100%
positivity for teaching on my course
National Student Survey 2024
Top 30
UK university
out of 122 institutions
Guardian University Guide 2025
100%
positivity for how well resources and facilities support learning
National Student Survey 2024
Overview
Study a course that has produced sports therapists for over 20 years
As a sports therapist, you play a crucial role in a multi-disciplinary team, essential for delivering outstanding care, injury management, and rehabilitation to participants of all ages and abilities, whether they are athletes or not.
This course, accredited by the Society of Sports Therapists, has been shaping successfully by therapists for over 20 years, leading them into diverse careers within the sports sector.
By integrating the principles of sport and exercise sciences, and understanding both physiological and pathological processes, you will expand your knowledge of sports therapy through the academic study of sports medicine and sports science.
You will acquire excellent clinical skills, sound clinical reasoning, and a deep knowledge base, empowering you to work independently.

On this course you will:
- Enhance your comprehension of sports medicine and sports science concepts, emphasising physiological and pathological processes.
- Master the ability to design and execute independent treatment plans for injured patients.
- Acquire practical experience by initially working with injured students and staff, then extending your practice beyond the university to reinforce your learning.
- Cultivate superior clinical, examination, and assessment skills to excel in your field.
The Course
Develop your understanding of the concepts of sports medicine and sports science
Our BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy course gives you an highly-practical and in-depth overview of the fundamental concepts and realities of contemporary practice.
Year One
Learn the fundamentals of anatomy and physiology in small group settings to build a strong foundation for your knowledge. Benefit from a personal tutor to guide you throughout your journey. Additionally, take advantage of opportunities to earn extra qualifications for a career in the industry.
Year Two
Engage in practical and problem-solving opportunities with sports teams. Level 5 spinal modules are provided to help you develop and apply your skills in a supportive environment. Experience hands-on, applied learning to enhance your personal, practical, and professional skills, and complete a variety of assessments.
Year Three
Participate in a compulsory onsite supervised injury clinic, where you’ll apply theory to practice with a diverse group of athletes, dancers, musical theatre performers, and staff. Engage in practical research projects to enhance your research methodology skills. Integrate workplace skills to prepare for a career in the industry.
Modules
Select a year
Acute Injury and Trauma
This module introduces you to the role of the Sports Therapist in the identification and management of acute sporting injury. It will provide you with the knowledge and skills to detect, identify and manage acute sporting injury from serious life threatening injury, to common soft tissue sporting injury. It will include on-field examination and making return to play decisions. You will gain an accredited first-aid qualification.
Evaluating Sport, Exercise and Health
This module will use a sport, exercise and health science context to develop study and research skills through practical application.
You will be introduced to simple methods of quantitative research and data analysis together with the rationale for those methods. You will experience a wide range of learning modalities to develop your study skills including:
- Practical data collection
- Computer laboratories
- Group seminars
- Group and individual tutorials.
Fundamentals for Sports Therapists
This module aims to enhance your knowledge of the structure and function of the body’s cells, tissues and systems. The integration of the study of the normal physiology of body tissues with pathological conditions that may commonly affect them is a key theme running through this module. The module examines the relevance of these pathologies and the body’s response to them in our clinical practice.
Fundamentals of Human Physiology
This module will allow you to examine how key systems such as the musculoskeletal system, the cardio-vascular system and the respiratory system affect human performance. Specific attention is paid to energy metabolism in the context of the exercising human across the breadth of the energy spectrum.
Human Anatomy
This module introduces you to the musculoskeletal system of the human in context of its functional activity during everyday life and sporting activities. This module aims to analyse the movement parameters of the principal musculoskeletal zones of the body. You will develop palpatory skills and analyse joint movement and investigate the muscles involved in simple limb and trunk activity.
Introduction to Applied Exercise Physiology
This module aims to develop an understanding of the application of scientific principles and techniques to evaluate human performance. Consideration will be given to the selection of an appropriate data collection environment (i.e. laboratory versus field) and the applicability across a range of activities that spans energy provision.
Soft Tissue Massage and Manipulation Techniques
This module will provide you with a foundation on which to build further skill and expertise in the art of soft tissue massage and manipulation. You will gain the theoretical principles and practical skills to plan and implement appropriate treatment to address soft tissue dysfunction through the phases of tissue injury and to provide general conditioning for the tissue through periods of training and competition.
Sports Injury Management 1
This module aims to introduce the role of the Sports Therapist in the clinical assessment and treatment of injury. It provides a basic foundation on which to build further knowledge, skill and expertise. The module will cover an introduction to examination and assessment of the lower limb and provide an introduction to the planning and delivery of safe and effective treatments thereof. You will learn and develop skills in clinical assessment, sports taping and basic exercise therapy.
Rehabilitation: Return to Function
This module will provide you with the theoretical knowledge, understanding, and practical abilities to plan and implement safe and effective, progressive rehabilitation programmes that are both injury and functional specific, and address the individual needs of the patient.
