Program Overview

Physical Education & Leadership

MA

Attendance

Full-time

Campus

Preston Campus

Start

September 2025

Duration

1 year

Delivery

In-person

Overview

The MA Physical Education and Leadership programme gives you the skills to lead and innovate in PE teaching and education. This course is for educators ready to advance their careers in Physical Education and Leadership, ideal for new or aspiring teachers, PE specialists and generalists, and current or future leaders at different levels.

Why study with us

• Our programme is adaptable, student-centred, and therefore relevant to your goals. You’ll help shape your own assessment topics, ensuring that your Master’s journey is meaningful and tailored to you.
• Join an inclusive learning community led by a research-active faculty with extensive industry connections. You’ll benefit from both academic insight and experience, alongside real-world expertise.
• You'll learn about foundational concepts and current issues in the field. This will help you build critical self-awareness and craft your own personal vision as a future leader.

What you'll do

• You will study a range of crucial areas relating to Physical Education and Leadership, including curriculum and pedagogy, leadership, sociology, philosophy and politics.
• You will have the freedom to explore a topic that interests you personally or professionally on your own.
• You will work with research-active staff with industry experience, gaining critical insights from those within the field.

Modules

Year 1

Compulsory modules

• Professional Identity: You will critically examine how our values and beliefs translate into behaviours. You'll learn about self-awareness and discuss how personal philosophy can affect individuals in a sport context. You will focus on your own personal and professional development.
  • Module code: TL4061
• Professional Inquiry: This module is designed to give you the knowledge, techniques and skills necessary to undertake an independent research project. In doing so you'll gain a theoretical and practical framework upon which to base quantitative and qualitative approaches to research, data-collection and analysis.
  • Module code: TL4062
• Professional Landscape: This module will give you the opportunity to use theoretical and practical knowledge developed within your programme. You'll also apply techniques of reflective learning to their practice. Drawing upon your own professional context, you'll demonstrate a detailed understanding of the social, political and economic landscape that you currently or aspire to operate in.
  • Module code: TL4063
• Professional Leadership: Culture and Change: Effective strategic leadership is essential for success in sports organisations and educational settings. This module helps you understand the challenges and opportunities of driving change in dynamic environments with multiple stakeholders. You’ll learn how culture can either support or resist change and see the importance of developing interpersonal excellence, and building relationships within and outside your organisation.
  • Module code: TL4064
• Independent Study Project for Sport: This module aims to develop your critical analysis and conceptual thinking skills through an independent, sustained, and in-depth investigation into a topic relevant to your programme of study. You'll achieve this by choosing one of three project options: a research dissertation, a consultancy project, or an enterprise project.
  • Module code: TL4065
• Leading in Education: This module will help you understand key theories and concepts in educational leadership and management, along with how they interact.
  • Module code: TL4069
• The Realities of Physical Education: This module will help you develop the skills to analyze the social and cultural aspects of physical education (PE) within the wider educational landscape.
  • Module code: TL4070

Entry requirements

• Applicants should hold a 2:2 degree or equivalent professional experience or learning in a related field
• Applications from all candidates will be considered on their merits in the light of the nature and scope of the programme
• IELTS: Score of 6.5 or above with no component score less than 6.0 to have been taken within two years prior to the course commencement date

Fees and funding

2025/26

• UK: Full-time £9,450 per year
• International: Full-time £17,900 per year

Additional costs

As part of your course there may be additional costs to consider that are not included in your tuition fees. Most of these will be optional, but some courses have essential additional costs.

Scholarships and bursaries

We offer many scholarships, bursaries and funds to support you during your studies.

Future careers

MA in Physical Education and Leadership students have gone on to secure excellent career opportunities across the education and sport sector.

Industry links

Our Masters degree has strong national and international links with a range of relevant professional bodies.

Learning and assessment

This course will be taught in-person on campus, with some online learning activities available for support. Where appropriate and required, some in-person classes will be recorded so you can watch them later if attendance is not possible.

Pathway opportunities

We offer three different doctoral routes:

• Traditional PhD route
• DProf route
• PhD by Portfolio route.