Sport and Exercise Medicine

This MSc is designed to develop practitioners capable of delivering safe, effective, and person‑centred care within complex, real‑world environments.

• Gain an in‑depth and contemporary understanding of Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM), with a strong emphasis on equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Study a course that focuses on patient-centred and dynamic care
• Become an adaptable practitioner who can demonstrate sophisticated clinical reasoning by tailoring care to specific situations and populations
• Apply theoretical and technical knowledge in practice, and gain a higher level of clinical and leadership skills through placement experience

Take your learning to the next level

A core feature of the programme is its alignment to the Four Pillars of Advanced Practice (recognised across UK healthcare frameworks):

• Clinical Practice
• Leadership and Management
• Education (and Mentorship)
• Research (and Innovation)

These pillars guide the programme’s design and help you develop the confidence and capability required for contemporary advanced roles.

Our MSc Sport and Exercise Medicine offers industry- and research-informed content designed to develop your knowledge, technical capacity, and applied skills as a Sport and Exercise Medicine practitioner.

Rather than relying on traditional placement hours, learning is centred on applied experiences that ultimately develop your ability to become a mentor, building the leadership, educational and supervisory skills needed to support less-experienced learners. In doing so, you will be able to contribute to real-world clinical environments where you integrate evidence, navigate incomplete or emerging research, and manage increasingly complex cases.

You will learn to:

• Make well-reasoned clinical decisions where guidelines are incomplete
• Interpret and synthesise diverse information sources (e.g. biomechanics, imaging, bloods, wearable technology)
• Manage complex presentations across a wide range of populations
• Communicate and lead within multidisciplinary team environments
• Mentor others, an essential skill for advanced practitioners.

Central to the programme design are the concepts of patient-centred and dynamic care, preparing practitioners who can adapt their plan whilst being sensitive to context and individual needs.

This includes the expected understanding of diverse athlete needs, such as supporting athletes with disabilities, recognising the broader risks to and requirements of optimising women’s health in sport: applying inclusive, context-sensitive practice as a standard and essential component of SEM.

Once you have completed the course, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate an evidence-based understanding and critical awareness of sport and exercise medicine interventions, incorporating emerging, industry-accepted innovations
• Develop evidence-based understanding of spinal and peripheral neuromusculoskeletal and vascular anatomy, applying this knowledge to evaluate, differentiate, and interpret functional, pathological, and injury-related problems across diverse sport and exercise medicine contexts
• Present a critical understanding of the physical responses and adaptations to exercise and apply this knowledge to assess and manage diverse patients with sport- and exercise-related injuries and pathologies
• Display a critical understanding of research evidence and expert opinion to inform and advance clinical decision-making, guiding patient management, ongoing care, and referrals in complex sport and exercise medicine contexts.

Applied approach to learning

You will have the opportunity to learn about, develop and lead research through modules and placements. Our teaching team includes research-active staff aligned to the Biomedical and Clinical Sciences research theme and there may also be opportunities to work with the Data Science research team. You will benefit from current research opportunities, as well as engaging with wider research and innovation in the sport and exercise medicine sector.

Be prepared for an exciting future

An MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine is not simply an academic qualification but a practitioner-focused preparation for leadership in one of medicine’s most dynamic fields.

Graduates emerge with:

• A solid grounding in Sport and Exercise Medicine theory and practice
• Confidence to manage complex patients where evidence is incomplete
• The ability to navigate emerging technologies and fast-moving paradigms
• A deep appreciation for the multidisciplinary team and its interconnection in delivering safe, effective, and ethical care.

These attributes ensure that graduates are well-positioned for long-term career advancement across healthcare, elite sport, academia, and public health.

The programme will also have embedded additional qualifications, which will be covered by the University or subsidised, ensuring you graduate with industry-relevant skills.

Excellent Facilities

You will develop skills and conduct research in our exceptional sport and exercise facilities, boasting the latest equipment and software for measuring performance, movement, health and fitness. Our laboratories are of such a high standard that they have even been used by Derby County FC for pre-season training programmes.

Our facilities include physiology laboratories, a strength and conditioning facility, a performance suite for biomechanics, and multiple sport therapy suites – including a student-led sport therapy clinic where MSc Sport and Exercise Medicine students may undertake a placement.

In order to obtain the MSc award, you must complete 180 credits. You can also graduate with a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) by successfully completing 60 credits of your choice. To obtain the Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) award, you must complete 120 credits by studying all modules except the Independent Research in Sport and Exercise module.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

You will study discipline-related and research-related modules including a substantial independent project, which allows you to undertake research or evaluation and apply it to a real-world setting. In addition, a key component of the course involves exposure to different populations through placement activity.

