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What makes Sports Therapy at Worcester special?

Our Sports Therapy Degree is about more than injury treatment and prevention. You will develop your skills and experience across Sports Therapy and Exercise Science with a broad base of sports science disciplines, for a wide range of Sports Therapy careers. The course is accredited by The Society of Sports Therapists and as a course team we pride ourselves on our engagement with the Professional Body to ensure the course is continually at the forefront of Sports Therapy. Students can choose to study this course either at our Worcester or our Dudley campus.

Top sports people constantly operate on the edge of injury as they push themselves to the limit. A skilled sports therapist can help keep an athlete on track.

Throughout the course, you'll gain the confidence and expertise to plan, prepare and deliver maximum performance when it counts.    

Overview

Overview

Key features

  • Accredited by the Society of Sports Therapists, preparing you for a role as a graduate sports therapist
  • All staff are highly experienced and full members of The Society of Sports Therapists
  • Work-based learning gives you a wealth of positive experience
  • Excellent industry links, including Worcester Warriors Rugby Club, Kidderminster Harriers Football Club and a multitude of rugby, football, netball, basketball and clinics
  • Opportunities to gain experience in the clinical environment - through our University’s sports massage clinics and sports injury clinics
  • A range of facilities such as our human performance labs, clinical teaching suite, strength and conditioning labs and the award-winning University of Worcester Arena
  • Opportunities to gain invaluable experience working with elite athletes participating in national and international competitions at the University
  • Our students have the opportunity to study this course at our Worcester or our Dudley Campus depending on their preferred location.
Exterior view of Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology in Dudley

Study Sports Therapy BSc in Dudley

From September 2024, you have the choice to study a Sports Therapy BSc in Worcester or at our partner institute in Dudley. The course will be taught by the same experienced lecturers at both venues.

"The course content of integrating work placement within the three years of academic study appealed to me, allowing continual practical application of course theory. I had an overriding feeling of 'belonging' from day one to the end of the course."

Georgina King, Sports Therapy graduate

Register your interest

Enter your details below and we will keep you up to date with useful information about studying at the University of Worcester.


Student clinics at the Sports Centre

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

104
UCAS tariff points

Entry requirements

104 UCAS Tariff points

Access to Higher Education Diploma accepted - please contact us for further details.

An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), formerly known as CRB, is required for this course. Successful candidates will also be required to complete a medical questionnaire.

Shortlisted applicants may be invited for interview.

Other information

Your personal statement on the UCAS application form will also be looked at as a key part of your application. You should include the following items in your personal statement, if possible, to show the admissions staff that you are serious in your application to undertake a degree in Sports Therapy:

  • Evidence that you have done some research into the profession of Sports Therapy; you understand what the profession of Sports Therapist involves; how the job of a Sports Therapist may differ from other, similar jobs; you are clear that this is what you want to do in future.
  • You participate in sport or regular exercise. The level you play at is not particularly important.
  • You have some work experience in sport, for example coaching, or therapy, for example observing a therapist working in sport.
  • A sports coaching and / or sports first aid qualification will be a very favourable addition to your academic qualifications.
  • You can show the admissions staff that you understand the effort which will be required to complete this degree programme.
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Course content

Course content

Our courses are informed by research and current developments in the discipline and feedback from students, external examiners and employers. Modules do therefore change periodically in the interests of keeping the course relevant and reflecting best practice. The most up-to-date information will be available to you once you have accepted a place and registered for the course. 

Year 1

Mandatory

  • Functional Anatomy
  • Sports Massage
  • Study Skills for Sports Therapists
  • First Aid and Thermotherapies
  • The Exercising Human for Sports Therapists
  • Injuries and Assessment

Year 2

Mandatory

  • Peripheral Joint Mobilisations
  • Research Process for Sports Therapists
  • Psychology and Nutrition for Sports Therapists
  • Electrotherapy and Taping
  • Sports and Exercise Rehabilitation
  • Peripheral Joint Assessment (Clinical Special Tests)
  • Vertebral Assessment and Joint Mobilisations

Year 3

Mandatory

  • Sports Therapy Independent Research Project
  • Sports Therapy in Action
  • Clinical Practice
  • Professional Development and Employability for Sports Therapists
  • Advanced Sports Therapy

You will gain a solid working knowledge of all areas of Sports Therapy, including; anatomy, human movement and biomechanics, physiology, exercise programme prescription, nutrition, sports psychology, trauma management Injury assessment, treatment and rehabilitation.

