PROFESSIONALDOCTORATE IN SPORT,

EXERCISEAND HEALTHSCIENCE

Medway

The UK’s European university

Graduatestudy

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INTRODUCTION

The new ProfessionalDoctorate in Sport,Exercise andHealthScience, offered by Kent’sCentre for Sports Studies,is a specialist programmedesigned for experiencedsport, exercise and healthscience practitioners whowould like to undertakeresearch that is relevantand applied to their areaof professional practice.

Through a combination ofindividually tutored modules andyour own research, you developyour academic and professionalknowledge and acquire a rangeof advanced research skills. Theprofessional doctorate programmeculminates with the submission ofyour doctoral thesis or portfolio ona topic that advances your area ofprofessional knowledge or practice.

Dynamic departmentThe Centre for Sports Studiesis a dynamic, fast-growing andsuccessful department which isestablishing Kent as one of theleading institutions in the UK forthe study of sport. Drawing on theexpertise of its staff, many of whomare at the forefront of their fields, theCentre offers a variety of specialistprogrammes and conducts a rangeof research and consultancyactivities. It also benefits fromexcellent links with a range of keypeople and organisations in thesport, exercise and health fields.

Cutting-edge researchFull-time academic staff in theCentre for Sports Studies areinvolved in exciting researchprojects. In addition, the Centreworks with organisations such asRugby Football Union, BritishCycling, the English Institute ofSport, UK Anti-Doping and UKSport as well as local authority and

health bodies. The Centre’sresearch areas are diverse, butfocus around the key themes ofsports science, therapy andexercise for health. Particularspecialisms within the Centreinclude: sports training andendurance performance, injuryand rehabilitation, mental fatigue,sports nutrition and participation insport and exercise. As the Centrefor Sports Studies continues togrow, we are attracting newresearchers, so please contact us orvisit our website for the latestinformation.

First-class sports facilitiesThe Centre for Sports Studieshas excellent purpose-built facilitieson campus, including sportsscience laboratories, teaching andstudent clinics, and a rehabilitationgymnasium. The Centre also hasfacilities at Medway Park, theMedway region’s newly built centreof sporting excellence. MedwayPark is an approved pre-Olympictraining camp venue for 16 Olympicsports and eight Paralympic sports.It is specified to the higheststandards in order to supportathletes at training camps and tofacilitate world-leading research.

The Centre’s new facilities hereinclude a sports therapy clinic,sports science laboratory,rehabilitation gym, eventmanagement room, a heat andaltitude environmental chamber,and a blood chemistry laboratory.

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The Medway campus is quick andeasy to reach from central London.The high-speed train from EbbsfleetInternational in Medway takes 17minutes from London St Pancrasand stops at Stratford International,site of the 2012 London OlympicGames. Travel to London from thenearby stations of Gillingham andChatham takes about 45 minutes.

Professional developmentand accreditationThis course will enable youdemonstrate that your professionalwork is at doctoral level andconsistent with that of professionalresearchers in universities. It willallow you to advance knowledgeand new practices within yourprofession, and you will also publishyour work and findings inprofessional and scientific journal

articles.

These spaces are equipped withover £500,000 of cutting-edgeinstruments. For several of theseinstruments, Kent is the firstUniversity in the UK to host them.

Excellent study resourcesThe general resources on campusare first class. The £8 million DrillHall Library has over 90,000 itemsincluding books, journals andelectronic information. As a student,you have access to a range ofsupport services such as ITsupport, library support, and publicPCs and printers. There is wirelessinternet access throughout theseareas and the Library has recentlyintroduced a new café, a sociallearning zone and four technobooths. The Library also runs anetbook and laptop computer loanscheme. The Centre for SportsStudies recently increased its libraryresources by investing an extra£50,000 in new books.

Accessible locationThe Centre for Sports Studiesis located at our award-winningMedway campus near ChathamHistoric Dockyard which was builtat the start of the 20th century. Thecampus has several cafés, astudent pub and the Essentialsshop, which also has a mini off-licence. Five minutes’ walk fromcampus, the Dockside retail outletoffers a wide range of shops andrestaurants. Nearby is the town ofRochester with its historic castle andstunning Cathedral, which is one ofthe venues for Kent’s degreecongregations.

www.kent.ac.uk/sports-studies

The programme confers doctorallevel status on its successfulcandidates. This is normallyregarded as a higher status thanmost other professionalaccreditations. Staff involved inthe course are experienced inAccreditation of Prior Experientialand Certificated Learning (APECL)and would be happy to work withexternal accrediting bodies todetermine if further accreditation ispossible for specific professionals.

