BSc (Hons) Science and Football with Foundation Year
- Entry year:
- 2025/26
- Start date:
- September
- Study mode:
- Full-time
- Course duration:
- 5 years Placement year, 4 years FullTime
- Campus:
- City
Why study this course with LJMU?
- Teaching from industry professionals, including coaches and applied practitioners from a variety of professional clubs and governing bodies within the UK and Europe
- Key industry partners including professional clubs, the FA, UEFA, FIFA and Prozone
- World-leading research institute attracting high-level professionals to give talks
- Every student has the opportunity to do a sandwich year
- Stepping stone to careers in community football or with elite professional teams
- Endorsed by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) Undergraduate Endorsement Scheme
- The School of Sport and Exercise Sciences is ranked 6th for Sports Science (QS World University Rankings 2024)
- 95% of students said this course challenged them to achieve their best work (NSS 2024)
About your course
The BSc (Hons) Science and Football at Liverpool John Moores University is delivered by world-leading experts and informed by extensive links with key industry partners, such as the Football Association, FIFA, various Premier League football clubs and the Professional Footballers' Association.
About the Foundation Year
The Foundation Year is ideal if you have the ability to study for a degree but don't have the qualifications to enter directly onto the BSc (Hons) Science and Football degree programme. Once you pass the Foundation Year you will progress directly onto the first year of the honours degree. If you are a full-time UK student, you will qualify for student financial support for the full duration of your course (subject to eligibility criteria).
About BSc (Hons) Science and Football
The last 15 years have seen a marked rise in demand for sports science graduates in the professional football industry. Sports scientists who can identify talent and develop and enhance players performance from a physical, physiological and psychological perspective are employed alongside coaches and managers to get the best out of our teams.
This bespoke degree programme has been designed for graduates who want to work either in community football to help address health-related problems and promote positive behaviour or as support to elite-level professional football teams. It attracts students from all over the world.
Your tutors will be representative of the vast array of industry professionals, semi-professionals and amateurs, from elite coaches and players to support staff in community clubs. In addition, our reputation as a world-leading research centre ensures we attract high-level professionals to come and talk to you about the reality of working in the industry.
We ensure that the programme is as current and relevant as possible by working closely with key industry partners and by engaging in extensive research to identify the skills and knowledge that football organisations look for in graduates.
Wearable technology in football
LJMU internships at Everton Football Club
Go on a tour of the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Find out more about studying BSc (Hons) Science and Football
Discover more about the Football Exchange
Course modules
What you will study on this degree
Further guidance on modules
Modules are designated core or optional in accordance with professional body requirements, as applicable, and LJMU’s Academic Framework Regulations. Whilst you are required to study core modules, optional modules provide you with an element of choice. Their availability may vary and will be subject to meeting minimum student numbers.
Where changes to modules are necessary these will be communicated as appropriate.
Core modules
Core modules
Core modules
Optional modules
Core modules
Professional accreditation
This course is endorsed by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) Undergraduate Endorsement Scheme.
Partners include professional clubs, Prozone, the Football Association, The Professional Footballers' Association, UEFA and FIFA. As part of its commitment to development of the football industry, the School recently launched the Football Exchange, which encourages students to get involved in industry-related activities.
With membership of ASET, the UK's leading authority on work based and placement learning, LJMU's School of Sport and Exercise Sciences is committed to providing Work-based and Placement Learning (WBPL) experiences to our students that are quality assured and supported in accordance with best practice guidelines.
Your Learning Experience
Excellent facilities and learning resources
We adopt an active blended learning approach, meaning you will experience a combination of face-to-face and online learning during your time at LJMU. This enables you to experience a rich and diverse learning experience and engage fully with your studies. Our approach ensures that you can easily access support from your personal tutor, either by meeting them on-campus or via a video call to suit your needs.
Teaching is via a combination of lectures, interactive seminars, one-to-one tutorials, online activities, laboratory-based practical work, online workshops and group work. Guided independent study using our Learning Resource Centres and the web accounts for 70-80% of each module. Web-based content is also available through through our virtual learning environment Canvas (including wikis and blogs for Level 6 modules).
Work-related learning
Every student will have the opportunity to do a sandwich year where you will put into practice the skills and knowledge gained during your studies. We have excellent industry links, including the Football Association, FIFA, various Premier League football clubs and the Professional Footballers' Association.
Dedicated personal tutor, plus study skills support
From day one of the degree programme, you will be allocated a personal tutor and remain under their guidance throughout your time at LJMU. They will be available to discuss any academic or personal issues on a one-to-one basis as well as helping you to put together your educational and future career plans. You will also work with your personal tutor in small groups to develop study skills essential for the science and football programme.
