Master by Research: Sport, Health and Applied Science MRes

The MRes in Sport, Health and Applied Science is a unique opportunity for you to undertake a Master’s degree, with a specific research focus

The MRes in Sport, Health, and Applied Science gives you the unique opportunity to develop key research competencies and transferable skills focused on research in sport, or health, or applied science, or any combination of these three fields.

Your study will be centred around an independent research project supervised by staff in the Faculty who are highly experienced and well-established in their areas of expertise. The rest of your study will be based on two core modules in research skills and advanced research methods.

You will be taught via lectures, seminars, workshops, and regular meetings with your supervisory team. The taught modules will be delivered face-to-face but will also be simultaneously delivered live online using our hyflex teaching option. Our hyflex teaching ensures that you receive the same taught content and also still have the capacity to interact with staff and fellow students through Q&A and discussion.

This hyflex mode of delivery is especially valuable if you are unable to attend sessions on campus because of work, family, or other commitments. All taught modules are supported by online materials available on the Virtual Learning platform including recordings of lectures, seminars, and workshops to give you maximum flexibility in how, when, and where you study.

You will work on your research project either in your workplace or in our excellent state-of-the-art sport facilities, biomechanics, rehabilitation, nutrition, biochemistry, and physiology laboratories.

Why St Mary's

The MRes course has a highly flexible approach to learning and you have the option to study full-time or part-time. If you are working while studying or if you have family or other commitments, the hyflex learning method will allow you to tailor your studies around your life and work. The MRes course enables you to develop your skills as a researcher and undertake an in-depth and extended research project in an area of interest in sports, or health, or applied science, or any combination of these three in collaboration with, and under the supervision of, our excellent research community.

The central focus of the MRes course is the independent research project and you will be supported throughout by a supervisory team composed of staff who are expert in your chosen area of research. You will be able to conduct your research project either at your workplace (if you are working and studying at the same time) or in our state-of-the-art facilities and laboratories.

Some examples of past research projects are the following:

• The effects of low-load blood flow restriction training compared to heavy load resistance training on muscular adaptations: a systematic review
• Comparing GPS Units and their Ability to Measure Team Sport Metrics & Predictors of Agility Performance in Academy Footballers

In addition, some of the research projects have been published in peer-review journals, such as:

• Uddin, Nasir, Tallent, Jamie and Waldron, Mark (2020) Physiological and perceptual responses to a five-week pre-event taper in professional mixed martial arts athletes. The Journal of Sport and Exercise Science, 4 (2). pp. 90-99. ISSN 2703-240X
• Rebecca Fowler, Owen Jeffries, Jamie Tallent, Nicola Theis, Shane M. Heffernan, Melitta A. McNarry, Liam Kilduff & Mark Waldron (2021) No thermoregulatory or ergogenic effect of dietary nitrate among physically inactive males, exercising above gas exchange threshold in hot and dry conditions, European Journal of Sport Science, 21:3, 370-378, DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2020.1739144

We provide a range of opportunities to work closely with world-leading researchers from our Faculty in areas such as:

• Biomechanics
• Health sciences
• Nutrition
• Psychology
• Skill acquisition and motor learning
• Sport and exercise physiology
• Sport rehabilitation
• Strength and conditioning
• Coaching science.

The focus of our work at St Mary’s is manifold:

• to contribute to and advanced scientific knowledge about improving sport biomechanics, sport performance, sport coaching, sport physiology, rehabilitation, nutrition, nutrigenetics, sport nutrition, skill acquisition, psychology (including counselling), cognitive science, sport psychology;
• to work with local communities to enhance people’s quality of life;
• to increase the impact of our research and expertise on people’s wellbeing in our local community.

We have an established research profile and a new postgraduate research centre, which you will have access to. We excel in applied research and have a number of recognised research clusters:

• Cognitive Science
• Expert Performance and Skill Acquisition
• Female Health and Wellbeing
• Gender and Sexuality
• Injury and Rehabilitation
• Lifestyle Management, Treatment and Prevention of Chronic Diseases
• Musculoskeletal Mechanics
• Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics
• Professional Practice in Sports Psychology
• Sport and Exercise Physiology

St Mary’s is committed to having a positive impact on, and to engage with, people and the public by having staff and students work on real-life projects that benefit not only our local community but our society at large. We are committed to developing our staff and students and to expand our reach through partnerships with civic, public health, and sport organisations.

As an MRes student you will become a part of and contribute to all this.