Sports Therapy
Entry requirements
A level
UCB will accept A Level in General Studies for this course and will also take into consideration applicants who are studying an extended project.
You will need a minimum of 48 UCAS Tariff points
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
This can be achieved from either an Extended Diploma or a combination of smaller BTEC qualifications.
You will need a minimum of 48 UCAS Tariff points
T Level
A T-level graded Pass with a core component profile less than C.
UCAS Tariff
Level 3 qualifications are accepted at UCB for entrance, a minimum of 48 UCAS Tariff points will be required. If you are unsure if your qualification is accepted call us on 0121 604 1040 or email [email protected].
About this course
**This course is accredited by the University of Warwick**
**OVERVIEW**
**From working alongside professional footballers to treating sports injuries in a clinic, qualified sports and exercise therapists are in demand across the sports, health and leisure industries. Our specialist Sports Therapy foundation degree combines academic learning with developing your practical sports and exercise therapy skills to an advanced level, opening up a wide range of career options when you graduate.**
Having developed your understanding of the therapist’s role, the science of sports and exercise therapy and rehabilitation techniques, you will have a vast array of opportunities to gain experience putting your training to the test in the real world. Our past students have gained prestigious placements with Team Scotland at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and with the Scottish Rugby Union at the 2019 Rugby World Cup and Six Nations, as well as working for a host of other prolific sports clubs, organisations and events. You will also have the chance to work in University College Birmingham’s cutting-edge sports facilities, including our sports injury/massage clinics and our Human Performance Centre on campus.
During your studies, you can gain a variety of further industry qualifications including sports massage and first aid. On completing our Sports Therapy course, you will also be qualified to join the industry’s professional body, The Society of Sports Therapists.
**WHY CHOOSE THIS COURSE?**
- **Work placements** – Build invaluable professional work experience through a variety of placement opportunities – past students have worked with top-level football and rugby clubs and national sports teams
- **Practical application** – Put your therapy skills into practice in our on-campus clinics and at major sporting events, such as the London Marathon and Ride Across Britain
- **Enrichment** – Enjoy a variety of industry trips and events including St George’s Park, King’s College London/Wembley Stadium and our annual Sports Performance and Rehabilitation Conference, as well as having opportunities to complete additional qualifications (Lubas FASE 1 and 2, ITEC Level 4 massage)
- **Award-winning university** – Study at the University of the Year offering the best Student Support in the UK (WhatUni Student Choice Awards 2022)
**FACILITIES**
Our students train in our clinics which provide a variety of services to professional athletes, students and members of the public. The clinics feature equipment including ultrasound/electrotherapy equipment, a rehabilitation area and fully-equipped gym.
You will also have use of our Human Performance Centre, featuring the latest equipment including a 35m sprint track, eight lifting platforms, an anti-gravity treadmill and more. We also share the £3m Avery Fields complex with Bournville RFC, offering an all-weather pitch, two grass pitches and a clubhouse with function room and modern changing facilities.
**PLACEMENTS**
Placements are a requirement of The Society of Sports Therapists, so we encourage students on our course to gain work experience throughout your studies, working on placement with professional sports therapists.
Employers we have worked with include the Scotland Rugby team, Team Scotland, Aston Villa FC, Leicester Tigers RFC, West Bromwich Albion Ladies FC, West Midlands Fire Service and Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge (physiotherapy department).
**CAREERS AND PROGRESSION**
Examples of careers you could pursue following this course:
- Sports therapist
- Sports physiotherapist
- Occupational therapist
- Personal trainer
- Health promotion specialist
- Higher education lecturer
Upon completion of the foundation degree, you can also progress onto the final year of our full BSc (Hons) degree.
- **Please refer to our website www.ucb.ac.uk for the latest updates to this course**
Modules
**YEAR 1**
- Personal Development and Evidence Based Practice
- Exercise Science for Sports Therapists
- Introduction to Sports Injury Management
- Musculoskeletal Anatomy
- Fundamentals of Movement Assessment
- Exercise Instruction for Sports Therapists
**YEAR 2**
- Pathology of Sports Injuries
- Peripheral and Spinal Assessment
- Research for Sports Therapists
- Sport and Exercise Rehabilitation 1
- Sport and Exercise Rehabilitation 2
- Screening and Intervention for Injury Prevention
Assessment methods
**Note: Indicative information only. Actual timetables and assessment regimes will be issued at your induction. Please be aware that methods of delivery for this course may be altered due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic – for the most up-to-date information, please refer to our website: www.ucb.ac.uk**
**ASSESSMENT**
Estimated breakdown of assessment for this degree course:
- **Coursework** – 40%
- **Practical assessment** – 44%
- **Written examinations** – 16%
Our teaching and assessment is underpinned by our Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategy 2021-2024.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University College Birmingham
Sport and Nutrition - FdA/FdSc
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Sport and exercise sciences
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Sport and exercise sciences
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
One of the fastest growing subjects in the country, the number of sports science graduates went from under 3,000 in 2003 to over 10,000 in 2013. Numbers have fallen slightly since 2015, but we still have over 9,000 graduates in the subject. However, the good news is the country's appetite for good health and fitness - and the adaptability of graduates in the subject - means that sports science grads are less likely than average to be out of work. Sports science graduates, not surprisingly, tend to get jobs in sport, fitness and health - coaching and teaching especially - but they're found all over the economy. Management and business are also popular options for graduates from this subject — and sports science graduates are particularly found where drive, determination and physical fitness are an advantage.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Sport and exercise sciences
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£18k
£21k
£23k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Explore these similar courses...
This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Course location and department:
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
Have a question about this info? Learn more here