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Sport and Coaching Sciences

MPhil, PhD, MRes

Pursue independent research in sport and coaching sciences, developing specialist expertise and contributing to knowledge in your field.

Browse our research

How to apply Contact hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk

Key facts

Duration: Full time: 2 - 3 years; Part time: 3 - 4 years
Starts: January 2027, September 2027
Level: PhDs and postgraduate research
Funding status: Self-funded
Location: Headington; Marston Road Site
School: School of Sport, Nutrition and Allied Health Professions
Application deadline: Please allow at least four months between submitting your application and your expected start date, especially if you are an international student arranging a visa.

Overview

A research degree in Sport and Coaching Sciences allows you to:

develop your research skills
contribute to internationally recognised research
be supported by skilled staff and a vibrant research student community
enhance your employability within the domain of sport and coaching sciences
develop your ability to apply disciplinary theory in your applied practice.

We offer a number of flexible part-time and full-time research degree opportunities including MA by Research, MSc by Research, MPhil, PhD, and PhD by Published Work.

To get an overview of the research and groups within the department, and the areas where we can support research degree projects, take a look at our Research Centres and Groups page.

Research expertise

Our interdisciplinary and international research agenda seeks to understand, intervene and improve the lives of those involved in sport and physical activity from grassroots to performance. Our work is multi-faceted and focuses on relationships of individuals and communities with sport, physical education, physical activity and health. Through our approach to research, we seek to offer real world solutions that can:

contribute to the development and improvement of human performance in competitive sport
influence health promotion and rehabilitation through sport, exercise and physical activity
promote non-linear approaches to pedagogy in sport, exercise and physical activity, and their application in coach development
further enhance our understanding of participation, identity and social justice in sport, exercise and physical activity.

Institutes and Centres

Groups

Sport, Exercise and Physical Activity Research Group (SEPARG)

Entry requirements

Qualification	Typical offer
IELTS	IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.0 in all skills. For more information, please see our English language requirements.

All students must be able to meet the University’s requirements for a research degree, which is to be able to devote a minimum of 35 hours per week (full-time) or 15 hours per week (part-time) to the programme of research.

The minimum entry requirement for the degree of MPhil, or MPhil with transfer to PhD, is a first-class or upper second-class UK honours degree or equivalent qualification.

The normal entry requirement for a PhD is a Masters degree, or exceptionally a good honours degree/equivalent.

The minimum entry requirement for the degree of MA, MSc and LLM by Research is a lower second-class UK honours degree or equivalent qualification.

Degree routes

All students enrol as probationer research students. During the first year you will formally register your research proposal for one of the below routes.

These research degrees run for one year full time or two years part time and allow students to critically investigate and evaluate an approved topic. As with other research degrees, they are examined by thesis and viva.

Length of study: Full-time: 1 year. Part-time: 2 years.

Entry requirement: The minimum entry requirement for the degree of MA, MSc and LLM by Research is a lower second-class UK honours degree or equivalent qualification.

If you undertake an MPhil you will:

critically investigate and evaluate an approved topic
demonstrate understanding of research methods appropriate to the chosen field
Present and defend a substantial thesis by viva.

*Length of study: Full-time: 2 years. Part-time: 3 years.

Entry requirement: The minimum entry requirement for an MPhil degree, or an MPhil with the intention of transferring to a PhD, is a first-class or upper second-class UK honours degree or equivalent qualification.

Applications are also welcomed from those holding qualifications other than the above and will be considered on their merits and in relation to the nature and scope of the work proposed. You will be required to provide the names of two academic referees.

A candidate registered initially for an MPhil may be able to transfer to a PhD, and has to complete a transfer process within the Faculty, once sufficient progress has been made on the work to provide on the evidence of the development to PhD.

This is normally after 18 months of full-time study or 24-26 months of part-time study). Transfer comprises three main elements:

a 1000 word transfer report which should be sent to the relevant Postgraduate Research Tutor and the supervisory team
an oral presentation and/or interview
an additional piece of work as indicated by the Faculty, Department/School or supervisory team.