“This programme enables youto become a professional whois research capable ratherthan a professional researcher.It allows you to focus on yourown profession and make avaluable contribution to itsdevelopment and practice.”

Professor Louis PassfieldDirector of the Centre for SportsStudies

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experience will obviously have verydifferent needs and expectationscompared with a professional withfive years experience. For example,if you are a practitioner who doesnot have a great deal of formalresearch experience, theProfessional Doctorate allows youto gain a solid understanding ofthe research process and providesan opportunity to work withinacademia.

My situation is quite unusual in thatI already have a wide portfolio ofresearch projects and publicationsunder my belt, so I have chosen totake a more reflective approach.It’s a good way of integrating myexisting professional and academicknowledge and will enable me toapply this knowledge to my futurework. For me, it’s a very personalexperience.

I would encourage experiencedprofessionals working in the sport,exercise and health science arenato take this programme – it’s afantastic opportunity to make asignificant original contribution toknowledge in their own field at anadvanced level while also gainingan internationally recognisedDoctorate qualification.

Nigel Mitchell has aclinical and sport careerspanning 20 years andis currently Head ofNutrition at BritishCycling and Team Sky.He is studying for theProfessional Doctoratein Sport, Exercise andHealth Science at Kent.

How did you begin yourprofessional career?From a young age, I developed aninterest in sport and nutrition. Butat the time, there were very few jobopportunities in this area. At thispoint, I decided to study for adegree in the area of dietetics,which ultimately trains you to workin a clinical setting as a nutritionist.

I really enjoyed the clinical workduring my studies and went on towork full-time in the NHS, which wasa fantastic experience – it gave methe opportunity to develop a muchbetter understanding of how foodand nutrients work both within thepathological body and the healthybody, and enabled me to apply thiswithin a sporting context.

After a period of working as aresearch dietician in palliative carewhere I also received academictraining in research, I took up alectureship in sports nutrition atSheffield Hallam University. Whileworking there, I was able to developconsultancy work for a variety ofdifferent sports, includingorganisations such as BritishCycling, which in turn increasedmy sports profile.

What are you doing now?I’m now Head of Nutrition at BritishCycling and Team Sky, one of theworld’s largest professional cyclingteams. This role covers all aspectsof food, nutrition and diet so thatwe are able to create the bestnutritional environment for theathletes in order to enhance theirperformance to a world-class level.My job involves working directlywith the riders, providing individualsupport. I also develop and leadinnovation and research onnutritional projects for theorganisation.

However, I continue to recognisethe importance of clinical practiceand, in addition to my role at BritishCycling, I provide an ongoingdietetic service to a localpractitioner which helps maintainmy clinical skills.

Why did you decideto undertake theProfessional Doctorateprogramme?I’ve always believed in the value oflifelong learning – as a practitioner,it’s important to analyse and reflectupon your own practice and theenvironment within which you work.This can help you to work moreeffectively in the future. TheProfessional Doctorate at Kentprovides an excellent opportunityto accomplish this.

The beauty of the programmeis that you can tailor it to your ownneeds to help you get to whereyou want to be professionally.A practitioner with 20 years

STUDENT PROFILE

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PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

The ProfessionalDoctorate is divided intotwo parts; these partscomprise of taught ortutoredmodules, whichmust be passed beforecompleting a doctoralthesis or portfolio.

Programme attendance is up to sixyears part-time and the completedoctorate award is achieved byobtaining the equivalent of 540credits. The modular element of thecourse is worth 180 credits and thedoctoral thesis is notionally worth360 credits.

Course contentThe modular element of theprogramme consists of twocompulsory 60-credit modules:Research Methods and Enquiringinto Professional Practice. Theremaining 60 credits are optionaland can be chosen from thepostgraduate modules co-ordinatedby the Centre for Sports Studies andthe Centre for Professional Practiceat Kent. Candidates with extensiveprofessional experience may wish tobe considered for exemption fromone or more of the optional modulesby Accreditation of Prior Experientialand Certificated Learning (APECL).

