Rehabilitation and Exercise Science with Foundation Year
Rehabilitation and exercise science sits at the intersection of sports science, physiology, and clinical practice, investigating how physical activity and structured rehabilitation can restore function, prevent injury, and promote long-term health. The discipline draws on anatomy, biomechanics, physiology, and psychology to understand how the body responds to exercise and injury, and applies that understanding to the design of interventions that help people recover from conditions ranging from musculoskeletal injuries to cardiac events and neurological impairments.
At Keele, which has the distinctive advantage of delivering this programme within a Faculty of Medicine, this four-year full-time degree begins with a foundation year providing additional preparation for students who need it before advancing to the main degree. You will study in an academically rigorous environment that brings together scientific knowledge, hands-on practical experience, and professional practice, developing real-world skills for working with individuals across a wide range of rehabilitation, exercise, and health settings. The programme combines theory and applied learning, ensuring that your understanding of the science of exercise is always connected to how it operates in clinical and community contexts.
Graduates go on to careers in clinical rehabilitation, exercise prescription, sport and exercise therapy, health coaching, public health, community fitness, and related roles across the NHS, private healthcare, sport, and local authority health services. The growing evidence base for exercise as medicine means that rehabilitation and exercise scientists are increasingly valued across healthcare settings, and the degree at Keele provides a strong foundation for that professional contribution. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in physiotherapy, clinical exercise science, sports medicine, or related health disciplines.