BA (Hons) Physical Education with Dance

at Plymouth Marjon University

BA (Hons) Physical Education with Dance explores the scientific principles that underpin both PE and dance. You'll learn how to plan and deliver a range of exciting and innovation lessons that engage pupils who have different needs and abilities. 

The BA (hons) Physical Education with Dance degree programme will enable you to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding to challenge outdated notions of physical education and dance, and thus play a part in creating the next generation of healthy and physically literate individuals. 

Both the PE and dance elements of the programme are designed to encourage creative and innovative practice, giving you the acquiring the knowledge, skills and understanding to deliver both subjects. You'll learn theory and practice through delivering PE and dance to children and young people in both school settings and in the wider community. The developmental design of the programme allows you to base your career aspiration on experiences during the three-year programme instead of committing to primary or secondary education at the start of your degree. 

In your second year you carry out a 100 hours placement in a school setting. You can align this with your career aspirations so if you are interested in primary education your placement will be in a primary school setting. Likewise, if you know that you would like to teach in the secondary sector, your placement will be in a secondary school. You may be particularly interested in Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) so there is also an option to spend your placement in a SEND school. You can also choose to do two placements of 50 hours each in different types of schools to help you confirm whether you would like to teach in primary, secondary or special educational needs (SEND) contexts.

Throughout the programme you will be engaging with pedagogy from both a theoretical and a practical perspective through delivering a diverse range of physical activities to children and young people in school settings.   You will be working with pupils in every year of your degree through a range of experiential learning opportunities embedded within modules. 

Each year you will study six modules. Two modules each year are designed specifically for PE with Dance students and the remaining four are shared with BA (Hons) Physical Education as they are relevant to both PE and dance teaching.  To see a snapshot of each module you will study, please scroll down to click on the links.

You will study in world-class sports facilities at the University including our BASES accredited sports science laboratory, climatic chamber, 25m swimming pool and numerous 4G and astro-turf pitches.

In order to achieve Qualified Teaching Status (QTS), which you need to teach in most UK schools, you'll need to follow this degree with a postgraduate teaching qualification, such as PGCE PE, PGCE Primary or School Direct.