Sport Development

Sport development is the practice of creating opportunities for people to participate in physical activity and sport, removing barriers to participation, developing coaches and volunteers, and building the organisational and community infrastructure that makes sporting cultures sustainable. It is a discipline that sits at the intersection of sport management, public health, community development, and policy, and its practitioners work across local authorities, national governing bodies, sports clubs, schools, and development agencies.

At the University of the West of Scotland, this four-year full-time programme develops both the theoretical knowledge and the practical skills needed for a career in sport development. You will study the principles of sport development planning, community engagement, physical activity promotion, coach education, volunteer management, and the policy landscape within which sport development operates. The programme also engages with the social dimensions of participation: who participates in sport and who does not, and how inequalities of gender, ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic status, and geography shape sporting opportunity.

The year abroad gives you the opportunity to experience how sport development is approached in a different national context, broadening your professional perspective.

Graduates from sport development programmes work for national governing bodies of sport, local authorities, leisure trusts, community sports organisations, and the third sector, as well as in schools and health services where physical activity promotion is a priority. Roles include sport development officer, physical activity co-ordinator, community engagement manager, and coaching development officer. Further study at postgraduate level in sport management, sport policy, or physical education is available for those who wish to develop their expertise or move into more senior strategic roles.