Sports Therapy BSc (Hons)
What makes Sports Therapy at Worcester special?
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.
At Worcester, sports therapy is about more than injury treatment and prevention - it is about developing your skills and experience across a broad base of sports science disciplines, giving you the confidence and the expertise to make an invaluable contribution to planning, preparing and delivering maximum performance when it counts.
Key features
- Accredited by the Society of Sports Therapists, preparing you for a role as a graduate sports therapist
- Work-based learning gives you a wealth of positive experience
- Excellent industry links, including Worcester Warriors Rugby Club, Kidderminster Harriers Football Club and Worcester City Football Club
- Top-class 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
“The external events and the clinical placement opportunities were amazing. They really brought the whole course together, improved my confidence and showed me where I want to work in the future.”
Peter Khan, Sports Therapy BSc student
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, BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy graduate.
It's not too late to apply!
Entry requirements
What qualifications will you need?
112
UCAS tariff points
Entry requirements
112 UCAS Tariff points to include an A2 in either PE or Human Biology; or a BTEC in Sport or a Sports Related area such as Health that include Anatomy and Physiology units, plus GCSE (C/4) in English and Mathematics.
Access to Higher Education Diploma accepted - please contact us for further details.
A 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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Book your placeCourse content
What will you study?
Here is an overview of current modules available on this course. Regular updates may mean that exact module titles may differ.
Year 1 |
Core modules: Functional Anatomy |
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Year 2 |
Core modules Biomechanics for
Sports Therapy |
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Year 3 |
Core modules Independent Study |
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Women's rowing team
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Men's hockey team
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Women's netball team
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Men's handball team
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Women's hockey team
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Men's cycling team
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Women's equestrian team
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Men's football team
You will gain a solid working knowledge of all areas of sports therapy, including anatomy, human movement and biomechanics, physiology, exercise programme prescription, nutrition and sports psychology.
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
How will you be taught?
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 are scheduled on at least 4 occasions in the first year and three occasions in each of the other years of a course.
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. Students in previous years have also undertaken placements abroad with a range of sports teams.
Contact time
In a typical week at levels 4 and 5 you will have around 12–16 contact hours of teaching. In your final year you will normally have slightly less contact time in order to do more independent study and your placement.
Typically class contact time will be structured around:
- A 1 to 1.5 hour lecture and a two hour practical
- Or a 1 hour lecture and a three hour practical
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.
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 are graded and count towards the overall module grade.
Assessment methods include traditional laboratory reports and literature reviews through to practical examinations and video based assessments.
The precise assessment requirements for an individual student in an academic year will vary according to the mandatory and optional modules taken, but a typical formal summative assessment pattern for each year of the course is:
Year 1
Laboratory reports, practical examinations, online examinations, an anatomy spotter exam, a video based submission, a presentation and an exercise based portfolio.
Year 2
Online examinations, practical examinations, leaflets designed to inform athletes, a video based submission, a literature review, completion of a research based ethics form, scientific report and a workbook.
Year 3
Dissertation, practical examination, trauma examination, professional practice and reflective portfolios, business plan, presentations and a skills based competency account.
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.
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. The team includes five Graduate Sports Therapists and a Chartered Physiotherapist. Two of the teaching team have Doctorates and another one is currently working towards theirs. Five have completed a Masters degree and all have extensive clinical experience in a clinical and sporting environment.
Teaching is informed by research and consultancy. The majority of course lecturers have a higher education teaching qualification or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy.
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David Hickman
David joined the university in 2012 after graduating from the Sports Therapy programme. He works as a sessional lecturer on the Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy programmes and leads modules in Healthy Lifestyle and Human Biology. David also works within the McClelland Health and Wellbeing Centre, providing placement opportunities for Physiotherapy students within student led clinics and exercise classes.
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Chris Holland
Christopher is a graduate Sports Therapist and joined Worcester University in April 2016. He has over 10 years of experience teaching in Higher Education across all areas of Sports Science, and has taught on Sports Therapy programmes at both degree and Masters levels.
Christopher has a background as a professional footballer with Bournemouth, Bristol City and Exeter City, as well as playing semi-professionally for a number of regional conference clubs. He has significant experience as both a Sports Therapist and Strength & Conditioning Coach within semi-professional football. He has also worked with athletes from sports including distance running, mixed martial arts, golf, fitness competitions and cyclist and currently runs his own private Sports Therapy practice.
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Neil Artz
Neil is a chartered physiotherapist with over 13 year’s clinical experience in musculoskeletal physiotherapy. Neil joined the University of Worcester Sports Therapy team in October 2015.
Neil has previously worked as a Spinal specialist in the NHS and also worked as head academy physiotherapist at Bristol City FC. Neil is actively engaged in on-going knee research and collaborates with researchers at North Bristol NHS Trust and the University of Bristol.
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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 & 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).
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Katie Fownes
After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Worcester, Katie worked as Physiologist with Lucozade and as part time lecturer at college. She found her passion was working with the injured population, so then completed an MSc Sports Therapy at UCLAN. She has worked with many elite athletes including Preston North End and GB Wheelchair Basketball.
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Sally Smith
Sally gained a Diploma in Sports Therapy in 1993 and then worked in various amateur sports clubs, including rugby and volleyball. She also set up and ran several sports injury clinics, catering for amateur, recreational and elite athletes in the Sussex area.
After graduating with a first class honours degree in Sports Therapy from University of North London, Sally joined the teaching team at London Metropolitan University in 2001.
Sally’s interests include cooking (especially Indian and Italian) and she plays very competitive golf.
Careers
Where could it take you?
Graduates 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. You may also choose to focus on the sports rehabilitation role. The course also provides a sound basis for a variety of postgraduate courses in sports science, sports medicine or PGCE teaching qualification.
Marc's Story
Costs
How much will it cost?
Full-time tuition fees |
UK and EU studentsThe standard tuition fee for full-time UK and EU students registering in the academic year 2018/19 will be £9,250 per year. For more details, please visit our course fees page. |
International studentsThe standard tuition fee for full-time international (non-EU) students registering in the academic year 2018/19 will be £12,100 per year. For more details, please visit our course fees page. |
Additional costs |
Every course has day-to-day costs for basic books, 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 specialist clothing to be around £100. |
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Accommodation |
Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience, and our welcoming student communities are great places to live and study. We have over 1,000 rooms across our halls of residence. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Hall' at £98 per week to 'En-suite Extra' at £159 per week. For full details visit our accommodation page. |
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Apply
How do you apply?
Applying through UCAS
Sport Therapy BSc (Hons) C603 BSc/SpTh
UCAS is the central organisation through which applications are processed for entry onto full-time undergraduate courses in Higher Education in the UK.
Read our How to apply pages for more information on applying and to find out what happens to your application.
Get in touch
If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.
Admissions office
01905 855111
admissions@worc.ac.uk
Course leader
Chris Holland
01905 542857
c.holland@worc.ac.uk
