Sport Performance Analysis MSc - Distance Education
This online distance learning master’s course will prime you to gain employment as a performance analyst
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Viewing course details for 2025 year of entry
- Code
- PGC617
- Attendance
- Full-time
- Start
- September 2025
- Fees
- £11,850 (UK) £14,500 (INT)
- Course Leader
- Dr Nimai Parmar
- Study mode
- Online
- Location
- Online
- School / Department
- Faculty of Science and Technology
Why study Sport Performance Analysis MSc (Distance Learning) at Middlesex?
Sports Performance Analysis is an area experiencing massive growth, with virtually every professional club and elite athlete employing or working with performance analysts who provide them with objective data to ultimately improve their sporting performance.
This online master’s course will help you develop your career as a performance analyst by developing the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge and skills to fulfil the typical responsibilities required. These responsibilities include the collection of sport performance data using performance analysis software packages; preparing specific videos for presentation to players and coaches; analysing datasets for trends and relationships and finally visualising data through dashboards.
Our successful on-campus programme in the UK, was one of the first of its kind when it was established in 2010 and has a strong track record of developing employable graduates who have gone on to secure jobs in the UK and abroad to become Sport Performance Analysts at high profile clubs and organisations, complete PhDs and become University lecturers.
The on-campus version of this course can be found here.
What you will gain
We have an international reputation for excellence in delivering performance analysis and creating employable graduates. You’ll learn from academics who regularly work and consult with international teams, national governing bodies, elite clubs and athletes. Our pioneering programme is designed to prepare you for accreditation with the International Society of Performance Analysis of Sport.
You will learn how to identify and develop performance indicators, how to create performance profiles, how to test reliability and get to grips with performance analysis software that is used in the industry. You’ll also gain experience as a performance analyst through our work-placement module.
Course highlights
- You will have access to leading industry-standards performance analysis software
- We have strong industry links within performance analysis, many of our graduates have gone on to secure jobs at international renowned clubs and organisations
- We believe that our graduates should be high achievers both practically and academically. As a result, we actively encourage students to publish their dissertation through peer-reviewed journals and conferences
- This course prepares you for accreditation from the International Society of Performance Analysis of Sport
- Our performance analysis staff publish frequently and therefore underpin teaching with relevant and new research. Alongside this, our PA staff also consult with a number of high profiles organisations, teams and athletes
- Small class sizes allow you to receive the personal attention required to thrive in your studies.
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About your course
What will you study on MSc Sport Performance Analysis (Distance Education)?
Our specialist degree covers relevant topics that help you develop skills that are highly sought after in industry. For example, it covers performance indicators, performance profiling and reliability testing. In addition, you will learn how to undertake data analysis and develop relevant visualisation skills using business intelligence software. Finally, you will get to grips with industry standard sport performance analysis software. We regularly invite industry speakers to provide guest lectures on the course to help give you an insight into what is required from performance analysts on the job.
The degree covers modules in Performance Analysis, Data Analysis and Visualisation, Research Methods, Placement & Dissertation. The programme has been designed in conjunction with industry to ensure our students can meet the demands and challenges that analysts currently face.
These topics allow you to develop your expertise as a performance analyst, ensuring that you understand relevant techniques and procedures for a number of different scenarios, which you would expect to face as an analyst. You will develop your presentation skills and your ability to critically evaluate through the research methods module, which allows students to prepare for their dissertation, where you can pursue a topic of interest or even a research question that has arisen during your placement.
Modules
Here is an overview of the modules you will study.
This module aims to allow you to gain a systematic understanding of performance analysis of sport. This is achieved through critically engaging you in appropriate processes and developing a comprehensive understanding of relevant techniques used in the discipline. It also aims to develop your research skills so you are able to disseminate complex information to both coaches and athletes with the aim of providing greater insight to performance. You'll critically evaluate current research in the discipline in order to evaluate methodologies, design, interpret and synthesise sport performance data and literature.
This module aims to develop your data analysis and visualisation skills. The ability to manage data and check for errors in datasets is an important and sought-after skill in performance analysis. You'll learn to visualise data in a variety of software packages such as spreadsheets and business intelligence software. You'll be able to analyse and interpret data using predictive based statistics like regression and determine important variables using techniques like dimension reduction (principal component analysis) and assess relationships (correlations).
This module aims to equip you with the relevant knowledge and skills to undertake appropriate research in their subject areas. You'll learn searching strategies to identify relevant literature, how to critically appraise literature and relevant research methods topics such as research design, selecting and using suitable statistical tests appropriate to the subject area. This module will be delivered predominantly through shared and subject-specific online video tutorials allowing you to access a wide variety of resources which will prepare you for undertaking their dissertations. This innovative approach allows you to develop their research methods skills at your own pace with relevant step-by-step videos produced, allowing you to revisit the content at any time.
This module aims to develop your ability to apply and see the application of knowledge gained from other modules in relation to a real work scenario. You'll be required to adopt a reflective and critical approach to your working practice and to promote a problem-solving approach in a work environment.
This module aims to support you to undertake research, with a focus appropriate to your programme and area of practice and building upon the research proposal formulated in SES4030. To create a peer learning community for you to critically support each other in the research process. To provide guidance, additional to that provided by your supervisors, on matters of ethical application, research methods, data collection, analysis and writing-up.