Work based learning is integral to the course and you will gain experience throughout your time with us in massage clinics, sports injury clinics, at external events, working alongside University sports teams, first aiding at various events and throughout a double module of clinical placement running across the final year. The wealth of practical experience alongside the theory and skills you will gain throughout the course will help to develop you into a competent and professional Graduate Sports Therapist ready for membership of the Society of Sports Therapy and employment.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching and assessment

Teaching and Learning

The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip you for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement. A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support through the personal academic tutoring system enables you to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will enable you to flourish and be successful.

Teaching

You are taught through a combination of traditional and online lectures, theoretical and applied seminars and practical sessions in clinical and applied settings. You will learn the therapeutic skills of detailed anatomy, examination and assessment, joint mobilisations, massage, sports rehabilitation and other electrotherapy modalities. The course will also develop academic skills such as of scientific writing, researching, critical thinking and clinical reasoning utilising the current evidence base.

In addition, meetings with Personal Academic Tutors (PAT) are scheduled on four occasions in each year of a course. The purpose of these meetings is to support your progress and enhance your learning through a personalised approach to meet individual student needs.

You have an opportunity to consolidate your practical skills and communication skills in clinics, at external events and placements throughout the course. Links have been forged with a number of local professional and amateur football, rugby, cricket and basketball teams - other sports also provide placement opportunities. 

Contact time

In a typical week at levels, 4 and 5 students will have a minimum of 10 - 12 contact hours of teaching per week. In levels 6 and 7, students will normally have slightly less contact time (6-8 hours plus clinic and placement hours) to do more independent study and undertake placements.

Typically class contact time each week will be structured around either:

  • A 1 to 2-hour lecture and a two hour practical
  • A 1-hour lecture and a two-to-three hour practical

Students will undertake placement hours internally at levels 4 and 5, and internally and externally at levels 6 and 7, all of these learning hours will be formally recorded and signed by an authorised signatory. 

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, you are expected to undertake around 24-28 hours of personal self-study per week. Typically, this will involve using textbooks, journal articles and video or web-based resources to learn the theoretical aspects of the course and independently directed consolidation of practical skills involving handling, palpation and movements.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

Teaching staff

Students will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes senior academics with research and consultancy experience, postgraduate students, laboratory technical staff and demonstrators. In addition, you can expect to receive sessions with guest lecturers who are currently engaged in Sport Therapy and Exercise science activities outside of the university.

Teaching is informed by research and consultancy, and the majority of lecturers on the course have a higher education teaching qualification or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or 'formative' assignments. Each module has one or more formal or 'summative' assessments which is graded and count towards the overall module grade.

Assessment methods include traditional laboratory reports, practical examinations and video-based assessments. A typical formal summative assessment pattern for each year of the course is: 

Year 1

Laboratory Reports, Literature Review, Practical Examinations, Online Examinations, an Anatomy Spotter Exam, a Video Presentation, an exercise-based portfolio and completion of hours in the Sports Massage Clinics. 

Year 2

Online Examinations, Practical Examinations, Leaflets designed to inform Athletes, a Video-based submission, a Literature Review, Small Group Presentation, completion of a research-based Ethics Form, a Scientific Report, a small Project and completion of hours in the Sports Massage Clinics. 

Year 3

Research Project, Practical Examination, Trauma Examination, Online Examinations, Professional Practice and Reflective portfolios, Business Plan Presentation, Job Application, Presentations, a Skills-Based competency document and completion of hours from internal and external placements. 

Feedback

You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback on examination performance is available upon request from the module leader. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate. We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.

Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with Personal Academic Tutors (PAT) and module tutors as appropriate.

Additional qualifications

Throughout both the Sports Therapy MSci and Sports Therapy BSc (Hons) courses there are opportunities for students to gain additional qualifications if they do not already hold them.

The Level 2 Emergency First Aid , AED and Level 3 Trauma Management qualifications are included in the tuition fee.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.

Meet the team

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. 

david-hickman

David Hickman

David joined the University in 2012 on an internship following his graduation from the Sports Therapy programme at Worcester. Since then David has enjoyed a number of roles at the University including: delivering exercise rehabilitation programmes and classes to a variety of population groups, as a sessional lecturer in the Institute of Health, and supervising Sports Therapy students in massage and injury clinics. He soon realised that he had a passion for teaching and joined the Sports Therapy team full time as a lecturer at the start of 2016. As part of his role at the University, David leads the Sports Therapy provision for the Worcester Wolves Women's Basketball team and Severn Stars Netball Elite Pathway.

Externally David is a video reviewer in the Women’s Rugby Premiership for Worcester Warriors, where he works closely alongside team doctors to provide footage which may be used as an indicator for head injury assessments. Previously, David has also worked with the Worcester Wolves Men’s Basketball team, England Basketball, Team GB Wheelchair Basketball, and within semi-professional football, alongside clinical work.

