Sport and Development, Exercise and Physical Activity (Including In Response to a Global Pandemic) PhD

Overview

This is a potential research degree area, subject to the approval of the University. If you are interested in undertaking a research degree in this area.

Abertay’s Sport and Exercise Sciences Division has expertise in women’s sport equity; sedentary lifestyle risk factors; exercise and health training interventions; high-intensity exercise; elite sports performance; and healthy ageing. Much of this research focuses on work involving populations with protected characteristics (e.g. age, gender, disability) and aims to contribute to the duty of care agenda, which has growing salience as an issue in contemporary sport. This complements our work with Police Scotland, Active Schools, national governing bodies, charities and SMEs.

The Division has two designated human performance laboratories for physiological measurement, a strength and conditioning laboratory, and a biomechanics laboratory to support teaching and research. These facilities allow access to EMG and ECG equipment; ergometers; biofeedback systems; accelerometry; force transducers; electronic timing systems; gas and blood analysis equipment; GSR equipment and software; BioHarness Telemetry System; Vicon 3D motion analysis system; force platform; jump mats; segmental bio-impedance; body composition analysis; and linear position transducers.

Interdisciplinary work with other divisions enables access to more specialist biochemical and molecular physiology equipment, as well as opportunities to explore realistic human movement with our games design colleague’s.

Abertay researchers have established performance partnerships with the Scottish Rugby Union, Dundee United Football Club, Dundee Football Club, Fife Flyers Ice Hockey team, and this work is generating a number of new and exciting research opportunities.

Our research programmes will prepare you for a rewarding career as an academic and researcher, as well as opening up opportunities for a diverse range of careers outside of academia.

Our research degrees

You have the option of studying an MSc by Research, an MPhil or a PhD.

When deciding which degree is right for you, you should consider the level of commitment required, the duration, cost and your career aspirations.

That being said, our research degrees are flexible. You can begin an MSc or an MPhil and then seek to transfer to a PhD without having to start your project all over again. You can also switch from full-time to part-time study, and vice versa.

PhD

The award of the Doctor of Philosophy demonstrates that the main focus of your work is your personal contribution to knowledge in your discipline or field, through original research or the original application of existing knowledge.

How long is a PhD?

If you are studying full-time, you are expected to complete the award in 36 months. The minimum period to receive this is award is 24 months and the maximum is 48 months.

If you are studying part-time, you are expected to complete the award in 48 months. The minimum period to receive this award on a part-time basis is 72 months and the maximum is 96 months.

The minimum entry requirement for all our research degrees is an Upper Second Class Honours degree (or equivalent) at undergraduate level in an appropriate discipline and/or a Master’s degree. In some cases, appropriate professional or experiential learning may be considered in combination with a lower classification of Honours degree.