Outdoor Education Top-up

We're holding online Q&A sessions with Outdoor lecturers on Facebook throughout the summer. Check the schedule for the next session.

Why study with us?

The use of the outdoors as a medium for recreation, education, health and fitness or as therapy has grown considerably in recent years. This course provides a high quality progression route for HND and Foundation degree students who aspire to work within the Outdoor Education sector or need an Honours degree that develops transferable skills for further training. Outdoor Education has evolved to become a far reaching and dynamic industry, both within the UK and globally.

The emphasis throughout the course is on the development of a wide range of vocational and practical skills. This takes place concurrent with the development of key personal and academic skills, aiming to improve the students’ employability and their ability to understand and apply theory to the Outdoor Education sector. Using innovative ideas, the course examines areas such as the use of experiential learning, contemporary culture and the outdoors, skill coaching, expedition management, international outdoor education and event management for the outdoor sector.

Where will this course take place?

From September 2013, all Outdoor Education students will be based in Ambleside. Our campus offers easy access to the English Lake District with its unique geography. This exceptional location in effect become your classroom.

What can this course lead to? The Outdoor and Adventure Activities sectors have grown in status and popularity over the past few years and it is widely recognised that this will continue. Such growth has seen a strong demand for individuals with knowledge and expertise in a wide number of areas. These areas include managing the learning experience, client consultation, developing suitable learning environments, facilitating learning programmes with an emphasis on critical analysis of practitioner skills and research/project experience.

You may use the degree for entry into outdoor education centres, for instructional work, to follow a career in the public/uniformed services or for employment in an increasing array of community and learning-based projects. You can apply to study for a PGCE (postgraduate certificate in education) in primary or secondary teaching, or a taught master’s degree or research degree such as an MPhil or PhD. Resources and facilities

Our premier resource is out there! We visit many different upland landscapes as part of our teaching, consultancy and research. We are strategically placed between of Southern Uplands of Scotland, the Lake District and the Pennines. We are keen to ensure that students develop a wide range of professional and vocational skills through our sustainable use of the local environment.

The Newton Rigg campus at Penrith operates an innovative on-site experiential learning centre that is achieving national recognition as a centre of excellence. You graduate from this top-up year with a degree from one of Britain’s leading outdoor education providers, underpinned by genuine, operational experience. The campus is on the doorstep of the Lake District and close to the M6/A66 junction for access to the mountains and rivers of Scotland and the crags and caves of Yorkshire. We have a range of associate instructional staff with some of the highest levels of qualifications and experience in the UK.

Have a look at our learning resources for Outdoor Studies.

Entry requirements Successful completion of a related foundation degree or HND.

Applicants from courses based at institutions other than University of Cumbria will be assessed on their suitability depending upon the modules they have studied.

Credit and UCAS requirements Credit: 240 credits UCAS code: X391 Selection criteria

Due to our excellent reputation in the field of Outdoor Studies, we receive a high volume of applications for this course. Consequently, all applicants should expect to be interviewed by one of our tutors as part of the admissions process.

All places are offered subject to successful CRB clearance.

Costs

Click to view information on your study type and home location.

Full-time students

Home

The tuition fee for the 2013/14 academic year has been set at £8,250 (including an automatic £750 fee discount).

As a full-time UK student, you are entitled to a tuition fee loan which doesn’t have to be repaid until you start earning £21,000 per annum (if you're from England) or £15,795 (if you're from Scotland). You may also be eligible for a maintenance loan (up to £5,500) and a maintenance grant (up to £3,354). For more information about student loans and grants, visit our student finance page.

Additional funding

National Scholarship Programme

The National Scholarship Programme is designed to support students with a household income of less than £25,000. Full-time students may be eligible for one of 110 NSP awards for full-time students worth up to £6,000.

Cumbria Bursary

The Cumbria Bursary is an annual cash award of £1,000 for up to three years of study. There are 300 Cumbria Bursaries available in 2013.

More financial support

Access to financial support doesn’t end at registration. We have several awards and support funds available to our current students, including:

• Achievement scholarships
• Outstanding performance awards
• Access to Learning Fund
• Utilities trust

EU

The tuition fee for the 2013/14 academic year has been set at £8,250 (including an automatic £750 fee discount).

