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MSc - Sport and Exercise Rehabilitation

This course is ideal for a graduate physiotherapist professional, or other respective health professional wanting to practise in a sport and exercise environment. This innovative one-year programme will give the opportunity to become your best.

This unique course is designed to give you the academic, professional and industry knowledge and skills needed to enhance your employment prospects and kickstart your career working as a specialist in the field of sport and exercise rehabilitation in a sport and exercise environment.

A key feature of this programme is the applied placement practice and opportunity to work with professional athletes.

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Course Overview

You will have the opportunity to specialise in musculoskeletal injuries and exercise rehabilitation, enabling you to work within high performance sport, as well as the NHS and clinical practice. A key component of the programme involves exposure to real-world settings allowing for the application of theory into practice and provides you with the opportunity to develop your theoretical knowledge and practical skillset. You will explore an array of applied manual therapeutic techniques, including soft tissue skills, as well as functional rehabilitation and pathophysiology of treatment techniques, athletic strength and conditioning, advanced spinal and pitch-side trauma management and multidisciplinary support for sport and exercise. You will deepen your knowledge and understanding of athletes needs, undertaking clinical and physical tests and assessments and interpreting data and information gathered to prevent injury, aid rehabilitation and enhance athlete performance.

On this course you will...

Be able to reach your career goal within one calendar year rather than the more typical two years offered in relatable MSc programmes.
Develop an advanced knowledge of sports science and sport injuries to work at the forefront and in the highest sectors of the sports industry, whilst also developing a critical approach to clinical practice and a wide range of transferrable interpersonal skills.
Undertake additional courses and qualifications to enhance your CV, including Rocktape FM1 and the Pre-Hospital Immediate Care in Sport (PHICIS) Level 2 Course. These are industry leading qualifications for professional working in elite sport and are integrated into your programme at no additional cost.
Apply new knowledge and skills learnt into action by undertaking an extended applied practitioner project in a discipline of your choice through undertaking a 100-hour practitioner placement. You will be able to take advantage of our key partnerships, including with professional and academy level sports clubs and sports injury & rehabilitation clinics, to provide research underpinned intervention strategies to enhance athletes’ injury rehabilitation, prevention and performance.
Have access to our specially designed sport and exercise rehabilitation facilities. This includes the Sports Injury Clinic, Functional Rehabilitation and Strength and Conditioning Suite, as well as human performance laboratories. The Institute also benefits from a range of cutting-edge equipment such as focused shockwave for injury treatment, and biomechanical based techniques used to analyse human movement which you will be able to use to screen for and prevent against injury.
Study modules involving high quality profession specific training delivered by our excellent staff who are not only research active subject experts but have experience working within the sports industry, bringing professional real-world experience of working with sport performers and teams, coaches, backroom staff and sport governing bodies and organisations.

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Download our Prospectus

Key Details

Recruiting toUK / RoI / Settled in UK
EU / EEA / International
Course LocationLancaster
Institute Institute of Health
Delivery StyleIn-person
Course DurationFull-time: 1 Year
Course Start PointSeptember
AwardMSc
More informationProgramme Specification
Prospectus
Open DaysLancaster
All

Minimum entry requirements

2:2 or above

Honours degree

Tuition fees

£8,705

UK |

Price is for 2024/25 year, subsequent year fee is subject to inflation

£13,575

International |

Tuition Fees Policy

Course Structure

What you will learn

This course provides you with the in-depth theoretical knowledge and practical skillset to enable you to be a highly skilled and competent professional working as a specialist in musculoskeletal injuries and exercise rehabilitation in a sport and exercise environment. The modules on this course develop a deep knowledge of Therapeutic Techniques, Exercise Rehabilitation and Conditioning, and Injury Screening and Prehabilitation and how these are applied to the subjective and objective evaluation and analysis of athletes to aid recovery and prevention against injury.

