BA (Hons) Outdoor Adventure Education Bachelor's degree at Plymouth Marjon University
BA (Hons) Outdoor Adventure Education at PMU. You'll study core theory, research methods, applied practice and specialist options, culminating in an independent project and professional skills work.
About this course
Develop the skills to teach people in natural settings and get practical experience amidst stunning Devon coast and countryside with this Outdoor Adventure Education degree. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Outdoor Adventure Education is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at PMU, based in Main Site. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Education graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 80% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £24,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Education & Teaching, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 90% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 90% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
1st Year 6 modules
- Introduction to Outdoor Adventure Education
Module details
Discover the key principles and ideas behind Outdoor Adventure Education. Put them into practice during weekly fieldwork sessions that will introduce you to the stunning areas of Dartmoor and the Southwest coast.
- Personal Development through Adventure Education
Module details
Practical investigation of the principles essential for safe participation in adventurous activities using our state-of-the-art sport science facilities. Explore the issues of nutrition, health, fitness, training, and temperature before heading outside to focus on the psychological impacts of being in exciting environments.
- Paddlesport and Experiential Outdoor Education
Module details
Kayak, canoe and paddleboard in beautiful rivers, estuaries and lakes to explore the holistic concepts of self, others and nature whilst considering the physical, emotional and intellectual challenges linked to such activities.
- Outdoor Expeditions: Theory into Practice
Module details
Dartmoor tors, geology, bogs, biology, folklore and legends are all explored, along with the questions of what is, and why do we go on an expedition? Develop your navigation and camping skills to help you plan a two-day and one-night, self-directed expedition.
- Becoming an Outdoor Professional
Module details
Climb in a range of settings, and collect the experience necessary to apply for a Climbing Wall Instructor training course. Engage with the concepts of adventure and the risk continuum as you begin to create your own outdoor professional identity.
- The Foundations of Coaching and Leading Outdoors
Module details
The fundamentals of planning, coaching and reviewing are explored through practical peer teaching. Pool kayaks, the climbing wall, and onsite MTBs provide excellent resources to explore the theory and practice of group sessions as an observer, participant and as the leader.
2nd Year 7 modules
- Pedagogy of Place in Outdoor Education
Module details
Come dinghy sailing with expert RYA instruction and explore the maritime cultural stories of Plymouth and Britain. Connect with the amazing seafaring heritage that makes Plymouth a special city and harbour.
- Environmental awareness through adventure sport
Module details
Come dinghy sailing with expert RYA instruction and explore the maritime cultural stories of Plymouth and Britain. Connect with the amazing seafaring heritage that makes Plymouth a special city and harbour.
- Managing and Leading Expeditions on the Water
Module details
Sea kayak around the stunning Devon and Cornwall coastline with course friends. Develop the theory and practice of managing groups on water expeditions before planning your own student-led journey.
- Leadership and Expeditions in the Mountains
Module details
Summer mountain leader training taught by your lecturers in Eryri (Snowdonia) as part of a week-long outdoor education residential experience. Three days and two nights on a self-contained expedition provide the reflective material that informs your assessment.
- Sustainable Adventure Tourism
Module details
Explore the relationship between adventure practice, sustainability, and the tourism industry. Paddleboarding and coasteering fieldwork allow you to think about the tourist experience from both a participant's and a provider's perspective.
- Placement Training
Module details
Real world opportunities to explore a variety of adventure education and outdoor learning settings. With a clearly self-negotiated focus, you can develop your chosen career path and professional identity. Engaged students often receive job offers at the end of their placement!
- Nature Connection: Research in Outdoor Studies
Module details
Develop your knowledge skills and understanding of how to ask the right questions, and what questions are worth asking. This module helps you craft a research topic that can then become your Honours Project topic in your final year.
3rd Year 6 modules
- The Advanced Outdoor Professional
Module details
Explore your professional identity and career direction. Engage with a practical course of your choice from a range of options. This module allows for practical skill development and NGB qualifications, and helps you develop an online CV or webpage.
- Current Issues in Outdoor Adventure Education
Module details
Meet outdoor professionals from our extensive networks to discuss and experience the very latest ideas, issues and research in the outdoor sector. How do we respond to plastic in the oceans, camping bans, oppressive practices, and challenging behaviours? How might we make use of the most recent developments in digital technology and evolving pedagogies?