For more information, please download the Sport Performance Analysis course specification (PDF).
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Teaching
How is the MSc Sport Performance Analysis (Distance Education) taught?
Due to the nature of the course being an online distance education course, it will be taught predominantly through synchronous and asynchronous online classes once a week. There will be a compulsory in-person residential aspect that will take place in the following January.
Assessment
You will be assessed by a variety of methods including presentations, written assignments and practical demonstrations.
Student support
We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health, and disability support.
Additional needs
We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Dyslexia team.
Wellness
Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.
Work while you study
Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.
Diversifying Sport Performance Analysis Scholarship
There is a clear under-representation of Black, Asian and people with other ethnically diverse backgrounds in full-time Sport Performance Analysis (SPA) positions within professional sport.
This ground-breaking scheme is the first of its kind in Sport and Exercise Sciences, particularly within Sport Performance Analysis. It was established in September 2021 and we are now inviting applications to participate in the 2024/25 Scholarship.
Careers
How can the Sport Performance Analysis MSc support your career?
This Sport Performance Analysis programme is for students who would like to develop key skills and competencies, acquire a body of knowledge, and gain exposure to new and innovative areas of the subject. A Sports Performance Analysis degree opens the doors to a number of exciting career paths, with excellent career progression opportunities.
Career opportunities exist for well-qualified sport performance analysts in both professional and amateur sports. Previous graduates in Sport Performance Analysis are currently working in:
- Soccer: English Premier League, English Championship, the FA
- Rugby: Welsh Rugby Union, Professional rugby teams in England and Wales
- Multiple Olympic sports: working for the English Institute of Sport is sports such as cycling, canoe slalom, disability swimming, hockey, judo
- Squash: England Squash
- Badminton: England badminton
- Regional bodies: Irish Institute of Sport.
Work placements typically coincide with the sporting season (August to April for soccer or rugby).
Graduates will also be capable of establishing their own consultancy business or progressing to additional study/research including MPhil/PhD.
Entry requirements
Qualifications
We normally require a second class honours degree 2:2 or above in a sport or exercise related field
We would also welcome applications from students with undergraduate degrees in all sciences, maths and IT areas. Alternatively prospective students who have completed the ISPAS accreditation and have extensive experience in the area will be considered via interview.
If you have relevant qualifications or work experience, academic credit may be awarded towards your Middlesex University programme of study.
Further requirements
Online distance learning students will be required to secure their Sport Performance Analysis related placement.
Students are required to have a laptop - specific requirements will be clarified at the beginning of the course.
Students are required to attend the compulsory residential which starts in the January following enrolment – please note that transportation to the residential and meals are not included.
Qualifications
We accept the equivalent of the below qualifications from a recognised overseas qualification:
- A 2:2 degree or above in a sport or exercise related field, sciences, maths and IT areas
- Students who have completed the ISPAS accreditation and have extensive experience in the area will be considered via interview
To find out more about the qualifications we accept, visit your country support page. If you are unsure about the suitability of your qualifications or would like help with your application, please contact your nearest regional office for support.
Academic credit
If you have relevant qualifications or work experience, academic credit may be awarded towards your Middlesex University programme of study.
Visas
You will not need a visa to study in the UK if you are a citizen of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. If you are a national of any other country you may need a visa to study in the UK.
English language
You must have competence in English language to study with us. The most commonly accepted evidence of English language ability is IELTS 6.5 (with minimum 6.0 in all components). If you don't meet our minimum English language requirements, we offer an intensive pre-sessional English course.
Applications for postgraduate study should be made directly to the university.
Please visit our postgraduate application page for further information and to apply.
Fees and funding
The fees below are for the 2025/26 academic year.
UK students1
Full-time students: £11,850
Part-time students: £79 per credit
Part-time students: £39 per dissertation credit
International students2
Full-time students: £14,500
Part-time students: £97 per credit
Part-time students: £48 per dissertation credit
Additional costs:
The following course-related costs are included in the fees:
- All printing and copying required for your study
- Self-service laptops available for loan for a maximum of 24 hours
- Audio-visual equipment available for loan, including digital stills cameras, digital video recorders, digital audio recorders
Financial support
We offer lots of support to help you with fees and living costs. Check out our guide to student life on a budget and find out more about postgraduate funding.
Postgraduate scholarships
You may be eligible for one of our scholarships including:
- The Alumni Postgraduate Award – for all UK/EU Middlesex alumni a 20% fee reduction
- The Commonwealth Scholarship – full course fees, airfares and a living allowance
- The Chevening Scholarship – full course fees
- The European Academic Awards – £1000 to £7000 for students showing academic excellence
- Regional or International Merit Award –up to £2,000 towards course fees
For international students, we also have a limited number of other awards specific to certain regions, and work in partnership with funding providers in your country to help support you financially with your study.
Find out more about our postgraduate scholarships.
Help from your employer
Your employer can contribute towards the cost of your postgraduate study as part of their staff development programme.
Fees disclaimers
1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase postgraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.
2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.
Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.
Dr Nimai Parmar
Director of Programmes - Post Graduate
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Prof Nic James
Professor-Sport & Exercise Science
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