Sports Therapy

Sports therapy is the healthcare profession concerned with the prevention and management of musculoskeletal injuries among active populations, from recreational exercisers to elite athletes. Sports therapists assess injuries, design rehabilitation programmes, use manual therapy techniques, provide pitch-side emergency care, and work to support clients through injury recovery and back to full activity. It is a profession that requires both clinical knowledge and an understanding of how the body responds to sport and exercise.

At the University of Winchester, this three-year full-time programme is taught by experienced academics and practitioners, with the curriculum designed to gradually build your knowledge, practical abilities, and clinical confidence throughout the course. You will study anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, injury assessment, soft tissue therapy, exercise rehabilitation, sports nutrition, and emergency care, developing both the theoretical understanding and the hands-on skills that professional practice demands. Clinical experience is woven into the programme, giving you supervised contact with real clients and the opportunity to develop clinical confidence in an applied context.

The typical entry tariff is 136 UCAS points, and the degree is studied full time. Graduates from sports therapy programmes are eligible to register with the Society of Sports Therapists and go on to careers working with professional and amateur sports teams, in private practice, at sports clinics, rehabilitation centres, and health clubs. Many also work in fitness industry settings alongside their therapy practice.

Further study options include postgraduate qualifications in musculoskeletal therapy, sports rehabilitation, and physiotherapy conversion programmes.