- Creative Practice in the Outdoors
Module details
A fantastic range of creative approaches for learning outdoors; storytelling, photography, beach art or wherever the creative flow takes us. Use play and playfulness to enhance creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Placement learning
Module details
Real world opportunities to explore a variety of adventure education and outdoor learning settings. With a clearly self-negotiated focus, you can develop your chosen career path and professional identity. Engaged students often receive job offers at the end of their placement!
- Outdoor Food: Communities, Culture, and Practice
Module details
What is the role of food in our practice? How can we use food to bring people together and stimulate meaningful learning experiences in the outdoors? Cook, talk, and explore how answering these questions can enhance your educational practice.
- Honours Project
Module details
Independent project with personal support from your tutor. Go on an expedition, produce a DVD, run an event, design a website, build a canoe, produce teaching materials or do a research dissertation. Enjoy your project and enhance your CV.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This degree equips you to teach outdoor activities and environmental education in natural settings, with practical experience across Devon's coast and countryside. You'll usually begin with foundations in how children learn and develop, alongside early school placements. Year 2 moves toward curriculum design, planning outdoor lessons and supporting learners with additional needs, with more sustained classroom practice. By Year 3, you'll specialise in areas such as primary teaching, early years, SEND and inclusion, or education policy, whilst undertaking a final placement and demonstrating professional practice against established teaching standards. Throughout, you build practical experience teaching in outdoor environments alongside your theoretical study.
Who it's for
You're drawn to outdoor education and mentoring others in natural settings. You have practical skills or a passion for developing them, and you're comfortable working in variable weather and landscapes. You enjoy combining theory with hands-on experience. This course suits those seeking a degree that bridges classroom learning and field work, preparing you for a teaching or guiding role in the outdoor sector.
Careers & job market
Graduates in Education & Teaching generally enter the workforce quickly: 90% of graduates nationally are in work or further study within 15 months of completing their degree. Around 70% of working graduates move into highly skilled roles or further study. National Graduate Outcomes data shows starting salaries ranging from £22,000 to £30,000; after five years, this typically rises to £21,250–£30,000. Plymouth Marjon University holds a Gold teaching award from the Office for Students' TEF assessment, reflecting quality in student learning and outcomes.
University & format
Plymouth Marjon University is a university located at its Main Site, delivering this degree full-time over 3 years in English. The qualification is a nationally recognised Bachelor's degree with honours (BA (Hons)). The university holds Gold for teaching quality in the Office for Students' Teaching Excellence Framework 2023.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 75% |
| another higher-education qualification | 19% |
| an Access course | 3% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 3% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code X391). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at PMU →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
National funding for this subject
- Teacher-training bursaries: Postgraduate bursaries and scholarships are available for selected shortage subjects. Official guidance
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Education & Teaching graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £24,000 | £16,000 – £27,500 | 10 |
| 3 years after | £16,500 | £12,500 – £22,000 | 40 |
| 5 years after | £23,500 | £14,500 – £26,500 | 45 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in education & teaching · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Education & Teaching nationally
National figures for Education & Teaching graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Education & Teaching courses at the same study level.
Compared with 515 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsSOC 2020 31 · 30% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,828
- Sports and fitness occupationsSOC 2020 343 · 30% of published destinations · ASHE median £13,819
- Leisure, travel and related personal service occupationsSOC 2020 62 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £22,297
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Protective service occupationsDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 20; response rate: 70%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Education & Teaching graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Education & Teaching graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Schools & academy trusts
- Local authorities
- Education charities
- Tutoring providers
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Education & Teaching graduates.
Education SEN MentorMacIntyreEducation Recruitment ConsultantAcademicsEducation Delivery Consultant - Fast Paced, Dynamic Organisation - WorcestershireAP EducationEducation Trustee - Lead Youth Careers & Outdoor LearningRacing to SchoolEducation Recruitment Consultant - Build Futures & Earn UncappedProtocol EducationEducation Recruitment Consultant: Grow Your Desk & ImpactEducation AssetsIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £24,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 9.0 out of 10: NSS 89.9% · in work or study 90% · continued 90%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of St Mark and St John
Education and teaching across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Main Site
400 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Education & Teaching right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to PMU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by PMU; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check PMU’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with PMU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at PMU
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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