Set yourself apart as an industry-ready sports therapist and rehabilitation specialist, fully prepared to go into practice after graduation. Starting your studies with a foundation year gives you all the support you need to excel.
Choose the four-year degree incorporating a foundation year for a stimulating introduction to this crucial sphere of the sports industry
Take a route which is designed especially for students considering a new career or who are keen to explore a new subject area
Fulfil your ambitions on a course which sets high academic and professional standards, with accreditation from The Society of Sports Therapists
Apply theory to practice by undertaking over 200 hours of clinical placements working under expert supervision
Perfect your techniques in manual therapy, exercise therapy and sports massage to aid the rehabilitation process
Go on exciting fieldtrips to major events where you can see sports therapists in action
Take full advantage of the outstanding learning facilities in our new sports centre
Learn from highly experienced staff who regularly provide professional consultancy services to elite track and field athletes, golfers and footballers
Sport Therapy and Rehabilitation at Derby
Clients and patients rely on sports therapists to help them reach optimum levels of functional, occupational and sports-specific fitness. As a professional working in this field, you’ll harness the principles of sport and exercise to help boost performance and develop injury prevention and rehabilitation programmes. You’ll also deliver assessments and treatments in a variety of recreational, training and competitive settings.
This course offers a powerful blend of science and practice. You’ll gain in-depth knowledge of anatomy and movement while covering the rehabilitation process in all its aspects, including manual therapy techniques, exercise therapy, and sports massage.
Throughout, we introduce the latest research in this rapidly evolving discipline to help advance your practice as a therapist and ensure your work is informed by current thinking.
Sport and Exercise Science - your questions answered
In the below video, Head of Discipline for Sport and Exercise Science, Andy Hooton, answers some of the most frequently asked questions about Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Derby.
Including a foundation year as part of your four-year study programme will give you a head start in your academic and professional life. The foundation year offers the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence – with extensive support from our expert staff – before you advance to stage one of your honours degree. It could also be beneficial if you are planning a career change and want to get to grips with aspects of subjects which are new to you.
Our degrees with a foundation year are continuous, meaning that you won’t need to apply again once you have successfully completed the first year.
Expert teaching
You’ll be inspired and motivated by a teaching team with substantial expertise in sports therapy and rehabilitation, as well as wide-ranging partnerships with sports clubs. Such is the reputation of our staff that they are often called upon to provide consultancy services for elite track and field athletes, golfers and professional footballers.
Thanks to our strong industry collaborations, our course features exciting opportunities for you to attend guest lectures, take part in demonstrations and undertake employer-led projects.
Action-packed learning
Your studies will be varied, inspirational and grounded in the realities of professional practice. No day is the same: you could be taking part in placements, heading off on fieldtrips, investigating real-world case studies, undertaking laboratory work or challenging yourself with problem-solving exercises.
Opportunities for work placements are a cornerstone of this degree, enhancing your career prospects and ensuring you are ready to practise effectively once you graduate. You could gain hands-on experience with private therapy clinics or University sports teams, working with clients under expert supervision. Your clinical placements will amount to more than 200 hours overall.
Our programme of fieldtrips is equally important in broadening your professional outlook. In the past, our students have visited sporting events such as 10-kilometre runs, half marathons and golf tournaments for a close-up view of the work of the sports therapist.
Managing Excellence
When Mark Faghy first arrived in Derby as a teenage undergraduate, he stated proudly that his goal was to become manager of the England football team. Now he is a respected research academic leading an international collaboration in the fight against Covid. And his students are helping.
Many jobs within sports therapy and rehabilitation today require applicants to be registered with The Society of Sports Therapists. Because our BSc (Hons) Sport Therapy and Rehabilitation course is accredited by the Society, you’ll graduate with a highly regarded and nationally recognised qualification, together with a professional standing.
As the lead organisation for sports therapists in the UK, the Society gives its seal of approval to degrees which set high professional standards. When you start your course, you’ll therefore have the opportunity to become a member of the Society. Once you graduate, you’ll then be eligible to apply for full membership as a graduate sports therapist. This represents an important addition to your CV and will help you stand out when meeting potential employers.
Our Performance Suite
Our Performance Suite allows Sport and Exercise Science students to learn about performance analysis, biomechanics, strength and conditioning, and injury prevention. As well as elite athletes outside of the University, you'll also be working with our Team Derby athletes to help them improve their performance and successfully compete. Take a look at the Performance Suite and Vicon cameras in action:
Your learning experience and your social life at University will be enriched by the imposing facilities at our £10.8m Sports Centre. You can improve your practical know-how in our dedicated sport therapy clinical teaching rooms.
The centre also features a main hall, fitness gym with strength and conditioning area, studios, squash and badminton courts, an internal climbing wall, sprint track, changing rooms, treatment rooms and a café. With floodlit all-weather pitches and tennis courts adding to the picture, it means there is a wealth of opportunities to take part in a diverse range of sports – for elite performers and beginners alike.
