10Feb
PostgraduateCourse summary
Regular physical activity provides significant benefits to health, both mentally and physically, as well as improving fitness and wellbeing. However, currently in the UK around 34% of males and 42% of females are not active enough to maintain good health*. The MSc explores the vital role of physical activity in society, from policy and public health to the spaces and places that enhance, shape and curtail movement. It is suitable for those with a background in traditional sport and exercise sciences, as well as those with a social sciences, anthropological, natural sciences, humanities or a broader disciplinary background. The course is delivered by a multidisciplinary team of experts in the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences in conjunction with the Department of Anthropology. The team delivers a cutting-edge curriculum built on our expertise in physical activity and sport inequalities and associated research methods. You will undertake three core modules which critically examine key challenges associated with physical activity to improve health and wellbeing, tackle health inequalities and social injustice. Learning is further developed by five additional optional modules which you can tailor to your interests. Two or three of these are based on aspects of health as influenced by physical activity and wider social, anthropological and life sciences, with the remaining modules focused on advanced quantitative and qualitative research methods. You will also complete an MSc dissertation in a related subject, under the guidance of a supervisor. Durham University offers an outstanding sporting environment with exceptional opportunities for participation in sport as well as related activities within the University and the local community. During your time with us we encourage you to be proactive members of our community and to develop wider interests alongside your studies.
Modules
Core modules: Physical Activity, Health and Inequalities draws on the latest research and policy, such as interventions, evaluations and systems approaches, to critically explore a number of questions. What is implied and understood by health inequalities as they relate to physical (in)activity? Who is impacted by physical activity inequalities across the life course? Focusing on health and wellbeing, how are physical activity inequalities experienced by different groups or communities, and why? How might we reduce or prevent the widening of physical activity inequalities with a view to optimising health and wellbeing, and where does this responsibility lie? Exercise as Medicine: Critical Perspectives takes a multidisciplinary approach to addressing the strengths and challenges of treating exercise as medicine in a professional setting. You will study a number of areas around the topics of: exercise prescription; barriers and facilitators to participation in exercise programmes; designing and developing effective exercise interventions; and programme implementation and evaluation. Ethics in Sporting Policy and Practice provides a grounding in ethnographies of sporting practice and the athlete experience. You will explore a range of ethical and social justice issues associated with contemporary sport and learn how these issues are experienced by different audiences including athletes from recreational to elite level, governance and regulatory bodies, and sporting businesses. The module also examines ways in which diversity, social justice and political philosophy can be effectively incorporated into the development of new sporting policies. Areas of study may include; trans inclusion; violence; financialisation; doping; migration and mobility; and sport-for-development. The Dissertation is an opportunity to research and write a substantive research study into a specialist topic in the field of physical activity, health and society. The dissertation is based on a topic of your choice, decided in agreement with the department and completed under the guidance of a dissertation supervisor. Examples of optional modules: The remainder of the course is made up of five modules from the following options, which, at the time of writing, should include a minimum of two from each list. List A: Fieldwork and Interpretation; Field Study; Quantitative Methods and Analysis; Systematic Review; Multilevel Modelling; Simulating Data in R; Advanced Statistics for Psychology and the Behavioural Sciences. List B: Sport, Exercise and Health: Future Perspectives; Advanced Studies in the Anthropology of Sport; Advanced Studies in Physical Activity and Health: Anthropological and Critical Perspectives; Anthropology of Global Health; Society, Health and Wellbeing; Planetary Health in Social Context; Advanced Studies in the Anthropology of the Body; A language module offered by the Centre for Foreign Language Study.
Assessment method
The MSc combines flexibility and choice with academic rigour. It is delivered through a combination of interactive extended seminars, lectures, laboratory practical sessions, workshops, field-based learning and tutorials totalling an indicative 18-20 contact hours per core module. This is supported by a further indicative 130 hours of directed reading, independent study and research per module. Optional modules may vary in length, with contact hours and independent study time worked out on a pro rata basis. The dissertation is supported by lectures, workshops and supervised tutorials which are spread across the academic year. The lectures and workshops create links between learning and the research process, while the tutorials provide tailored guidance and support as you research and write your dissertation. Methods of assessment are tailored to module objectives and vary across the course. Core modules and the majority of optional modules include written coursework, reflective work and presentations. Depending on the optional modules selected you may also sit an end-of-module exam. Finally, you will complete an 8,000 – 10,000-word dissertation. This will be an independent piece of research into a specialist topic in the field of physical activity, health and society, agreed by the Department and supported by a dedicated dissertation supervisor.
How to apply
International applicants
If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take a pre-Masters pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.
Entry requirements
Normally a minimum 2:1 Honours degree from a UK institution (or the overseas equivalent) in a relevant subject is required. As an accessible and inclusive programme, this requirement may be waived for applicants with particularly high levels of relevant practical or professional experience. This will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by the DSES Programme Director and/or Admissions and Recruitment officer in collaboration with Anthropology, as appropriate.
English language requirements
Durham University welcomes applications from all students irrespective of background. We encourage the recruitment of academically well-qualified and highly motivated students, who are non-native speakers of English, whose full potential can be realised with a limited amount of English Language training either prior to entry or through pre-sessional and/or in-sessional courses. It is the normal expectation that candidates for admission should be able to demonstrate satisfactory English proficiency before the start of a programme of study, whether via the submission of an appropriate English language qualification or by attendance on an appropriate pre-sessional course. Acceptable evidence and levels required can be viewed by following the link provided.
English language requirements
https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| England | £12500 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £12500 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £12500 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £12500 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £12500 | Year 1 |
| EU | £25500 | Year 1 |
| International | £25500 | Year 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | £25500 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).
Sponsorship information
For further information see the course listing.
Provider information
Durham University
The Palatine Centre
Stockton Road
Durham
DH1 3LE