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Sports therapists work to diagnose, treat and prevent sporting injuries, using rehabilitation techniques to restore full fitness. They can work in a range of environments, from training elite athletes to recreational sport.
Overview
Sports therapy is one of the fastest-growing careers in the sports and healthcare sector. At Kent, we have world-leading experts who can pass on the latest techniques. Our experience includes working with Olympians and Paralympians, as well as the local community, including the elderly and frail.
Graduates of this degree are able to gain professional accreditation from the Society of Sports Therapists. Graduates from this degree may be eligible for voluntary registration with the Health Professions Council in the future.
Sports Science students who graduated from Kent in 2015 were the most successful in the UK at finding work or further study opportunities (DLHE).
Our degree programme
You gain the academic, clinical and professional skills required of a sports therapist, whose role it is to diagnose, treat and prevent sporting injuries. You also learn how to create exercise and training programmes tailored to individual clients.
You cover topics such as examination and assessment, sports massage, rehabilitation techniques and nutrition. There is also the chance to gain practical and professional experience.
You learn through:
- traditional lectures and seminars
- problem-based scenarios in our laboratories
- working with real clients under supervision in our sports injury and rehabilitation clinic.
Study facilities
Our laboratories are based in the £11 million development at Medway Park and include the latest equipment, such as:
- an environmental chamber which can recreate the atmosphere in the Brazilian jungle or at the top of Everest
- an anti-gravity treadmill, originally developed to help NASA astronauts to exercise in space
- cycling and rowing ergometers to measure anaerobic capacity
- isokinetic dynamometer to measure muscle and joint function
- brain and muscle stimulators
- 3D motion video analysis
- imaging and treatment ultrasound
- gait analysis and force pedals
- blood testing and gas analysis equipment
- a rehabilitation gymnasium.
You also have access to:
- print and electronic resources in the library related to your subject
- the Student Learning Advisory Service, which provides workshops and guidance on general study skills.
Sporting community
There is a thriving sports scene for students. Sports clubs at the Medway campus include athletics, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, kickboxing, rowing, taekwondo, Thai boxing and volleyball, plus women’s netball and men’s futsal and rugby.
With our free shuttle bus, it’s also easy to join the sports clubs on the Canterbury campus. These include American football, archery, boxing, caving, canoeing, cycling, equestrian, cheerleading, fencing, floorball, golf, gymnastics, hockey, judo, karate, kendo, korfball, kung fu, lacrosse, mountaineering, sailing and windsurfing, skydiving, snooker and pool, snowsports, squash, swimming, surfing, tennis, trampolining, ultimate frisbee and women’s rugby.
Professional links
Within the School, we have many links to sporting bodies and work with organisations such as:
- the NHS
- RFU (governing English rugby)
- English Institute of Sport
- British Cycling
- UK Sport
- World Anti-Doping Agency
- UEFA
- Team Sky
- UK Sport
- Ministry of Defence
- companies such as Science in Sport.
Sports scholarships
If you are already competing at county level or equivalent, you can apply for a sports scholarship from the University. One of the School’s best-known graduates is Olympic gold medallist, Susannah Townsend. During her time at Kent, she had a sports scholarship and played for Canterbury Hockey Club (where she continues to play midfield).
Your options
In your final year, you can choose optional modules which allow you to specialise, perhaps with a particular career in mind.
And don’t forget – at Kent you can always enhance your degree studies by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.
Independent rankings
Sports Science at Kent was ranked 13th in The Complete University Guide 2017.
For graduate prospects, Sports Science at Kent was ranked 8th in The Guardian University Guide 2017. Sports Science students who graduated from Kent in 2015 were the most successful in the UK at finding work or further study opportunities (DLHE).
Course structure
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
Teaching and assessment
The programme involves taking part in practical therapy sessions, clinical practice, designing training, small group seminars and private study. You are taught by a combination of lectures, practical sessions and seminars each week. You also spend additional time developing your clinical skills and experience through placements and in the student clinic.