Sports Injury Management 2
This module provides you with a safe and effective assessment and management of soft tissue and sport-related injuries. The module also aims to enable you to understand the gross structure and function of the upper body and the typical pathological responses of the body. It also aims to equip you with signs and symptoms of clinical pathology and the mechanisms of injury aetiology.
Neuromusculoskeletal Manual Therapy to the Spine
This module provides you with the knowledge, understanding and ability to provide the safe and effective assessment and management for the cervical, thoracic, lumbar vertebrae. It will give you the ability to apply comprehensive neurogenic, arthogenic and myogenic examination, assessment and treatment techniques appropriate to the above regions.
Rehabilitation: Return to Completion
This module will allow you to consolidate your theoretical knowledge and develop your practical ability to lead rehabilitation sessions in a group setting that are injury-specific and applicable in both the sport and occupational setting. You will learn to plan, implement and evaluate safe and effective group rehabilitation programmes that are appropriate to the needs of the patient’s transition during the phases of late-stage rehabilitation, to return to competition/occupation.
Clinical Biomechanics
This module aims to build upon the core biomechanical principles underpinning the practical analysis of human movement. It will also consider the role of biomechanical analysis in sports therapy and the assessment of patients. It will serve to widen your knowledge base and show the integrative nature of the separate disciplines of therapy and biomechanics.
Researching Sport, Exercise and Health
The module will provide you with practical skills of conducting research in the sport, exercise and health environment, and you will further your research skills, including ethical considerations, research design and methodology, analysis and write-up.
Clinical Placement (Sports Therapy)
Students are expected to undertake a placement or placements, which in total would constitute a minimum of 200 hours experience that enables them to develop, apply and reflect on their clinical practice across the core areas of sports therapy practice. The indicative content will ultimately vary upon the nature of the clinical placement. The student will be expected to take responsibility for a patient caseload; examining, assessing, treating and managing athletes under the supervision of a specialist clinical mentor.
Dissertation
You are encouraged to identify a research question appropriate to your degree pathway that is of interest and relevance to your studies. The investigation may be based within single or multiple disciplines. An appropriate approach to addressing the question is then determined through discussion with tutors in your chosen area.
Advanced Neuromusculoskeletal Manual Therapy
This module aims to provide you with the expertise to apply safe and effective manual therapy and mobilisation techniques to the peripheral joints of the body. It will give you the ability to apply a comprehensive range of manual therapy techniques appropriate to a wide range of presenting problems in the peripheral joints and aims to develop a more clinically reasoned approach in your management.
Psychology Of Injury And Rehabilitation
This module enables you to critically evaluate the psychological, social and cultural factors in injury risk, theories of psychological responses to injury, recovery and adherence to rehabilitation programmes. It will critically evaluate theory and research, and consider practical approaches to working with injured athletes to assist them with their response to and rehabilitation from injury experiences.
Therapeutic And Clinical Electrotherapy
This module provides you with the theoretical knowledge and practical expertise to apply Ultrasound, TENS, Interferential and LASER safely and effectively. It will equip you with the clinical reasoning regarding the implementation of these modalities. It will also investigate the research regarding the usage of these modalities.
Advanced Sports Trauma And Injury Management
An opportunity for you to consolidate your knowledge and further develop existing skills. The module aims to challenge current concepts in sports therapy practice, further develop a clinically reasoned approach in differential diagnosis and management of more complex and multifactorial presentations. This module prepares you for the complexities and realisms of clinical practice in all settings.
Nutrition for Sport Performance, Physical Development and Health
This module aims to examine the ways in which dietary intake influences energy metabolism, recovery of skeletal muscle after exercise, exercise performance and training adaptations. Strategies to manipulate the dietary intake of energy, macro- and micro- nutrients through food choices and supplements will be examined in terms of their role of optimisation of training adaptations and sporting performance. An important component of the module will be the practical application of nutritional theory to the sporting arena.
Experience
Discover a wide range of excellent sporting facilities that support your learning
Sports laboratories
We have four specialist psychology labs including a virtual reality reader, brain imaging unit and an observation suite.
Sports injury clinic
Sports Therapy students use our specialist injury clinics these spaces for practical sessions and run a practice.
Tudor Hale Centre for Sport
Our world-class Tudor Hale Centre for Sport acts as the focus for sports science, therapy and physiology.
Placement partners
We have developed strong connections with our partners to provide you with work placement opportunities.
Sports hall
Our specialist sports hall can be used for a wide range of indoor sports, including basketball, netball, badminton and volleyball.
Specialist outdoor sports pitches
Alongside our grass football and rugby pitches, we also have our International Hockey Federation compliant floodlit astro turf.
Close community
Our commitment to a friendly and close-knit student community contributes to a high degree of success for our graduates.
Expert staff
Learn from experienced sport therapy specialists here to support you throughout your degree.
Fitness suite
We offer a variety of cardio, resistance and weight equipment, with a dedicated strength and conditioning room.
Sports Dome
The Sports Dome is a large indoor facility which can be used for sports such as cricket, football, hockey and many more.