Year one

During the year you will develop the clinical skills, advanced problem-solving, critical thinking and reasoning skills through clinical problem-based scenarios and working with athletes to plan, discuss and apply evidence-based therapeutic interventions. This will be learnt and developed through modules that cover an array of applied manual therapeutic techniques, including soft tissue skills, as well as functional rehabilitation and pathophysiology of treatment techniques and multidisciplinary support for sport and exercise in Semester 1. In Semester 2, spinal and pitch-side trauma management techniques will be complimented with the study of athletic strength and conditioning, as well as screening and injury prevention. Finally, you will conduct an applied practitioner project throughout your programme of study through undertaking a 100-hour placement.

Functional Sports Rehabilitation
The aim of this module is to provide you with the rationale and theoretical underpinning for the application and progression of exercise prescription for improved injury rehabilitation, involving core components of strength, flexibility and joint proprioception towards late-stage functional rehabilitation and return to play. You will develop critical appraisal skills of posture and muscle imbalance and its implications for rehabilitation and gain an understanding of health and safety considerations regarding exercise equipment and testing, and contraindications for rehabilitation. You will also research and evaluate return to play criteria relevant for sports performers.
Sporting Manual Therapy
This module aims to develop a range of manual therapeutic techniques relevant for sports injuries and conditioning. You will critically analyse and reason treatment techniques and their application, exploring the application of these techniques across a range of conditions and environments, to meet client needs, from both a theoretical and experiential perspective.
Multidisciplinary Support in Sport and Exercise
This module will help to develop your multi-disciplinary knowledge and understanding of the inter-disciplinary approach to supporting athletes. You will develop an understanding of the role of constituent sport science support teams in sport performance and the management, prevention, and rehabilitation of sports injuries in the medium and longer term. You will also explore the environmental, physical, social and psychological issues faced by professional sports athletes in different sports.
Athletic Strength & Conditioning
The aim of the module is to develop athlete centred coaches who understand the physical requirements of athletes and can plan, deliver and evaluate training plans aimed at meeting their physical needs. This is done so within the context of maximising their sporting potential and performance. You will examine and explore the advanced and current science behind strength and
conditioning, such as the development of strength, speed and power. You will develop the knowledge and practical skills required to become an applied practitioner.
Pathophysiology & Therapeutic Techniques
This module will provide you with a deeper understanding of applied pathology of and factors affecting contemporary sport and exercise related injuries, and an awareness of diagnostic testing and reports within a sporting environment. You will explore the pathological processes involved following injury to bone, nerve and soft tissues, including inflammatory response, healing and repair and the impact on human function for sports performance. You will then critically examine the evidence base and practical applications of a variety of therapeutic modalities for treatment and rehabilitation of sports injuries.
Spinal & Pitch-side Trauma Management
This module aims to build further on the “Sporting Manual Therapy” module by exploring more advanced spinal and neurological conditions associated with sport and their treatment. You will develop your critical decision making and clinical reasoning skills by considering neurological and spinal pathology and dysfunctions to explore the application of techniques across a range of conditions and environments, related to sporting musculoskeletal injuries, from both a theoretical and experiential perspective. You will also study and develop practical skills in first aid treatment and advanced trauma care and management within pitch side scenarios.
Screening & Injury Prevention
The aim of the module is to develop your understanding of theory and practical applications behind sports injury occurrence, screening and prevention. You will consider sports injury epidemiology and aetiology, linked to mechanisms of injury, as well as existing screening tools and tests. You will plan to devise your own evidence-based sport-specific injury screening test battery, with awareness of reliability and validity issues, and interventions for applied injury presentation strategies used in sport.
Applied Practitioner Project
Within this module, you will conduct an applied research project extending theoretical and conceptual subjectspecific knowledge and understanding through the application and analysis of theory in practice by undertaking a practitioner placement of your choice and reflect upon your own professional practice and communication of this to a professional audience.

