| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2023-09-17 | 2023-06-30 |
| 2024-01-22 | 2024-11-30 |
Program Overview
About this course
In this section
Attendance
You will attend two week long residentials per academic year, these will be based out of Tollymore National Outdoor Centre.
The rest of your study will be based at the Coleraine Campus (11 weeks per semester). This will consist of lectures, workshops, practical sessions and seminars, typically around 12 to 15 hours per week, the rest of your time each week will consist of independent study.
Start dates
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
The teaching, learning and assessment strategy for Outdoor Adventure is designed to develop and assess your knowledge and skills across practical, theoretical and work-based learning. The strategy at all levels includes encouraging your active engagement with a broad range of land and water based outdoor activities, developing your ability to connect with and understand the outdoor environment and supporting the development of your leadership skills. A wide range of assessment strategies are employed to assess your subject knowledge and your ability to apply this knowledge in an outdoor environment, these include; reflective assignments to enable you to engage with and lead your own learning and personal development, presentations to support the development of your delivery skills and sharing of knowledge. In addition there are practical assessments throughout the programme of study that assess personal ability, leadership and coaching across a range of outdoor adventure activities. There are opportunities in year two and three for you to participate in a work-based placement, where you are assessed on your ability to apply knowledge and skills developed through the programme of study and to reflect on professional practice.
In first year, teaching, learning and assessment is focused on your personal and practical skills; there are individual written assignments; reflective journals with a focus on skill development; and group presentations. In second year the focus is on delivery and leadership of outdoor adventure activities, practical and written assignments that require application of a wider range of knowledge, paired or individual presentations and reflective writing with a focus on professional practice. In final year the focus is much more self-directed, opportunities for independent research combined with expeditions, entrepreneurship and embedding of professional skills. Throughout your whole programme of study the focus is to develop you as a skilled outdoor professional with the ability to inspire, communicate effectively, think critically and innovate.
Academic profile
Teaching staff are all active outdoor adventure specialists holding academic and professional qualifications in water and land based activities.
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 59% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (25%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (20%) or Lecturers (55%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic staff (81%) are accredited fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advanced HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures correct for academic year 2021-2022.
Program Outline
Careers & opportunities
In this section
- Career options
- Work placement / study abroad
Career options
Graduates can pursue careers in the following contexts: educational welfare, local government, educational and community development, youth work, social/educational research, environmental education, charities at home and abroad; further and higher education, international development, as well as training roles in business-contexts, in human resources and in marketing. Typically, graduates will find themselves in roles where they use their graduate skills to create learning/training content and supporting materials, to mentor adults and young people, to train/teach a variety of learners using a variety of traditional and innovative tools.
Career opportunities include:
Work placement / study abroad
Work based learning is central to your study. You will have opportunities to participate in work placements which reflect the broad landscape of the outdoor adventure and recreation industry. These will include, commercial, educational, community and charity settings.
Modules
Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.
In this section
- Year one
- Year two
- Year three
Year one
Environmental Systems
Year: 1
Status: C
This module is designed to introduce students to the theory of environmental systems and provide an understanding of systems behaviour using various environmental systems as examples. The theoretical component of the module will be provided by lectures, which will cover a contemporary thinking into concepts of environmental systems and the practical part of the module will consist of a laboratory exercises.
Foundations of safety, risk and benefit in outdoor education
Year: 1
Status: C
This is a foundation module for students aspiring to be outdoor adventure professionals. Students will have significant opportunities to engage in a range of active and applied experiences which develop their understanding of the key principles of safety, risk and benefit in outdoor adventuring. Students will also be prepared to participate as competent members of a group in land and water based outdoor adventure activities.
Personal performance skills in land and water based activities
Year: 1
Status: C
This module provides opportunities for students to develop their personal performance skills in a range of outdoor adventure activities on land and water. Students will be introduced to key outdoor adventure activities which form the basis for the majority of professional practice.
Introduction to outdoor coaching and leadership practice
Year: 1
Status: C
This module will explore the coaching and leadership skills which underpin practice in outdoor adventure activities. It will also introduce and embed reflective practice in the context of coaching/leadership linking this to how students can draw upon a range of methods to convey their skills, attributes and qualities.
Fundamentals of movement in outdoor adventure
Year: 1
Status: C
Balance, coordination and agility skills are the foundations for safe, enjoyable and effective engagement in outdoor adventure activities. Students will have significant opportunities to develop an applied understanding of how to observe and develop these skills in the context of a range of outdoor adventure activities.
Year two
The Atmosphere
Year: 2
Status: C
This module is designed to allow students to gain a good understanding of weather phenomena, atmospheric circulation and our climate. In addition, impact of human activity such as pollution and climate change on the atmospheric conditions and circulations will be explored. Global events such as El Nino and the Monsoon will be discussed as case studies.
Contemporary structure of the outdoor adventure sector
Year: 2
Status: C
An in-depth knowledge and understanding of how the outdoor adventure sector is structured and has evolved is critical for potential outdoor practitioners. This module will provide opportunities for students interact with outdoor professionals from across the sector through a series of field trips and guest lectures.
Applied outdoor coaching and leadership practice
Year: 2
Status: C
This module reflects the multi-faceted nature of modern-day outdoor adventure practice and provides the underpinning knowledge and competence required to plan, deliver and evaluate effective coaching and leadership sessions. Students will also actively apply these experiences in the context of recruitment and selection processes.
Professional Placement
Year: 2
Status: C
Work experience is an essential tool to consolidate, apply and develop key professional skills and knowledge. Students will apply the knowledge and skills developed over the first two years of the programme in a work based setting.
Organisational leadership in sport and recreation
Year: 2
Status: C
By understanding leadership's role in organisations, this module will draw on the concepts of inclusion, accessibility, ethics and sustainability to equip students with the knowledge essential for navigating sport in the 21st century.
Year three
Research and Professional Skills
Year: 3
Status: C
Through a variety of teaching methods this module provides students with a clear focus on professional career opportunities and assists them in enhancing their environmental and geographically specific employability skills. Particular emphasis is given to the translation of the specific research skills of project planning, critical literature review and methodological and analytical techniques that they employed in the dissertation project. Students will gain an understanding of the various sources of postgraduate study and professional job opportunities available to Geography and Environmental Science graduates and will provided with the opportunity to experience a full job application, interview and selection process.
Critical interpretation of your context
Year: 3
Status: C
This module provides significant opportunities for students to apply professional outdoor knowledge and skills in the context of environmental learning. The knowledge and skills required to interpret the environmental context is transferrable to global contexts.
Sports innovation and entrepreneurship
Year: 3
Status: C
Drawing on the principles of innovation and entrepreneurship this module will provide students with the opportunity to plan, devise and pitch a new idea into the sports market.
Expedition Studies
Year: 3
Status: C
Students will have a unique opportunity to apply the learning culminated across the whole programme in the planning and participation in an authentic multi-day expedition.
Advanced professional practice in outdoor adventure
Year: 3
Status: C
This module draws together learning from across the programme, providing students with opportunities to refine their career pathway through critical reflection on their professional practice and the completion of an authentic evidence based research project.