Sports Physiotherapy

Entry requirements

You should have a bachelor’s honours degree or international equivalent, typically a 2:1 or above.

To apply for this course, you should have an undergraduate degree in physiotherapy and have a minimum of two year’s post-licensure work experience in a physiotherapy role.

UK based applicants should be registered or hold a licence to practice as a physiotherapist with the Health and Care Professions Council and should hold Chartered Physiotherapist status. Non UK based applicants should provide details of their local professional physiotherapy registration, and details of how to check this online (if applicable).

Please ensure that you submit a personal statement of 250-500 words that outlines your qualifications and experience, includes details of your access to patients with sporting injuries, your interest in the programme, and how you wish to use the degree after completion.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Enhance your sports physiotherapy knowledge, skills and experience. This is a specially designed master's course for fully qualified physiotherapists.

This highly flexible academic and clinical master's degree develops your physiotherapy skills in the specialist setting of sport.

By working with Bath’s team of sports practitioners, you’ll deepen your knowledge of advanced sports physiotherapy techniques, athlete management and performance enhancement.

You’ll also develop your:

• knowledge of sports physiotherapy practice and ethical considerations at local, national and international levels
• ability to work in multidisciplinary teams within sports environments
• capability to provide safe and effective pitch-side emergency care
• awareness of anti-doping legislation and procedures within sports physiotherapy

A mix of self-led and face-to-face learning

Bath is one of the few universities that offers this type of academically recognised course through part-time distance learning. This means you can complete your master's degree alongside your clinical practice.

You’ll also experience face-to-face teaching during our Residential Weeks, which will take place in Bath.

Bath’s sports medicine expertise

You’ll learn from experts in sports physiotherapy, as well as staff in our wider Department for Health community.

Their passion, knowledge and industry expertise shape their teaching to enhance your learning experience. They have vast levels of industry experience and have worked with a range of professional athletes across different sports.

Some have worked at high-profile sporting events, including the:

• Commonwealth Games
• FIFA World Cupin
• Olympic Games
• Paralympic World Cup
• Six Nations Championship
• Tour de France

Use specialist facilities

During the Residential Weeks, you will use the physiology and biomechanics suites on our Bath campus. These contain up-to-date performance testing and analysis equipment.

Gain important career skills

During this course, you will benefit from:

• highly interactive, flexible distance learning and clinical teaching
• residential teaching weeks to support your practical and clinical examination training
• being part of an online network of sport and exercise medicine and sports physiotherapy clinicians
• access to experienced clinical specialists in the field to provide professional development support
• a problem-solving and reflective approach to sports physiotherapy

Within the majority of your units, you'll be able to tailor the assignments around your own sports physiotherapy practice. This will help to develop your learning in a way that is relevant to your own career path and aspirations.

You will be assigned an experienced sports physiotherapist as your Professional Development Advisor during this course. They will provide mentorship and help you establish industry links.

In Year 1 and Year 2 there are opportunities to learn from guest speakers and build connections with other clinicians at our Residential Weeks in Bath.

Graduate prospects

By the end of the course, you will be qualified to work with athletes and sports teams at the highest level. You will be able to apply evidence-based practice principles to deliver innovation in sports physiotherapy.

Some of our recent graduates have taken roles with:

• The Olympic and Paralympic Games
• Professional clubs and teams
• UK Sports Institute
• Birmingham Royal Ballet

If you want to continue your research alongside professional practice, we also provide an established Professional Doctorate, offering a route for MSc students interested in continuing their research to doctoral level while working part-time.

Fees and funding

View available funding opportunities.