Teaching & Assessment

How you will learn

Key knowledge, understanding, and subject specific skills will be practised and developed through a wide range of teaching and learning methods including lectures, practical
sessions, seminars, laboratory-based practical work, case studies, discussion, debates, small group work, seminar presentations, reflection, problem-based learning, vocational placement, independent study and research projects. Most of the theoretical work will be linked to practice, thus giving you the chance to apply this theory during practical sessions in the Sports Injury and Rehabilitation Clinic as well as in the Functional Rehabilitation and Strength and Conditioning Suite. Practical and analytical skills will be developed which can be used to apply as part of your applied practitioner project. Technology-enhanced learning will further support the practical learning with a range of software systems and online resources.

How you will be assessed

Modules use formative and summative assessment so that you can progress through a module in a structured and constructive way and build knowledge for practice in a
coherent and logical way. A varied diet of assessment methods will be utilised to prepare you for further academic study and professional practice, reflecting the multi-disciplinary nature of this programme and the increasing demand for employment ready graduates. Assessment methods are specified in each module guide and will include written assessments such as practical skills assessments, practical skills competencies, written reports, and projects, oral presentations, and research project. Learning and Teaching Assessment (LTA) approaches will be continually evaluated and improved by using module evaluations, student feedback, peer review of teaching, and module development sessions. These will ensure an enhanced student learning experience and continuing professional development of the academic team to maintain best-practice in Learning, Teaching and Assessment.

Career Outcomes

Graduate opportunities exist working in elite sport with sports performers or teams, or within private practice as a sport physiotherapy (please note that this is subject to
being registered with the CSP/HCPC). Alumni have sourced careers working in various elite sports environments, e.g., Liverpool FC, Crystal Palace FC, Blackburn Rovers FC, Morecambe FC, Carlisle United FC and across other sports including Rugby). Other opportunities for further development exist within the University CPD advanced practitioner framework of single, specialist modules.

Research

Research interests across the team include Sports Screening and Injury Prevention, Injury specific treatment protocols, Physiological adaptations and demands in football, Preseason testing to training demands in football, Talent development, Sport and Exercise Psychology, Sport and Exercise Physiology, Exercise and Health. Research is also undertaken in teaching and learning pedagogy, student experience and retention

Overview

Students should have a 2:2 or above in a relevant undergraduate degree (Physiotherapy, related health profession).

Qualifications

Entry Requirements

GCSEs: GCSE English grade 4 (C) or equivalent.

Fair Admissions

When you apply, our Admissions specialists will review your whole application. We are looking for your potential to succeed so will assess your qualifications, any relevant work experience, your personal statement, and references.

At interview we will assess your suitability to train for the profession you have applied for. All professional course interviews are scored. Any offers made will be based on your whole application and your interview score.

Where you have received a conditional offer subject to achieving particular grades/UCAS tariff scores, and do not quite meet these scores, please try not to worry, where vacancies exist our Admissions specialists will review your whole application again and take account of any mitigating circumstances and reassess your suitability for the course.

Selection Criteria

As part of the application and selection process, we are looking for your commitment to this programme. In your personal statement, you should demonstrate your motivation for choosing this course and reflect upon any experience you have gained.

DISCLOSURE AND BARRING SERVICE CHECK If you accept an offer of a place we require you to comply with an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) background clearance check. Details on the policy can be found here https://www.cumbria.ac.uk/applicants/admissions---next-steps/dbs/

If you think you have a criminal conviction Youwill need to submit a Criminal Record Self Disclosure Form as part of the process. For more information on this and the form itself, please refer to Self-disclosure of criminal record. https://www.cumbria.ac.uk/applicants/admissions---next-steps/dbs/self-disclosure-of-criminal-record/

Students with other qualifications may be admitted to the course, please contact the Enquiry Centre enquirycentre@cumbria.ac.uk for further details.

Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)may be considered for relevant prior learning at the sameacademic level. Click here for more information about levels and credits.

