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Football Performance at Southampton, Solent University - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 20262026 - 2027
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Open days

5Nov
Southampton Solent University - Postgraduate Open Afternoon (Virtual)
Virtual and digital
29Nov
Southampton Solent University - Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Apprenticeships Open Day (On-Campus)
Undergraduate
18Apr
Southampton Solent University - Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Apprenticeships Open Day (On-Campus)
Undergraduate

Course summary

Gain real world, applied knowledge of performance science, analysis, coaching and leadership in a course that brings together exciting insights into the growth and diversity of the football industry. We’ve been at the forefront of football education for nearly two decades and our football programmes have emerged as a leading supplier of graduates to the football industry. Our graduates have gone on to careers in the English Premier League, the Women's Super League, as well as national federations and clubs overseas. If you are already working in a professional football environment, or aspire to gain employment in the industry, this master’s degree is perfect for you. You'll apply your skills in five main strands of study:

  • Coaching insights (coaching)
  • Football performance (sport science)
  • Football analysis (performance analysis)
  • Team leadership and management dynamics (leadership)
  • Football innovation and player care (into the future)
This will help to enhance your experience and knowledge with the application of a multidisciplinary performance programme, from academy through to professional players. You'll take advantage of the University's extensive professional network in and outside of the game and attend regular lectures from guest speakers, including players, coaches, analysts and performance staff. This will allow you to learn from and interact with experts who have first-hand, high-level experience within the game. You'll benefit from the University's official partnership with Southampton FC, with access to real-world industry experience as part of the curriculum, including professional coaching, recruitment, and football performance. This course is for: This course is ideally suited to those with aspirations of working across coaching, analysis, performance science, or leadership in professional football. Aligned with the growth and development of football performance, applicants will demonstrate a desire to enhance their undergraduate learning and football experience and construct a pathway into the applied area of their choice.

Modules

  • Independent Football Project
In this module, you will carry out research on a topic or issue relevant to you, your practice, or your area of interest, providing an opportunity for you to construct a report to demonstrate your academic skills within a unique area of study. Issues concerning ethical implications, research design, empirical data collection and subsequent analysis will be fundamental to the successful completion of the module.
  • Coaching Insights
This module focuses on contemporary coaching techniques and methodologies. From the earliest years of young player development in both the male and female game, to senior coaching, this module will enable you to formulate the appropriate methods to adopt in a given scenario and real-world setting. Dividing the module into three distinct phases, you will critically analyse player development systems, individual and positional coaching methods, and coaching in a results driven environment.
  • Team Leadership and Management
This module is designed to provide you with the necessary skills to become a departmental lead or head. Creating a philosophy or vision for the department aligned to the club's ethos and culture is a key strategic consideration for any departmental lead. You will also develop further learning of core qualities of human resource management necessary to influence departmental productivity, as well as effective negotiation skills, financial forecasting, budgeting, and an expectation to contribute to the wider strategic aims of the organisation.
  • Football Analysis
Evaluate the different components that combine to form performance analysis in football. You will understand the various roles and responsibilities of an analysis department and how they combine to provide analytical support to the management team, coaches, players, and other stakeholders within a club or organisation. You will also learn the multidisciplinary approach data acquisition, analysis, visualisation and contextualisation, enabling you to examine appropriate technical, tactical and physical training that accelerates player learning and match preparation. You will critique football analysis software and tools used in academy and senior games programmes.
  • Football Innovation
This short module gives you the opportunity to investigate the latest technology related to player development, care, and support. You will critique the latest in wearable tracking technology and investigate the use of artificial intelligence, data science and visualisation in training, match, and recruitment analysis. The module also offers the opportunity to evaluate the latest in equipment design, from boots, to balls, to goal line technology.
  • Football Performance
Focussing on the application of the physical and mental components in football, this module investigates the concept of periodisation. You will evaluate the many factors influencing the demands on a player, such as physical capacity, technical qualities, playing position, tactical role, psychological preparation, and style of play. The module will focus on the competitive calendar and the appropriate field-based training, gym-based training, nutritional, psychological, and recovery strategies available to optimise physiological response to training and match play.
  • Player Care
Those working with and close to players should be aware of these support mechanisms to create an informed approach to player supervision. Throughout this module you will appraise the players' career journey, incorporating both transitions into and out of the professional game. You will also investigate further education for players, providing a foundation for future career options. You will construct an understanding of the effects of these periods on players' mental, emotional and physical wellbeing and the mechanisms in player to support the process.

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 visit the Home Office website which outlines all the requirements for a successful visa application and to take a look at our course entry statement document.

Entry requirements

• Relevant undergraduate sport science or related degree (2:2 minimum) • Applicants will be required to attend an interview • Applicants do not need to be currently working in a professional football environment, however this would be an advantage. 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. Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6IELTS minimum 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual component
TOEFL (iBT)92TOEFL IBT 92 with a minimum of 22 in writing and a minimum of 20 in reading, listening and speaking
Institution's Own TestDuolingo English Language Test - 115 overall with minimum of 100 in each component

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £10400 Whole course
Northern Ireland £10400 Whole course
Scotland £10400 Whole course
Wales £10400 Whole course
Channel Islands £10400 Whole course
Republic of Ireland £10400 Whole course
EU £18350 Whole course
International £18350 Whole 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

While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact [email protected]. - Compulsory costs (guidance only) Students must wear a Solent sports kit. Students are required to undertake DBS criminal records checks as part of their enrolment. 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 (https://www.solent.ac.uk/finance/bursaries)

Football Performance at Southampton, Solent University - UCAS