Outdoor Learning (Full-time) (CertHE)
Do you love the outdoors and want to turn your passion for adventure into a career? Our Certificate of Higher Education in Outdoor Learning is perfect for you. This course combines practical learning with academic knowledge, giving you a solid foundation for a career in outdoor education.
You will gain hands-on experience through a variety of activities and expeditions. Imagine learning in wild locations, tackling challenging environments, and growing your skills in real-world settings. Our course covers everything from teaching and coaching to understanding important theories and practices.
Our unique location gives you access to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Bannau Brycheiniog, and Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. These areas offer some of the best sea kayaking, coasteering, mountain biking, and rock climbing in the world. You can also enjoy hill walking, caving, white-water kayaking, and woodland activities.
Our programme is designed to help you develop essential skills through practical learning and fieldwork. You will learn from experienced tutors and adventure education providers who are passionate about outdoor learning. They will guide you in creating safe experiences and building a strong community of outdoor enthusiasts.
Throughout your studies, you will explore subjects like teaching methods and the psychological, sociological, and philosophical aspects of outdoor education. This mix of theory and practice will prepare you for various roles in health, education, and physical activity sectors.
Join us and become part of a vibrant community that values the great outdoors. You can also study some modules in Welsh to make your learning experience even richer.
Our programme benefits from its own specialist facility for outdoor adventure provision, Cynefin. This space offers fantastic opportunities to develop your skills with excellent resources, teaching spaces, and on-site facilities.
Course details
- On-campus
- Full-time
- English
- Welsh
Tuition Fees 25/26
Home (Full-time): £9,535 per year
Overseas (Full-time): £15,525 per year
Why choose this course?
What you will learn
Throughout the Outdoor Learning CertHE course, you’ll gain essential skills and knowledge in practical outdoor activities, and pedagogical principles. You’ll engage in hands-on learning, theory-based studies, and real-world experiences that will prepare you for a career in the outdoor education sector.
In the first year, you’ll build a strong foundation in outdoor adventure education, focusing on practical learning and fieldwork. You’ll explore key principles such as Learning in the Digital Era and the Ecology of Adventure, develop essential skills, and engage in various outdoor activities. This year is all about immersing yourself in the great outdoors and starting your journey in outdoor learning.
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testimonial
Staff
Our People
You will be taught and supported by a wide range of professional staff and teams here to help you get the university experience you are looking for. Our teaching staff were ranked 2nd in Wales for Teaching, Assessment and Feedback and Academic Support (NSS 2024) meaning that the support and feedback you get will help you learn and develop strong academic skills. Our students have placed us 1st in Wales for Learning Opportunities and Student Voice (NSS 2024) meaning that there are a wide range of opportunities available to enhance your studies and that students play an active role in shaping their learning experiences. Our commitment to your learning has seen our students place us as 1st in Wales and joint 3rd in the UK for student satisfaction (Times Higher Education, 2024, ‘Overall Positivity’ measure). Find out more about our academic staff who teach across our courses.
Course Page Disclaimer
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The modules outlined above provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this course based on recent academic teaching. We continuously review our courses to ensure quality enhancement and to manage our resources. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand. Where your course includes optional modules, these are to provide an element of choice within the course. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed.
You’ll typically complete 120 credits per year of study on a full-time course. For more information visit our Student Agreement.
Further information
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32 UCAS points. We also welcome applications from mature students (21 or over) with relevant outdoor experience.
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The aim of the assessments are to enable students to demonstrate that they have met the aims of the programme and achieved the learning outcomes of each module.
Given the practical nature of the programme, assessments are devised to maximise the link between theory and practice and allow students to demonstrate intellectual rigour and to reflect critically on their own experiences.
A variety of formats are used for coursework and practical assessments, including:
Portfolios
Practical teaching/coaching
Essays
Journals
Presentations
Digital Media
Blogs
Academic interviews. -
‘Other than providing a personal first aid kit, river knife and some basic outdoor clothing there are currently no mandatory additional costs to this programme.
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You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit our Scholarships and Bursaries.
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The Outdoor Adventure Education programme is enhanced with our established partnership with the University of South-Eastern Norway which offers an outstanding opportunity to study Nordic Backcountry Skiing and Outdoor Leadership for a semester in the second year.
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There are numerous opportunities for students to gain experience of different employment roles within the sector.
There are close ties between the programme and the relevant professional and governing bodies, with a number of strong partnerships with local businesses and third-sector organisations. As such, students are well placed to relate their studies with the wider communities of practice.
The programme includes opportunities for students to gain a number of governing body awards at different levels, in a range of activities. These awards require students to register with the relevant governing bodies and to maintain logbooks of experience.