Masters by Research - MRes
Currently viewing course to start in 2025/26 Entry. Switch to 2024/25 Entry
The Masters by Research (MRes) course is a flexible research-based course designed to provide graduates with a foundation for a career in research, the public/private sector, healthcare or academia (i.e. PhD studies)....
- Level Postgraduate Research
- Study mode Full Time
- Award MRes
- Start date September 2025
- Fees View course fees
- Subjects
- Location City South
This course is:
Open to International Students
Overview
Please note that applications for this course will open in January 2025.
The Masters by Research (MRes) course is a flexible research-based course designed to provide graduates with a foundation for a career in research, the public/private sector, healthcare or academia (i.e. PhD studies). The purpose is to offer high quality postgraduate training in methods and practice of research and relevant transferable skills that offer a unique learning experience to advance knowledge within your specialist area of either Life Sciences, Sport and Exercise, or Health.
The course allows for plenty of opportunities to craft the course to your needs, along with the chance to specialise in an area of choice. You will benefit from being able to work within, and study alongside, a multidisciplinary team of experienced researchers and health professionals. The course is suitable for diverse backgrounds including, but not limited to, sports, medicine, nursing, midwifery, allied health professions, social work, social and natural science, where a research focussed career in Sport and Exercise, Life Sciences, or Health is of interest to you.
The course offers three possible routes:
- Life Sciences
- Sport and Exercise
- Health
What's covered in this course?
Throughout the course you will develop a keen understanding of advanced research methods. This will take you on the journey from an initial research idea and proposal, to embedding research philosophy and contemporary methodologies and analysis within your work. This is geared towards producing a piece of research that could be pursued further at doctoral level, for a publication, or display the relevant skills to be competent within industry, healthcare or the public sector.
Given that careers in research are growing, including those in industry, this MRes will prepare you to be able to disseminate complex research to a wide variety of audiences. In addition, you will gain an understanding of how this can be delivered through technology enhanced learning. This aims to try to bridge the gap between researchers and society when trying to ensure evidence-based research-informed practice occurs. In turn, this will allow you to maximise the impact of research dissemination, whilst also ensuring you foster contemporary approaches to scholarship.
To help build these skills there are opportunities to work in hand with industry through our wide range of industrial, educational, and healthcare partners, something which will enhance your future employability or potential for progression. This will primarily be housed at our recently extended campus in Edgbaston, Birmingham, which contains state-of-the-art facilities to support you with your research.
Why Choose Us?
- Campus – Our City South campus has recently been completed with new, state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge resources and equipment to support your research.
- Partnerships – We have unique partnerships in sport, health and life sciences to support your learning and ensure your research has a practice-led, knowledge-applied approach.
- Employment/further study opportunities – This course is the perfect preparation to continue your studies at doctoral level, or pursue employment in a research related role.
- Research community – As part of your course, your research will be aligned to our research centres in order to creating a vibrant and exciting research community.
- Unique modules – We have developed future proof modules to ensure upon graduation you can employ appropriate technology, alongside research management, leadership and enterprise skills to the workplace or further study.
OPEN DAY
Join us for a virtual Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail. Booking isn't open yet for this event, register your interest and we’ll email you as soon as booking goes live.
Next Event: 5 February 2025
Research Interests
Key areas of academic expertise, that we actively encourage applications in, include:
-
Sport and exercise sciences
-
Health and wellbeing
-
Physical activity, nutrition
-
Health sciences
-
Allied health professions
-
Biological sciences
-
Biomedical sciences
-
Physiology, and any other topic very closely aligned to our research Centre for Life and Sport Sciences (C-LaSS).
Applicants are strongly advised to consult the C-LaSS site to ensure their topic of interest aligns with Faculty expertise.
In joining this course, you will be part of the wider research community in the Faculty, led by our research Centre for Life and Sport Sciences (C-LaSS). You will be encouraged to join at least one of the centre’s research clusters, which provide a forum for discussing, progressing, and presenting research through meetings and events.
These ongoing activities support your learning and development as a researcher and provide you with a scholarly network, as well as a sense of belonging to a community, which is particularly important for independent postgraduate researchers.
Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: MRes
Starting: Sep 2025
Pathway: Health
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
- £6,180 in 2025/26
- Register interest
Award: MRes
Starting: Sep 2025
Pathway: Life Sciences
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
- £6,180 in 2025/26
- Register interest
Award: MRes
Starting: Sep 2025
Pathway: Sport and Exercise
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
- £6,180 in 2025/26
- Register interest
International students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: MRes
Starting: Sep 2025
Pathway: Health
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
-
TBC
- Register interest
Award: MRes
Starting: Sep 2025
Pathway: Life Sciences
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
-
TBC
- Register interest
Award: MRes
Starting: Sep 2025
Pathway: Sport and Exercise
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
-
TBC
- Register interest
Entry requirements
|
2:1 honours degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline. |
|
IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.0 minimum in all bands, or equivalent. |
|
2 academic references OR 1 academic reference + 1 employment reference, where applicant has work experience. |
|
You are also required to provide a written Personal Statement and a project proposal. The project proposal should be no more than one side of A4 and outline what you want to explore in your research project and why. |
Applicants who do not supply all of the requested information at the point of application will be rejected automatically.
Course in Depth
Level 7
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all of the following CORE modules (totalling 180 credits)
The aim of this module is to provide you with the understanding and key concepts of working in a research setting where dissemination of research to a wide variety of audiences is important. The primary objectives are to ensure that you recognise the importance of engaging your audience and how the dissemination should be adapted accordingly. This will include a traditional academic audience, such as that seen at an academic conference. A focus will be also be placed on society and stakeholders within industry and health care settings, to ensure that you are aware of the different types of audiences you may encounter in research. On completion of this module, you will become competent not only in writing research, but also confident at disseminating knowledge to engage the reader and/or viewer.
This module enables you to develop and critically reflect on your intended approach to carrying out a research project. On successfully completing the module you will be able to effectively articulate a research project proposal and questions, the methods you intend to employ and anticipated outcomes. This will be demonstrated through a research proposal, which should then be delivered within the ‘Independent Study’ module.
The Masters by Research Dissertation is designed to provide you with the opportunity to undertake a substantial piece of research in your chosen subject or discipline.
Download course specification
Download nowEmployability
Employability
This course has been designed with creativity and flexibility in mind, therefore allowing you to first learn then apply skills in self-management, leadership and initiative. As a result, this helps you to build the problem-solving skills and interpersonal skills to be an effective employee upon graduation. There are also many areas of reflective practice throughout the course, to ensure you become a lifelong learner and always possess a willingness to learn.
International
Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Details of the entry requirements for our courses
- Some of the good reasons why you should study here
- How to improve your language skills before starting your studies
- Information relevant to applicants from your country
- Where to find financial support for your studies.
Facilities & Staff
We have invested over £400 million in our facilities, including an upgrade to our Skills and Simulation facilities at City South Campus. We boast up-to-date, innovative facilities that simulate the real situations that you may come across in the workplace. These resources are essential in offering you a hands-on introduction to health and social care practice.
Mock Wards
These are set up to look like typical hospital wards, with four to six bays. Depending on the topic in hand, different manikins can be used as patients and relevant equipment is provided to practise clinical skills. Some of the manikins are interactive and can simulate different scenarios e.g. some allow you to cannulate, check pulses, intubate etc, and some can talk to you. One ward is often used as an adult ward, and the other as a child ward.
These rooms also allow for scenarios to be set up for other professions such as dietetics, paramedic science and social work.
The Operating Theatre and Recovery Suites
The operating theatre and recovery suite gives you the sense of what it would be like in a real surgical environment.
These spaces emulate the full surgical journey from anaesthetics, through surgery and into recovery. ODP students can practice a range of skills including gowning, hand washing, preparing instrument trays, and working with a patient. Nurses and midwives may experience a surgical placement and need to go to theatre or be part of the midwifery team involved with caesarean sections. Many other Allied Health Professionals may also see patients in recovery if necessary.
Home Environment Room
This facility replicates a small flat with bedroom, bathroom and kitchen diner space. It is used to simulate non-clinical settings, to give students experience of working in different environments. It also incorporates a range of digital health technology, to help prepare students to work in the NHS of the future.