The school is fully committed to promoting a learning environment that supports a culture of equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) and has a Disability Support Coordinator, an EDI Coordinator and a School EDI Working Group. Personal Tutors also play a vital role in promoting awareness of support services for students.
Assessment varies depending on the modules you choose, but will usually include a combination of exams and coursework.
We acknowledge that all students perform differently depending on how they are assessed, which is why we use a combination of assessment methods. These include: written assignments (essays and brief response questions), exams (seen and unseen), practical work, portfolios, presentations (group and individual), and reflective practice/diaries.
Your tutors will provide feedback on assessments within three weeks, allowing you to quickly identify your successes and the areas where you may need to put in more work. This is provided via Canvas, face-to-face and/or as written comments for coursework and one-to-one for exams. You are also welcome to arrange further meetings with staff to discuss your feedback.
Where you will study
You will study in Liverpool city centre at our City Campus. Our sport and exercise sciences facilities are world-leading and feature state-of-the-art laboratory facilities for our current and future sport scientists. The Avril Robarts library is within easy walking distance and here you'll find all the information you need to support your studies.
Course tutors
Ian Beattie
Programme Leader
I enjoy seeing each student develop and implementing what they have learned throughout each module into the research project. Across this journey, we can see the students evolve to become independent, critical thinking individuals
I enjoy seeing each student develop and implementing what they have learned throughout each module into the research project. Across this journey, we can see the students evolve to become independent, critical thinking individuals
Ian is a member of LJMU’s Physical Activity Exchange and the Football Exchange within the Research Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences (RISES). He is also a member of the Green Spaces and the Children, Young People and Families interest groups within the Institute for Health Research. Ian is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and studied BA (Hons) Sport Development with Physical Education and MSc Sociology of Sport and Exercise. His research and scholarly activity interests include sport and health policy, sport development processes and their use in the context of health, workplace well-being, figurational sociology in sport and health, work-related learning, e-learning, technology and social media.
Completing the BSc in Science and Football helped me to understand the science and processes within a football and sporting environment, whilst also challenging me to gain the required skills and intellect needed to perform in an elite organisation.
Career paths
A number of our former graduates are now employed in the football industry in the UK, Europe and further afield in sports science support, player development and community programmes.
Our graduates work for a number of elite organisations including - among others - Manchester United Football Club, Liverpool Football Club, Everton Football Club and the Football Association.
Typical roles include performance analysis, sports psychology, fitness and conditioning, education and welfare, and nutritional advice.
Find out more about career opportunities in sport and exercise sciences.
Student Futures - Careers, Employability and Enterprise Service
A wide range of opportunities and support is available to you, within and beyond your course, to ensure our students experience a transformation in their career trajectory. Every undergraduate curriculum includes Future Focus during Level 4, an e-learning resource and workshop designed to help you to develop your talents, passion and purpose.
Every student has access to Careers Zone 24/7, LJMU's suite of online Apps, resources and jobs board via the LJMU Student Futures website.
Tuition fees and funding
- Full-time per year:
- £9,535
- Placement year:
- £1,905
Fees
The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as library membership and student IT support with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources including programme-appropriate software and on campus Wi-Fi.
Financial Support
The University offers a range of scholarships to support students through their studies. You'll find all the information you need on our specialist funding pages, including details of the Student Support Fund and other activities to support with the cost of living.
Additional Costs
In addition to fees, students should also keep in mind the cost of:
- Accommodation
- Travel costs including those for placements, visas and travel for studying abroad and field trips unless paid for by LJMU
- Stationery, IT equipment, professional body membership and graduation gown hire
The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in accordance with any changes to the maximum allowable fees set by the UK Parliament. In the event of such a change, any fee increase will be subject to a maximum cap of 10% of the total course cost as originally stated at the time of your offer.
A DBS check is not required for your application, however a DBS may be required for modules where there is a work based learning placement option. Work based learning placements that do not require a DBS check are available.
Entry requirements
Please choose your qualifications below to view requirements
Grades/points required from qualifications: CCD-CCC (88-96)
Work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth by visiting the UCAS Tariff Calculator.
Qualification requirements
How to apply
Securing your place at LJMU
UCAS is the official application route for our full-time undergraduate courses. Further information on the UCAS application process can be found here https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/undergraduate-students/how-to-apply.
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The university reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the university. Where this does happen, the university operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.
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