through to professional players. In addition, your supervisory and people management skills will be enhanced to gain greater insight into leadership and provide further career opportunities. As part of the course you’ll also be eligible to enrol onto BASES Supervised Experience, the recognised path to full BASES-accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist and Chartered Scientist status. If appropriate, some students with prior experience may choose to receive guidance and support in the application for direct entry to accreditation. You’ll receive high quality teaching, learning and sport science provision from professionals with backgrounds in academia and football. The course is also informed by extensive links with key industry partners, such as the Football Association, BASES, the Premier League, various professional Football League clubs, and leading wearable technology companies. In addition the course will draw on the expertise of current practitioners who, through our renowned guest lecture and seminar programme, add vital applied insights from the world of football. This course is for: This course is specifically for those currently working in the professional football industry in the UK, Europe and further afield in sport science support, player development and performance departments.

Modules

Core modules

Supervised Experience

Students will undertake a placement (up to 150 hours) in a sport science/football science setting to improve and enhance their scientific knowledge, technical and problem-solving skills, and professional competencies, and to understand the roles and responsibilities of a talent and recruitment department. The module will enable students to start to construct a portfolio, which will begin to demonstrate key competencies required to attain BASES Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist status.

Independent Project

This is a student-led module with the content largely determined by the student under the guidance of their supervision tutor. Students have the opportunity to undertake a sustained, intensive and independent investigation into a theme of their choosing and present their work in a peer reviewed journal format.

Training and Competitive Demands

This module investigates the concept of periodisation - specifically the division of a yearly training plan into training phases which apply to the principles of training. Students will examine the intricacies and considerations of sequential planning, including the factors influencing the demands of a player, such as physical capacity, technical qualities, playing position, tactical role and style of playing, as well as ball possession of the team, quality of opponent, importance of the game, season period, playing surface and environmental factors.

Talent Identification and Recruitment

In this module, students will explore and understand the roles and responsibilities of a talent and recruitment department. Students will develop an awareness of good practice and identify various techniques, processes, and procedures commonly used within the talent ID field to promote successful player recruitment.

Team Leadership and Management

This module is designed to advance football practitioners and provide the necessary skillset to becoming a departmental lead or head.

Rehabilitation and Return to Play

This module will develop skills in football injury rehabilitation. The aim is to introduce the concepts of injury and rehabilitation management, supported by evidence-based practice. The module also offers the opportunity to develop students' knowledge and understanding of physiology to an applied sport-specific setting.

How to apply

International applicants

All international applicants need to be aware that the English language requirements to attend Solent University, and the English language requirements to obtain a visa from the Home Office, may be different. This means that if you meet the Solent University language requirement to gain a place on the course, you may still have to meet additional requirements to be granted with a visa by the Home Office. We strongly advise all applicants to check the Home Office website which outlines all the requirements for a successful visa application and to visit our website to see the relevant information that outlines both Solent University and Home Office requirements for a number of language tests.

Entry requirements

• Minimum of a 2:1 honours degree in sport science or relevant discipline • Applicants will be required to attend an interview • Applicants must be working in a professional football environment Language Requirements Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are: • IELTS minimum 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual component • TOEFL IBT 92 with a minimum of 22 in writing and a minimum of 20 in reading, listening and speaking • Duolingo English Language Test - 115 overall with minimum of 100 in each component or equivalent. Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

EU	£17065	Whole course
England	£9675	Whole course
Northern Ireland	£9675	Whole course
Scotland	£9675	Whole course
Wales	£9675	Whole course
Channel Islands	£9675	Whole course
International	£17065	Whole course

Additional fee information

While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. These additional costs are listed below. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact [email protected]. The 2024/25 other costs are: - Compulsory costs Students must purchase a Solent sports kit. As a package, this will cost approximately £135. Students are required to undertake DBS criminal records checks as part of their enrolment. This is compulsory and is payable by the student at a cost of £60. The DBS check is organised by the University.

Sponsorship information

Solent University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships that provide financial assistance or waive fees for tuition or accommodation. Each bursary or scholarship has specific eligibility criteria. Check out our bursaries and scholarships pages to find out more.