Sport and Exercise Therapy Top Up

You’re the difference between the motivation to push on and old habits, a dream realised and one prematurely ended. We know you’re ambitious, that’s why on this course we will give you the support and opportunities you need to become your best.

This unique course is designed to give you the industry knowledge, skills, and enhanced employment prospects for you to kickstart your career as a Sport and Exercise Therapist. What’s more, our Sport courses are ranked 1st in the North West for continuation and 2nd in the North West for Career Prospects (Guardian University Guide 2023 Results).

Course Overview
You’ll learn to prevent, examine and treat sports-related injuries whilst developing the skills to become an independent learner and practitioner. You’ll receive knowledge and insight from industry-sourced professionals and have access to facilities including our rehabilitation clinic, strength and conditioning room, and biomechanics and physiology laboratories. You can also pursue your interests with our support. Industry links and work experience, including top-flight football teams and the opportunity to support runners taking part in the Brathay 10 marathons in 10 days event and work in our sports injury clinics. These experiences will help fast-track your job hunt and employment opportunities.

On this course you will...

• Help people recover from sports, and physical activity-related injuries and conditions. You will positively contribute to sporting performance and public health.

• Develop hands-on techniques, learning skills such as sports massage, musculoskeletal injury assessment, and joint mobilisations and manipulations.

• Become creative in your ability to devise and implement functional and sport-specific exercise rehabilitation to restore athletes, from recreational up to elite levels of performance.

• Put theory into practice by completing placements early on in your studies. Past students have worked with professional sports teams, sports rehabilitation clinics, fitness centres, and the NHS.

• Complete a range of courses and qualifications to enhance your CV, including Rocktape, Pre-Hospital Immediate Care in Sport, and a CIMSPA endorsed Strength & Conditioning Trainer qualification.

• Have the opportunity to take part in a 10-day residential placement working with ultra-endurance runners in the Lake District.

What you will learn
The modules on this course will deliver high-quality profession-specific training, including:

• Detailed knowledge and understanding of human anatomy

• Physiology and relevant pathophysiology of neuromusculoskeletal conditions

• Competence in manual/therapeutic techniques

• Skills in exercise prescription

• Rehabilitation

• Conditioning and screening

• Highly developed communication and inter-professional skills.

Year one

During this year, you will have the opportunity to lead discussion groups during advanced problem-solving scenarios to enhance the critical thinking and reasoning skills needed as independent practitioners.

Alongside continued, advanced educational content related to Sport Rehabilitation, you will study a module in Professional Development and Employment. This module is designed to develop critical self-reflection, careers, and goal planning. In this time, you will develop your CV, personal statement, and interview techniques.

You will conduct an advanced investigative project, which will allow further specialisation in your chosen discipline.

• Neurodynamics in Sport
  Learn the underpinning knowledge and manual therapeutic skills to assess, treat and evaluate common neurodynamic conditions.
• Professional Development & Employment
  Critically self-reflect and evaluate on own clinical and academic performance to promote future goal planning and professional development to prepare for employment, including how to develop a curriculum vitae, personal statement and interview skills.
• Advanced Athlete Care
  Gain an understanding of psychological aspects of sports injuries and rehabilitation, as well as consider risk factors and influences of more complex illnesses and conditions on rehabilitation.
• Screening & Pre-habilitation
  Develop a more advanced understanding of injury mechanisms, including screening for muscle and postural imbalances, and learn how to implement preventative strategies for injury prevention.
• Independent Investigative Project
  Conduct an original research investigation of your own choice, supported by a dissertation supervisor, and communicate your findings.

Assessments within this programme have been designed to reflect the authentic professional requirements of the working practice in Sport Rehabilitation.

Examples of assessment methods include:

• Practical skills assessments
• Professional discussions
• Competency logbooks
• Group/individual presentations
• Online resources
• Case studies
• Reflective reports
• Academic essay
• Assessment reports
• Written exams

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.