5 leading universities for Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation

There’s a common misconception that to enter the world of sports, you must train to be an athlete. But the truth is, if you have a passion for sports, a hunger to succeed and a strong curiosity about how to improve the game, you’re the perfect fit for a career in this industry.

There are many different ways through which you can become part of the game, and one of the most effective is by getting a tertiary education in Sports Therapy. Not to be confused with Sports Science, Sports Therapy encompasses the study of sports care. It focuses on the prevention of injury through assessment, treatment and then the rehabilitation of athletes.

“Using the principles of sport and exercise science, [Sports Therapists] incorporate physiological and pathological processes to make sure participants are training and competing safely and provide an immediate response when sport and exercise related injuries occur,” writes Prospects.co.uk.

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“…Work can be found in sports injury clinics or directly with a sports club or sportsperson, either professional or amateur. Many therapists combine working in this discipline with other sports-related roles. They may also have a range of patients and workplaces, rather than being employed by one organisation,” the website explains.

If you find the mechanics of human physical anatomy and its wellbeing much more fascinating than the idea of participating in sport, this could be the ideal course for you.  It’s all about studying the relationship between the human body, how we exercise, what to feed our bodies throughout this rigorous process, as well as how we can get our bodies back to full fitness after an injury, regardless of age or ability. You could focus on Physiotherapy, Exercise Science, Sports & Physical Activity, Occupational Therapy, Nutrition, and beyond.

Sports Therapy is a discipline that has something to offer everyone, so if sports form the bedrock of your passions, or if you have strong feelings regarding the wellness of the community, take a look at some of the things these amazing universities can offer:

SCHOOL OF CLINICAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES, LEEDS BECKETT UNIVERSITY

When it comes to applied sciences, no one does it better than Leeds Beckett University. Ranked among the top 4% of universities in the world, there are many reasons to choose Leeds Beckett. The School of Clinical & Applied Sciences offers courses across 6 disciplines; Sport and Exercise Therapy, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Safety and Environmental Health, Biomedical Sciences, and Nutrition and Dietetics. These courses are supported by, and offer opportunities to work with, members of our established research centres and groups, in specialist areas such as: the  Centre for Biomedical Science Research, Centre for Pain Research, Centre for Applied Obesity research, and the  Musculoskeletal Health Research Group.

Image courtesy of Leeds Beckett University

The School provides modern facilities such as the Acoustic Laboratories, Biomedical Sciences Laboratories, Clinical Skills Suite, Food Inspection Laboratory and a Nutrition Kitchen; for students to learn, work and undertake research.

Aside from its remarkable set-up, Leeds Beckett University is also known for its extraordinary employability rate. Ranked fourth in the UK for graduate employment, 96 percent of undergraduates have found work six months after graduating from the university – good news indeed! But if you’re concerned that you might not be able to find a placement, there’s no need to panic just yet. The university works with some of the biggest names in the industry and could assist you in trying to get a foot in the door of the working world.

DEPARTMENT OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCE, OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY

 As one of the leading sports universities that produces Olympic medal winners, Oxford Brookes University is definitely a place sports enthusiasts should consider. The university has several undergraduate courses including the popular BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy degree for those hoping to maintain and rehabilitate high athletic standards within the sporting industry. Throughout the three-year course you will benefit from an inter-professional approach to learning, with some modules shared with other health and social care students.

Aside from its programmes, the Department of Sport and Health Sciences boasts an impressive list of specialist facilities for its students from the in-house Clinical Exercise and Rehabilitation Unit (CLEAR) and Human Performance Unit (HPU) to the British Association of Sport and Exercises Sciences (BASES) accredited laboratory.

SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM

You probably didn’t expect sports therapy to be one of the most popular fields to join but with every passing year, the number of sports therapy applicants has dramatically increased. At the University of Nottingham, physiotherapy is one of the most popular fields of study. Here’s a fun fact: Physiotherapist graduates are actually  ranked as the 7^th most employable and are always in popular demand.

The University of Nottingham offers two three-year undergraduate courses which are BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy and BSc (Hons) Sport Rehabilitation and Exercise Science. While they may fall under the same umbrella, the physiotherapy course aims to prepare students with all the fundamental practices needed in a newly-qualified physiotherapist while the latter trains students to become practitioners in sport and exercise medicine. Students who undergo their degree at Nottingham are allocated a personal tutor who they work with throughout the course to provide advice, support and feedback.

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SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND HEALTH, UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE

Located in the heart of gorgeous Glasgow city, the University of Strathclyde is a leading international technological university, known as one of the most popular tertiary institutions in the country. With over 15,000 undergraduate and 7,000 postgraduate students, the University of Strathclyde is certainly a force to be reckoned with.

What’s unique about this university is the course it offers for students who want to work in sports later in life. The BSc in Sport & Physical Activity is a three year full-time course focusing on health, physical activity and sports topics. The course is taught by staff from the Physical Activity for Health group which has an international reputation for research, teaching and knowledge exchange in physical activity, nutrition and childhood obesity. In the final year, students are required to participate in a 50-hour work placement and research project that leads on to a final-year dissertation.

SPORT AND EXERCISE SCIENCE AND REHABILITATION, MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY LONDON

 Finding a university that ticks all the boxes can sometimes seem impossible, but Middlesex University may just have the solution with its many undergraduate and postgraduate options. If you’re looking to either start your tertiary education or specialise further in the sports and healthcare industry, you’ve come to the right place.

The university currently offers six undergraduate and seven postgraduate sports-related programmes. For prospective students just starting out, the two most basic courses offered are BSc Honours in Sport and Exercise Science and BSc Honours in Sport and Exercise Rehabilitation. Besides its comprehensive courses, Middlesex students can enjoy the top-notch sports facilities at Allianz Park, including clinical teaching rooms, sports injury clinics, research labs and more. The university also works closely with prestigious sports organisations such as Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and Saracens Rugby Club in order to provide students with opportunities to learn and build contact.

Feature image courtesy of Leeds Beckett University

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