Through placements, you will work with clients in a clinical setting and have the opportunity to mentor and supervise other placement students, further enhancing your professional skills.

You will also complete a personal development portfolio that will support identification, development and evidencing of skills – from research skills to clinical skills, and transferable skills. There will be frequent opportunities to discuss your personal aims and ambitions with support provided to create a plan for achievement.

The 20-credit modules are taught modules delivered face-to-face, providing an opportunity for peer-to-peer learning and collaboration through interactive activities. You will also have practical sessions based in our specialist laboratories and sports centre.

How you’ll be assessed

Assessments will require you to integrate knowledge and skills acquired in taught sessions with substantial additional information and evidence you have identified using your research literacy skills.

Learning and teaching methods will vary between modules:

• written essay/reports
• case studies
• oral presentation and debate
• viva voce examination.

Effective communication of ideas, critical evaluation and synthesis of knowledge are important criteria in assessing all areas of work at this level. Practical skills, including a range of methodological and analytical techniques, are assessed through the completion of practical exercises to demonstrate competency across a range of areas.

The application of scientific knowledge in applied practitioner settings will be assessed through developing or interventions, research proposals and conducting independent scholarship. Your capacity to critically evaluate the role, requirements, limits and skills required in undertaking applied practitioner work will be assessed by a portfolio relating to your work placement.

An MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM) provides you with a solid foundation within this area of specialism and prepares you for advanced roles in clinical practice, elite sport, research, and Public Health.

The programme develops skills and understanding across an array of clinical contexts of increased complexity relevant to a diverse range of patient groups and sporting environments. The result is a practitioner who is well-equipped to succeed, lead, and shape health provision with equity, cultural sensitivity, and professionalism in a diverse and high-pressure environment.

You can work in areas including:

Elite and Professional Sport

In high-performance environments, graduates are equipped to deliver advanced care across injury prevention, rehabilitation, and athlete monitoring. The MSc explicitly supports this by exposing and supporting practitioners to complex real-world scenarios, so that they may step into leadership roles within elite sport, guiding both athletes and staff through complex, ethically challenging decisions.

Private Practice and Consultancy

Graduates frequently establish or join private clinics specialising in musculoskeletal health, sports injury management, and rehabilitation. MSc-level training fosters confidence in independent decision-making where evidence is incomplete, enabling practitioners to adapt research findings into safe, well-reasoned care plans.

Research and Academia

Graduates may use the MSc as a stepping stone to doctoral research or university teaching roles. Career options include lecturing, supervising students, or pursuing research in areas such as sports injury prevention, rehabilitation science, or the role of exercise in chronic disease management.

Public Health and Policy

Exercise medicine is an expanding field, with MSc graduates increasingly involved in public health initiatives that integrate exercise into prevention and treatment pathways. This includes developing exercise referral schemes, advising on NHS innovation, and promoting physical activity at the population level. Graduates could also contribute to policy and advocacy in areas such as anti-doping, athlete safeguarding, and welfare.

This programme is aimed at applicants with at least a second class honours undergraduate degree in a related subject, such as Sport Therapy, Physiotherapy, Sports Rehabilitation, or other allied health sciences.

You may be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prior to commencing your placement should it be required for the nature of the work conducted. Information regarding this requirement will be provided in the applicant’s offer letter and it is their responsibility to obtain the DBS check (or international equivalent) if needed before placement activity can commence.

Entry requirements for EU/international students: International students should have the above or an international equivalent. If English is not your first language, you will need to hold IELTS qualifications of 6.5, with no lower than 6.0 in each category.

We also recommend that if you are an international student that would like to undertake placements with organisations like the NHS, working with vulnerable populations, that you obtain a Certificate of Good Conduct before arriving in the UK.

If you're an international student and want to improve your English language skills before you start your course, the Derby English Language Centre's pre-sessional English course can help you.

Please note fees normally increase in line with inflation and the University's strategic approach to fees, which is reviewed on an annual basis. The total fee you pay may therefore increase after one year of study.

* UK full-time fees paid within one academic year are rounded down to the nearest £50 if applicable

About postgraduate awards

Please note at postgraduate level, you'll need to gain the following number of credits in total to obtain the respective awards. If you have any questions please contact us.

This means you will gain 180 credits in total to complete the full MA or MSc. If you are studying part time you will normally complete your studies over two or three years, depending on the course structure.

Funding your studies

Find out more about fees, postgraduate loans and support you may be entitled to.

Find out about funding your studiesFind out about funding your studies

Alumni discount for Derby graduates

We offer a discount on postgraduate course fees for all Derby alumni.

Find out about the Alumni discountFind out about the Alumni discount

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.