Research MethodsThe aim of this compulsory moduleis to enable you to engage criticallyat an advanced level with issues inresearch methods. The topicscovered include:

• Philosophy of scientific enquiry,including epistemology andontology

• Research paradigms andmethods of scientific enquiry

• Issues in data collection and dataanalysis such as validity, reliability,accuracy, statistical power andstatistical errors

• Parametric and non-parametricstatistics

• Research ethics• Scientific writing for journal

publication.

The module is taught either in theclassroom or by flexible tutorialmode that is suited to a distancelearning approach. In the tutorialformat, you can arrange regulartutorial contact with your nominatedsupervisor to fit around your ownprofessional schedule.

Assessment is in the form of anextended research project proposalfor your doctoral thesis.

Enquiring into ProfessionalPracticeThis compulsory module enablesyou to acquire specialist knowledgein relation to your chosen area ofprofessional practice to a standardsufficient to allow you to make anoriginal contribution to knowledgeor to advance practice.

The module is designed to supportthe development of yourprofessional capabilities byencouraging you to drawconnections between yourexperience and the professionalcontext in which you work.

On completion, you will havedeveloped a spirit of academicinquiry towards your professionalpractice. This means that youwill be applying new and existingtheories to your own professionalpractice.

At the end of this module, you willhave developed the capability tomake a contribution to thedevelopment of the professionalcontext in which you work and haveproduced a reflective documentidentifying your own developmentneeds.

Doctoral thesisAs part of the assessment process,you must submit a substantialthesis of approximately 40,000 to50,000 words. The purpose of thedoctoral thesis is to show how theperiod of study has led to newknowledge, insight or practicerelated to your profession. Thethesis and the work presentedshould be produced to a standardwhich is consistent with that meritingpublication in a professional orscientific journal.

AssessmentThe Professional Doctorate isexamined by the thesis and an oralexamination (viva voce). The vivais normally conducted with twoexaminers, of which at least one isexternal to the University of Kent.

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RESEARCH AREAS

The Centre for SportsStudies has a thrivingresearch culture whichprovides excellentopportunities forpostgraduate study.The breadth of expertisewithin the Centre enablesus to provide researchsupervision on a numberof specialisms withinsports science, sportstherapy and exercise forhealth.

Staff research interestsKyra de Coninck: LecturerConnective tissue properties andrepair; the study of anatomy andfunction of fascia, myofascial painand the application of myofascialtechniques in sports rehabilitation;in vivo imaging of lumbodorsalfascia using real-time ultrasound;myofascial contractility and its rolein lower back pain.

Dr Glen Davison: LecturerSports nutrition and nutrition forhealth.

Andy Galbraith: SeniorTechnicianCritical velocity; performanceprediction in running.

Lucy Hale: LecturerNutritional ergogenics for sportsperformance.

Karen Hambly: Senior LecturerArticular cartilage injury, repairand rehabilitation includingpostoperative guidelines;biomechanical loading responses;prevention; optimising rehabilitation;outcome evaluation; return to sportand exercise activities; ongoingresearch projects linked to theInternational Cartilage RepairSociety and Sport Injury andRehabilitation Committee.

Dr James Hopker: LecturerPhysiological assessment ofcompetitive cyclists; the effect oftraining (and training status) onefficiency in well-trained cyclists;evaluation of training; energeticsof road racing and time-trial

performance; respiratory muscletraining; physiological assessmentand evaluation of runningperformance.

Dr Simon Jobson: ResearchFellowCycling performance/physiology;cycling efficiency; modelling athleticperformance; training science; bodymass (allometric) scaling.

Sadie Jones: Lecturer in SportsTherapyHamstring injury in Rugby Union;injury prevention strategies;cartilage repair; lower limb injuriesand rehabilitation.

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CONTINUED OVERLEAF

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RESEARCH AREAS (CONT)

Professor Samuele Marcora:Director of ResearchThe effects of mental fatigue onhuman performance, in particular,the psychobiology and physiologyof perceived exertion andendurance exercise performance,exercise rehabilitation and fatigue inclinical populations, cachexia andbody composition in patients withchronic diseases, and appliedsports physiology.

Dr Lex Mauger: LecturerAnticipatory regulation of intenseexercise and systems of centralcontrol.

Steve Meadows: LecturerPhysical activity; exercise for olderadults; exercise/physical activity incardiac rehabilitation; exerciseefficiency.

