Sports Therapy - BSc (Hons) *
Currently viewing course to start in 2023/24 Entry. Switch to 2024/25 Entry
In order to ensure our courses are contemporary and that we offer a fantastic student experience, this course is currently under review, and there may be some changes to the course and modules on offer. The updated course information should be available on our website by July 2023....
- Level Undergraduate
- Study mode Full Time
- Location City South / Alexander Stadium
- Award BSc (Hons)
- Start date September 2023
- Fees View course fees
- School School of Health Sciences
- Faculty Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences
Overview
In order to ensure our courses are contemporary and that we offer a fantastic student experience, this course is currently under review, and there may be some changes to the course and modules on offer. The updated course information should be available on our website by July 2023.
Our innovative, practice-based Sports Therapy course is a chance for you to develop specialist skills in the prevention, treatment, management and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries. Underpinned by sports medicine and sport and exercise science, this course is accredited by The Society of Sports Therapists. This ensures that the knowledge and competencies you gain during your time on the course are aligned with professional industry standards.
You will learn with a dynamic, expert and research-rich team of sports therapists, health professionals and sports scientists, enabling you to gain a holistic education in sports therapy. Upon successful completion of the programme, you will be fully equipped with the clinical skills to work with professional sports teams, as well as with individual elite performers. Alternatively, you may wish to work in private practice, treating a wide variety of individuals in a musculoskeletal injury clinic.
What's covered in this course?
You will cover all competencies required by The Society of Sports Therapists, such as examination, assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries, delivery of soft tissue therapies, peripheral and vertebral joint mobilisations, sport and exercise rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, and trauma management to name a few.
There will be compulsory work placements built into all three years of your course providing you with invaluable real-life, hands-on learning. These will include both internal and external opportunities with sporting teams and musculoskeletal injury clinics. Additionally, you can opt to complete a 12 month placement (sandwich course), which could either be within the UK or abroad.
By studying this course, you’ll split your time between our recently extended £71 million campus in Edgbaston, Birmingham, and the world-class Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr, Birmingham which contain our state-of-the-art sport and exercise laboratory, sports therapy rooms, cutting-edge resources and a designated sports area. The Stadium was home to the Commonwealth Games in summer 2022, and the University is investing an additional £5m in areas across both main stands which will be home to our students.
Accredited By
This course is accredited by The Society of Sports Therapists
Why Choose Us?
- Professional accreditation – this course is accredited by the Society of Sports Therapists, the largest governing body of Sports Therapists in the UK, enabling you to become an accredited practitioner upon graduation.
- 100% of students are satisfied with this course (NSS 2022, 2021, 2020). You will be taught in small practical groups, creating an excellent close sports therapy community, where you will get to know your peer group as well as teaching staff.
- Experienced staff – teaching staff have clinical experience in professional rugby, cricket, football, basketball and netball, as well as working in and running private injury clinics. Course Leader, Peter Thain has worked at the Commonwealth Games 2018 and 2022 as the lead therapist to Team England’s Basketball Teams. Peter is currently the clinical lead for the Great Britain Senior Women's Basketball Team.
- Research active – teaching staff are research active and have presented their work at international conferences and within international journals. Read about our current research projects.
- In-house Work Experience – you will have the opportunity to gain clinical experience in the assessment, treatment and management of musculoskeletal injuries, within our bespoke inhouse sports massage and sports injury clinics, starting in your first year.
- World-class facilities - You’ll split your time between our campus in Edgbaston, Birmingham, and - from early 2024 - the world-class Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr, Birmingham. We have a lease for space across the East and West stands of the Stadium and are investing £5 million in developing the space to house our state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge resources, including physiology labs and a sports therapy suite.
Similar Courses
Open Days
Join us for an on-campus Open Day where you'll be able to meet us in person. You'll get the chance to learn about courses in subject talks, chat to students and explore our campus and accommodation. We'll post you a detailed event programme to help plan your day and find your way.