As a full-time EU student, you are entitled to a tuition fee loan which doesn’t have to be repaid until you start earning £21,000 per annum (or the equivalent in your country). For more information about student loans, visit our student finance page.

Additional funding

National Scholarship Programme

The National Scholarship Programme is designed to support students with a household income of less than £25,000. Full-time students may be eligible for one of 110 NSP awards for full-time students worth up to £6,000.

Cumbria Bursary

The Cumbria Bursary is an annual cash award of £1,000 for up to three years of study. There are 300 Cumbria Bursaries available in 2013.

More financial support

Access to financial support doesn’t end at registration. We have several awards and support funds available to our current students, including:

• Achievement scholarships
• Outstanding performance awards
• Utilities trust

International

The tuition fee for the 2013/14 academic year is £9,960.

Fees are billed annually and may be paid by the student or a sponsor. 75 percent of the annual tuition fees must be paid before or at registration. For students requiring a Tier 4 Student Visa, a deposit of £3,500 is expected as a minimum before a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) will be issued. For more information, visit our international student finance page.

Early payment discount

If you are paying your own fees, you may be eligible for an early payment discount of £1,000. This discount is awarded to students who pay in full before registration.

International scholarship

If you are studying a full-time bachelor's degree (excluding teacher training and NHS-funded courses) or a top-up degree, you may be eligible for an international scholarship. The university has nine scholarships available. Find out more on our scholarships page.

Additional financial support

Our money doctors will be on hand throughout the year to help you manage your money while you’re in the UK. However, if you do happen to run into financial difficulty during your time here, you may be able to access a small emergency support fund.

Part-time students

Home

The tuition fee for students starting study in the 2013/14 academic year is £8,250 (including an automatic £750 fee discount). This fee is billed annually. For part-time students, the annual fee is calculated based on the number of years you take to complete your course. For example, a student studying part-time for six years may expect to pay £4,125 per year.

As a part-time UK student, you are entitled to a tuition fee loan which doesn’t have to be repaid until you start earning over £21,000 a year (if you're from England) or £15,795 (if you're from Scotland). For more information about student loans and grants, visit our student finance page.

Additional funding

National Scholarship Programme

The National Scholarship Programme is designed to support students with a household income of less than £25,000. Part-time students may be eligible for one of 40 NSP awards worth up to £3,000.

More financial support

Access to financial support doesn’t end at registration. We have several awards and support funds available to our current students, including:

• Achievement scholarships
• Outstanding performance awards
• Access to Learning Fund
• Utilities trust

EU

The tuition fee for students starting study in the 2013/14 academic year is £8,250 (including an automatic £750 fee discount). This fee is billed annually. For part-time students, the annual fee is calculated based on the number of years you take to complete your course. For example, a student studying part-time for six years may expect to pay £4,125 per year.

As a part-time EU student, you are entitled to a tuition fee loan which doesn’t have to be repaid until you start earning over £21,000 a year. For more information about student loans, visit our student finance page.

Additional funding

National Scholarship Programme

The National Scholarship Programme is designed to support students with a household income of less than £25,000. Part-time students may be eligible for one of 40 NSP awards worth up to £3,000.

More financial support

Access to financial support doesn’t end at registration. We have several awards and support funds available to our current students, including:

• Achievement scholarships
• Outstanding performance awards
• Utilities trust

Additional contact information Find out more at www.cumbria.ac.uk/outdoorstudies

Name: Paul Wilson, Course Leader
email paul.wilson@cumbria.ac.uk
UCAS Link

Visit UCAS

Modules

For detailed summary of all course content please read our programme specification for this course (PDF).

Course summary This course is designed for those who have a foundation degree or HND in outdoor education or an appropriate subject.

The core of the course is based on experiential outdoor education, with skills coaching in the practical context and a research dissertation. There are options in international outdoor education, contemporary issues, philosophy and ideology, outdoor management development and environmental education.

The experiential outdoor education module provides theoretical underpinning, but also opportunities to develop appropriate soft skills in group management, leadership and course direction. Work placements are available through negotiation within initiatives of the School of Outdoor Studies.

Learning methods include lectures, seminars, workshops, practical activities and visits. Assessment is continuous including essays, reports, presentations, projects and some end-of-module examinations. There are opportunities to undertake national governing body award training and assessment.