Sports Rehabilitation and Therapy (Taught)

This industry-accredited course is designed to give you the high-quality, profession-specific training needed to prevent, assess, diagnose and treat sport and physical activity-related injuries. The qualification focuses on developing practical skills while teaching how to use theory to underpin clinical reasoning. Putting theory into practice is a key focus: you complete 400 hours of practice placement, provided by the University, in a range of settings from elite sports teams and private clinics to our on-site Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Clinic and Community Exercise Clinic, working with professional athletes, members of the public and clinical populations.

Course accreditation/industry endorsement
The course is accredited by the British Association of Sport Rehabilitators and Trainers (BASRaT), providing the academic foundation required to apply for BASRaT registration as a Graduate Sport Rehabilitator (GSR). Please note that successful completion of the degree alone does not automatically confirm BASRaT registration.

The course is endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA), allowing you to gain an additional qualification as a Strength & Conditioning Trainer. There is also the option to take a further subsidised Pre-Hospital Immediate Care in Sport (PHICIS) Level 2 qualification, one of the eligibility criteria required by BASRaT for professional registration.

Facilities and specialist equipment
Fully supervised, on-site sports therapy and rehabilitation centre with an MSK (musculoskeletal) clinic, open to staff, students and external athletes/clients
Community Exercise Clinic, run by staff and students
Sport massage rooms/clinic therapy rooms
Six CASES-accredited laboratories including molecular and cellular labs, and biomechanics labs with 3D camera system
Human Performance Centre
New strength and conditioning facility

Industry links
Benefit from supervised placement opportunities including Luton Town FC, MK Dons FC, Bedford Tigers RLFC, Bedford Blues RUFC, Bedfordshire County Cricket, Oaklands College Sports Academies, Samuel Whitbread School and many others.

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.

Your student experience
This course is taught over four semesters, allowing you to study the theory and practical skills required to be a sports rehabilitation specialist before you apply them through our integrated work placement and dissertation units.

Gain experience through our fully supervised, on-site Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation MSK Centre, which has industry-standard equipment and is open to staff, students and external athletes/clients.
Attend our ISPAR seminar series and gain work-related insights from visiting industry speakers. Past speakers include Jack Wells (PGA); Akash Modhwadia (Strength and conditioning coach at MK Dons); Marsha Brierley (behaviour change practitioner at Buckinghamshire Public Health); Mark Finney (former head of S&C at Northampton Saints); and Phil Pask (former head of physio for England Rugby).
Field trips include St George’s Park, Burton-on-Trent, the home of England Football; King’s College, London; Luton Town FC; Northampton Saints physio centre; National Rehabilitation Centre; and MoD Rehabilitation Centre.

Course modules

Principles of strength and conditioning – Learn the coaching principles underpinning S&C and use them to deliver safe, effective sessions.

Principles of exercise and rehabilitation – Use current evidence and best practice to assess injuries so you can plan and deliver safe, effective rehabilitation sessions.

Sports Rehabilitation and Therapy placement 1 – Put your knowledge and skills into practice in clinical and exercise settings, undertaking injury assessment and planning rehabilitation exercise sessions.

Sports Rehabilitation and Therapy placement 2 – Build on the knowledge and skills gained in your first placement with an advanced clinical experience where you assess injury then plan and manage rehabilitation sessions.

Sports injuries and musculoskeletal assessment – Develop the clinical skills to conduct a safe and effective examination and assessment of upper and lower limbs.

Manual therapy – Understand the theories underpinning manual therapy techniques and be able to apply them safely and effectively in practice.

Injury treatment modalities – Expand your knowledge and practise your skills in using a range of injury-treatment techniques in real-world clinical settings.

Research methods – Develop the knowledge and skills necessary to examine and conduct research in the field of sports rehabilitation and therapy.

Sports Rehabilitation and Therapy dissertation – Undertake a substantial, ethically sound research project on a topic of interest appropriate for your Master’s course.

Every effort is made to make sure the information here is accurate; however, for the most up-to-date information, visit our website.