Next Open Day: Saturday 24 June 2023
Entry Requirements
These entry requirements apply for entry in 2023/24.
All required qualifications/grades must have been achieved and evidenced at the earliest opportunity after accepting an offer to help confirm admission and allow for on-time enrolment. This can also include other requirements, like a fee status form and relevant documents. Applicants can track their application and outstanding information requests through their BCU mySRS account.
We accept a range of qualifications, the most popular of which are detailed below.
If your Level 3 qualifications do not meet the UCAS tariff for this course, you may be offered a place on our Sport Foundation Year instead. This course offers an alternative pathway onto our Sports Therapy course. You do not need to submit a separate application but will automatically be considered for this if your predicted grades fall below the UCAS entry tariff. Find out more about the Foundation Year.
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112 UCAS tariff points Candidates who are successfully shortlisted are required to undertake an interview. Interviews are currently online via Microsoft Teams. Find out more about online interviews. Applicants must normally have evidence of formal study within the last five years. However, we are sometimes able to waive this requirement if a candidate has a significant amount of professional experience in a relevant field, for example healthcare, social care, or education. Applicants must also obtain a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service report and a satisfactory Occupational Health clearance via the Faculty prior to enrolling onto this course. |
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GCSE |
GCSE English Language or Literature, GCSE Maths and GCSE Science at grade C/4 or above. If you do not have these or are not undertaking them, we accept other Level 2 equivalents, or we may ask you to pass BCU's GCSE equivalency tests. |
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Irish Leaving Certificate (Ordinary Level) |
See level 3 entry requirements under Irish Leaving Certificate for full details |
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Scottish National 5 |
English Language or Literature, Maths and Science at grade C or above. If you do not have these or are not undertaking them, we accept other Level 2 equivalents, or we may ask you to pass BCU's GCSE equivalency tests. |
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A level and Advanced VCE |
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Access to HE Diploma |
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British Bachelor's Degree |
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Irish Leaving Certificate (Highers) |
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NCFE Level 3 Extended Diploma |
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OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma |
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Scottish Higher/Advanced Higher |
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T-Levels |
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If you have a qualification that is not listed in the table, please refer to our full entry requirements on UCAS. Further guidance on tariff points can be found on the UCAS website. |
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IELTS |
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Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: BSc (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2023
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 3 years
- £9,250 in 2023/24
- Apply via UCAS
International students
Sorry, this course is not available to International students.
Guidance for UK students
UK students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.
Applying through UCAS
Register with UCAS
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Complete your details
Select your course
Write a personal statement
Get a reference
Pay your application fee
Send UCAS your application
Our advice for applying to a health care course
Applying for a course and preparing for an interview can be a daunting process, so we have created a series of films to help you through the process, including what to put in your personal statement.
Personal statement
Your personal statement is a highly important part of your application. It gives you a crucial opportunity to say why you’re applying and why the institution should accept you.
Here are the key areas you’ll need to address:
Course choice
Why does this course appeal? What areas are of particular interest?
Career plans
If you have a specific career in mind, say how your chosen course will help you pursue this goal.
Work experience
Mention any work that is relevant to your subject, highlighting the skills and experience gained.
School or college experience
Highlight skills gained at school/college, eg summer schools or mentoring activities.
Non-accredited skills or achievement
eg Duke of Edinburgh Award, Young Enterprise scheme.
You should also mention your future plans – if you’re planning to take a year out, don't forget to give your reasons. Talk about any subjects you’re studying that don’t have a formal assessment and any sponsorships or placements you’ve applied for. And don't be scared to add in details about your social, sports or leisure interests.
Get more information on writing personal statements.
Course in Depth
Year One
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits).
This module provides an introduction to human anatomy, relating to structures, properties and functions of bones, joints, tendons, ligaments and muscle, in relation to the mechanical principles that govern human movement. The axial and appendicular skeleton will be studied with regard to joint type and associated movements, whilst the skeletal muscle system will be investigated in terms of the proximal and distal attachments of selected muscles and the movements they produce.
