Research Activity

Visit the Hartpury Research Section

Postgraduate Student Research

All Hartpury postgraduate students are required to undertake a research project within the broad academic disciplines of the College in order to be awarded their full Master's degree. Many of these projects are based at Hartpury, where students work on research projects with academic staff. Other research is carried out in collaboration with various research institutions in the UK and Europe.

Hartpury supports its academics and postgraduate students in publishing and presenting their research. In 2008 our postgraduate students were invited to present at various conferences including the 2nd Student Animal Welfare Conference, the British Society of Animal Science Annual Conference and the 6th International Conference of Equine Locomotion.

Three members of the Sports Science subject team have also been invited to be guest editors of the prestigious 'Reflective Practice' Journal for a special sport based edition entitled 'Reflective Learning in Sport: Building and Maintaining Successful Cultures', to be published in June 2009. Research undertaken by an MSc Coaching Science student is also of a publishable standard in peer-reviewed academic press to feature within the special edition.

Studying for a PhD at Hartpury College

If you are interested in undertaking a supervised PhD at Hartpury, you need to make an initial appointment to discuss your proposal with the Dean of Hartpury College, Dr Stephen Waite.

Prior to the meeting, you should submit a copy of your CV and a short summary of the proposed research study. The summary should include the aims and objectives of the study, the proposed methodology and a provisional timetable.

The offer of a place as a PhD research student is conditional upon the availability of funding.

Research Training and Support

As well as undertaking research-based studies, our research degree students are required to achieve a minimum of 60 credits at Level M for the taught element of their supervised PhD. Together, Hartpury and UWE offer a wide range of appropriate modules to support research studies. As a PhD student, you and your supervisory team will identify specific learning needs and construct a training plan; this plan is then agreed, through negotiation, between you and your Director of Studies.

As a research degree student, you will also be able to utilise the wide range of facilities and resources that are available on both the Hartpury and main UWE campus, to meet your training and support needs.

A minimum of four Research Students' Training and Support Days are run throughout the academic year where our PhD students have the opportunity to present work in progress, discuss project related issues and attend a peer run support group. Students may also access a programme of Advanced Research Workshops as well as the Research Training Workshop Programme run by the Research, Business and Innovation (RBI) group based at UWE Bristol.

Academic Research

Hartpury College academics engage in a range of scholarly activity; the aim being to initiate new areas of research within Hartpury's academic disciplines. Current areas of research include:

  • Equine nutrition
  • Equine gait analysis and exercise physiology
  • Equine and canine therapy and rehabilitation
  • Rider performance
  • Animal production
  • Parasitology
  • Animal behaviour and welfare
  • Conservation and ecology
  • Pig production
  • Agronomy
  • Microbiology
  • Wildlife management
  • Coaching in paralympic sport
  • Postural analysis in athletic populations
  • Sport organisational stress
  • Coaching pedagogy
  • Rugby lineout lifting
  • Reflective learning in sports organisations
  • Recovery strategies in elite sport
  • Teaching games for understanding
  • Pre habilitation strategies

Collaborative Partnerships

Hartpury also carries out research for the industrial and commercial sectors and collaborates with several research and other institutions on joint projects. Our collaborators include:

  • The Royal Veterinary College
  • European Technology for Business Ltd
  • Marquis VMS
  • Science Supplements
  • Dengie
  • Saracen
  • The British Association of Equine Dental Technicians
  • Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition
  • Imperial College
  • Royal Veterinary College
  • DEFRA
  • Bioganix
  • Royal Agricultural College
  • University of Bath
  • University of Bristol
  • University of Durham
  • Oxford Brookes University
  • National Trust
  • Ponds Conservation Trust
  • Environment Agency
  • Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust
  • Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation
  • Reflective Learning-UK
  • University of Gloucestershire
  • University of Glamorgan
  • University of Hull
  • UWIC
  • Loughborough University
  • British Equestrian Federation
  • The Rugby Football Union
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