The methods of assessment vary and predominately involve coursework, observed assessment, practical tests and clinical assessments. Some modules also feature written examinations.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- enable students to implement prevention strategies, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation for injured athletes and exercisers
- provide students with a multi-disciplinary education and an insight into being part of a multi-disciplinary team in sporting environments
- present a valuable educational experience with the opportunity to learn through the integration of theory and practice
- ensure that our graduating sports therapists have developed the level of knowledge and professional competencies to meet professional regulatory requirements.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- anatomy, nutrition and physiological principles related to sports and exercise
- current developments in the practice and theory of sports therapy
- the theoretical basis of qualitative and quantitative research
- concepts of sport and exercise therapy relevant to becoming an autonomous sports therapist
- the underpinning theory of prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of sports injuries.
Intellectual skills
You gain intellectual skills in the following areas:
- academic study including critical evaluation
- how to plan, design, execute and communicate a piece of independent work that shows critical engagement with the relevant data
- the use of knowledge to solve familiar and unfamiliar problems in order to develop reasoned arguments and challenge assumptions
- self-appraisal and reflection on practice
- how to recognise and respond to moral, legal, ethical and safety issues related to sports therapy.
Subject-specific skills
You gain subject-specific skills in how to:
- undertake competent, evaluative and reflective sports and exercise therapy
- make judgements from the verbal and physical presentation of an athlete
- apply and evaluate methods and techniques to prevent, treat and rehabilitate commonly-occurring sports injuries
- demonstrate safe, appropriate, confident and competent patient-handling skills.
Transferable skills
You gain transferable skills in:
- communication, presentation, numeracy and IT
- interactive skills and group-work
- problem-solving
- the ability to self-appraise and reflect on practice
- the ability to plan and manage your own learning.
Careers
Our Sports Therapy graduates are qualified to start work as professionally accredited sports therapists with an excellent range of skills. To help you to appeal to employers across a range of careers, you also develop transferable skills in:
- computing and IT
- analysing data and problem solving
- writing and communicating well.
Graduate destinations
Previous graduates have gone on to work in:
- sports injury clinics
- sports clubs
- English Institute of Sport, or for professional teams
- the NHS in physical activity or health promotion
- health and fitness clubs
- sports development within local authorities
- national governing bodies of sport
- physiotherapy
- teaching PE or science (after taking a PGCE)
- lecturing and research (after taking a postgraduate programme).
Help looking for a job
The School has an excellent reputation and many links to professional bodies. This network is very useful to students when looking for employment.
The University also has a friendly Careers and Employability Service which can give you advice on how to:
- apply for jobs
- write a good CV
- perform well in interviews.
Independent rankings
For graduate prospects, Sports Science at Kent was ranked 8th in The Guardian University Guide 2017. Sports Science students who graduated from Kent in 2015 were the most successful in the UK at finding work or further study opportunities (DLHE).
According to Which? University 2017, the average starting salary for graduates of this degree is £18K.
What our graduates say
“My typical day consists of physiological testing, coaching athletes and applying sports science in a commercial setting.”
Ciaran O’Grady
Sport and Exercise Science graduate
Professional recognition
Graduates from this degree may be eligible for voluntary registration with the Health Professions Council in the future.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | ABB including B in an appropriate subject (eg Biology, Chemistry, Sport, Physical Education, Statistics, Mathematics, Applied Science) |
| GCSE | C in Mathematics |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above. |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | 18 units at Distinction, Distinction, Merit in a sport or science subject |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 16 at HL including Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Mathematics 5 at HL or 6 at SL and Mathematics 4 at HL or SL |
International students
The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.
Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2016/17 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
The University of Kent is currently considering whether to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all returning Home and EU undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250 in September 2017. This would be subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses might also rise by 2.8%.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk
Funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Details of our proposed funding opportunities for 2016 entry can be found on our funding page.
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. For 2016 entry, the scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our scholarships pages. Please review the eligibility criteria on that page.