The Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Football Coaching is a specialised qualification designed to enable students to delve into various aspects of football coaching, including the analysis of football coaching and coaching philosophies.
Integrating theory with practice alongside the development of reflective skills, you will draw upon previous skills and knowledge as a practicing coach to critically evaluate the core competencies needed, which can be directly applied to your role in order to become a more effective coach.
Course Information
Attendance:
Full-timeStart Dates:
SeptemberDuration:
1 yearCourse Overview
This course provides comprehensive knowledge and practical skills and provides a great foundation for further study options. Students on this course have access to world-leading performance analysis tools from Hudl, the industry-standard software used by athletes, coaches and clubs across the globe.
Successful completion of the course will give you 60-masters level credits which can be used to progress onto the MSc Football Coaching and Analysis degree.
The Global Institute of Sport has once again been recognised among the world’s elite, achieving major accolades in the SportBusiness Postgraduate Rankings 2025.
#1 ranked UK university for career advancement
#1 ranked online programme for career advancement
#1 ranked globally for quality of faculty
#1 ranked globally for industry network
Course Content
The Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Football Coaching is a specialised qualification designed to enable students to delve into various aspects of football coaching, including the analysis of football coaching and coaching philosophies.
Integrating theory with practice alongside the development of reflective skills, you will draw upon previous skills and knowledge as a practicing coach to critically evaluate the core competencies needed, which can be directly applied to your role in order to become a more effective coach.
This programme is taught entirely in English.
Teaching Location
Study a degree from anywhere in the world, with flexible learning options to suit your schedule with intensive periods at one of our campus locations. With GIS, you’ll unlock access to a global network of students, alumni and industry professionals to maximise your opportunities and excel in the most exciting industry in the world.
Modules
Students studying on UEL-awarded programmes are subject to UEL’s academic regulations. These set out the rules for academic matters such as assessment, marking, progression, reassessment, academic misconduct and appeals. The regulations are available on the UEL website.
This module aims to address the importance of understanding domains and context specific competencies in football coaching. You will be required to evidence a comprehension of the term “competence” and what this means for a context(s) of your choice. You will also critically evaluate the core competencies required to be effective in your coaching domain(s) and methods which can be used to analyse and enhance this. Following this, you will critically analyse your own coaching practice or that of another coach to evaluate levels of coaching effectiveness and the impact had on performers. A development plan will be produced to highlight current gaps in knowledge and/ or skill and how these can be developed in order to become a more effective coach.
This module will explore personal coaching philosophies, the impact this has on coaching practice and the challenges faced in demonstrating personal values in current coaching contexts. You will examine how your personal coaching philosophies have “developed”, as well as how these are demonstrated in practice. You will also propose areas of personal and professional development, with the aim of conducting coaching practice more consistently aligned to your personal coaching philosophy.
Meet your
Course Leader
Jono McPhail
An experienced football coaching academic and sports education leader, Jono is currently serving as Deputy Dean at the Global Institute of Sport, as well as undertaking his PhD in Sports and Exercise.
Benjamin Chevreau
GIS graduate
Arsenal Women’s U21 Performance Analyst and FIFA Tournament Analyst
Entry Requirements
- Applicants must have achieved a relevant undergraduate degree of any classification
Or
- Applicants must have achieved an undergraduate degree of any classification and subject with evidence of coaching experience
Or
- Applicants who do not hold an undergraduate degree, have extensive coaching experience in addition to a coaching qualification (Minimum UEFA A Licence).
Relevant Degrees may include:
- Football Coaching
- Sport Science
- Sports Coaching
- Performance Analysis
- Talent ID and Development
- Science in Football
- Any other practical football degree (coaching or analysis)
- Teaching degree with a sports specialism
- Physical Education
- A non-relevant degree & a PGCE (or equivalent) with a sports specialism
- Joint honours can be accepted (e.g. Sports Business and Coaching) providing that the relevant subject makes up at least 50% of the degree
Experience: Experience of sports industry or business – evidenced by prior professional experience or relevancy of degree. Applicants without this but strong profile to still be considered.
English Language Requirements: English language qualifications: Applicants from non-majority English speaking countries will be asked for an English qualification which tests Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing and will be asked to achieve an overall IELTS score of 6.5 (minimum of 6.0 in each section) or recognised equivalent. Note that applicants from these countries who have studied to degree level in English to be accepted
Scholarships
The Global Institute of Sport is proud to offer an extensive suite of scholarships to support outstanding students as they embark on their postgraduate study. From scholarships to aid our elite athletes, to attracting aspiring sports leaders, and scholarships which support inclusivity and diversity within the sporting industry, our scholarships are there to support students who want to make a meaningful difference to the future of the sporting world.
Career Prospects
Career prospects include highly sought-after careers within a professional and semi-professional football team such as a coaching, match and performance analyst or operations manager at multidisciplinary teams. Graduates of the full MSc Football Coaching & Analysis Degree have gone on to work in roles for organisations such as:
- Player Performance Analysis – Manchester City FC
- Community Coach – Brighton & Hove Albion
- Football Development Officer – Burnley FC in the Community
- Academy Lead Coach – Bradford City FC
99 %
of our postgraduate graduates are either employed or in full-time study
(Graduate Survey 2024)
79 %
are working or studying in sport
Graduate Survey 2024)
Students studying on UEL-awarded programmes pay their tuition fees to the University of East London, not to GIS. UEL’s Student Fees Policy explains how tuition fees are charged and administered, including payment, fee liability and refund arrangements. The policy is available on the UEL website.
- IT Devices – Students are expected to have access to a laptop or computer from which they can access recorded content or live sessions. The device(s) used should be capable of streaming video content, accessing documents and using the internet. Students will be expected to have access to a stable internet connection, particularly for live session access. Students who study on finance modules would also require a calculator or app. If you are unsure as to whether or not your device is suitable, please contact assistance@gis.sport for advice.
- Books and Materials – When designing our courses, we make use of learning resources and books available to you through the UEL Library – you do not need to purchase, rent or pay for additional materials in order to meet the learning outcomes of the programmes.
- In person events – As an online institution, many of our events are held online and can be accessed with suitable IT Devices (see above). Where events are held in-person at one of our locations, they are entirely optional and attendance will not be required in order to complete the programme. Additional costs of any such events will be published with the event information.
- Graduation – Students who wish to attend any graduation or celebration events at GIS may need to pay an event attendance fee to secure their tickets or pay third party vendors for photos and attire. These events are optional and attendance is not required in order to receive an award. The costs of attending these events will be published when announced.
- Resits & Retakes – A resit is a second attempt to pass an assessment where the first attempt has been failed or not attempted. Where students are entitled to an assessment resit, this opportunity will not come at an additional cost. Where a student is required to retake failed module(s), in order to progress with their course, a ‘retake’ is an additional attempt to undertake the module(s) in full, engaging in the module(s) teaching learning and assessment as a student from the start. Under UEL regulations, students are required to pay for the retake in full, based on the fees quoted in your offer letter.
- Certificates and Transcripts – Students receive one free copy of their final certificate and transcript. If a student requires additional or replacement copies for any reason, UEL may charge a fee in line with its published arrangements.
