The quality of research conducted in Universities is subject to intensive examination by the UK Government approximately every seven years.
These achievements are not down to luck, we have a tradition of both promoting and supporting a research-based environment. All our staff are research active and this world-class research informs all our teaching. Furthermore, we place a strong emphasis on the application of research to practice and all students, regardless of the course they are on, undertake an in-depth supervised research experience. Why is this important? For a successful career in all Sport and Exercise professions, being able to identify relevant questions whilst having the skill set to conduct research to develop answers to these questions is highly valued by employers. Put simply, if you want a career where you continue to learn and lead on knowledge development, being able to understand and conduct high quality research is essential.
You have a choice of supervisor who will help to nurture the skills required for successful research whilst also allowing you to be mentored by an established Sport and Exercise Science researcher. The expertise level of this mentor means they work with leading organisations (e.g., UK Sport, NHS, and the MOD) to help develop research-based practices to enable those organisations to stay at the top of their ‘game’ giving you the opportunity to be directly involved in this world leading research! Of direct relevance to postgraduate students, it is reasonably common for Master's research projects to end up being submitted for publication in leading journals.
We have particular research expertise within the areas of:
- Psychology of Elite Performance (including talent identification and talent development)
- Extreme Environments
- Physical Activity, Health and Wellbeing
During your degree you’ll showcase the results of your research experience at the Student Conference which is acknowledged as a hallmark of our degree programmes by both our students and external examiners. Working with our academic staff and presenting your research in this way will give you highly prized transferable skills such as being organised, effective time management, problem solving, positive interpersonal skills, analytic and critical thinking.