Our exercise rehabilitation course is one of the best in the UK. With plenty of experience working alongside clients, athletes and healthcare professionals, you’ll gain the scientific knowledge and technical skills to pursue career opportunities across the entire fitness and rehabilitation profession.
As the top university in London for Sports Science (The Complete University Guide, 2020), we not only introduce you to the current sport and exercise rehabilitation trends – we give you the confidence and skillset to use these latest advancements to launch your career.
Covering everything you need to know to improve athletic performance and reduce injury risk, you’ll develop the technical skills and knowledge to diagnose, treat and rehabilitate musculoskeletal injuries. You’ll also put theory into practice as you gain experience working across a variety of settings within the industry.
In our partnership with Saracens Rugby Club, you’ll have access to the fantastic resources at StoneX Stadium, including the brand new £23 million redevelopment project of the West Stand which offers state-of-the-art facilities as a top educational and high performance centre for teaching and research excellence. With some of the most advanced equipment in the UK, you will be able to utilise the new specialist spaces, simulation suites, specialist labs, plus much more.
You’ll have access to some of the best sports education facilities in the UK. Here, you’ll build your experience of sports injury treatment, rehabilitation, conditioning and fitness development.
As part of your course, you’ll spend 400 hours gaining valuable work experience across a variety of settings. Previous students have taken placements at elite sports clubs, physiotherapy clinics and at charity events such as the London Marathon.
You’ll be able to apply for membership at the Sports Massage Association – or an alternative massage organisation – once you’ve completed your course.
When it comes to support, you’ll be matched with a Personal Tutor to get the backing you need. You’ll also get support from our Student Learning and Graduate Academic Assistants who have personal experience in your subject.
Our course is accredited by the British Association of Sport Rehabilitators and Trainers (BASRaT), which means you’ll be able to apply for membership once you’ve finished your course. This will not only give you extra credibility in the sport rehabilitation field, but will also let you pursue a wider range of employment opportunities.
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This specialist degree emphasises injury prevention, primary health care and lifestyle management. Through this, you will learn how to provide immediate care following acute injury or illness and to recognise potential causes of injury for all sportspeople, at all levels of fitness. You will learn how to devise and implement strategies to reduce injury risk and to evaluate an individual's health to determine the appropriate evidence-based therapeutic and exercise interventions for recovery of function, return to physical activity or high performance. Practical studies and lectures are taught on campus and at nearby StoneX Stadium, home of Saracens Rugby Club, where you will spend a significant amount of study time, in addition to 400 hours of clinical practice. (Access will be dependent on social distancing requirements due to Covid-19.)
You will graduate armed with the knowledge and understanding of risk management and programmes to prevent injuries and illnesses as well as the nutritional requirements of the physically active and/or professional sportsperson. You will understand the social, psychological and physical behaviours of the physically active or professional sportsperson and will have gained laboratory and clinical skills necessary for assessing and treating injuries and illnesses of the physically active. You will know principles of safe and effective training for a variety of clients including elite athletes and special populations taking into consideration national and professional bodies guidelines as well as the client's social and cultural background. You will also have knowledge of human anatomy and physiology with reference to exercise, health, development and ageing. You will gain valuable experience in working with various clients, including the general public as well as high level athletes, allowing you to develop your skills in managing and treating both acute and long term injuries.
Please note, this course does not accept applications to Year 2 or Year 3 entry.
We’ve made temporary changes to some course modules for students starting in 2020 in response to the coronavirus outbreak. If you’re applying to start this course or progressing into year one, two or three this autumn, there’s info on these updates below.
This module will provide a broad understanding and the fundamental knowledge of the key academic skills required for you to successfully complete your undergraduate degree. You will know the underlying core and theoretical frameworks for research methods and academic writing by demonstrating your understanding of data collection and analysis, literature, sourcing literature, the components of research and by identifying strengths and weaknesses.
This module aims to provide students with an understanding of the common mechanisms of a variety of musculoskeletal injuries within sport. They will develop a knowledge base around the classification of these injuries with regards to specific tissue structures as well as an understanding of the body’s reaction to injuries and the healing process. Students will develop the communication skills to work effectively with others to apply basic principles of rehabilitation to sporting injuries in order to develop a treatment plan.
This module aims to provide students with broad knowledge of clinical and functional anatomy and provides a platform upon which to build understanding of human movement and joint assessment. This module will also introduce students to the fundamentals of sports massage allowing them to undertake client assessment, understand the underlying theoretical knowledge, and demonstrate basic massage techniques along with an awareness of professional practice guidelines.
