Why Study/Key Benefits

• The Bachelor of Sport Coaching was designed as a specialist sport-coaching degree and UC described it as the only specialist sport coaching degree in Aotearoa New Zealand.
• It combined coaching theory with practical experience, sport and exercise science, and sociology of sport.
• Students developed transferable skills in communication, leadership, accountability, teamwork, motivation, psychology and management.
• Practical learning was a major feature, including practicums and a 120-hour final-year internship.
• The degree could be customised through a major, major plus minor, or double major.
• Students could also take courses outside Sport Coaching, allowing combinations with areas such as business, psychology, health, media, computer science and other disciplines.

Programme Structure and Subjects/Topics

The BSpC combined compulsory Sport Coaching courses with major/minor or elective study.

Year 1 compulsory courses:

• SPCO101 Introduction to Sport Coaching
• SPCO102 Theoretical Foundations of Coaching and Teaching
• SPCO104 Anatomy and Physiology
• SPCO105 Sport, History and Society
• SPCO110 Practicum 1.

Year 2 compulsory courses:

• SPCO208 Sport and Culture in Aotearoa/New Zealand
• SPCO209 Exercise Physiology
• SPCO201 Learner-Centred Teaching and Coaching, or SPCO302 Skill Acquisition in Sport.

Year 3:

• SPCO320 Internship.
• The degree also included the courses required for the selected major/minor and remaining approved courses.

The three principal Sport Coaching strands were:

• Pedagogy – theory and application of coaching and learning.
• Sport and exercise sciences.
• Sociology of sport.

Disciplines/Specialisations

The BSpC offered five principal majors:

• Performance Analysis
• Physical Education
• Sport Science
• Sports Leadership and Management
• Strength and Conditioning with Nutrition.

Students could complete:

• One major.
• One major plus a minor.
• Two majors (double major).

The minor could be selected from a broad range of UC disciplines, including:

• Accounting
• Business Analytics
• Computer Science
• Economics
• Education
• Entrepreneurship
• Finance
• Human Resource Management
• Information Systems
• International Business
• Marketing
• Media and Communication
• Nutrition
• Psychology
• Public Health
• Statistics
• Sport Science
• Strength and Conditioning
• Youth and Community Leadership
• Te Reo M?ori
• Tourism Marketing and Management
• Writing
• and many other approved subjects.

Programme Highlights

• 360-point bachelor's degree.
• 3 years full-time.
• Up to 6 years part-time.
• Historically available in February and July.
• Specialist sport-coaching focus.
• Flexible campus and distance-learning options.
• 120-hour final-year internship.
• Practical coaching practicums.
• Five major options.
• Option for a major, major plus minor, or double major.
• Broad choice of minor subjects outside Sport Coaching.
• Development of leadership, communication, teamwork, motivation, psychology and management skills.

Career Outcomes

UC states that Sport Coaching graduates have developed skills applicable not only to sport and recreation but also to people development, motivation, business, events and corporate management.

Potential career areas included:

• Sport coach
• Strength and conditioning coach
• Community sports coordinator
• Performance analyst
• Sports scientist
• Fitness instructor
• Team manager
• Sport development
• Sport administration
• Sport leadership and management
• Community and professional sporting organisations
• School sport organisations
• High-performance sport teams.

Latest Updates/Special Requirements

• The Bachelor of Sport Coaching is currently closed to new enrolments.
• UC explicitly directs prospective students to the new Bachelor of Sport.
• The new Bachelor of Sport retains sport coaching as a major and includes a 120-hour final-year internship, but it is a different qualification and should not be presented as the BSpC.
• The BSpC's historical programme included practical coaching with school-aged students, and police vetting was associated with relevant courses.
• For the current Bachelor of Sport, UC states that courses involving children require a police check and interview, and some courses may require vaccinations.
• The former Sports Leadership and Management subject/major is also marked closed to enrolments, with UC directing students towards the new Sport Marketing and Management programme.
• Therefore, an international student looking to start in 2026/2027 should not apply for the BSpC; the current Bachelor of Sport is the relevant replacement programme.

International Student Visa Requirements

For an international student studying an eligible UC bachelor's degree, the usual visa is the New Zealand Fee Paying Student Visa.

Current Immigration New Zealand information states:

• Cost: from NZD$850.
• Maximum stay: up to 4 years.
• 80% of applications are processed within 8.5 weeks.
• An Offer of Place from an approved education provider is required.
• Students must demonstrate funds for tuition fees or have an applicable scholarship.
• Students must demonstrate sufficient living funds or have an acceptable sponsor.
• Full medical and travel insurance is required.
• Applicants must meet health and character requirements.
• Applicants must have a genuine reason for studying in New Zealand.
• Applicants must show they can leave New Zealand at the end of their stay.

Living-fund requirement:

• NZD$20,000 per year for tertiary study lasting 1 year or more.
• NZD$1,667 per month where the study period is less than 1 year.

Work rights:

• Eligible student visa holders may work up to 25 hours per week during study.
• Full-time work may be permitted during scheduled holidays, depending on the conditions on the student's visa.
• Students must check their individual visa conditions.