help athletes back to full functional fitness with this hands-on, accredited degree.
three a-levels at grades bbc or above.
or btec triple grades dmm or above.
or access 30-42 with 18d.
and gcse english language at grade 4 or grade c or above.
applicants with other qualifications and/or experience will be considered on an individual basis.
this three-year, full-time course inspires and motivates students to develop their passion for sport and exercise rehabilitation. it is the perfect course for those interested in working with athletes, returning them to full functional fitness through expertly developed rehabilitation programmes. it also encompasses health rehab interventions in the community where you'll work with special patient populations to improve their everyday quality of life.
during the course many students enjoy placement opportunities with professional sports teams including plymouth raiders, plymouth argyle fc, plymouth devils speedway, plymouth albion and plymouth storm wheelchair basketball.
this degree programme comprises enriching theoretical and evidence-based study, blended with practical application in our world-class sports centre. students are given the opportunity to gain a minimum 400 clinical hours of hands-on experience. a number of additional qualifications are included at no extra, including the intermediate care in sport level 2 rfu qualification, level 2 gym instructor and level 3 personal trainer courses.
you'll experience the practical side of exercise rehabilitation from the very beginning of the course in our Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation clinic, always underpinned by the scientific principles of therapeutic interventions and developments in the field of sports therapy and rehabilitation. in the third-year students undertake the majority of their placement in this modern teaching clinic under the supervision of qualified staff. this includes opportunities to learn how to use latest technologies, e.g. diagnostic ultrasound, an innovative anti-gravity treadmill, rs footscan, laser therapy, interferential therapy for clinical assessment and rehabilitation.
you'll get a minimum of 400 hours hands-on clinical experience.
gain professional experience in our busy on-site nhs clinics and our own sport rehabilitation clinic.
our close industry relationships give you excellent placement opportunities with professional sports organisations.
you'll get the opportunity to complete the level 2 rfu immediate care in sport, the level 2 gym instructor and level 3 personal trainer courses.
you'll get involved with rehabilitating a wide range of patients (from weekend warriors to professional athletes).
includes opportunities to learn how to use latest technologies, e.g. diagnostic ultrasound, an innovative anti-gravity treadmill, rs footscan, laser therapy, interferential therapy for clinical assessment and rehabilitation.
“i have had so many amazing placement opportunities, including supporting a group of cyclists on a 200 mile charity bike ride, providing sports therapy and first aid to a military crew and assisting group therapy sessions for patients with chronic conditions, and observing orthopaedic surgery. as a mature student i hadn’t studied for a number of years and i have seen a huge improvement in my academic writing. i attribute this improvement to the support we receive from our lecturers.”
“work placements are core to the rehabilitation course and one of the real highlights for me has been undertaking a placement with hmnb devonport field gun crew, allowing me to work in a military environment and experience a range of injuries. the course is split into different modules helping get all students from different backgrounds to the same level. having the opportunity to work with a variety of people throughout the course has built my confidence in talking to and treating clients.”
“the practicality of the course means we are able to learn everything we need to without sitting in lectures 24/7. we get the opportunity to work in real life situations in the clinic here and we get to work in teams for our placement opportunities. i’ve built in confidence in what i know and the lecturers' friendly approach also helps me to develop. the course has also improved my writing and time management skills.”
how can i get an injured athlete ready for the next competition?
what does a strength and conditioning programme look like for a professional sports team?
can an athlete ever get back to peak performance after injury?
does kinesiology tape (brightly coloured tape) actually work?
how do you change an athletes running mechanics to prevent injuries?
how do you prevent hamstring injuries in professional football?
“ i used the sports therapy clinic and it is the best treatment i have ever received. the students and graduates are a credit to the university and clearly demonstrate that they are extremely knowledgeable, show care in wanting to help me understand the causes of my problem areas, and provide excellent treatment and aftercare advice. i only wish i had known of the clinic sooner having engaged with numerous therapists in the past, none of whom have been so attentive and determined to fix me!”
we are renowned for producing excellent vocationally focused graduates. this course prepares you to work as exercise professionals in preventative and rehabilitative treatment for the national health service (nhs). it equips you for careers as clinical demonstrator, as performance specialists with professional sports clubs and governing bodies and as rehabilitation specialists both in the private and public sectors, working in sports clubs and sports injury clinics. you are also well prepared for a number of roles with the armed forces. you could progress onto a msc such as our own MSc Sport & Exercise Psychology, a phd or train as a teacher with a postgraduate certificate of education (pgce).
recent graduates have gone to work with practices within the local area as well as some graduates setting up their own very successful clinics. our graduates have also gone on to work for plymouth argyle, plymouth albion, exeter chiefs and torquay united and nhs health clinics.
“the job is different every day. watching clients progress from your own advice is great. the job is not typical of 9-5. being self-employed enables me to work from home, so i can build a client base around when i can work. having experienced lecturers who knew the subject enabled me to engage with them and prepare for what was expected from me after university. it made me aware that this industry is always changing and the importance of keeping up to date with current practice.”
daniel is a sports therapist for torquay united football club and complete physical therapy.
“ we start by learning about the psychological behaviours that relate to high level sport performance and also learn soft tissue techniques to help relieve injuries with real clients. in the second year you will learn how to assess and treat spinal injuries, learn more about how the body heals after injury and undertake a work placement in the industry. the third year gives you more work experience and will give you a better understanding of injury prevention techniques. ”
fees uk students: £9,250 per annum
fees for international students: £12,000 per annum
students are required to self-fund:
includes lectures, seminars, tutorials, clinical experience and practical sessions. practical teaching takes place in our dedicated sport rehab clinic, commercial clinic and our bases accredited physiology and biomechanics laboratories.
assessment methods include case studies, written exams, essays, laboratory reports, poster, competence based exams and practical exams.
sarah has worked with international, national and local sports persons from a variety of disciplines for over 20 years. she has worked within championship football, professional basketball, academy squads within professional rugby and football and professional ice hockey. she holds professional qualifications in manual therapy, acupuncture and she is a tutor for the rfu intermediate care in sport qualification. she is also a member of the sports therapy organisation (sto) executive committee - education and training officer, a member of the complementary and natural health care council, federation of holistic therapists (fht), british association of sport and exercise sciences (bases) and the british association of sport rehabilitators and trainers (basrat). her research expertise is in the use of kinesiology tape in the reduction of acute and chronic pain.
view full profilesherrie is a chartered physiotherapist and a member of the acucpuncture association of chartered physiotherapists (aacp). she is an experienced lecturer and has held various positions as senior physiotherapist in the nhs, specialising in pulmonary rehabilitation, acute care and early orthopedic rehabilitation in the community. her research interest is musculoskeletal injury management and exercise prescription for chronic disease groups.
vicki specialises in exercise rehabilitation and has worked with diverse groups including adolescents and injured members if the fire service. she supervises clinical practice when students are working in the marjon sports therapy clinic.
sarah teaches sports therapy and rehabilitation. she managed her own successful private clinic in plymouth, and worked with plymouth devils speedway team before joining the university. she is working on a phd focusing on the ageing process in senior female golfers.
gary is an honorary associate professor for the royal devon and exeter nhs foundation trust where he conducts research in back pain and nerve biomechanics. he is a practising chartered physiotherapist and brings a wealth of experience in musculoskeletal injury and diagnosis including diagnostic ultrasound imaging.
BSc (Hons) Sport Rehab and Conditioning is a new course for 2020. An alternative course is available to applicants who are applying to enter year two or three in 2020. This is BSc (Hons) Rehabilitation in Sport & Exercise (ucas code C630) and you are invited to contact the course leader, sarah catlow, to find out more about this option.