Carla Meijen: LecturerChallenge and threat states inathletes; perceptions of injury andathletic identity.

Dr Athanasios (Sakis) Pappous:Senior Lecturer, Director ofGraduate StudiesFactors affecting participation insport and exercise, especiallyinvolving minority or disability

groups; sports media analysis,particularly on how disabled sportis presented in the newspaperpress.

Professor Louis Passfield:Director of the Centre for SportsStudiesHigh performance sport; endurancephysiology and sports nutrition;mathematical modelling of training;cycling performance.

To browse the profiles of staff inthe Centre for Sports Studies in full,please visit www.kent.ac.uk/sports-studies

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some excellent additional expert staff,for example, the Centre now hasthree members of staff with Olympic-level experience.

What is the rationale forthe Professional Doctorateprogramme?Sport can be a volatile businessso it’s important for practisedprofessionals to have a way offormally documenting the first-classexperiences they are accumulating.

The Professional Doctorate aims toenable professionals to pull theseexperiences together so that theycan reflect on them in a coherentway while also working towards aqualification that acknowledges theadvanced level at which they areworking. This allows you to focuson your own profession and makea valuable contribution to itsdevelopment.

The Centre benefits from the usefullinks we form with the sports andhealth professions – it means we cankeep up-to-date with the issuesprofessionals face on a daily basisand helps us to focus our researchactivities accordingly so that we canmake a real difference in our work.

Professor Louis Passfieldis Director of the Centrefor Sports Studies at Kent.

How did you begin yourcareer in sports sciences?As a competitive cyclist, I was keento enhance my own performancebut found that if I was going to workat the highest level it was going tobe as a scientist rather than as anathlete. I therefore embarked on acareer as a sports scientist in highperformance sport within a universityenvironment, providing sportscience to British Cycling elitecyclists in the UK. At the same time,I also undertook a research degree.

I was later seconded back to BritishCycling full-time to oversee theirsports science research andprovision in the run-up to the BeijingOlympics. In 2007, I took up my postat Kent with the aim of developinga similar focus on excellence in theCentre for Sports Studies and toenable a programme of researchto be established.

What attracted you toworking at Kent?What really appealed to me aboutKent was the University’s eagernessto capitalise on the London 2012Olympic Games in terms ofproximity to the venues and theopportunity to get involved. WhenI arrived here, the University hadalready agreed to partner withMedway Council and contribute tothe funding of Medway Park, a newlybuilt centre of regional sportingexcellence and an approved pre-Olympic training camp. Kent has

dedicated space on-site, whichrepresents a tremendous expansionof our facilities beyond the Universitycampus.

What opportunities hasMedway Park provided forthe Centre for SportsStudies?Due to our location, we are ableto operate a sports injury clinic fromthe Centre, which directly benefitsthe local community. At the sametime, our students can gain hands-on practical experience working ina professional environment as partof their studies.

In 2010, Medway Park hosted theModern Pentathlon World Cup andthe Centre ran a clinic alongside theevent. This was a fantasticopportunity for our students toprovide sports science and sportstherapy support to Olympic andworld champion athletes within ahigh performance environment.

What’s been the highlightso far?Seeing how the Centre hasdeveloped over the past couple ofyears. Our student numbers havetripled since 2007 and we havedeveloped an excellent reputationfor the quality of our teaching. Infact, sports studies courses at Kentare now ranked 5th out of 52universities in the UK for graduateemployability.

But I think research has been thearea of most rapid and impressivedevelopment. All full-time staff arenow research-active or a leaderin their field. We’ve also recruited

STAFF PROFILE

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APPLYING TO KENT

Entry requirementsYou must be an experienced sport,exercise and health practitioner.You will be required to write a briefproposal and will be invited foran informal interview with theprogramme director and yourpotential supervisor.

Making an applicationIt is strongly recommended thatyou contact the Centre for SportsStudies in the first instance so thatyou have an opportunity to discussyour study plans with theprogramme director.

There is no fixed closing datefor applications although werecommend you make your formalapplication as early as possible andat least three months before yourintended start date. You can applyfor the Professional Doctorateprogramme online via our websiteat www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgrad/apply. If you do not haveaccess to the web, please contactInformation, Recruitment andAdmissions at the address on theopposite page to request a paperapplication form.