The primary purpose of this module is to introduce the mechanical principles that govern human movement and thus equip students not only with the ability to observe and measure human movement (i.e. to describe movement), but also to begin to understand the mechanisms by which human movement is controlled and effected (i.e. to explore why we move the way that we do).
This module provides you with an introduction to the skills required to examine, assess and treat healthy and pathological tissue. You will develop an understanding of how to recognise key factors relating to lower limb injuries, including signs, symptoms and mechanisms of injury. You will also learn how to apply sports massage techniques to prevent and treat injuries; additionally, you will be able to justify this choice of treatment. This module aims to set the foundations of professionalism within the sports therapy industry, alongside providing you with a basic skill set in order to become a safe and effective practitioner.
This module covers the process of research and enquiry in the discipline of sports and exercise science, nutrition, sports therapy, and PE and School Sport. It provides guidance on how to interpret scientific literature, so that you can find relevant sources of information for a study or an assessment, gain an understanding of different sources of information and consider how knowledge is generated.
This module aims to provide you with the underpinning knowledge of various physiological systems in the human body, and key training principles, which relate to sport and exercise. You will be introduced to the concept of the body working as multiple interrelated physiological ‘systems’. Whilst each system has its own independent function, the function of one will have a direct impact on the function of another and will subsequently impact upon sports performance or health.
Year Two
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits).
This module provides you with the principles of rehabilitation and exercise therapy in the early, intermediate, late and pre-discharge stages of recovery from injuries sustained in a sports and exercise environment. You will learn to plan, implement, progress and regress comprehensive rehabilitation programmes in order to return the athlete to full sporting participation.
This module builds on your knowledge and application of examination and assessment protocols from Musculoskeletal Assessment and Treatment 1. You will learn how to examine upper limb injuries that could occur in a sport and exercise environment; whilst developing your skills to interpret the findings of an assessment. This module will also require the application of your upper limb anatomy knowledge from Level 4.
This module explores the use of manual therapy techniques for the restoration of normal joint biomechanics at the ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, elbow and wrist. Building on your knowledge from Musculoskeletal Assessment and Treatment 1 and 2, you will further assess joint biomechanics, particularly focusing on the relationships between accessory and physiological movements. This module will allow you to explore normal and altered joint function and apply these to sport and exercise-related injury scenarios.
In this module, you will learn how manipulation of both physiology and nutrition can impact aspects of health, exercise and sports performance. You will gain extensive knowledge on how the human body tolerates and adapts to a physiological stressor both acutely and chronically. This module will also cover how nutrition can support upregulation of physiology both acutely and chronically.
This module is a key part of the BSc Sport and Exercise Science, Sports Therapy, Sport and Exercise Nutrition, and PE and School Sport Programmes in that it is studied in preparation for your Level 6 Final Year Project. Information and activities on more complex inferential statistics will be presented building on from your level 4 research module.
Year Three
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits).
The aim of this module is to allow you to acquire a theoretical and practical understanding of strength and conditioning in relation to optimising exercise and sports performance. You will gain an insight into musculoskeletal screening and you will develop a theoretical and practical understanding of the process of programme design in terms of periodisation.
The module aims to consolidate your clinical and practical skills in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, management and rehabilitation of sport and exercise related injuries in a supervised sports therapy setting.
The aim of this module is to provide you with an opportunity to draw on assessment and treatment tools from previous years of study to address complex clinical case scenarios. It will integrate examination, assessment, pathophysiology, rehabilitation and manual therapeutic methods for the treatment and management of sports injuries. You will be encouraged to think about contemporary issues in Sports Therapy and will develop advanced clinical reasoning and assessment tools to assist your differential diagnosis skills.
This module provides you with the opportunity to design and carry out a substantive piece of independent research which is focused on an area of interest related to your programme of study. This in-depth, self-managed study will encourage you to examine a critical issue from your sector or discipline.