David’s interest in neurological conditions led to him studying an MSc in Exercise Rehabilitation, specifically focussing on neurological populations. As a result of this David runs exercise rehabilitation classes for a variety of neurological conditions, which provides placement opportunities for Sports Therapy and Physiotherapy students.

David's areas of interest are trauma management, concussion, and sports injury and rehabilitation through exercise (specifically within musculoskeletal and neurological populations).

christopher-holland

Dr Christopher Holland

Christopher is a graduate Sports Therapist and has been teaching in Higher Education since 2005 across all areas of Sports Science and Sports Therapy. He has a background as a professional footballer and has worked as a Sports Therapist and Strength and Conditioning Coach across a variety of elite level sports and within private practice. He is also currently a Director of the Society of Sports Therapists and as such brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and insight to the course.

Dr Darren Cooper in sports attire smiling at camera

Dr Darren Cooper

Darren has worked with athletes professionally since 2003 ranging from dedicated amateurs to Olympians. His areas of expertise are Sports Therapy, Elite Sports Performance, Sports Biomechanics and Learning and Teaching.

He enjoys teaching on many modules, including the Functional Anatomy and the Advances and Developments in Sports Therapy modules.

Darren is a member of the Society of Sports Therapists (MSST) and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

chris-bonell

Chris Bonell

Chris is a graduate sports therapist and has been teaching across a broad area of sports therapy and exercise physiology in higher education since 2010.

Chris comes from an experienced health and fitness background holding several roles within the industry and has worked with a wide range of clientele including athletes and firefighters.  He enjoys drawing upon his varying experiences whilst lecturing at the University

zac read

Zac Read

Zac first joined the University of Worcester as a student in 2016 on the BSc Sports Therapy course. After graduating in 2019, he joined the staff team as a Technical Demonstrator for Sports Therapy before progressing into a lecturing role in 2022.

Whilst studying the Sports Therapy degree, Zac committed himself to gaining as much experience as possible during his studies, finishing with three times the required placement hours logged and two academic scholarships. This has led to Zac working in professional rugby and cricket, semi-professional rugby and football, and amateur and youth rugby and football. Zac also took an opportunity to work in disability sport during 2018, with placements with the England Visually Impaired and England Learning Difficulties cricket teams.

Internally, Zac has experience working closely with the Worcester Wolves Men’s team as well as managing the massage and injury clinics that are open to staff, students and members of the public.

Externally, Zac is the Lead Sports Therapist at Bromsgrove RFC and has worked freelance across the country in Rugby 7s Festivals, British Basketball Finals and with GB American Football.

Zac’s interests in the field focus around sport rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, first aid, sporting injuries and biomechanics.

Careers

Careers

Employability is one of the key strengths of the Sports Therapy course at Worcester. 87.5% of our graduates were employed or in further study eighteen months after graduation in 2018/19. From those that were employed, 83.3% were in high or medium skilled roles.

Graduates from our Sports Therapy degree can follow a number of career paths including:

  • Graduate Sports Therapist at a sports club or with a team
  • Working in private practice as a therapist within fitness and leisure complexes
  • Sports rehabilitation
  • Further study to progress your career in sports therapy

The course also provides a sound basis for a variety of postgraduate courses in sports science, sports medicine or PGCE teaching qualification.

Two students are walking next to each other and smiling

Careers and Employability

Our Graduates pursue exciting and diverse careers in a wide variety of employment sectors.

Find out how we can support you to achieve your potential

Studying Sport at Worcester

Costs

Fees and funding

Full-time tuition fees

UK and EU students

The standard fee for full-time home and EU undergraduate students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees in the 2024/25 academic year is £9,250 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

International students

The standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees in the 2024/25 academic year is £16,200 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

Additional costs

Every course has day-to-day costs for books (if you wish to purchase them, although this is not required), stationery, printing and photocopying. The amounts vary between courses.

There will be the opportunity to go on a variety of trips, these are optional and you will be expected to meet any costs.

You will be expected to cover any travel expenses related to placements. We estimate the cost of course related clothing to be around £100.

Aspects required for the course:

  • Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check - one time cost

Accommodation

Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience. Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study.

We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Chestnut Halls' at £131 per week to 'Oak Halls' at £221 per week (2024/25 prices).

For full details visit our accommodation page.

Sports Scholarships

At Worcester we are committed to supporting elite and talented sports performers who are dedicated to both sporting and academic success. Our sports scholarships are available for a range of team and individual sports. For further information, visit our sports scholarships pages.

How to apply