Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences

Entry requirements

The general University entrance requirement for registration for a research degree is normally a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree (1st or 2:1).

An interview will be required as part of the admissions process and will be conducted by at least two academic staff members remotely via MS Teams, Zoom, or face to face.

Applicants will be required to submit a personal statement and a research statement.
Please contact your proposed supervisor, where possible, to receive feedback and guidance on your research statement before submitting it. Learn how to prepare a research statement here.

Months of entry

January, April, October

Course content

Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences at Brunel hosts a vibrant community of researchers with expertise in both natural and social sciences. Natural science research focuses on integrative aspects of human physiology, biomechanics and psychology of sport and exercise. A primary aim is to further our fundamental understanding of the regulation and adaptation of the cardiovascular, respiratory and neuromuscular systems to exercise and training, as well as the physiological, biomechanical and psychological limitations to human sports performance and exercise tolerance. Social science research focuses on the role of sport, health and wellbeing in contemporary society and their relevance to policy and practice. Work spans a wide remit, from analysis of healthy lifestyles and community sport participation, to research into elite sport systems and performers.

Our research is highly regarded and offers talented researchers the opportunity to:

• Join an internationally recognised environment for research excellence – Brunel is ranked #5 in the UK for sport and exercise research in terms of research power (REF2014), and highest for sport, health and exercise research in London.
• Be part of an expert community that publishes world-leading research addressing priority challenges in sport, exercise, health and wellbeing.
• Benefit from our excellent relationships with sports performance and health organisations in the public, private and third sector, including policymakers, health professionals, professional athletes, and local delivery partners in health, sport development and education.
• Enjoy being part of a well-resourced, collegial research environment - all our research students are based in our dedicated postgraduate study rooms alongside academic staff offices and play a full part in the activities of the Division.

We have strong links with local NHS trusts, national and international governing bodies of sport, hospitals and professional sports clubs such the Premier League, FIFA, UEFA, English Institute of Sport, UK Sport, GB Shooting, Lawn Tennis Association, etc. We work extensively with organisations promoting health and wellbeing through sport, from community organisations to major national agencies including the Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport, Public Health England, Macmillan Cancer Support, Diabetes UK, Sport England, the Arts Council for England, Historic England and sportscotland.

Find out about the exciting research we do in this area. Browse profiles of our experts, discover the research groups and their inspirational research activities you too could be part of. We’ve also made available extensive reading materials published by our academics and PhD students.

Information for international students

English language requirements

Fees and funding

Brunel offers a number of funding options to research students that help cover the cost of their tuition fees, contribute to living expenses or both. Recently the UK Government made available the Doctoral Student Loans of up to £25,000 for UK and EU students and there is some funding available through the Research Councils. Many of our international students benefit from funding provided by their governments or employers. Brunel alumni enjoy tuition fee discounts of 15%.