Length of study: Full-time: 3 years. Part-time: 4 years.

If you undertake a PhD you will:

critically investigate and evaluate an approved topic, resulting in an independent and original contribution to the field
demonstrate understanding of research methods appropriate to the chosen field
present and defend a substantial thesis by viva.

Length of study: Full-time: 2 years. Part-time: 3 years.

Entry requirement: The normal entry requirement for the degree of PhD is a master’s degree in a discipline which is appropriate to the proposed research and which has included research training and a research project.

In exceptional cases, applicants who have a good honours degree (or equivalent) may apply for direct registration to PhD if they have appropriate research or professional experience at postgraduate level which has resulted in published work, written reports or other appropriate evidence of accomplishment.

Fees and funding

Fees

Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.

For International fees the following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

Home fees are set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and are released approximately five months before the start of each academic year.

If you have any questions about fees, get in touch with the Research Degrees Team at rdt-researchdegrees@brookes.ac.uk.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

-For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.

For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page

Tuition fees
Fee types	2026/27	2027/28
Home full-time	£5,338
Home part-time	£2,669
International full-time		£19,900
International part-time	£9,950

How and when to pay

For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page.

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)

Additional Costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

Compulsory additional costs
Compulsory	Amount
Continuation fee The continuation fee, where it is payable is compulsory, but not applicable to Masters by research or PhD by Published Work, detailed as follows: • All MPhil/PhD full-time students are required to pay the full-time fee for three complete academic years before they are eligible to pay the continuation fee; • All MPhil/PhD part-time students are required to pay the part-time fee for six complete academic years before they are eligible to pay the continuation fee. • All PhD Direct full-time students are required to pay the full-time fee for two complete academic years before they are eligible to pay the continuation fee; • All PhD Direct part-time students are required to pay the part-time fee for three complete academic years before they are eligible to pay the continuation fee.	£1,455

Optional additional costs
Optional	Amount
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online.	From £30
You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand.	£20 - £60 per book
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills)	£107 - £301 per week
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs)	£139 - £248 per week
Fines are payable on items returned late although we will give you 5 days to return an item before fines are payable. Find out more about how to borrow and return items.	£1 per book
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes with single bus fares in the UK currently capped at £3. Oxford Brookes has committed to offering heavily discounted bus travel for students for at least three years from July 2026 with further information on our Travel webpages.	From £3
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41.	Typically £0 - £200
Bench fees for full-time study will be calculated on an individual basis and the amount will depend on the subject and project. In some cases no bench fee will be charged.	£1,000 - £6,000
Bench fees for full-time study will be calculated on an individual basis and the amount will depend on the subject and project. In some cases no bench fee will be charged.	£500 - £3,000
Resubmission fees If following viva, examiners recommend that a student is required to revise and resubmit their thesis for re-examination, they must pay the resubmission fee for the duration of that period.	£1,455

How to apply

We welcome initial enquiries. Please contact the Research Administrator (hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk) and/or the relevant Postgraduate Tutor or Supervisor.

If you have a research proposal in mind, explore our research groups and supervisory staff webpages, to identify the relevant research group/s for your research.
Check the fees information on the university website. Oxford Brookes Alumni may be entitled to a discount on course fees.
Email your CV and an outline of your area of interest to hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk. Give a brief explanation of how your studies will be funded.
Once we have the initial information we will liaise with you as necessary and pass the information to the relevant Postgraduate Tutor/s, who will advise whether an application can be progressed. If this is possible we will invite you to submit an application through the university system.

Browse our research How to apply Contact hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk

Our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, so module availability and course structures may vary from what is listed here. On rare occasions, we may also need to make updates to our course programmes after publication; for full details, please visit our changes to programmes page (opens in a new tab)

Sport and Coaching Sciences

Key facts

Overview

Research expertise

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Degree routes

Masters by Research

MPhil

MPhil (with possibility of transfer to PhD)

PhD Direct

Fees and funding

Fees

Fees

How and when to pay

Questions about fees?

Funding and scholarships

Additional Costs

How to apply