MSc in High Performance Sport
Birmingham, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Request the earliest start date
TUITION FEES
GBP 10,530 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for UK student| for international students: £23,310
Introduction
The main aim of the programme is to enable individuals to develop their skills and practice to better equip them for a career as a strength and conditioning coach, fitness coach, or sports scientist in applied sports science.
The program will develop your ability to work with contemporary hardware and software, linked to training and testing when working with athletes, understand advanced periodization models, and develop athletes in a high-performance setting. Working with staff from the world-leading School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences as well as external experts embedded in the industry you will also develop the ability to critically reflect on your philosophy, practice, and organizational context and through research activities increase your competence in knowledge generation and implementation.
This program is ideally suited for those already working in sports or those interested in embarking on the domain.
Why study this course?
- Study at a World-leading School of Sport, Exercise, and Rehabilitation Sciences.
- Be part of a unique learning environment for masters study in the field of sport with staff experienced in applied practice
- Learn from their unparalleled networks from time spent working in settings including professional football, rugby, and Olympic sports as well as other top-level external guest speakers
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Birmingham Masters Scholarship
Our Birmingham Masters Scholarship offers £2,000 via a tuition fee discount, to support the brightest and best applicants undertaking Masters study at Birmingham during 2024-2025.
Postgraduate Progression Award
Our Postgraduate Progression Awards offer final-year undergraduates at the University of Birmingham a fee discount of £1,500 for postgraduate taught study.
As a Birmingham graduate, we want to support you in taking the next steps in your journey as you continue to study and develop your career. With the familiarity of the University of Birmingham, you will have access to our resources, facilities, and support networks to shape and secure your future. As one of the UK’s Top 15 universities, we can assure you that you will receive our well-being and career support, community, and resources to assist you in your development.
The tuition fee discounts for our progressing undergraduate students are our commitment to you, in appreciation of your choice to stay with us for your postgraduate degree.
Curriculum
Compulsory Modules
Talent Management and Development
This module is focused on the management and development of talent in high-performance sport. Talent, in this context, relates to both athletes and staff and the need to support individuals/teams in their performances. This module aims to provide students with an understanding of the key aspects of talent management and development using a multi-disciplinary approach. Indicative content includes the theory and practice of talent identification and recruitment and approaches to talent development and talent management. Insights into related organisational structures (e.g. recruitment departments, coaching teams, human resources, sporting directors and executives) and strategies will enable students to appreciate the importance of organisational behaviour, strategy, economics, governance as well as legal and ethical issues in different sporting models.
Specific topics covered will include:
- Nature vs nurture
- Understanding and critiquing different talent development models
- Working in a multi-disciplinary team
- Context/sport-specific considerations
- Staff development/workplace structure
Evaluating Performance
The main purpose of this module is to introduce underpinning theoretical knowledge and practical contextual considerations for the evaluation of the performance of both athletes and staff within high-performance sports environments. Characteristics of effective testing programmes and contemporary approaches to testing and evaluation will be presented from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Important considerations for data analysis, data handling and associated feedback along with an understanding of the role of technology in the assessment process will be included. The strategic planning and implementation of assessments of individual and organisational effectiveness will be introduced in order to provide students with critical insight into the translation of theory into practice.
Specific topics covered will include:
- Needs analyses
- Why, when, how to test
- Data analysis/handling/visualisation
- Feedback/communication
- Ethical considerations
Effective Strategies for Preparation and Competition
This module is focused on providing key content that relates to the preparation and performance of athletes. The theory and practice associated with key factors important to athlete preparation and performance will be presented from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Indicative content will include planning and monitoring of training, nutrition for preparation and competition, effective warm-up and recovery strategies, psychological considerations for performance and injury, and injury prevention. Issues associated with performance at major competitions such as planning and delivering training/competition camps, travel, event management and commercialisation will also be considered.
Specific topics covered will include:
- Periodisation
- Tapering and competition preparation
- Time course of adaptation
- Injury/overtraining/return-to-play
- Nutrition
Research Methodology in Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation
This module will develop your research skills within the areas of sport and physical activity. It will cover the practical usage and critical analysis of methodologies providing an essential understanding of conducting research in a real-world sport/physical activity environment. Through this module, you will gain an in-depth understanding of conducting research in a real-world sport/physical activity environment which will allow you to develop as a research-led practitioner. The module also provides the grounding for the masters’ dissertation research.
Leading Others: From Principles to Practice
This module seeks to provide an understanding of leadership from the perspective of leading others through teamwork and the workplace structures and culture to achieve this effectively. Working with others is an important concept in all professions. Understanding in this area also provides a basis for the development of an initial awareness of fundamental considerations associated with leadership, and the theoretical and practical concepts associated with teamwork.
Dissertation
In this module, you will integrate the areas covered in the taught modules within the programme. You will propose a research project, submit ethics, undertake and write up a piece of academic empirically based research relevant to your area of practice and interests.
Optional Modules
Theory and Practice of Leadership
Innovation in Professional Development
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Studying High Performance Sport at Birmingham, you will develop fantastic skills for your future including independence, creativity, communication, teamwork, and a host of discipline-specific skills. These transferable skills are useful for a wide variety of careers across applied sports science.
The program attempts to enhance the employability of graduates through master's level training relevant to professional practice. The development of skills working with hardware and software to facilitate strength and conditioning research skills, critical analysis, problem-solving, innovation, project management, dissemination of information, development of professional practice standards and planning, directing and evaluating their learning to a level commensurate with masters study will facilitate career transitions and progression.
Potential careers for those completing the program would include strength and conditioning coaches, fitness coaches, and sports scientists in high-level sports organizations.
High-level thinking and problem-solving skills are attributes that are important for all roles in sporting organizations. This program is focussed on the development of such skills and as such will provide you with key characteristics that are needed in today’s competitive career market.