Receive the support you need to achieve your goal of a PhD in Sport and Recreation. If you don’t have research experience, our integrated program offers an alternative path to a doctoral degree.Integrated PhD in Sport & Recreation program at VU During your first year of our integrated program, you’ll receive intensive research training. On passing the components with a 70% average, you’ll begin an original PhD thesis, graduating within the standard timeframe. Our expert supervisors will continue to support your study in our interdisciplinary research focus areas, in which you can contribute to real innovation in public policy, community and professional sport. Our high-performance in sport and healthy populations programs are undertaken in our newly formed Institute for Health & Sport, and include: clinical exercise science GPS devices in sport medical physiology and metabolism social health and wellbeing sport in society sport leadership sport science. We are leaders in sports research and have been rated 'well above world standard' by Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA). We have a $68 million high-technology teaching and research facility, and top industry partnerships. You’ll learn to present and defend your research findings in publications and presentations. Research programs in sport & exercise When you undertake a doctoral degree at VU, you’ll specialise in one of our areas of research focus. These are supported by expertise from the University, research partners, institutes and research centres. We are committed to undertaking high-impact research that shapes healthier, smarter and more sustainable communities across six interdisciplinary areas of research focus. Our Sport and Recreation PhD students will be particularly interested in: Enabling healthy and active populations - evidence-based interventions, policies, practices, and technologies to promote positive population health outcomes. Enhancing high performance in sport - advancing and translating our understanding of bio-physical and psycho-social processes and theories to enhance high performance in sport systems, policies and practices. Research opportunities & development VU Research gives you opportunities to: connect with other researchers participate in research festivals and competitions develop your research skills get funding for your research publish and promote your findings. We offer support for graduate researchers including: an orientation program a specialised Office for Researcher Training, Quality & Integrity study spaces units to help you conceptualise and contextualise your research research ambassadors and student association. Careers in sport and recreation researchA PhD in Sport and Recreation can lead to high-level work in government, the sport and recreation industries, or academia. Course structure To attain the award of Doctor of Philosophy through undertaking the Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated) students will be required to completed in total 384 credit points consisting of: 72 credit points of Core studies in Year 1 24 credit points of Elective studies in Year 1 288 credit points of Thesis units as per standard PhD