Clinical Exercise Therapy

This course gives you the skills and evidence-based knowledge you need to progress into a career as a graduate clinical exercise therapist (GCET). Course units include physiology and anatomy; sports massage; manual therapies; sports injury management; and working with those living with long-term conditions. You apply your knowledge and skills through a minimum of 150 hours of work-based learning opportunities in a range of settings. This includes our on-site Community Exercise Clinic, working with a range of clinical populations including neurological, cardiac, dementia and hypotensive, with further work-based placement opportunities with industry experts.

Course accreditation/industry endorsement
Gain additional free qualifications through our partnership with the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) including Gym Instruction, Core Group Exercise and Working with People with Long Term Conditions. You also have the option to take a further subsidised Pre-Hospital Immediate Care in Sport (PHICIS) Level 2 qualification.

Facilities and specialist equipment
State-of-the-art sports therapy and rehabilitation centre with a sports injury clinic, open to staff, students and external athletes/clients
Put learning into practice via real-life opportunities in our on-site community exercise clinic
Sports massage rooms
Purpose-built strength and conditioning facility
Free gym and Olympic weight room
Sports arena, sports centre, multi-use games areas and other external sports pitches

Career-powered links
We are official partners of Luton Town FC and Bedford Blues RFC as well as other sporting organisations in the region such as Bedford Tigers RLFC, MK Dons, Cricket East and Be Active, giving you opportunities to build your employability through work placements. As well as sports clubs and teams, we collaborate with borough councils, academies and schools, Bedfordshire Police, Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue, the Stroke Association and Bedfordshire NHS Trust.

Your student experience
As well as a highly experienced academic team, you benefit from the guidance of practising therapists, coaches and injury rehabilitation professionals.

Learn in our on-campus sports therapy and rehabillitation MSK clinic, community exercise clinic and gym facilities.

Work with clients with long-term conditions and injuries in our clinics, and use case-study assessments to develop confidence through real experience.

Apply your knowledge and skills through a minimum of 150 hours of work-based learning.

Students benefit from NHS and social-care placement opportunities, working in clinical settings with industry experts such as neurophysiotherapists and clinical exercise physiologists.

Hear from visiting experts in the field of clinical exercise therapy and sport therapy.

Enhance your learning through field trips to destinations such as Luton Town Football Club; Northampton Saints physio centre; and King’s College, London's anatomy rooms.

Take the opportunity to follow a specialism in your final year.

Benefit from the support of your own personal academic tutor who will guide and support you throughout your student journey.

Our Bedford campus is a small, thriving academic community where academic staff get to know you well.

Course modules

Throughout the three-year degree, you undertake 150 hours of placement. To prepare for your final-year dissertation, we also include two units focused on building your research skills: Introduction to research methods (Year 1); Planning and conducting research (Year 2).

Your subject-specific units are:

Year 1 
Anatomy and biomechanics – Learn the basics of human movement, biomechanics and anatomy in sport and exercise. Human physiology – Understand how the body works and adapts to exercise. Normal anatomical structure and function – Study bones, joints and soft tissues, and how they sustain movement. Structural assessment and professional practice – Develop the key practical skills to practise as a professional within a range of placement settings. Sports massage – Learn essential manual therapy and soft-tissue techniques. Gym instruction – Develop skills in exercise prescription and coaching in a gym setting.

Year 2
Altered anatomical structure and function – Explore how health and lifestyle affect anatomy. Manual therapies – Build on massage skills with advanced techniques and joint mobilisations. Physiology of exercise and training – Understand how the body responds to training and different environments. Management of lower extremity injuries – Assess and manage injuries to the lumbar and sacral regions. Management of upper extremity injuries – Assess and manage injuries to thoracic and cervical regions.

Year 3
Clinical exercise – Develop advanced assessment skills for sport rehab and clinical practice. Corrective exercise – Use movement screening to design safe, effective corrective plans. Practice placements and business – Complete supervised practice and gain business and clinical reasoning skills. Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and health – Analyse the impact of activity on health and recommend prevention or treatment strategies. Dissertation – Conduct original research in your chosen area.Every effort is made to ensure this information is accurate at the point of publication on the UCAS website. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to our website.