Undergraduate students learning how to palpitate a knee. Physiotherapy and Sports Rehabilitation in the QMC

Sport Rehabilitation BSc

Medical School Building, Nottingham, UK

Course overview

Unlock your potential and join a course that will enable you to become a confident sport rehabilitator, equipped with the knowledge, skills, and flexibility to work independently across a range of sporting, health, rehabilitation and exercise environments.

Accredited by the British Association of Sport Rehabilitators and Trainers (BASRaT), our BSc (Hons) Sport Rehabilitation course develops your clinical neuromusculoskeletal assessment and treatment skills to work with service users of all ages to rehabilitate them following injury and/or illness.

We are committed to developing excellent sport rehabilitators within a supportive, nurturing higher education environment. You will work across key areas of injury prevention, health, wellbeing and sport, designing and implementing exercise and rehabilitation programmes.

Indicative modules

Mandatory

Year 1

Introduction to Leadership in Sport Rehabilitation

Mandatory

Year 1

Interprofessional Education: Introduction to Collaborative Practice in Health and Social Care

Mandatory

Year 1

Human Anatomy for Rehabilitation

Mandatory

Year 1

Human Physiology and Exercise

Mandatory

Year 1

Introduction to Exercise and Rehabilitation Interventions

Mandatory

Year 1

Introduction to Research Skills in Rehabilitation

Mandatory

Year 1

Neuromusculoskeletal Injury and Assessment

Mandatory

Year 2

Applied Criticality in Health

Mandatory

Year 2

Neuromusculoskeletal Injury Assessment & Management

Mandatory

Year 2

Exercise Science of Sport Rehabilitation

Mandatory

Year 2

Fundamentals of Strength & Conditioning

Mandatory

Year 2

Manual Therapies in Sport Rehabilitation

Mandatory

Year 2

Interprofessional Education: Collaborative Practice

Mandatory

Year 2

Rehabilitation in Contemporary Public Health

Mandatory

Year 3

Sustainable Health

Mandatory

Year 3

Complete Management of Injury Rehabilitation

Mandatory

Year 3

Physical Activity for Public Health

Mandatory

Year 3

Interprofessional Education: Safeguarding

Optional

Year 3

Advanced Professional Development

Optional

Year 3

Occupational Health and Workplace Wellbeing 

Optional

Year 3

Contemporary Challenges in Rehabilitation

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About modules

The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. This content was last updated on Tuesday 24 June 2025. Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.

Teaching methods

Teaching is delivered through a mix of in-person and online methods. The majority of your teaching will be in-person.

  • Anatomy sessions
  • Case-based learning
  • Clinical relevance sessions
  • Clinical skills sessions
  • eLearning
  • Lab sessions
  • Lectures
  • Placements
  • Practical classes
  • Problem-based learning
  • Prosection
  • Self-study
  • Seminars
  • Small group learning
  • Tutorials
  • Workshops

Assessment methods

  • Case studies
  • Coursework
  • Dissertation
  • Examinations
  • Formative assessments
  • Lab reports
  • Logbooks
  • Portfolio (written/digital)
  • Poster presentation
  • Practical exams
  • Presentation
  • Verbal exam
  • Workplace-based assessment

During the course, you can expect approximately 12 to 24 hours of contact time per week. Along with approximately 12 to 24 hours of independent self-guided study each week.

In order to comply with the requirements of the British Association of Sport Rehabilitators (BASRaT), you're required to complete a minimum of 400 hours of supervised clinical practice during the course. At Nottingham, you'll gain these hours by undertaking 10 weeks of clinical placements plus participation in the massage clinic in year two.

Some placements may be in one 'block' where you should expect to undertake a normal full-time working week. However, you may also be required to undertake a part-time placement that will take place over the course of a full academic year. Please note you may be required to work unsociable hours, including some weekends and evenings, depending upon the placement.

Graduate sport rehabilitators (GSR's) have a sound knowledge of the fundamentals of sport rehabilitation and exercise science, experience of relating theory to practise and utilising practical skills in a rehabilitation setting. GSR’s also have a commitment and responsibility to promote health and wellbeing in society. You will have developed these skills and more including research, and spent considerable time on personal development, and leadership skills for working in a global society.

GSR's are employed in a range of sport, health and occupational settings. Many work in private practise, with professional teams, clubs and the leisure industry, and in the Ministry of Defence. There are also opportunities in research and/or teaching.

97.9% of undergraduates from the School of Health Sciences secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual starting salary for these graduates was £26,240.*

* HESA Graduate Outcomes 2018/19-2021/22.

Career Paths

There are a wide range of roles that graduates can go into these might include:

Career Options for Sport Rehabilitation Graduates

  • Graduate Sport Rehabilitator – working in private clinics, sports clubs, or rehabilitation centres.
  • Injury Prevention Specialist – designing programmes to reduce injury risk in athletes or active populations.
  • Rehabilitation Therapist – supporting recovery from musculoskeletal injuries in NHS or private healthcare settings.
  • Strength and Conditioning Coach – focusing on performance enhancement and injury prevention.
  • Exercise Rehabilitation Instructor – delivering tailored exercise programmes for clinical populations.
  • Pitch-Side First Responder – providing immediate care during sports events (with trauma care certification).
  • Health and Wellbeing Coach – promoting physical activity and lifestyle changes in community or corporate settings.
  • Clinical Educator or Lecturer – teaching and mentoring future sport rehabilitation students.
  • Research Assistant – contributing to studies in sports science, injury prevention, or rehabilitation.

Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take.

Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take.

Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.

Have a look at our careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.

The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers.

  • Ranked 3rd in the UK for top employers (The Graduate Market, High Fliers, 2024).
  • Ranked 7th Best UK university for work experience (Rate my Placement, 2025).
Books in the George Green library, University Park. November 5th 2021.

This course provided me with the best start to my professional career as a graduate sport rehabilitator. It gave me excellent placement opportunities with premier league football clubs and private specialist musculoskeletal clinics that allowed me to make professional contacts throughout my time studying. My first clinical role after graduating included working with premier league football club, Nottingham Forest FC (who I still work with now after two years). I have also had the opportunity to work in private clinical practice treating a range of athletes and conditions... This is a great yet challenging course, that readily prepares you for the clinical working world.

Hannah Dent

BSc Sport Rehabilitation, 2020 graduate

Course data

Open Day June 2022