English languageThe University requires all non-native speakers of English to reacha minimum standard of proficiencyin written and spoken English beforebeginning a postgraduate degree.Only English language tests takenup to a maximum of two years priorto the date of registration will beaccepted for admission to theUniversity.

Tuition feesFor the most up-to-date informationon tuition fees, see www.kent.ac.uk/finance-student/fees

Further informationFor further information, pleasevisit www.kent.ac.uk/sports-studies

For more specific enquiries,please contact:

Centre for Sports Studies,Medway Building,University of Kent,Chatham Maritime, Chatham,Kent ME4 4AG, UKT: +44 (0)1634 888858E: sportsstudies@kent.ac.uk

Admissions enquiriesT: +44 (0)1227 827272E: information@kent.ac.uk

www.kent.ac.uk/sports-studies

Terms and conditions: the Universityreserves the right to make variations to thecontent and delivery of courses and otherservices, or to discontinue courses andother services, if such action is reasonablyconsidered to be necessary. If theUniversity discontinues any course, it willendeavour to provide a suitable alternative.To register for a programme of study, allstudents must agree to abide by theUniversity Regulations (available online at:www.kent.ac.uk/regulations).

Data protection: for administrative,academic and health and safety reasons,the University needs to process informationabout its students. Full registration as astudent of the University is subject to yourconsent to process such information.

Images courtesy of Simon Jarratt,British Cycling, istockphoto.

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Kent: the UK’s EuropeanuniversityKent is known as the UK’s Europeanuniversity. Our main campus inCanterbury is situated in the UK cityclosest to the European continentand we have an award-winningcampus at Medway, with high-speed rail links to London andEurope nearby.

We have a diverse, cosmopolitanpopulation with 125 nationalitiesrepresented. We also have stronglinks with universities in Europe, andfrom Kent, you are just over twohours away from Paris and Brusselsby train.

World-leading researchKent’s excellent performancein the Government’s most recentResearch Assessment Exercise(RAE) confirmed our position asone of the UK’s leading universities.Kent staff were found to beengaged in research of internationaland world-class standing.

A global outlookKent has a great internationalreputation, attracting academic staffand students from around the world.Our academic schools are engagedin collaborative research withuniversities worldwide and we offera range of opportunities to studyabroad and an approach that is trulyglobal.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Strong academiccommunityAt Kent, our postgraduate studentsare part of a thriving intellectualcommunity that includes staff andstudents from all our locations. Inaddition to lectures, seminars andone-to-one supervisions, ourstudents benefit from a rich andstimulating research culture.

The Graduate SchoolAs a postgraduate student, you alsohave the support of the GraduateSchool, which promotes youracademic interests, co-ordinatestransferable skills training andfacilitates cross-disciplinaryinteraction and social networking.

FundingKent provides a variety of financialsupport opportunities forpostgraduate students. These rangefrom research studentships,location-specific funding, sport andmusic scholarships, and fundingspecifically for overseas fee-payingstudents. For further information,see www.kent.ac.uk/scholarships/postgraduate

Enhanced careerprospectsAt Kent, we want you to be in agood position to face the demandsof a tough economic environment.During your studies, you acquire ahigh level of academic knowledgeand specialist practical skills. Wealso help you to develop keytransferable skills that are essentialwithin the competitive world of work.

LocationMedway

FacultyFaculty of Social Sciences

Department• Centre for Sports Studies

Further informationCentre for Sports Studies,Medway Building,University of Kent,Chatham Maritime, Chatham,Kent ME4 4AG, UKT: +44 (0)1634 888858E: sportsstudies@kent.ac.uk

ApplicationsOnline atwww.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgrad/apply

How to applyFor information about applyingto Kent, or to order a copy of theGraduate Prospectus, pleasecontact:

The Information, Recruitment andAdmissions Office, The Registry,University of Kent, Canterbury,Kent CT2 7NZ, UKT: +44 (0)1227 827272F: +44 (0)1227 827077E: information@kent.ac.uk

The University also holdsOpen Days and postgraduaterecruitment events throughoutthe year. Please seewww.kent.ac.uk/opendays

COME ANDVISIT US

University of Kent, The Registry, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NZT: +44 (0)1227 764000 E: information@kent.ac.uk www.kent.ac.uk

We hold Open Days and postgraduateevents throughout the year.

For more information, see:www.kent.ac.uk/opendays

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