FA Women's High-Performance Football Centre
As one of only nine centres in the UK, we provide additional opportunities for women to develop as players and coaches.
Learning Resource Centre
The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) contains the library, a café, IT/teaching rooms, and the Support and Information Zone (SIZ).
Library
Our campus library holds more than 200,000 books and over 500,000 eBooks.
Subject specific librarians
If you have difficulty finding material for an essay, seminar or project, subject librarians will be happy to provide assistance.
Teaching and Assessment
Innovative teaching methods that focus on practice
Teaching
Our team of lecturers blend innovation, enthusiasm, and expertise to uphold the high standards that define our institution’s esteemed reputation.
At Chichester, you will become part of a collaborative community of students and lecturers, working together to ensure your learning experience reflects best practices and leverages new, interactive technologies.
Each module is uniquely delivered based on its content and focus. Typically, core content is introduced through lead lectures, but most of your learning will occur in small groups with tutor support during seminars, workshops, or laboratory sessions.
Many sessions will require preparatory work, and you will receive structured follow-up tasks, such as readings or individual/group assignments, to further your learning. As you advance through your degree, you will be encouraged to take increasing ownership of your learning and development, directing your studies towards areas that interest you most.
Each module is delivered differently depending on its content and focus of study.
In most modules you can expect lead lectures to introduce core content, but the majority of your time will be spent working in small groups with tutor support in seminars, workshops or laboratory sessions.
Many sessions will require you to have completed some preparatory work and you will also be given structured follow-up work after a session to further progress your learning, often reading or an individual/group task. As you progress through your degree you will be expected to take more and more ownership over your learning and development, directing your study into areas of most interest to you.
Assessment
You will be evaluated through various methods, including practical exams, written exams, portfolios, lab reports, essays and oral presentations.
Our course features a diverse range of assessments to help you develop a broad set of transferable skills. Each module is assessed throughout the course, providing a cumulative evaluation of your progress.
You will have the opportunity to monitor your own progress and discuss your development with lecturers and a personal tutor. Special arrangements can be made for students with identified needs, where appropriate.
Placement Opportunities
Utilise our extensive professional networks to support your learning
You will your develop skills through our work placements. These are typically held in a professional sports club or organisation and allow you to apply theory and knowledge in an operational sport setting.
Our third year students run our Sports Injury Teaching Clinic for four hours a week during semester time.
They provide free treatment and advice for musculoskeletal injuries to all at the University of Chichester. The Sports Injury Teaching Clinic can be found in The Tudor Hale Centre for Sport.
Students are ultimately responsible for finding their own placement, however the placement coordinator is available to assist students and has a network of contacts.
Our students are from all over the UK, with the majority from the South and South East of England, with a few students from overseas. Many students find work placements in their home towns, as well as local opportunities in Sussex.
Placements are integral to your development as a student and are integrated within University-based work.
You will need to ensure you have all the necessary documentation in place before you start your placement. Some courses will insist that you complete a DBS check on entry to the course and others will require you to complete a check once you have started. Please check that you have completed all necessary documentation before commencing your placement.
Careers
Acquire the skills and knowledge required to gain employment with the sports industry
We understand the importance of ensuring that you have the knowledge, skills and experience to compete successfully in today’s challenging jobs market.
With a practical-based modular approach, our BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy course gives you the skills and experience necessary to succeed as a professional sports therapist, as well as in a variety of other roles within the sports industry.
Typical careers include:
- Sports therapist
- Private practice
- Fitness consultant
- Personal training
- Health promotion
- Teaching
Rosie
Further study
We offer postgraduate research programmes (MPhil/PhD) across the field of sport disciplines.
Supervision is offered by a strong, research-active team with a range of expertise. Our research interests stem from applied experience to deliver ‘real world’ meaningful results.
University of Chichester alumni who have completed a full undergraduate degree at the University will receive a 15% discount on their postgraduate fees.
Course Costs
Course Fees 2025/26
UK fee
International fee
EU/EEA Fee Reduction Scholarship
EU/EEA students automatically pay the equivalent of UK fees via the EU/EEA Fee Reduction Scholarship
For further details about fees, please see our Tuition Fees page.
For further details about international scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.
To find out about any additional costs on this course, please see our Additional Costs page.
Entry Requirements
UCAS
A Levels
BTEC
GCSEs
IELTS
Access to HE Diploma
Contextual offers
We believe everyone deserves an equal opportunity to pursue higher education, regardless of their background.
When we receive your application we consider your personal circumstances and the factors surrounding your achievements to see if you are eligible for a contextual offer. This is an offer with a reduced entry tariff – typically the equivalent of 16 fewer UCAS points (two A-level grades).
Find out more about our contextual offers.
Interview
As part of the application process for this course you will be asked to attend an interview.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Click the ‘Apply now’ button to go to relevant UCAS page.
Many qualifications have a UCAS Tariff value. The score depends on the qualification, and the grade you achieved.
Head to the UCAS Tariff Points web page where you can find a tariff points calculator that can tell you how much your qualification and grades are worth.