Disability Sport (MSc)

About the Course

The MSc Disability Sport course is a unique post-graduate course in the Higher Education Sector in the UK, and has been developed to explore inclusive approaches relating to Sport, Physical Activity and Physical Education.

Policy drivers across health, education and leisure sectors have responsibilities for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, requiring professionals in leadership and governance positions at all levels of organisations to commit to initiatives that improve representation and inclusivity. This can take several forms, including theoretical underpinnings and understandings, as well as practical elements for those with that responsibility.

Using a multi-disciplinary approach to learning and teaching, students will explore perspectives across sporting, psychological, sociological and health disciplines. Students can expect to learn about the challenges that SEND populations face in today’s ever-evolving society and the relationship between inclusion and sport can play a key role in opportunities to progress from grassroots to professional sport.

In order to fully develop knowledge and practice, the course will utilise lived experiences and engage with those who work and play across various disability sport environments. The programme will include theoretical and practical sessions to develop personal philosophies and expertise, as well as engage with individuals and organisations who deliver disability sport initiatives across the local community. Opportunities to develop professional practice and experience will also be offered as part of a placement module.

Curriculum Overview

The Masters programme (180 credits) will include modules that will develop both the theoretical knowledge and practical proficiency of individuals promoting inclusive environments;

Modules

Applied Inclusive Practice: Focussing on the disciplines of teaching, coaching and sport development, this module will interrogate research theory and practice for performance and participation. Students will be exposed to coaching and teaching approaches that investigate various disability sports and activities through inclusive practice.

Multi-Disciplinary Approaches to Disability Sport: Students will be exposed to the impact that various disciplines can have on inclusive practices, covering professional sport to the voluntary sector. By understanding the impact of approaches to coaching and teaching, as well as psychological, sociological, health perspectives, students will gain a clearer understanding of the impacts on general life and into sport participation and performance.

Modelling Disability: Disability has been conceptualised in many ways and for many purposes. In the past it tended to be non-disabled people who were responsible for the conceptualising and theorising of disability. In recent years, however, thanks largely to disability activism, disabled people have taken control of the ways in which disability is modelled. In order to gain a better idea of what is meant by disability, the module takes students on a critical journey through religious, charity, medical, social, affirmative, cultural, and other models of disability.

Placement: Students will be required to undertake a placement with an external provider. Initial sessions will focus towards professional practice, safeguarding and employment themes, to prepare the students for their placement. On-going progress monitoring will be in place through one-to-one meetings scheduled with course tutors.

Research Methods: This module will develop student ability across qualitative and quantitative research methods, vital to performing and interpreting research in this area. Approaches to data collection, processing, management, analysis and reporting will be explored, to provide students with the foundations to develop and execute their dissertation.

Dissertation: Students will develop a research project aligned closely to their interests and areas of specialism.

Entry Requirements

A minimum of a Second-Class Honours degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. a degree including Sport and/or Special Educational Needs or similar) awarded by a UK university, or an equivalent higher education qualification.

Applicants with alternative qualifications or relevant professional experience will be considered on an individual basis

International Entry Requirements

Possess a degree from an overseas institution that is judged by the Registrar or Nominee to be equivalent to a second class honours degree from a UK University.

For students whose first language is not English there is a language requirement of IELTS 6.0 overall with 5.5 minimum of all components. In addition to this, we also accept a wide range of International Qualifications, for more information please visit our English Language Requirements page.

For additional information about country specific entry requirements visit the your country pages. 

*Part time study is not available for Non-EU International applicants

Teaching and Research

The academic teaching team for this Masters programme are research-active and possess expertise working with different populations across society. In addition to the expertise from within the Faculty of Human and Digital Sciences, where the Masters is run from, there will be contributions to specific elements of the programme from teaching teams in other Faculties to help develop your knowledge and understanding of key multi-disciplinary topic area. Academics have also established networks and collaborations with external experts and guest speakers, who will enhance your learning and experiences during specialised sessions.

All students will take a placement module which provides students with authentic learning around their areas of interest, as well as students having the opportunity to reflect on their learning across all modules to identify their own personal and professional development through CPD planning and recording.

UK/Channel Island Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for Home students for 2026/27 are £10,000

Funding

We offer a number of scholarships and loans to help fund your postgraduate studies. Visit our scholarships pages for more details.

EU/Non EU International Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for EU/Non-EU International students for 2026/27 are £17,500

Please be aware that the UK’s departure from the EU may affect your tuition fees. Learn more about your fee status and which tuition fees are relevant to you.

Careers

The MSc Disability Sport offers the opportunity for those with a personal or professional interest in inclusivity and sport pathways to development their knowledge and practice through diverse learning. The course provides the foundations for those wanting to work in professional sport or the public/third sector, as the knowledge and understanding gained can be used to work with individuals across performance and participation pathways, as well as across areas of health and education.

Graduates from this PGT programme will be ready to positively impact change across different sectors. Students will have developed their theoretical and practical knowledge across several themes, including policy and strategy, sport coaching, community engagement and physical activity, all of which can be impacted from different perspectives across society and have direct impact on the policies and strategies implemented across political, health, sporting and education settings. Students will possess a strategic mindset that they can impose on their area of specialism, and provide the potential for them to work with key stakeholders, organisations and charities across public, private and third sectors.

Students who complete the course may choose to continue specialising in a discipline/sport by undertaking doctoral level study, in one of the main formats this could take (PhD, professional doctorate etc).