Simbulance
Our ‘Simbulance’ is a purpose built teaching space that allows students to practise their skills in a highly specialist, high-fidelity simulated environment. The Simbulance is an exact replica of an operational emergency ambulance. Learners are truly immersed in the clinical environment and test their knowledge and skills in a safe and supported space, before entering the clinical environment ‘for real’ on placement.
Assisted Living Space
This space replicates a flat and is used for scenarios such as home visits. The sitting room area provides a different space to practise skills and simulations and work with service users and other students.
Assisted Kitchen
This specially designed kitchen has different areas where you can practice cooking, cleaning, boiling the kettle etc., with someone who has actual or simulated visual impairments. There are adapted devices to help, and simulation glasses for you to wear to experience visual impairments.
Physiotherapy Room
This is a space for physiotherapy students to use, with various equipment to practise client meetings.
Radiotherapy Planning Computer Suite
Our computers allow you to plan hypothetical treatments, in terms of angles and directions, ensuring that radiotherapy reaches where it is needed on a patient’s body.
Radiography Image Interpretation and Reporting Stations Computer Suite
These facilities allow you to view and analyse x-rays.
VERT - Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy Training
This room contains 3D technology to view virtual patients and look at trajectories for treatment.
Radiotherapy
This room contains the same bed/couch used when patients are given radiotherapy treatment. While students of course do not administer radiotherapy in this room, it does allow them to practise adjusting the equipment to make sure both it and a patient would be in the correct position to receive treatment.
Telehealth Room
This room allows for small group teaching in a central area (large boardroom type table) with five small telehealth booths down either side. These are to allow all our health professions students to practise delivering healthcare and advice remotely, either over the phone or on a video call. This addition to our teaching reflects moves in the sector to offer more flexible access to healthcare services, particularly as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Imaging Academy
This new facility is a larger version of our existing image interpretation computer facilities and forms part of the Midlands Imaging Training Academy, funded by Health Education England. These expanded facilities will mean we can further develop our courses and expertise in radiography and imaging.
Speech and Language Therapy Resource Room
Our Speech and Language Therapy Team have developed a collection of tools, books and resources to help you learn and understand the implications of a speech or swallowing limitation. You can practise one to one client meetings and clinics and use the video recording equipment to review role play scenarios.
Ultrasound simulation suite
Students have access to a wide range of Ultrasound simulation equipment to develop their clinical skills and aid in training. The equipment includes two ultrasound machines with a range of phantoms, scan training stations and eve body works.
Our staff
Dr Cain Clark
Associate Professor (Life Sciences) and MRes Course Leader
Dr Clark is skilled in statistics and data analytics applied to public health, nutrition, and sports and exercise. Dr Clark is an experienced academic with an extensive portfolio of scholarly work, including publications, grant acquisition, and supervision. He has a strong interest in systematic reviews and meta-analyses, cluster analysis,...
More about CainDr Adam Herbert
Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science
Adam has extensive applied experience having worked in both the elite sporting environment and private healthcare for clubs including Port Vale FC and Spire Healthcare based at the National Football Centre, St Georges Park. Adam completed his PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University, and has published in internationally renowned journal articles...
More about AdamDr Lewis Gough
Associate Professor in Nutrition and Physiology
Lewis is part of the Senior Leadership Team in the College of Life Sciences and is the College Academic Lead for REF (Research Excellence Framework). He also holds editorial positions with BMC Nutrition and Frontiers in Sport and Active Living and is known worldwide for his work on sodium bicarbonate supplementation.
More about LewisDr K Louise McKnight
Senior Lecturer in Radiography
Louise is a Diagnostic Radiographer who worked in clinical practice for many years and brings that experience to vocational degree teaching in a higher education setting. Her research interest is the pedagogy of research in radiography, for which she continues to develop her Doctoral work on an innovative qualitative data collection and analysis...
More about K LouiseDr Irmgard Haussmann
Associate Professor in Health Sciences
Irmgard is an Associate Professor in Health Sciences and teaches at undergraduate and postgraduate level. In her role as Director of Postgraduate Research Degrees for Life and Sport she leads all aspects of recruitment and student experiences for PhD Life and Sport Sciences.
More about Irmgard