BA (Hons) Outdoor Leadership

The BA (Honours) Outdoor Leadership course has been developed and designed to provide a high quality outdoor education for those students who aspire to aspire to work within the outdoor industry or need a degree that develops transferable skills for further training.   The outdoor sector, which is often referred to as an industry, has grown in status over the past number of years. Such growth has seen a strong demand for individuals with knowledge and expertise in a wide number of areas. Such areas include development training, the use of the outdoors in therapy, youth at risk, outdoor equipment technology, manufacturing and distribution, outdoor education, outdoor psychology, environmental education, and other outdoor related activities. The degree takes its premise that all outdoor activities being delivered as part of a programme or curriculum, whether sports based or not, require some form of leadership and that this leadership needs to be based on a broad and diverse range of considerations.  The course, therefore aims to examine outdoor leadership in its broadest sense and to equip students to make leadership decisions based on informed current thinking as well as their own individually developed philosophies.

The course examines issues such as the use of technology in the outdoors, alternative forms of outdoor education, different uses of the outdoors and the role of areas such as the environment and risk in outdoor work.  The students will be encouraged to approach subjects such as these with an open mind and form their own values and opinions based on the evidence available to them.  The practical element of working in the outdoors is also developed with students given opportunities to develop their practical, personal, leadership and technical skills.  The activities of climbing, canoeing, kayaking, mountaineering, orienteering, mountain biking, sailing and caving, are practiced using the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Pennines and Scotland.  These practical elements allow aspects of theory into practice to be explored and understood to a greater depth.  The course gives students ample opportunities to undertake expeditions and fieldwork. The delivery of the course will ensure a holistic approach to the outdoors, taking account of personal, moral, social and educational issues.

Personal Development is addressed throughout the programme, including, for example, Study Skills at year one and a research module in year 2. These modules allow students to recognise their own personal and transferable skill development needs. Future requirements that students should complete “Personal Development Portfolios” will be addressed through these modules. The assessment for the Year One Module already includes a portfolio of evidence as part of the assessment process.

The course and the modules have been developed and organised to ensure that successful graduates will have developed the intellect, knowledge and skills to work in a leadership capacity within the outdoor sector.

Year 1
Compulsory Modules

Outdoor Leadership and the Individual| Year Long
Practical Outdoor Activities : Introduction| Year Long
Outdoor Adventure Operations| Year Long
Study Skills for Outdoor Students| Semester 1
Health and Fitness for the Outdoors| Semester 2
Introduction to Geomorphology| Semester 1
Understanding Weather for Outdoor Activities| Semester 2


Relevant Elective Modules

Introduction to Psychology for Outdoor Leaders| Semester 1
Expedition Planning| Semester 2


Year 2
Core Modules

Outdoor Leadership and the Team| Year Long 
Practical Outdoor Activities : Personal Development| Year Long 
Social Issues for the Outdoors| Year Long
Research Skills| Semester 1


Either/or

Student Expedition| Semester 2
Researching the Literature| Semester 2


Optional Modules

Anatomy and Physiology for the Outdoors| Year Long
Psychology for Outdoor Leaders| Year Long
Small Business Management for Outdoor / Adventure Sector| Year Long
Technology for the Outdoors| Year Long


Year 3
Core Modules
 

Outdoor Leadership and the Entrepreneur| Year Long 
Practical Outdoor Activities : Instruction| Year Long 

Double Dissertation| Year Long 

             or

 
Single Dissertation| Year Long 


Plus Two Optional Modules

Contemporary Culture and the Outdoors| Year Long 
Therapy in the Outdoors| Year Long 
Outdoor Management Development| Year Long
Managing Events for the Outdoor Sector| Year Long



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