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Professional Doctorate in Sport - DSport

Currently viewing course to start in 2025/26 Entry.

The Professional Doctorate in Sport (DSport) is aimed at individuals working in sport who are seeking to advance their skillset and knowledge within their related discipline. The DSport integrates part-time doctoral level study with continuing professional practice, which ideal if you want to study at doctoral level while continuing your professional commitments.

  • Level Postgraduate Research
  • Study mode Part Time
  • Award DSport
  • Start date September 2025

This course is:

Overview

The Professional Doctorate in Sport (DSport) is a part-time multidisciplinary programme leading to a doctoral award.

You will likely be an experienced professional in a sport related area seeking to develop your research capacity, transform practice, and make a direct contribution to knowledge in your applied environment.

You will benefit from being able to work within, and study alongside, a multidisciplinary team of experienced researchers and practitioners. The course draws on the considerable expertise and reputation in sports aligned professions development, education, and practice-focused research in our Faculty of Health, Education, and Life Sciences (HELS).

The course is suitable for professions (including educators) from diverse backgrounds in sport including (but not limited to) sport and exercise science, sports coaching and physical education, sport and exercise nutrition, sports therapy, and other allied sports professions.

This course is not open to International students.

What's covered in this course?

  • Benefit from being part of a wider doctoral and researcher community in our Faculty, with a strong focus on practice-relevant research and knowledge implementation.
  • Carry out significant independent research whilst remaining in your practice area.
  • Expand your critical understanding of policy and practice in a multi-professional learning community.
  • Advance your appreciation of research techniques and methodologies with a focus on relevance for investigating your own area of practice.
  • Generate new knowledge, or make novel applications of knowledge for your specialist field of study, that can have a positive impact on your professional practice and workplace.
  • Develop confidence in presenting and defending your research within your area of practice.

“Being a BCU doctoral student has allowed me to make professional connections with peers, faculty, and industry experts, fostering an enriching environment for growth. These connections have not only expanded my network, but also provided opportunities for career advancement. In this supportive atmosphere, I've been able to thrive academically and professionally, laying a solid foundation for my future endeavours.”

Achuthan Shanmugaratnam, current doctoral student in sport

Why Choose Us?

  • Expert knowledge – As well as a main supervisor (or Director of Studies) with expert knowledge of your sport discipline, you will have a second supervisor to read and comment on your work.
  • Research culture – We have a strong research culture and provide a range of development opportunities to aspiring students.
  • Go abroad – Our HELS Go Abroad scheme can help fund international research opportunities so you can gain experience and build your knowledge.
  • World-class facilities – The Alexander Stadium was a key part of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, which is now home to our sports courses following a £5m investment to further develop the facilities.

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

Register your interest

Research Interests

You will be part of the wider research community in the Faculty, led by our research Centre for Life and Sport Sciences (C-LaSS). We recommend you join at least one of the centre’s research clusters, which provide a forum for discussing, progressing, and presenting research through meetings and events. The University hosts an annual research conference that incorporates the work of our doctoral researchers, at which you will be encouraged to present your work. These ongoing activities support your learning and development as a researcher and provide you with a scholarly network, as well as providing a continued sense of belonging to a community, which is particularly important for independent doctoral researchers. You will also be supported to identify and participate in external research and professional networks in your discipline area, such as presenting at conferences and submitting your work to peer-reviewed journals.

Fees & How to Apply

Please select your student status to view fees and apply
  • UK Student
  • International Student

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: DSport

Starting: Sep 2025

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Part Time
  • 3-5 years
  • TBC

International students

Sorry, this course is not available to International students.

If you’re unable to use our online application form for any reason, please email Research.Admissions@bcu.ac.uk.

Access to computer equipment 

You will require use of a laptop, and most students do prefer to have their own. However, you can borrow a laptop from the university or use one of our shared computer rooms. 

Printing 

You will receive £5 print credit in each year of your course, available after enrolment. 

Access to Microsoft Office 365 

Every student at the University can download a free copy of Microsoft Office 365 to use whilst at university and for 18 months after graduation. 

Key software 

You will be able to download SPSS and Nvivo to your home computer to support with your studies and research. 

Excess printing (optional) 

Once you have spent your £5 credit, additional printing on campus costs from 5p per sheet. 

Research costs (optional) 

Due individualised nature of doctoral research, the costs associated with completion of your PhD will vary. You will need to budget for necessary equipment, books, printing and travel for conferences and/or fieldwork.  

Accommodation and living costs (optional)

The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.

You must complete a DSport personal statement/research proposal and upload this as part of your application. Please note that we will not be able to process your application without having received your DSport personal statement/research proposal.

Entry Requirements

  • Undergraduate degree plus postgraduate qualification
  • Work Experience – a minimum of 3 years’ experience working within sport
  • Exceptional applicants without a Master’s degree who hold a first class Bachelors degree in a sport-related discipline may be considered. This is dependent upon the academic coherence and promise of their research proposal, and its consonance with the academic expertise of the Faculty

How to Apply

  • Complete the online application, which includes a Personal Statement template detailing your area of practice and research interests in two pages using the form below
  • Current area of practice – describe your professional role in sport and, if relevant, how it has developed over time
  • Research interests – outline the aspect(s) of your role you are interested in investigating. Consider the experience or involvement in research activities you have had to date
  • If you have any queries about applying for the DSport, please contact Course Leader, Dr Adam Kelly, via email: adam.kelly@bcu.ac.uk 

Download Personal Statement template

Course in Depth

Module Stage

Studying for a DSport will mean undertaking a programme that leads to research, which makes a contribution to knowledge. The course normally takes between three and five years through part-time study.

Thesis Stage

Download course specification

Download now

Employability

The Professional Doctorate in Sport (DSport) is recognised worldwide and is often an essential requirement for those wishing to follow an academic or research career in industry or commerce. Our DSport will help you create opportunities to develop research skills that support professional practice, research, and/or academic careers.

Facilities & Staff

Teaching for our Sports courses is split between our £71 million campus in Edgbaston, Birmingham, and the world-class Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr, Birmingham. Our cutting-edge facilities for sports students include a state-of-the-art sport and exercise lab, sports therapy suite, biomechanics lab and physiology labs.

The Stadium was home to the Commonwealth Games in summer 2022, and the University is investing an additional £5m to develop space in the East and West stands as a home for our students.

Our new home at Alexander Stadium

Our staff

Dr Adam L. Kelly

Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise and Course Leader for Professional Doctorate in Sport (DSport)

Dr Adam L. Kelly is Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise and Course Leader for Professional Doctorate in Sport (DSport) at Birmingham City University. He also founded the newly established BCU Research for Athlete and Youth Sport Development (RAYSD) Lab, where he currently leads key projects with the FIFA Talent Development Scheme and the...

More about Adam L.

Professor Kiara Lewis

Professor of Sport and Exercise Sciences

Kiara is a BASES accredited researcher in psychology, a Fellow of BASES and the HEA and current chair of BASES Division of Physical Activity for Health and BASES Equality, Diversity and Inclusion champion.

More about Kiara

Dr 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 Lewis

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 Cain

Dr Peter Thain

Associate Professor and Course Leader for BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy

As a Chartered Physiotherapist and Sports Therapist, Peter has over a decade of experience working in basketball, football and netball. Peter successfully designed and validated the initial BSc (Hons) in Sports Therapy, and after three consecutive 100% student satisfaction scores in the National Student Survey, continues to lead the sports...

More about Peter