Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences MSc (Res)

Join us and gain world-leading research skills, enhance your career prospects, and thrive in a stimulating, multidisciplinary environment. Our flexible study options and strong industry connections will help you achieve your professional aspirations. You’ll be part of a vibrant research community, playing an active role in seminars featuring renowned speakers.

Course structure

Our vibrant postgraduate community offers comprehensive support right from the start of your journey, with a structured training tailored to meet your needs. You will be encouraged to present your research plans and findings to peers, fostering a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment.

• Internationally renowned School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences
• Study at the largest custom-built Sport and Exercise facility in the UK
• 1:1 supervisor support and further training opportunities

Within the School there is a regular research seminar programme, in which expert speakers from other universities and institutions give talks on their own research. You also have opportunities to present your own research ideas and findings, and our postgraduates currently organise a seminar series to provide a forum for such presentations. You will also be encouraged to present your data at national and international conferences. In addition, each of our research groups runs internal seminars.

• Research is an essential component of the School's activity. Because of this, we believe that it is very important to invest in excellence in postgraduate training and research infrastructure, and to maintain an intellectually stimulating environment that supports high quality research.
• As well as conducting your own research, you will be expertly supervised by an academic member of staff with expertise in your project area.

Year 1:

The following must be taken:

If you want to pursue your own research project, you can apply to our research programmes to propose this. This is self-funded, although scholarships are available.

Find an Advertised PhD

Find a PhD project that suits your interests by using our FindAPhD tool.

Find a supervisor

If you’d rather propose your own research, the first step is to find your supervisor. We encourage you to browse the biographies of faculty members to familiarise yourself with the research going on in your preferred areas. Each of these contains detailed information on research interests, current projects and recent publications.

When you apply, you can suggest one or two potential supervisors, who you think might be a good fit for you. However, this is not essential. If you know what you want to work on, but are unsure on supervisors, you can indicate this in your application and the PhD programme co-directors will study your proposal in detail, and judge who is best suited to be your supervisory team.

Research proposal

If you are proposing your own research topic, you will need to submit a research proposal. It’s a key part of your application, so take your time. Your potential supervisors will use it to decide if your research is something they can support.

Your proposal should be a clear and concise summary of your research. It generally consists of an outline of your proposed research project, including your main research questions and the methods you intend to use.

You should also comment on the potential impact and importance of your intended research and on how your work would interact with current trends in your academic field. It should illustrate the relevance of your topic to the research interests and expertise of the staff within your chosen department.

Funding options

Apply for a PhD that already has funding attached

These are most common in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine) subjects, but they can sometimes be available for pre-defined research projects in the arts, humanities or social sciences. These may be advertised as fully funded (with fees and a stipend) or competition funded, meaning the projects compete against other projects at each institution.

Self-fund, or search for funding or a studentship

You devise your own PhD topic, find and consult with a potential supervisor, explore funding opportunities, write a research proposal and apply to the relevant programme. Our Postgraduate Scholarships and Funding database lists all available funding.

A limited number of scholarships and studentships may be available to outstanding applicants. For further information, please explore our scholarships and funding database.

If you are applying to an ‘advertised PhD’, please check the details of the specific research project for application deadlines.

If you are submitting your own research proposal, applications are accepted all year round. However, if you wish to start in September, we would encourage you to apply by 1 June. Whilst you are still welcome to apply after this date, it is important to allow time for us to review your application.

If you are seeking funding, please be aware that the majority of funding opportunities have deadlines in early spring so we would encourage you to apply as early as possible.

We have put together some helpful information on the research programme application process and supporting documents on our how to apply page. Please read this information carefully before completing your application.

The School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, aims to enhance societal health and wellbeing through increased engagement in physical activity. With a diverse range of disciplines and a focus on five major research themes, the course provides a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary environment for students to explore and contribute to the future of sport, exercise, health, and rehabilitation sciences.

Careers Network

At Birmingham, we prepare our researchers to make an impact across every sector of society. Our PhD graduates are global change-makers: advancing knowledge, shaping policy, leading industries, and educating future generations.

You'll benefit from dedicated careers support tailored to your unique paths. Our expert team of Careers Advisers, including a dedicated postgraduate research adviser, offer one-to-one guidance to help researchers navigate career decisions both within and beyond academia.

Whatever you plan to do after your degree, the Careers Network offers a range of events and support services including networking opportunities, career coaching, one to one guidance, careers fairs and links with leading graduate recruiters.

We also offer subject specific careers consultants and a dedicated careers website for international students.

Our bustling campus with its beautiful grounds, friendly community and excellent facilities will quickly make you feel at home. We offer you a huge variety of accommodation options in the UK’s second city, exciting activities to get involved in outside your studies, as well as all the support and advice you need.