Sports Scholarships
The University of Derby is a sporting hub for talented athletes and coaches. We have a track record of improving the performance of our University sports clubs and we have created an infrastructure to provide support for talented athletes. We offer a Sports Scholarship programme that aims to help talented student-athletes realise their sporting potential while supporting them through their academic studies. We offer scholarships of up to £6,000 and provide tailored athlete-support packages delivered by an experienced multi-disciplinary Performance Sport team.
Join Team Derby
If you enjoy a challenge and would like to make the most of your own sporting passion and prowess, you could become involved with Team Derby which is the focal point for the University’s sporting community. It encompasses all aspects of sport, including courses, numerous sports clubs, the Athletics Union and sport development activities. You can also take part in the national BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) competitions.
Work placement confirms Olivia's passion for the future
Work placements during your degree can help show you a path to your future. Olivia Brown’s work placement confirmed that a future in sport therapy is where her passion lies.
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.
Undergraduate Open Days
The best way to find out if studying at Derby is right for you is to experience an Open Day. Get a feel for the city and campus, tour our first-class facilities and see where you could be living.
You’ll learn through a combination of clinics, lectures, practical sessions, seminars, laboratories, workshops, tutorials, and guided self-study. During your study, you will complete a number of work placements in our real world learning labs and, using the knowledge, skills, and understanding you acquire, you’ll learn to evaluate research and use it to develop your clinical decision making skills and inform your practice as a therapist.
Assessment
The course assesses the professional, academic, and scientific skills considered key to becoming a research savvy, industry-ready sports therapist and rehabilitator. Assessments will include oral presentations, structured clinical examinations, written projects, problem solving exercises, laboratory reports, professional development work, exercise prescription tasks, essays, practical viva voce, and case studies.
Personal academic tutoring
Your personal academic tutor will work with you to help you get the most out of your time at university. Having someone to talk to about your academic progress, your university experience and your professional aspirations is hugely valuable. We want you to feel challenged in your studies, stretched but confident to achieve your academic and professional goals.
These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2023 entry.
Requirement
What we're looking for
UCAS points
72
A Level
DDD
T Level
Pass
BTEC
MPP
GCSE
GCSE Maths and English are preferred, however if you don't have these qualifications you will be able to undertake Maths and English at Level 2 as part of your course of study
Access to HE
Pass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 and 15 at Level 2
English language requirements
IELTS: 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each skills area)
2024 entry
These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2024 entry.
Requirement
What we're looking for
UCAS points
72
A Level
DDD
T Level
Pass
BTEC
MMP
GCSE
GCSE Maths and English are preferred, however if you don't have these qualifications you will be able to undertake Maths and English at Level 2 as part of your course of study
Access to HE
Pass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 with a minimum of Distinction: 0, Merit: 24, Pass: 21
English language requirements
IELTS: 6.0 (with at least 5.5 in each skills area)
Because this course is aligned to the professional guidelines set out by The Society of Sports Therapists, you’ll be fully prepared to go into practice as an injury and exercise-based rehabilitation and fitness specialist. You can also progress to roles working in multi-disciplinary or inter-disciplinary healthcare teams.
Your qualification also puts you on the pathway to postgraduate education, including the exciting and innovative masters courses available at Derby. You could consider our MSc Applied Sport and Exercise Science - which also has a psychology pathway, or our MSc Clinical Exercise Science programme.
Through our Professional Development Package, you'll gain valuable transferable skills, including:
Written and verbal communication
Research and analytical
Personal motivation, organisation and self-reflection
Numeracy
IT literacy
Critical awareness
Careers and Employment Service
To boost your employment skills, you can access the University's Careers and Employment Service. The team can connect you with employers to help find opportunities for work placements, part-time jobs, and volunteering. Our careers consultants are also on hand to guide you through the career options for your degree, CV writing, or starting your own business - and we commit to helping you for three years after you graduate to find a job.
Contact us
If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.
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.
Additional costs and optional extras
We’re committed to providing you with an outstanding learning experience. Our expert teaching, excellent facilities and great employability prepare you for your future career. As part of our commitment to you we aim to keep any additional study costs to a minimum. However, there are occasions where students may incur some additional costs.
The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.
Included in your fees
To welcome you to our team, you’ll receive a University of Derby, Sport and Exercise Science t-shirt
Annual membership of the Society of Sport Therapists for the duration of your studies
A hydrotherapy and cryotherapy trip
Pitchside First Aid Qualification (we will contribute to or pay the full cost of additional qualifications which are arranged by us. For other additional qualifications you’re interested in, we may contribute to or fund these but this is at the Sport department’s discretion)
If a DBS check is needed for the purposes of a module or programme related work placement, this is included in your fee if done via the University
Mandatory costs not included in your fees
If not already owned, appropriate clothing for practical sessions such as tracksuit bottoms and trainers - approximate cost is £50-£100
Two bound copies of Independent Study (dissertation) - approximate cost is £12
Travel to placements - cost varies depending on your placement venue of choice
Optional costs not included in your fees
You may wish to purchase optional textbooks or e-books to support your studies - costs for these are dependent on your choice
To support your studies, you may want to invest in additional qualifications such as a Sports Massage Qualification, Kinesiotaping or Safeguarding - costs will vary depending on your choice
Please note: Our courses are refreshed and updated on a regular basis. If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.
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