Course overview
You gain critical thinking and enquiry skills, allowing you to make innovative injury management plans within a sporting environment.
The curriculum has been developed using the International Federation of Sports Physical Therapy competencies and with engagement from clinicians working within professional sporting environments. You are taught by academic staff with clinical experience working with athletic populations, and external clinicians with experience working with professional athletes from multi sports. Evidence-based principles are used within a robust clinical reasoning framework, allowing you to develop your skills and apply appropriate injury management, and performance enhancement to the sporting individual.
Course details
Course structure
Year 1 core modules
Develop the knowledge and skills you need to design and manage primary or secondary research, audit or evaluation project relevant to your practice, preparing you for dissertation. You also cover research governance and ethics, to prepare you to apply for ethical approval or release.
You are assessed through a written 4,000-word proposal for a research, audit or evaluation study, which is worth 100% of the module marks and should be submitted in week 13.
This multi-professional module sets the scene for the level of criticality to which all future modules will be subject to. It is common within sports physiotherapy for interventions to be guided by athlete preference or the sports physiotherapist’s personal experience without alignment to the evidence base. The level of enquiry and criticality developed within this module should assist you with the transition to master’s level study.
Exercise Physiology and Sports Clinical Biomechanics
You develop exercise physiological knowledge establishing the dynamic relationships of neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. Explore sporting biomechanical principles in the context of injury prevention and performance enhancement.
Exercise Prescription and Health Promotion
Advance your knowledge as a physiotherapy professional required to prescribe exercise and promote health behaviour change in the sporting population. Develop your understanding of theory and application of the components of training for fitness and health, and the development of exercise protocols for the management of stable chronic conditions. Look at the industry requirements related to strength and conditioning and exercise prescription, employing a practical approach to explore key issues. Gain an understanding of health promotion and who is involved in a range of sporting levels from community/local to elite level.
Prevention and Management of Sports Injuries
The area of injury prevention and management has become an integral responsibility of physiotherapists working in a sporting environment. Learn about risk factors that can contribute to increasing an athlete’s risk of injury in sport, and explore appropriate interventions in the immediate management and prevention of injuries. Look at key concepts and practical application in areas of injury prevention and acute injury management.
Rehabilitation of the Injured Athlete
This highly practical module draws upon existing expertise, and challenges you to integrate strategies of exercise therapy suitable for multi-sport injuries. Elements of data collection and program design will be experienced to prepare you for later data collection associated with your major project.
Year 2 core modules
Year two will see the students embark on a 60 credit ‘Dissertation’ module which will span across two semesters. The taught elements of this will be delivered in semester one and it is expected that students will be progressing with data collection and write up within semester two with support from their project supervisor.
An internship has been included in the programme in order to build upon the practical skills developed in year one. Depending on the needs of the internship provider the number of hours per week and duration of the internship will vary but will not exceed 12 weeks. This module aims to develop students’ employability attributes by providing an experiential learning opportunity to further develop and apply their sports physiotherapy knowledge within a workplace environment.
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
In the first year, you attend campus for two to three days a week. In the second year, you are offered an internship of up to 12 weeks within a sports physiotherapy host site, and you complete your dissertation.
Learning is a collaboration between UK and international students. Taught lectures are delivered by experienced senior lecturers from both physiotherapy and sports science disciplines with input from clinicians working with athletes in elite sport from a variety of contexts.
You complete a large proportion of independent study, guided by your module tutors. Seminar sessions challenge you to solve real case scenarios, often with group collaboration. You develop practical skills through workshops in the well-equipped labs, preparing you for practice in elite sports medicine environments.
You have access to online material through the Virtual Learning Environment, supporting effective self-study. You also have access to the University library and support services on campus and remotely.
How you are assessed
You are assessed through a range of methods, reflecting both module material and the relevance to practice in a sporting environment. Methods include written assignments, poster presentations, oral assessments and lab reports. Modules are typically not assessed with more than one component.
Formative feedback is offered throughout to help prepare you for the final assessment. This may be tutor feedback, peer feedback and self-reflection on performance. Assessment marks with feedback are returned within 20 working days.
Your internship is assessed through a portfolio demonstrating your experience and learning from practice, and an oral exam where you present a critical appraisal of your development.
Entry requirements
Applicants would normally require a 2:1 degree or above in physiotherapy.
A successful DBS check will need to be completed for all students to allow them to work in clinical practice as part of the internship. This will be carried out within the UK following acceptance onto the course.
International applicants will require a minimum overall IELTS score of 6.5 (with a minimum score of 6.5 in all sections) or equivalent.
For general information please see our overview of entry requirements
International applicants can find out what qualifications they need by visiting Your Country
Employability
Career opportunities
You graduate with the knowledge and skills to advance your career in a professional sports environment. For those working in non-professional sporting environments, you develop expertise in the management of sports injuries and could transfer this knowledge to practice in either public funded healthcare settings or to private practice.
Work placement
You complete an eight to twelve week internship at the start of your second year and are supported by the University to look for this. You are assigned a mentor at the host organisation who works with you to develop your sports physiotherapy skills. You must work flexibly and your working week could span across evenings and weekends.
Information for international applicants
Qualifications
International applicants - find out what qualifications you need by selecting your country below.
Select your country:
Useful information
Visit our international pages for useful information for non-UK students and applicants.