THOSE who intend to make sports science and physical education their speciality will have the chance to take their dreams a step further when the Chinese University starts the territory's first master's degree programme in September. The Master of Education (M Ed) degree in Sports Science and Physical Education is a two-year part-time programme offered by the Department of Sports Science and Physical Education of the Faculty of Education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. ''This M Ed course is long overdue. In the past, the only place that people could get their master's degrees in sports education was abroad,'' said Dr Paul Robinson, the chairman of the department. ''Last year, 20 full-time and 40 part-time undergraduates obtained their degrees in sports science. Some of them are seriously considering pursuing a higher qualification. But where can they go from here? There really isn't a master's degree programme in Hong Kong that caters for their needs,'' he said. At present the Chinese University has 150 undergraduates working towards their degrees in physical education and sports science, while Hong Kong University and Baptist College have 56 and 89 respectively. Dr Robinson said that applicants for their programme are not limited to his department. ''We also welcome potential candidates from other institutions with bachelor degrees in areas such as physical education, sports science sociology, and educational psychology. Students of this sort may have to take some undergraduate prerequisite courses,'' he said. Dr Robinson expects that most applicants for the M Ed programme will be in-service professionals in the trades of health and fitness, physical education and sports science. Applicants should possess at least second-class honours in their first degrees. ''Since the M Ed programme is theoretically based and practically oriented, the students will be far more knowledgeable in specific areas of physical education and sports science which, hopefully, they will carry over into their job,'' Dr Robinson said. Students can choose three of the four core courses available - sports management, exercise physiology, applied biochemics and sports psychology - plus two other courses of their choice. The M Ed programme will take in a maximum of 10 students this year.