MA Sport Coaching and Development Top Up

Entry year:
2026/27
Start date:
September, January
Study mode:
Full-time
Course duration:
18 months
Campus:
Mount Pleasant

Why study this course with LJMU?

  • A one-year, top-up course delivered by Everton Football College and accredited by Liverpool John Moores University
  • Progression opportunity from the Sport Development and Coaching Foundation Degree offered by Everton Football College
  • Focuses on current issues in sports coaching such as equality, diversity and inclusive practice
  • Ideal for those who aspire to pursue a career within the sport coaching and development sector, whilst benefiting from excellent employer links and work project/placements with professional or amateur sports clubs and individuals
  • Includes the opportunity to support live projects with the nationally recognised Everton in the Community (EitC) programme to provide work placement opportunities on EitCs sport development and football coaching initiatives
  • The course is taught at Everton Football College, Blue Mile Campus

About this course

This is a level 6, one-year, top-up course provided by Everton Football College to support and extend the established Sport Development and Coaching Foundation Degree offered by the college.

The programme provides a perfect platform to enhance your coaching experience and develop knowledge of current sport development initiatives, through a mix of academic study and practical learning experiences in partnership with Everton Football Club. The club's motto of Nil Satis Nisi Optimium 'Nothing but the best is good enough' has shaped the course and Everton Football College's approach to your education.

You will have the opportunity to enhance your coaching skills through a range of Everton in the Community programmes, along with chances to bring learning to life with access to Premier League opportunities.

Your course fees include your Everton Football Club sport kit for work experience and the opportunity to access and apply for funding for a range of additional coaching courses to enhance your employability.

Course modules

Discover the building blocks of your programme

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

Business of Design
30 credits

Design Thinking in Digital Visual Communications
30 credits

Project Development
30 credits

Digital Design Business Opportunities and Development
30 credits

Specialist Negotiated Project
60 credits

Your Learning Experience

An insight into teaching on your course

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. The course teaching includes lectures, seminars, workshops, online activities and case studies to help you develop your theoretical learning, plus practical learning – including work experience – to boost your employability.

As an Everton Football College student, you will also have access to Premier League facilities at Finch Farm and Goodison Park, plus guest speakers to help bring learning to life.

Study hours are full-time, two days per week. Typically, each module has 40 hours ‘directed’ or timetabled time, plus 160 hours of independent study. Independent study includes time spent reading, researching, doing project work or completing assessments.

Work-related learning

As sport development and coaching are about improving performance and making a difference to people’s lives, a key feature of the course is the work-related learning links that are embedded throughout the two years of study. By applying the theoretical knowledge from the course to a range of practical situations, you will develop your skills, professional network and identify essential work skills to enable you to make informed career choices. At Everton Football College, we will help you to gain experience with a range of providers including Everton in the Community, local school schemes, Everything is Possible, local authorities and football in the community schemes - both at home and abroad.

You will also be able to use your existing coaching experience to contribute valuable assessment experience to complete your studies.

How learning is monitored on your programme

To cater for the wide-ranging content of our courses and the varied learning preferences of our students, we offer a range of assessment methods on each programme.

​To ensure you develop both practically as a coach and practitioner, you will be typically assessed through a range of methods including:

  • Practical and work experience
  • Portfolio evidence
  • Presentations
  • Reports
  • Exam and essay work

Where you will study

The course is taught at Everton Football College, Blue Mile Campus. As an Everton Football College student, you will have access to Premier League facilities at Finch Farm and Goodison Park.

Course tutors

I did a placement with Everton in the Community and the Premier League Kicks programme. This gave me experience to develop and learn from the best and access to a network of professionals

Career paths

Further your career prospects

LJMU has an excellent employability record with 94% (HESA 2022) of our postgraduates in work or further study fifteen months after graduation. Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.

The career pathway for a sport development practitioner and coach is varied. There are over 10,000 related posts in the UK, with organisations such as national governing bodies, local authorities, private organisations, education providers and local and national charities.

The programme provides a mix of academic and practical experiences to enhance your understanding of sport coaching – from elite to community provision. During the year, you will have the opportunity to do applied coaching on work placements in a variety of settings, such as schools and clubs. Everton Football College works with a range of partners providing opportunities for hands-on placements. This includes a range of Everton in the Community programmes. This will help you to develop professional skills relevant to the field of coaching. Within your modules, you will also deliver and experience a range of practical coaching styles and sessions. These will be both student and staff led, and will include a range of sports so that you get to observe, learn and deliver the best coaching practices.

Tuition fees and funding

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.

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 wifi.

Financial Support

There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages. The University offers a range of financial support for students. You'll find all the information you need on our specialist financial support 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 and field trips unless paid for by LJMU
  • Stationery, IT equipment, professional body membership and graduation gown hire

Entry requirements

You will need:

Qualification requirements

Undergraduate degree

Have successfully completed an undergraduate programme, in any relevant discipline and which is recognised by the Association of Indian Universities. Having successfully completed any recognised undergraduate programme in a relevant discipline, which equates to FHEQ level 6. This will be supported by the link tutor, who will work with LJMU's admissions team to ensure the criteria meet LJMU admissions criteria for undergraduate degree equivalence. Undergraduate degree equivalence will adhere to LJMU's international admissions criteria: https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/international-entry-requirements/india

Alternative qualifications considered

The bridging programme is applicable to those from non-business, economics or finance background. It will be a 2 month programme which covers principles of marketing, management and organisational behaviour.

International requirements

IELTS

The medium of instruction and assessment of the programme will be entirely English and students must satisfy: CEFR B2 as evidenced by, for example by an IELTS overall band score of 6.0 (with minimum 5.5 in each element) or Past educational qualifications, having been achieved through the medium of English Applicants who have studied and successfully achieved a UK degree within 24 months of the start of the MA are exempt from the requirement for a proof of English certificate.

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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