Program Overview

---

MPhil Sports and Recreation

Overview

Our dynamic research community offers interdisciplinary supervision, innovative research projects, and a vibrant network of local, regional, and international scholars.

Award

MPhil

Start date(s)

3 March 2025, 3 February 2025

UCAS Code

Course specifications

View course spec

Course length

Full-time (2 years), Part-time (4 years)

Campus location

University: Walsall Campus

School

School of Sport

UCAS points calculator

Open Points Calculator

In this section

• Overview
• Entry Requirements
• Fees & Finance
• Modules
• Employability
• Facilities

Why choose this course?

The Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing (FEHW) supports the research ambitions of over 240 doctoral students across Education, Health, Social Work and Social Care, Sport and Psychology. Our research community is diverse and dynamic, collaborating with local, regional and international students on innovative research projects.

Our research supervisors possess internationally recognised expertise in a range of research methodologies and frequently work across subject areas, for example, research supervision can take place around the intersections of Education and Health and Sport and Psychology. We support students with a vibrant seminar and workshop calendar of events and sits within a and broader university research community where a very wide range of activity and support takes place.

What happens on the course?

The School of Sport has been awarded an Athena SWAN Bronze Department Award in recognition of our work to support gender equality.

Lead - Sports and Recreation

Ross Cloak is an Associate Professor in Sport and Exercise Science and the Head of the Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre (SPARC). His research focuses on how sports science can be applied to improve athlete health and performance. With experience as a practitioner in combat sports, soccer, and endurance sports, Dr. Cloak’s current work includes altitude training in combat sports, the use of virtual reality technology in elite soccer, and return-to-play analysis in sport.

PhD Supervisors

• Matthew Wyon is a Professor in Exercise Physiology and leader of the Performance Enhancement Research Cluster. His main focus is on the performance demands of dance and how it affects the health and well-being of dancers. He is part of an international research group that includes PhD students from across the globe looking at different dance genres from a physiological and biomechanics perspective.
• Amy is currently a Senior Lecturer in Physical Education and School Sport, and Inclusivity Lead for the School of Sport. She is currently the principal investigator for an Early Career Research Fellowship which is exploring the nature of belonging, engagement and self-confidence from the student perspective, driven by a strong passion for equality, diversity, inclusion and equitable teaching practices. She has published the findings of a mindfulness intervention programme with global majority students and based on her previous roles as Head of PE and Head of House in the primary/secondary school sectors, she is currently writing two projects up on the back of completing her Doctorate in Education: a conceptualisation of quality in physical education teaching, and a mixed methods approach to understanding physical education teachers constructs of quality across a career.
• Amy Bywater, Lecturer in Physical Education
• Dr Nick O'Leary has been a Senior Lecturer in Physical Education and School Sport at the University of Wolverhampton for 23 years. Nick has three research areas of interest. Firstly, how teachers’ past and current socialisation experiences influence their teaching of Physical Education. Secondly, the issues teachers and coaches face in learning to use game-based approaches in Physical Education and sports coaching. Finally, the influence neoliberal performativity has on the working lives of Physical Education teachers.
• “My research is underpinned by a focus on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. My main research interests are exploring the experiences of women working in male-dominated spaces. I have recently published a co-authored chapter on the transition from women's amateur to semi-professional football. Previous work includes research on female football officials and sex segregation in football.”
• Alison Forbes, Senior Lecturer in Sport Sociology
• Gavin Ward is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Education at the University of Wolverhampton and a leading member of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion research theme within the Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre (SPARC). The theme is focused on research that positively impacts social justice in relation to (dis)ability, gender, age, class, race and ethnicity. Gavin has recently completed a £40k research project for British University and Colleges Sport (BUCS) to explore Race and Equality within university sport and physical activity provision. Recommendations from this UK-wide research are now in the process of being implemented by BUCS. Gavin Supervises a range of research students across a range of subject areas including health, psychology and sport. These include full-time, part-time and professional doctorate students.

Potential Career Paths

• Sports Manager
• Sports Marketing Professional
• Fitness and Wellness Consultant
• Sport Performance Analyst
• Academic Researcher

Sports Manager

Oversee sports teams, facilities, or athletic programs.

Sports Marketing Professional

Develop marketing strategies for sports teams, brands, or organisations.

Fitness and Wellness Consultant

Provide expert guidance on physical activity and recreational programs.

Sport Performance Analyst

Analyse athletic performance data and develop improvement strategies.

Academic Researcher

Pursue doctoral studies or work in university research departments.

Additional Information

Everything you need to know about this course!

Course Fees and Finance

Location	Mode	Fee	Year
Home	Full-time	£4786 per year
Home	Full-time	£5006 per year
Home	Part-time	£2393 per year
Home	Part-time	£2503 per year
International	Full-time	£15950 per year
International	Full-time	£16950 per year

The University is committed to a transparent fee structure, with no hidden costs, to help you make an informed decision. This includes information on what is included in the fee and how fees are calculated and reviewed.

Funding

Financial support for research study:

Before applying, you should consider carefully how you will finance your studies for the duration of your programme, including tuition fees, research support fees and living costs.

Government loans(Home Fee Status):

Government loans are available for postgraduate research students of up to £30,301, to cover fees and living expenses. More information can be found at Doctoral-loans website.

**Studying in the UK:Guidance for EU students **

For 2021/22 new entrants, EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals will no longer be eligible for home fee status and financial support from Student Finance England.

Self-funded:

We are able to take payments in instalments, to spread out the cost of your studies, and it is possible to switch between full-time and part-time modes of study. For more information go to How to pay.

Postgraduate Research Loyalty Discount:

To students progressing from an undergraduate programme and/or a taught postgraduate programme to a postgraduate research programme, where both courses are University of Wolverhampton Awards.

There is no time limit on how long ago you completed your degree and/or Masters level qualification, as long as the new award is at a higher level.

For full terms and conditions please see: Loyalty Discount for Postgraduate Research Students

Research councils:

The UK Research and Innovation funds postgraduate study in all subject areas on a discretionary basis.

University Research Studentships:

The University offers a very limited number of research stipends, formerly known as bursaries, to research students. Stipends are designed to support specific projects as determined by the Research Institute rather than individual student-led projects. Funds are accessible from the relevant Research Institute or Centre - please contact them directly.

Other sources:

Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund.

You can find more information on the University’s Funding, cost, fee and support pages.