The University of Kent’s School of Sport and Exercise Sciences (SSES), founded in 2012, is located at Chatham’s historic docklands as part of a unique partnership with the University of Greenwich and Canterbury Christ Church University to form what is collectively known as the Universities at Medway. The Medway campus is a vibrant, modern and metropolitan environment close to the towns of Rochester, Chatham and Gillingham. The region is steeped in history and rich in maritime heritage with Rochester’s splendid castle and cathedral and The Historic Dockyard, Chatham. The area is in north Kent, just 40 minutes by fast train from London and 75 minutes by train from the Channel ports.
We foster a friendly and inclusive atmosphere within the school and promote a learning rich environment which leads us to be considered approachable and accessible to our students. Besides this, after careful consideration and due diligence we have identified the 10 common reasons why students choose to study with us, those reasons are:
1. Reputation of the University.
The University of Kent is a leading research-intensive UK university and the UK’s European university with an international reputation in which Europe meets the world.
2. Course Content
We apply our recognized expertise in the teaching of our undergraduate and postgraduate programmers. Our expertise covers the fields of: Physiology, Nutrition, Respiratory health, Endurance exercise, Sports therapy and Biomechanics. Furthermore, The Society of Sports Therapists professionally accredits our Sports Therapy degree, whilst our Sport and Exercise Science and Sport and Exercise for Health degrees are professionally accredited by the American College of Sports Medicine.
3. Reputation of the Course
We provide academic degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level which attract students from around the world.
Undergraduate (UG)
• BSc Sport and Exercise Science
• BSc Sport and Therapy
• BSc Sport and Exercise Management
• BSc Sport for Exercise and Health
Postgraduate (PGT)
• MSc Sports Science for Optimal Performance
Postgraduate (PGR)
• Professional Doctorate Sport, Exercise and Health Science
• MPhil /PhD Sports Therapy/Sports and Exercise Science
4. Student Satisfaction Rating
The University of Kent’s Medway campus boasts a one-stop shop student services area and Unistats have suggested that in some cases overall satisfaction with the quality of our undergraduate courses is as high as 96%.
5. League Table Position
We operate within a leading UK University; ranked in the top 20 of UK universities according to the 2015 Guardian University Guide. The 2015 Complete University Guide ranked the University of Kent 22nd in the UK overall, solidifying our reputation as a top-class higher education institution.
The 2015 Guardian University Guide ranks SSES 11th for Sports Sciences amongst UK universities and the university was recently ranked 3rd for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey (NSS).
6. Quality Teaching
We consistently produce high-quality research that is published in world-leading journals, and as experts in our respective fields, our teaching is informed by the latest research evidence. We aim to provide our students with a balance of research and theory during their studies, whilst also developing the applied skills that employers value. We assist our students with the development of their professional skills by supporting work placement opportunities and provision of externally accredited qualifications.
7. Internationally Recognised Research
Our school produces rigorous and applicable knowledge, develops employable graduates and impacts the training and performance of coaches and athletes. Our research has impacted the training and performance of coaches and athletes from British Cycling, GB Boxing, GB Swimming, Professional Football clubs, NHS, English Institute of Sport (EIS) and the Ministry of Defence.
The School was ranked 7th in the UK for Research according to the 2014 Times Good University Guide and our research is focused under two core collaborative thematic areas:
• Endurance Research Group – endurance performance includes not only exercise tolerance and traditional endurance sports like road cycling, but any kind of performance in which resistance to fatigue is important.
• Sports Therapy, Physical Activity and Health Research Group – the aim of this research group is to apply sport and exercise sciences to research in sports therapy, health behavior and various patient groups.
There is a strong and vibrant research culture within the school and it is quickly establishing the University of Kent as one of the leading places in the UK for the study of sport. In endurance performance, the School has one of the largest groups of research excellence within Europe lead by Professors Samuele Marcora and Louis Passfield. Uniquely in sports therapy the university has a strong research culture, something uncommon in many universities.
8. Great Employability
SSES are 8th in the UK for Sports Science graduating students’ career prospects according to the 2014 Guardian University Guide. Current Unistats state that 90-95% of our undergraduate students are employed or doing further study six months after finishing their course. Work experience and placement schemes run on our Undergraduate programmes.
9. First Class Student Experience
The lively campus atmosphere provides opportunities for socialising, sports, joining a society, or taking up a new interest. There are cafés, a shop and a student pub on campus, all of which help to create a sense of community. Within walking distance of the main campus is the Chatham Maritime area which includes bars, a cinema, a retail outlet, and restaurants. The Medway area also offers a dry ski slope and toboggan run, an ice rink and a karting circuit.
Many social activities are run by the Greenwich & Kent Students’ Unions Together (GK Unions), which represents all students at the shared Medway campus and is there to help ensure you will never be stuck for something to do when you put down your books.
10. State-of-the-art Facilities
To support SSES’ research, a recent investment of £850,000 was made as an addition to the £11 million project developing Medway Park as a regional centre for sporting excellence and research; designated as an Olympic and Paralympic training venue. Facilities include a swimming pool, athletics track, sports halls, sport science laboratories, sports therapy clinics, fitness suite and spa.
SSES is part of a campus with innovative buildings and facilities. Our new lab facilities at Medway Park provide a contemporary world-class learning environment; used by our students at all levels, including during final year research projects. These facilities include an environmental chamber, anti-gravity treadmill, and neurophysiology testing equipment.
Campus facilities include a 12-couch teaching clinic and a state-of-the-art sports and human performance testing laboratory. There is a wide range of equipment, including treadmills, cycle ergometers, an isokinetic dynamometer, blood and gas analysis equipment. In addition, at Medway Park, the School has its own cutting-edge sports therapy clinic, rehabilitation gymnasium and sports science laboratories.
There is also a hypoxic environmental chamber, and analytical chemistry, respiratory testing and psychobiology laboratories. These specialist rooms have been set up with over £850,000 of new equipment, including an AlterG treadmill, a 3D video analysis system, 2D force pedals, ultra-sound imaging, near-infrared spectroscopy and a gait analysis system. The school operates a commercial sports injury and rehabilitation clinic from Medway Park to support elite athletes, regional squads and local residents. As a student, you have the opportunity to develop your professional skills as you work with clients in the clinic and laboratory under staff supervision.
We have extensive state of the art facilities – modern, cutting edge laboratories that include equipment for measuring VO2max, a range of blood parameters, muscle oxygenation, EEG, EMG, cardiac output and force production. We also have an anti-gravity treadmill, an environmental chamber, and a motion capture camera system. The equipment is located within our Human Performance, Psycho-biology, Respiratory, and Neuromuscular laboratories, as well as in our Rehabilitation facilities. Our students have access to this equipment through laboratory practical sessions, supervised research projects and the research experience scheme.