Sports Therapy

Sports therapy is a healthcare profession focused on the prevention of injury and the rehabilitation of patients who have sustained musculoskeletal injuries in sport and exercise contexts. It draws on anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, and clinical assessment skills, and practitioners work with athletes from grassroots sport through to elite competition, as well as with the wider population seeking to maintain or restore physical function. The profession is regulated, and graduates who meet the required standards can register with the Society of Sports Therapists or related bodies.

At Roehampton University, this three-year full-time programme develops the clinical and scientific knowledge that professional practice requires. You will study musculoskeletal anatomy, exercise physiology, sports injury assessment and diagnosis, therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, taping and strapping, rehabilitation programming, and the psychological dimensions of injury and recovery. A foundation year is available for students who need to build their scientific grounding before the main degree begins.

A sandwich year places you in a professional clinical environment for an extended period, and work placement experience runs throughout the programme, building the practical skills and clinical reasoning that employers and professional bodies expect.

Graduates from sports therapy programmes work as sports therapists in professional sporting organisations, private clinical practice, NHS rehabilitation settings, gyms and leisure centres, and armed forces rehabilitation. Some graduates move into strength and conditioning, personal training, or sports science support roles, while others pursue postgraduate study in physiotherapy, sports medicine, exercise rehabilitation, and sports and exercise science. The combination of clinical expertise and sports knowledge the degree develops is also valued in occupational health and workplace wellbeing settings.