The School of Sport and Exercise Sciences provides an excellent environment in which to conduct postgraduate research. The breadth of staff research interests enables us to provide research degree supervision in a range of areas in the sport and exercise sciences and in sports therapy.
This degree requires you to undertake a substantial, original research project, under the supervision of one or more members of academic staff who act as supervisors (see our Master's by Research projects). Your supervisory team provides guidance both in terms of research project development and execution. Typically, you meet with your supervisors more frequently at the initial stages of research than during the phases of data collection and analysis.
Choose an area that interests you from our wide range of Master’s research projects.
Once you have identified a project and a potential supervisor, please contact them directly by email to discuss the possibility of undertaking an MSc under their supervision. Please outline your interest in the research project, supply a CV including all relevant experience and details of how you will fund your study.
After securing a project and a supervisor, you can proceed to make an online application for this course (click 'Apply now').
The School of Sport and Exercise Sciences is one of the most exciting and innovative sports schools in the UK. Based on the University’s Canterbury campus, we have well-equipped, state-of the-art sports science laboratories, a sports therapy clinic, sports rehabilitation gymnasium and respiratory clinic. Our laboratories include the latest equipment, such as our:
As a Kent student, you'll also have access to some top-class leisure and study facilities. For example, the Sports Centre and Pavilion provide:
Minimum entrance requirement is an Upper Second Class Honours (2.1) or equivalent in a related subject, though acceptance of any candidate is at the discretion of the supervisor.
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.
This course requires a Good level of English language, equivalent to B2 on CEFR.
Details on how to meet this requirement can be found on our English Language requirements webpage.
Examples:
IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component
PTE Academic 63 with a minimum of 59 in each sub-test
A degree from a UK university
A degree from a Majority English Speaking Country
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
Postgraduate research is a fantastic opportunity and significant investment in your future, enabling you to expand your knowledge, skills and career options – all while making a meaningful impact and contribution to an area you are passionate about.
At Kent, we also recognise the significant financial investment that comes with postgraduate study, and we offer a range of scholarships for our postgraduate researchers, to help keep your mind on your studies, and off your finances.
Scholarships can be broad, or specific to your situation, background or even country – so please do use our scholarships finder to discover the options available to you.
We also have research partnership funding with research councils and government schemes in specific areas of interest that can help you take your research to the next level with additional financial support.
Find out more on our fees and funding page and discover what option is right for you.
The School of Sport and Exercise Sciences invests heavily in its equipment and other resources, and has world-class sports therapy and sport science facilities. Campus facilities include a 12-couch teaching clinic and state-of-the-art sports science laboratories. There is a wide range of equipment, including motorised and non-motorised treadmills, cycle ergometers, an isokinetic dynamometer, and blood and gas analysis equipment.
There is also a hypoxic environmental chamber, and analytical chemistry, respiratory testing and psychobiology laboratories. These specialist rooms have been set up to include an anti-gravity treadmill, a 3D video analysis system, 2D force pedals, ultra-sound imaging, near-infrared spectroscopy and a gait analysis system.
The School operates a commercial sports injury and rehabilitation clinic, respiratory clinic and sports performance services to support elite athletes, regional squads and local residents. As a postgraduate student, you have the opportunity to develop your professional skills as you work with clients in the clinic and laboratory under staff supervision.
Staff publish regularly and widely in leading scientific journals. Among others, they have recently contributed to: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise; American Journal of Sports Medicine; Journal of Applied Physiology; and British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Kent's Graduate School co-ordinates the Researcher Development Programme for research students, which includes workshops focused on research, specialist and transferable skills. The programme is mapped to the national Researcher Development Framework and covers a diverse range of topics, including subject-specific research skills, research management, personal effectiveness, communication skills, networking and teamworking, and career management skills.
The School has a strong research culture with a focus in two broad themes: endurance performance and health. As a School we have a team of world-leading researchers in their respective fields.
The Endurance Research Group has quickly become world-leading for research excellence which is recognised globally. The group focuses on various aspects of endurance performance including: exercise tolerance and resistance to fatigue, exercise-induced asthma, training, individualised prescription of training, immune function and infection risk and the use psychological skills in endurance athletes.
The Health Research Group focuses on the use of exercise to enhance rehabilitation and promote healthy behaviours including: musculoskeletal rehabilitation, return to sports participation, psychobiology of physical activity, injury prevention and wearable technology in rehabilitation. Members of the group also have interests in the effects of exercise in cardiac and stroke patients, and the use of exercise to treat or manage chronic diseases (such as COPD, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, APS). The group also researches sport policy and management looking at the socio-cultural and well-being effects of participation in sport.
Kent’s world-class academics provide research students with excellent supervision. The academic staff in this school and their research interests are shown below. You are strongly encouraged to contact the school to discuss your proposed research and potential supervision prior to making an application. Please note, it is possible for students to be supervised by a member of academic staff from any of Kent’s schools, providing their expertise matches your research interests. Use our ‘find a supervisor’ search to search by staff member or keyword.
Full details of staff research interests can be found on the School's website.
Our programmes have been developed and designed to provide students with the required knowledge and skills to work autonomously in the field of sport science and sports therapy. The programmes provide opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate both specialist academic and transferable skills such as good communication, problem solving, critical analysis and the ability to work independently to a high standard. The programmes also aim to give you the opportunity to build long-term careers within your chosen field.
The 2025/26 annual tuition fees for this course are:
The 2025/26 annual tuition fees for UK postgraduate research courses have not yet been set by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). This is ordinarily announced in February. As a guide only for the full-time tuition fee for new and returning UK postgraduate research courses for 2024/25 is £4,786. The equivalent part-time fee for these courses is £2,393.
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Tuition fees may be increased in the second and subsequent years of your course. Detailed information on possible future increases in tuition fees is contained in the Tuition Fees Increase Policy. If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Tuition fees may be increased in the second and subsequent years of your course. Detailed information on possible future increases in tuition fees is contained in the Tuition Fees Increase Policy. If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.
In addition to the tuition fees, a bench fee of approximately £400 will be applicable to this course. This fee covers the cost of specialist equipment, laboratory costs and consumable requirements.
Please note that, due to the technical requirements of some laboratory-based research projects, some projects additionally incur additional research costs to support consumable requirements. Additional research costs are typically in the range of £500-£2,000, though exceptionally these can be as high as £5,000 for resource-intensive research projects. Additional expenses associated with a specific project will be highlighted on the School’s related web pages.
You'll need regular access to a desktop computer/laptop with an internet connection to use the University of Kent’s online resources and systems. We've listed some guidelines for the technology and software you'll need for your studies.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, as well as general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:
Students who have completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Kent can apply for 10% reduction in fees for their Masters programme.
Students can also apply for a £1000 Graduate School Scholarship to help pay for their fess or apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Degree loan.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Next steps
Learn more about the application process or begin your application by clicking on a link below.
You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.
Supporting your success
Kent ranked top 40 in The Times Good University Guide 2025.
Fees and funding
Kent has risen 11 places in THE’s REF 2021 ranking, confirming us as a leading research university.
Accommodation
