Sport Therapy and Rehabilitation
Sport therapy and rehabilitation is a clinical discipline concerned with the prevention, assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries in physically active populations. It draws on anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, and exercise science to develop practitioners who can work with athletes and recreational exercisers to manage soft tissue and joint injuries, support recovery, and facilitate a safe return to physical activity. The field sits at the interface of sport science and clinical practice, requiring both scientific understanding and hands-on assessment and treatment skills.
At the University of Derby, this part-time programme integrates clinical placements throughout the degree, which is a defining feature of the training. You will undertake 250 hours of clinical placement during your final year, gaining extensive supervised experience with real patients. Alongside this, the programme includes a Student-Led Sports Injury Clinic open to university staff and students, where you can develop skills in a live clinical environment under expert supervision.
A foundation year is available for those who need additional preparation before the main degree, and the programme also incorporates sandwich year and year abroad elements alongside work placement opportunities. This structure gives you a rich and varied set of professional experiences across the degree. Practical experience is central to how effective sport therapists are formed, and the programme takes that seriously.
You will develop skills in injury assessment and diagnosis, soft tissue therapy, rehabilitation exercise prescription, taping and strapping, and the clinical reasoning needed to make sound professional judgements in a sporting and clinical context.
Graduates from sport therapy and rehabilitation programmes work as sport therapists in professional sports clubs, elite performance environments, private clinical practice, leisure centres, and rehabilitation settings. Many pursue registration with the Society of Sports Therapists and further professional development. Postgraduate study in physiotherapy, sports medicine, or clinical exercise science is another route for those seeking advanced clinical qualifications.