Postgraduate Courses in Sports Science

Are you a sport science graduate who wants to advance your level of study and research into a specific area of sport? Do you want to enhance your employability and professional development? A postgraduate course in sports science may be for you. If you are keen to expand your understanding of scientific methods of enquiry into areas such as Biomechanics, Coaching and Fitness Leadership, Sports Psychology or Exercise Physiology, then read on to discover how a postgraduate course in sport science can benefit you. If you are interested in pursuing a career within the sports science field then there are opportunities for you to take a postgraduate course in sports science that have management components. Whether you are a new graduate or a professional, there will be a postgraduate course to suit you.

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Nowadays, many sport-related subjects are held in extremely high esteem by Higher Education Institutes. In support of this argument you need only to consider the 34 British Institutions that submitted research to the sport related area as part of the 2001 research assessment exercise (RAE); a process by which the Higher Education funding Council for England (HEFCE) assesses the quality of research produced by the Universities. Five British Universities received the highest possible rating of five stars for research submissions in the professional area of sport and exercise. Sport and exercise science is fast becoming one of the most popular subjects at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

There has been a growth in the diversity and specialisation in the study of sports and exercise science courses. The subject itself involves the application of scientific principles through four branches of science- biomechanics, physiology, psychology and interdisciplinary approaches- although this knowledge is applied differently to each of the sport and exercise disciplines. Sport science largely offers expert scientific backup for top training and performance, while exercise science has a central role in physical activity programmes aimed at improving general health. The qualified sport and exercise scientist can expect to have a broad technical physiological and psychological knowledge. Studying a postgraduate course will allow you to deepen this knowledge as part of a research project. Many courses are now providing greater specialisation through module choice or projects and many practitioners are now capable of diversifying their areas of expertise accordingly.

To gain entry onto a postgraduate course in sports science you will normally need to have an undergraduate degree with honours in sports and exercise science or a subject with similar components. For an MSc in Sports Science, you will be expected to produce a thesis at the end of the course in an area of your choice. An MPhil is a research-based course that should be taken if you are interested in more of an academic career. Similarly, for those of you who see yourself lecturing or being at the forefront of new developments and research in the sports science industry then a PhD is probably the course for you. These courses will vary in length and focus depending on the university, so make sure you pick a course that aligns with your own interests in the subject.

Postgraduates from such programmes have various career paths. Many stay in sport and science through teaching and research, whilst others apply their knowledge through related areas such as coaching and management. The following are typical career destinations for postgraduates in sport science: Research, Lecturer, Teacher, Physiotherapist, Lab Technician, Police and Armed Services and Social Care work.

For those who wish to stay in the profession of sport and exercise science there is significant scope for career development. With sport and health becoming 'good' causes for receiving national lottery funding, significant public funding has been made available to support high quality sport and exercise science services. Many sports are accessing sport science to improve performance whilst many health and exercise initiatives created by the government health agenda are using exercise scientists to support programmes in primary care settings. The very fact that the NHS plan has incorporated physical activity within its national service frameworks means that there is increasing scope for work opportunities for exercise scientists in clinical settings.

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The professional body, the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science (BASES), looks after the interests of sport and exercise scientist. BASES is a membership association that was established in the early 1980s to promote science within sport and exercise. It is a voluntary not-for-profit organisation with a practitioner membership base of nearly 3000 people. The association represents UK sport and exercise science interests both nationally and internationally, and disseminates knowledge across the sport, exercise and health sector through conferences, seminars, publications and workshops. A couple of exciting things happening at the moment are the BASES education and training programmes and the BASES accreditation scheme. The education and training programme offers members 10-12 applied one-day workshops each year in order to help members with their continuing professional development. The BASES accreditation scheme offers clients from sport and exercise groups' confidence that the services that they receive will be both safe and effective. Accreditation is the gold standard in service delivery and is recognised as the benchmark for expertise in the sports and exercise domain.

For further information about sport and exercise science as a career, postgraduate courses in sport science and BASES as a professional body that serves its members interests, please contact the BASES office on 0113 289 1020 or look at the BASES web site at www.bases.org.uk. There has never been a better time to study a postgraduate course in sport science in the UK.

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