Professional Doctorate in Sport and Exercise DSaE

University of Gloucestershire

Uni of Glos is amazing by giving a great family feel on campus, meaning you always feel at home here which is challenging when moving away to university. There is no ‘worse aspects” that I have experienced so far, I could not fault my unviersity experience - very lucky :)

Staff support for students has been amazing. Lots of access to supervisors and lecturers. Expertise within the course has been brilliant too. Some investment in the university sport structure would be a good area to develop.

Great environment for learning. I think there should be more available opportunities for practical skill improvement for future careers.

There are a variety of courses. There is a real emphasis on maintaining a level of mental wellness with lots of spaces to suit individuals in maintaining their mental wellness. There are lots of societies. I would like more free parking, personally.

I would definitely say, being a slightly smaller university in comparison to other large universities, help and support with lecturers is extremely easy to obtain, with the majority replying to emails almost instantaneously. Moreover, I’ve found lecturers are very willing to meet via teams or in person and have a lot of availability. The lecturers here also share many placement opportunities, with a couple giving opportunities to work alongside them. This is really great as you get to experience first hand essential skills relevant to the course (mine being Sport and Exercise Science) and you get proper training that is desirable and essential when applying for jobs post university. I’ve also found that the Your Future Plan team offer a range of helpful workshops that really improve employability ratings and they are such a friendly and approachable team. I’ve had lots of help, from placement searches to CV skills from them and they have really improved my confidence post university. One thing I could say that could be improved slightly is the student life - There are many societies such as Football or Rugby that are quite big and, from what my friends say, seem great to experience student nightlife and really explore Gloucestershire and Cheltenham. However, I feel for the smaller clubs, a little more help needs to be given to helping them stay functional (for example, my chosen sport is cycling and this sadly deformed in year 2-3). However, the universities other societies seem very good and the events put on by the SU are very fun and a good laugh! I’d definitely say as well, that their library facilities are extremely good and always up to date. There are plenty of computers situated around the campuses and so I’ve never had to wait to use this and their IT team are very helpful and knowledgeable if you have any issues. Theirs also plenty of books to use for research (I’ve only once in my three years needed a book that wasn’t there and when I couldn’t find it, my lecturer had a copy and lent it to me for a few weeks) and their online page is really easy to navigate and this is where lecturers place recommended reading to advanced knowledge. Their help zone are super helpful and always will look to help you out if you find yourself struggling with work, for example. Overall, this has been a great university for me and I’d definitely recommend it. I’ve had some amazing experiences and have also had great nights out organised by the SU. This has definitely improved my employability and I definitely will be considering my postgraduate future at this university. The lecturers are extremely helpful and insightful! Highly recommend and thank you to all my lecturers that have helped me out so far!

The lectures and content are very well taught and interesting. Student support is top tier and the facilities are fantastic. Worst aspect for me is the union, niche experience but the disciplinary action is very harsh and unjust.