Download course specification
Download nowHow you'll learn
Right from the start you will 'learn by doing' as you work pitch-side as the appointed first aider with the university sports teams. This practice-led approach is evident throughout the whole course as you will have scheduled time working in the internal sports therapy injury clinic, under the guidance of experienced teaching staff.
The course will be a mixture of lectures, seminars and practical study, and you’ll be supported throughout by a personal tutor. As a Sports Therapy student, you will spend a large proportion of your time in the sports therapy suites as the theoretical content is delivered in a practical room, enabling you to immediately apply your knowledge to practice. You will learn exercise rehabilitation in the new sports centre, whilst sports and exercise science modules such as nutrition and physiology will be delivered in laboratories with the very latest sports science equipment. You’ll also work on live injury case studies linked to professional sports teams we have collaboration with, to ensure you can solve problems and develop new skills. As well as contact time with staff in sessions, you will be supported in each module by online activities (such as quizzes and multiple choice questions) to help you learn and gauge your knowledge and understanding.
As part of the Society of Sports Therapists requirements, you will have to complete a series of placements. We will provide internal placement hours within our internal sports injury clinic, but you will also be undertaking external placements. These may be with professional sports teams or private sports injury clinics. External placements are completed in your own time, allowing the flexibility to gain experience during usual working hours, at evenings or weekends, and during University vacations if preferred.
You'll have the option of taking a sandwich year between Year 2 and Year 3 of study.
The Society of Sports Therapists
This course is accredited by The Society of Sports Therapists
Employability
Placements
You’ll have placements built into all three years of your course. Starting with pitch-side first aid in year one, you will progress throughout your time studying with us until you are working in our on-site sports injury clinic, treating and managing complex sporting injuries. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to take a sandwich placement year, which could either be within the UK or abroad, working with professional sports teams or in private sports injury clinics.
Facilities & Staff
Teaching for our Sports courses is split between our £71 million campus in Edgbaston, Birmingham, and the world-class Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr, Birmingham. Our cutting-edge facilities for sports students include a state-of-the-art sport and exercise lab, sports therapy suite, biomechanics lab and physiology labs.
The Stadium was home to the Commonwealth Games in summer 2022, and the University is investing an additional £5m to develop space in the East and West stands as a home for our students.
Our staff
Dr Peter Thain
Associate Professor and Course Leader for BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy
As a Chartered Physiotherapist and Sports Therapist, Peter has over a decade of experience working in basketball, football and netball. Peter successfully designed and validated the initial BSc (Hons) in Sports Therapy, and after three consecutive 100% student satisfaction scores in the National Student Survey, continues to lead the sports...
More about PeterChelsea Papworth
Lecturer for BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy
Chelsea is a member of The Society of Sports Therapist and has a range of clinical and sporting experience spanning the past 10 years. She has worked in basketball, volleyball, ice hockey, athletics and rugby, within the UK and Canada. Her primary roles included; lead Sports Therapist within a non-league football club, Sports Therapist for an...
More about ChelseaKatie Mitchell
Admissions Tutor / Lecturer in Sports Therapy
Kate has experience working for Rugby Union with Northampton Saints RFC, Racing92 and the Uruguay 2015 Rugby World Cup Team. She has worked in a private Physiotherapy clinic, alongside her role as first XV Sports Therapist at the women’s premiership team Worcester Valkyries RFC, and completing her Master's degree in Sports and...
More about KatieTim Leary
Senior Lecturer in Sports Therapy
Tim has experience working as the Team Physiotherapist to a County Cricket Club, as well as basketball, private practice and the NHS. Tim is a practising musculoskeletal physiotherapist with extensive clinical experience in the assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and management of sports and exercise related injuries.
More about TimJoseph Matthews
Lecturer in Sports Therapy
Joe is a Lecturer in Sports Therapy at Birmingham City University with an interest in sports nutrition and muscle physiology. Joe has experience working across a range of professional sports teams and organisations including Wasps RFC, Coventry United Women’s FC, Luton Town FC, Movement Therapy Clinics, and The Fire Fighters Charity.
More about Joseph