The aim of this module is to introduce the underlying theoretical frameworks of health and fitness, to provide students with the confidence and practical skills to deliver effective training sessions. Students will develop their coaching knowledge through a variety of topics, ranging from the benefits and risks of physical activity, the development and maintenance of health, fitness, and understand how to optimise and monitor sports performance. The theoretical sessions will support students to undertake complex and routine practical performance tasks, orientated around developing effective coaching skills, both on an individual and group basis.
To introduce and apply key scientific concepts and principles across the three main sports science disciplines of physiology, psychology and biomechanics. Students will gain a broad understanding of human movement, physiological mechanisms that underpin these movements and core psychological concepts that affect health and sporting performance. Students will learn how to work effectively in a team by carrying out practical investigations in all three sport and exercise disciplines.
This module is aimed at transforming the personal and professional outcomes of undergraduate students at Middlesex University. By working in partnership within and beyond sporting disciplines, learners will be challenged to transfer skills and harness free-thinking knowledge from a range of inter-related sectors. Utilising multi-department collaboration, students will harness expansive information from experts within Support and Wellbeing, Employability, Learning Enhancement and the Students Union through a practice-oriented educational environment. Through applying broader educational principles, students will have new opportunities to develop innovative skills that inspire a life-long aptitude for individually and co-operatively solving problems within inclusive socio-economic development, the sustainability of communities and the underlying concepts of equity, health and wellbeing.
This module will provide the students with the skills to analyse a range of academic information, comparing alternative methods and techniques. This will involve them collecting and synthesising this information to inform a subject specific research question. The student will have knowledge of well-established research methods and concepts evidenced by the awareness of inconsistencies, gaps, and limitations within literature.
This module will explore manual therapy and soft tissue techniques to establish detailed theoretical and practical knowledge of the methods used in treating musculoskeletal injuries or dysfunction.
Throughout the module students will develop clinical reasoning skills in order to select appropriate techniques in which to base a treatment plan on to effectively treat a range of musculoskeletal conditions.
This module provides you with a detailed knowledge of key concepts for a range of therapeutic modalities.
During this module, you will demonstrate the ability to analyse, evaluate and apply these modalities to various musculoskeletal injures.
This module will explore the well-established concepts of pain theories in order to understand and apply appropriate management techniques to both acute and chronic injuries.
This module explores the complex procedures of emergency and immediate care of athletes whilst working in a pitch side environment.
You will obtain a detailed knowledge of the various treatment modalities appropriate for this environment, and understand the importance of risk assessment, management, and referral to appropriate medical personnel.
This module requires you to interact confidently on placement, ensuring you have the sufficient knowledge to work effectively as part of a treatment team.
This module develops a detailed knowledge base of clinical assessment and pre-participation screening methods to identify muscle imbalance, risk factors for injury and potential issues that impact performance.
You will utilise established theories to select appropriate techniques in managing a range of sporting injuries.
Throughout the module you will develop the necessary skills through a range of resources to assess clients, identify risk factors, plan and implement effective rehabilitation programmes to manage client’s needs.
This module builds on the personal and professional outcomes of undergraduate students that were secured at level 4. By continuing to work beyond sporting disciplines, learners will be challenged to provide opinions and back this up with reasoning and evidence throughout a range of inter-related sectors. Utilising multi-department collaboration, students will appraise, assess and critique the information from subject experts within Support and Wellbeing, Employability, Learning Enhancement and the Students Union.
Through comparing broader educational principles, students will further develop innovative skills that inspire a life-long aptitude for individually and co-operatively solving problems within inclusive socio-economic development, the sustainability of communities and the underlying concepts of equity, health and wellbeing.
This module aims to synthesise existing learning from the students' undergraduate programme, providing an opportunity for students to study independently and investigate a topic in depth.
It fosters academic curiosity; requiring students to use an inquiry-based approach, for the employment and application of research skills thus facilitating the development of higher level of theorising. Students will select a topic relevant to their degree on which they wish to undertake a substantial in-depth study.
Students will judge the reliability, validity and significance of the evidence to support conclusions and/or recommendations.
This module focuses on student’s ability to develop critical thinking and evidence-based practice in the treatment of musculoskeletal injury and rehabilitation. Emphasis is on being autonomous and linking of skills and in depth knowledge from all modules and its application to practice. Advanced topics will allow students to understand the multidisciplinary approach of sport and exercise rehabilitation within a range of environments.
This module develops the student’s ability to apply the in-depth knowledge and skills gained from prior learning in relation to a professional practice environment. Students will be required to reflect and evaluate their working practice and be able to adopt a problem-solving approach to practice and a working environment.
