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Attendance

Campus

Start

This course is taught through block learning. Find out more.

Duration

3 years

Start

September 2026

Delivery

Blended learning

Grab a paddle, fit your harness and check your map. Through five, week-long residentials, this unique course gives you all the skills for a career in coaching and leadership.

Our Outdoor Adventure Leadership degree gives you everything you need to start a professional career. You'll take part in five residential trips in challenging locations in North Wales, the Lake District and Dartmoor. On these trips, you'll take part in activities such as kayaking, climbing, mountaineering and bushcraft. You’ll also stay in a wide range of accommodation - activity centres, bunkhouses, and wild camping.

What makes our course unique, is its learning and delivery model. Each year you will attend five week-long residentials, equal to the contact time of a normal timetabled degree. This also gives you the flexibility to either live on one of our campuses, or anywhere in the UK you choose.

This approach is ideal if you have other commitments and still want to gain an outdoor adventure leadership degree.

You'll be able to study some of this course from home. This gives you more time to gain industry experience or work on gaining further qualifications.

With our strong industry connections with employers across the world we'll support you in gaining further experience with our year-long or summer placement schemes. You’ll be taught by an expert team of industry and research-active staff, all with years of experience. Some of the course content can also be shaped to align with your interests or career plans.

By the time you graduate, you’ll have all the knowledge and experience you need to start a career in this growing employment area. Some of our past graduates now work in careers within the military, education, emergency services, the NHS, and postgraduate research.

Why study with us

16th
in the UK for teaching quality
National Student Survey (Sport and Exercise Sciences)
2025
16th
in the UK for learning opportunities
National Student Survey (Sport and Exercise Sciences)
2025
Top 20
in the UK for overall positivity
National Student Survey (Sport and Exercise Sciences)
2025

Our course has an innovative learning model consisting of high contact residential time at sites in North Wales, the Lake District and Dartmoor. This allows you the flexibility to study from anywhere in the UK or stay at one of our campuses.
Gain leadership skills through real outdoor challenges and earn National Governing Body awards in activities like climbing and paddle sports.
Benefit from strong staff expertise, industry connections, and opportunities for international expeditions and placements.

Important information

This course is only available to UK students.

Interested?

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What you'll do

You’ll take part in five individual week-long practical residential trips each year. You'll participate in a range of activities and turn theory into professional skills.
This is a practical course that allows you to examine a range of leadership, coaching and educational issues within the sector.
Placement opportunities could take you from the nearby Lancashire coast to far-away locations such as the Himalayas.

Slide 1 of 5

Our students canoed down the river Conwy, home to the 13th century Conwy Castle.

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We're given the opportunity to complete external qualifications which will set us up for future life.

Ethan Williams

Outdoor Adventure Leadership

Modules

In this module, you’ll explore how storytelling shapes both personal and collective identities within outdoor adventure contexts. You’ll examine the role of narrative in creating meaning, building connections, and developing leadership capacity.

Through reflective engagement with diverse stories, you’ll deepen your understanding of yourself and others in the field of adventure leadership.

Module code: TL2231

On this module you'll explore how creativity and innovation can support research in outdoor leadership. You'll have the opportunity to experiment with a range of materials, methods, tools, and approaches to develop your outdoor adventure leadership skills. Emphasis is placed on creative inquiry, critical reflection, ethical considerations and communicating ideas through diverse media.

Module code: TL3215

This module allows you to investigate a topic related to outdoor adventure leadership. You'll receive guidance from a supervisor as part of this.

You’ll apply research methods, engage with relevant literature, and collect and analyse primary or secondary data. Your findings will be presented in a suitable academic format, demonstrating your ability to carry out and communicate independent research.

Module code: TL3216

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. We may also make changes to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre

Sports arena

Academic expertise

The teaching team is highly experienced. They each have diverse backgrounds spanning coaching, outdoor education, and expedition leadership. All are active practitioners in the outdoor sector. They combine professional expertise with ongoing research and reflective practice.

Many hold, or are working towards, doctoral qualifications. Their teaching is informed by the latest scholarship and industry trends.

Dr Jason Wragg

Course Leader

Richard Whall

Lecturer

Nicole Booth

Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science

Future careers

To pursue a future in the outdoor adventure and education sector, you’ll need specialised skills, knowledge and experience. Our BA (Hons) Leadership Through Outdoor Adventure provides these specialist skills and more.

