Sport and Exercise Science/Sports Studies

Entry requirements

• MPhil - First or upper second class honours degree in a related subject.
• PhD - Master’s degree in a relevant subject area, or exceptionally, a first class honours degree.
• MSc by Research - First or upper second class honours degree in a relevant subject.

All applications are, however, considered on the individual basis of work and other life experiences through the University's Accreditation of Prior Experience Learning procedures.

Months of entry

February, October

Course content

The School of Sport and Exercise Science offers a wide range of research degree opportunities across various disciplines within sport and exercise science and sports studies, drawing on the specialist research interests of members of our staff. Registration for the MPhil/PhD or PhD allows you to devise and pursue a chosen topic of enquiry under the supervision of staff with expertise in that area. The School offers the MSc by Research in a range of different subject areas, depending upon the specialist research interests of members of staff. The programme enables students to build their own specialism in sport and exercise science, whilst exploring and developing their research ideas. It is designed to prepare students for a career in research or academia.

Research is an essential component of the School's activity and it is committed to maintaining an infrastructure and intellectually stimulating environment that support the development of the next generation of researchers. Applications for postgraduate research are welcome across the diverse sport, exercise, physical culture, and health disciplines in which the School's academic staff specialise.

In addition to subject-specific support from a supervisory team, students can benefit from a programme of research training that is designed to build on existing knowledge and develop advanced skills and expertise.

Department specialisms

The School welcomes applications from students who wish to study postgraduate research degrees MSc by Research/MPhil/PhD in areas allied to our departmental research interests. We are currently undertaking research in a number of areas at national and international levels under five principal groupings: Biofeedback in Sport Group (BIO) Health Advancement Research Team (HART) Mental Toughness Research Group (MTOUGH) Physiology of Exercise and Sport Performance (PESP) Youth Sport Research Group (YSR) For more information, please visit the School’s research pages.

Fees and funding

For eligible students, there are more ways than ever before to fund your postgraduate study, whether you want to do a taught or research course. For those wishing to undertake a Master's course, you can apply for a loan as a contribution towards the course and living costs. Loans are also available to those who wish to undertake doctoral study. The University offers a number of scholarships and funded studentships for those interested in postgraduate study. Learn how Master's and PhD loans, scholarships, and studentships can help you fund your studies on our Postgraduate Fees and Funding pages.