Sport & Exercise Rehabilitation Pathway only; There is a compulsory placement module where students will be encouraged to seek short term (minimum of 400 hours) of work experience in a suitable Sport and Exercise Rehabilitation environment; this should be supervised by a suitably qualified practitioner (certified and registered/insured with a professional body; Sports Rehabilitator, Sports Therapist, Physiotherapist, Chiropractor, Osteopath, Sports Medicine doctor, or equivalent, dictated by the programme leader).
Sport and Exercise Science (S&C, PE & Coaching) There is a compulsory placement module where students will be encouraged to seek short term (minimum of 50 hours) of work experience in a suitable Sport and Exercise Science, Strength and Conditioning, Teaching and Coaching environment determined by your programme; this should be supervised by a suitably qualified practitioner. Suitability of the placement and supervisor is dictated by the programme leader.
This module aims to provide students with advanced skills in exercise-based rehabilitation, which will include; complex factors effecting performance and recovery, monitoring of athletes and clients, performance enhancement and advanced exercise-based rehabilitation in relation to injury.
Students will gain an understanding of working within a multi-disciplinary team and demonstrate the ability to evaluate their own performance as independent learners.
More information about this course
See the course specification for more information about course content:
Optional modules are usually available at levels 5 and 6, although optional modules are not offered on every course. Where optional modules are available, you will be asked to make your choice during the previous academic year. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, or there are staffing changes which affect the teaching, it may not be offered. If an optional module will not run, we will advise you after the module selection period when numbers are confirmed, or at the earliest time that the programme team make the decision not to run the module, and help you choose an alternative module.
With the ever-increasing focus for the sporting world to achieve the best results possible, sport rehabilitators are in demand. Graduates will be qualified to pursue a career as a graduate sports rehabilitator under BASRaT, or progress into postgraduate study, particularly into the sports medicine, physiotherapy, strength and conditioning, and teaching/lecturing field. You will also be excellently placed to progress into postgraduate study, particularly into sports rehabilitation or physiotherapy courses.
You can gain employment within sport rehabilitation clinics, health clinics, elite or amateur sports teams, the leisure and fitness industry, or occupational health units. Our BSc Sport & Exercise Rehabilitation graduates have gone on to work in a wide range of roles including: Performance Analyst, Rehab Assistant, Massage Therapist, Gym Instructor, Supervisor, and Teaching Assistant.
Our Employability Service can help you to develop your employability skills and get some valuable work experience. We provide workshops, events and one to one support with job hunting, CVs, covering letters, interviews, networking and so on. We also support you in securing part-time work, placements, internships, and volunteering opportunities, and offer an enterprise support service for those looking to start their own business.
Mark graduated from the University of Hertfordshire with BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy before going onto study his MSc in Sport & Exercise Rehabilitation. Since graduating Mark has worked in the NHS, Private practice, the Military and professional Sport such as England Touch Rugby, GB Slalom Canoeing and part of the medical team for British Judo.
Robert Lee
Sport and Exercise Rehabilitation BSc graduate
Sport and Exercise Rehabilitation is a new, exciting and budding profession that I wanted to become a part of. I chose Middlesex due to the reputation of the course, which is heavily weighted as a practically applied course, and the expertise of the lecturers teaching.
I believe that my course at Middlesex has stood me in good stead for the realistic demands of Sport and Exercise Rehabilitation and I have now decided to further my education by staying at Middlesex and applying for the MSc Strength and Conditioning. I would definitely recommend Middlesex to any prospective students, especially for Sport and Exercise Rehabilitation. The University has just invested in a brand new state of the art facility with a rehabilitation suite which new students can take full advantage of.
Sophie Sandy
Sport and Exercise Rehabilitation BSc student
Middlesex University was the only university that offered me a scholarship for competing as an international judo player. It has an amazing set up of support for athletes and sports students and has been fantastic at understanding both my academic and athletic commitments.
The course allows you to take on a multitude of roles such as a team leader in group projects and also as an independent individual as a researcher, a presenter (to the rest of the class to pitch your ideas and findings) and as a confident practitioner both in a clinical setting and with sports teams at pitch side.
Glenn Cranham
Sport and Exercise Rehabilitation BSc graduate
Glenn now works as a Senior Sports Rehabilitator at Active Choice.
I couldn't do my current job without my degree, so for me the decision to go to university is one of the best decisions I have made. My degree has enabled me to work clinically which is something I couldn't have done before as a personal trainer. I run my own clinic now and get a huge amount of job satisfaction. The course gave me a good grounding in the skills required to run a private practice.
One piece of advice I would definitely give to anybody thinking of applying is make sure you go to the Open Day and talk to your prospective tutors. It's really important to find out whether you think you will get along as the relationships you develop with your tutors are important.
We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.
Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.
Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.
At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.
Start: October 2023
Duration: 3 years full-time, 6 years part-time
Code: CQ00
