Next Steps

Only 3 professional doctorates in Sport (and Exercise) Psychology currently exist in the UK, and these are all very competitive. My first steps were to get in touch with each of the three, in order to find out if this path is possible alongside a career as a travelling athlete. After a conversation with Chris Wagstaff of the University of Porstmouth, I was happy to find out that it would be possibly to complete the degree almost entirely remotely. I was strongly drawn to the fact that for the applied section of the course, you have access to three separate mentors with different styles and experiences (unlike 1 in BPS Stage 2). For me this is an invaluable resource in the exploration and development of my own style of professional practice.

Action Plan

After browsing the course page in detail, there are a number of steps to complete in order to submit the application

1. Personal Statement
   While I considered starting from scratch, just over 6 months had passed since I wrote my MSC personal statement, and it was still a very accurate depiction of my motivation to pursue this pathway. I wanted to change only aspects that have evolved from my new experience, as well as include my reasons for pursuing a professional doctorate at Portsmouth.
2. 2 references
   I spoke with my dissertation supervisor, Luke Felton, who I felt knew me best on my current degree. I also asked Dearbhla McCullough who had worked closely with me on the applied module on the course. I felt both individuals knew me well as a person and academic, and would provide well-rounded referencing for me in terms of both the research and practice elements of the doctorate.
3. An up-to-date CV
   Having spent a considerable amount of time outside of education, my CV focuses on my sporting achievements. When clarifying what was expected here, Chris said considering the academic basis of all of the other parts of the application, that they would be interested to see my CV as it is, rather than details of my previous education. My plan is to edit specific sections to highlight transferrable skills I have gained through my career experiences, such as time management, sport network, organisation and problem solving.
4. Research Proposal
   Chris explained that above all, this section’s purpose is to assess applicants’ level of academic writing and original thinking. He said that this proposal can but does not have to relate to the research to be undertaken during the course. Since my original dissertation idea wasn’t possible at MSC level, my plan is to adapt it for the doctorate.