Our course is shaped around the needs of the sector. You'll develop the intellect, knowledge and skills needed to work in a coaching and leadership capacity. These skills are transferable and apply outside the sector.

Throughout your studies, you’ll find a real emphasis on practical experience. As well as the week-long residentials and placements, we’ll also encourage you to take on work experience placements – both at home and abroad.

You could be working at outdoor teaching centres, educational charities or retail. You might also get the chance to work on national or international expiations.

As such, the course can help prepare you for a diverse range of rewarding career opportunities across the globe. These could include international expeditions, outdoor sports management and a range of coaching roles, to teaching, public services and uniformed services. You could also use it as a foundation for further study, from postgraduate research to a Master’s by Research course.

Entry requirements

We will consider your educational achievements, predicted grades, work experience and personal statement. If you don't meet the grades for your chosen course, we will consider you for other programmes.

We know that many factors can influence the grades you achieve in school or college. If your life experience has affected your academic studies, we can take this into account. Use the UCAS Points Calculator below to check whether you are eligible.

Unsure if you meet our entry requirements?
Contact our friendly Course Enquiries team to talk through your options.

Not got the grades?

Our courses with a foundation year could be exactly what you're looking for. They provide an alternative route to study for this degree.

Find out more about our courses with a foundation year.

Fees and funding

2026/27

Fees for 2026/27 have not yet been set.

Scholarships and bursaries

We offer many scholarships, bursaries and funds to support you during your studies. Select your country or region to see if you are eligible and how to apply.

Select your country/region

Care Leaver Bursary
Our Care Leaver Bursary is for students who need extra support because they have been in care or are estranged from their parents.
Find out more about Care Leaver Bursary
Estranged student support
Estranged Student Support Bursary is for students who need extra support because they are estranged from their parents.
Find out more about Estranged student support
Leverhulme Bursary
The Leverhulme Bursary supports UK undergraduate students in financial need.
Find out more about Leverhulme Bursary
Care-experienced and Estranged Student Graduation Bursary
A bursary to support students who are care-leavers or estranged from their family, to transition to employment of post-graduate study.
Find out more about Care-experienced and Estranged Student Graduation Bursary

Nant BH & Pentre Outdoor Centre: Opportunities for employment and traineeships alongside your degree studies
Institute for Outdoor Learning (IOL): Work towards professional recognition as a qualified outdoor practitioner.
Wild Human: Gain bushcraft experience and industry insights in wilderness living and traditional skills.
Street Monkeys Parkour Centre: Explore contemporary and alternative adventure experiences through parkour and urban movement training.

This course will involve a series of lectures, tutorials and seminars, alongside independent study at home or in the library. Of course, you’ll also do a lot of your learning outdoors.

You’ll have practical sessions on particular modules and topics. You'll also have week-long residentials at outdoor training centres and adventure sport facilities. Here you will not only develop practical skills but also experience real-world contexts for the academic theory.

On campus, you’ll have access to our excellent sport facilities, including our Sports Arena and Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre. You will also access our lecture theatre, computer suites and superb library. The teaching team offers the same high standards, with staff who are actively engaged in a wide range of research, in areas like decision making, social interaction and environmental issues.

To monitor your progress, you’ll have a range of different assessment. This includes essays, portfolios, individual/group presentations, practical observations and reflective logs. There are no end-of-year exams.

Interested?

Download

This course is delivered by the School of Health, Social Work and Sport

For information on possible changes to course information, see our essential and important course information

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at the University of Lancashire on our student contract page

Your saved courses

Leadership Through Outdoor Adventure

Why study with us

Important information

What you'll do

A different type of classroom...01 / 05

Hear from some of our students

Modules

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Year 2

Compulsory modules

Year 3

Compulsory modules

Academic expertise

Future careers

Entry requirements

Not got the grades?

Fees and funding

Scholarships and bursaries

Care Leaver Bursary

Estranged student support

Leverhulme Bursary

Care-experienced and Estranged Student Graduation Bursary

Leadership Through Outdoor Adventure

Why study with us

Important information

What you'll do

A different type of classroom...01 / 05

Hear from some of our students

Modules

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Academic expertise

Future careers

Entry requirements

Not got the grades?

Fees and funding

Scholarships and bursaries

Care Leaver Bursary

Estranged student support

Leverhulme Bursary

Care-experienced and Estranged Student Graduation Bursary

Industry links

Learning and assessment