Contextual Admissions

Going to higher education can transform a person’s life. We use contextual admissions to make sure that we are accessible to everyone who has the potential to succeed. Qualifications and grades are important, but they are considered alongside other information that helps universities to identify potential and widen access to university level study. For some individuals, the disadvantages they have experienced in their life mean that they have not been able to demonstrate their full academic potential. Where a person lives and their personal circumstances can all affect their educational attainment.

We take this context into account and look for an applicant’s potential when making admission decisions. The University of Cumbria will make offers to applicants that live in postal code regions with the lowest participation in Higher Education (Polar 4 quintile 1 – you can check your postcode here) and care leavers, offers will be made at the bottom of any UCAS Tariff range. Attendance at our Masterclasses and Summer Schools will also allow applicants to receive an offer lower within the tariff range. (T&Cs apply)

Contact pgadmissions@cumbria.ac.uk for more information.

For 2023 entry, our contextual data and information we use in our offer making will be broadened to include applicants that are estranged from their parents, have caring responsibilities or are in receipt of or received free school meals during their secondary education. Successful participation and completion of our Future Teachers Scheme will also receive an offer lower within the tariff range.

Returning to Education

If you are over 21 and returning to study after being in relevant employment for a minimum of 3 years and do not meet the published entry requirements for Year 1 of our degree courses, please do not assume you are not qualified to join us. Our experienced Admissions and Academic staff will review your prior qualifications and professional experience to support your application.

Language requirements

Please follow the link to check language requirements for this programme here.

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees

2025 - 2026

£8,705 - UK
£13,575 - International

The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs.

Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.

International Finance

At the University of Cumbria, we offer affordable tuition fees for international and EU students looking to study at one of our main four campuses. No matter your choice of course or career path, our International Team is here to support you.

Funding

Student funding and fees information can be found here https://www.cumbria.ac.uk/study/student-finance/postgraduate/

More Information

We have a wide range of scholarships, bursaries, grants and funds available to support you throughout your studies with us. This includes the Cumbria Bursary - a non-repayable bursary designed to support first year students with a household income of less than £25,000..

Student Finance

Additional Costs

There will be some additional costs associated with the course including stationery, textbooks, field trips and membership fees although some of these features may be optional.

Books and Journals

Books are reviewed annually and are therefore subject to change, your course welcome information will provide you with an indicative list for the year. All our textbooks are available in the library and where possible the books are also available free as eBooks/online. However, should you wish to purchase your own copies of key texts you should expect to pay approximately £100-£200 a year on textbooks and scripts although this cost can be reduced considerably by sourcing second-hand copies of books.

Stationery

You will need to budget for stationery and consumables for your own personal use. This should include notebooks, pens and pencils for taking notes in class and/or in the field. You should also budget for the purchase of USB pen drives, as well as occasional printing and photocopying costs incurred in the preparation or submission of coursework. Whilst you will choose how much you need, expect to pay around £30 - £40 per year for these items.

Clothing and Equipment

This programme has its own Sports Kit which is worn for practical activities and when out on community-based activities and placements; this is optional, students may purchase some or all items, but recommended items equal approx. £120. This may be cheaper than purchasing equivalent branded items of sports kit from high street stores.

Other

Extra costs may also be applicable to cover sports club and gym membership fees, although these are optional within the programme. Travel costs for placement-based activities will need to be covered; this is likely to cost around £30 - £50, although will be dependent on the placement location. This can be negotiated with the Applied Practitioner Project module leader. You will also need to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check as part of your admission to the programme at a personal cost of between £50-£60

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Location
Lancaster Campus
Lancaster is the Red Rose heartland, a student haven full of history and culture. With iconic stone architecture, parkland, and a caring community, this is the place to get involved. The campus houses top-quality facilities tailored to the needs of life-savers, world changers, and future leaders.
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MSc - Sport and Exercise Rehabilitation