Sport Rehabilitation
A first degree in sport rehabilitation can lead to a diverse range of employment and postgraduate study opportunities. We expect the majority of students to commit to careers in the sports and wellbeing sector undertaking roles such as:
- a graduate sport rehabilitator working:
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- with both professional and amateur athletes
- in private practice with members of the public on either an employed or self-employed basis
- with injured service personnel as a civilian exercise remedial instructor with the Ministry of Defence
- with members of the public in the public health sector or within the NHS with members of the public in the fitness and health sector
- teaching in the education sector within further education, higher education or lifelong learning institutions.
- researcher in injury and rehabilitation with charities, such as Versus Arthritis
- undertake further study and professional development within allied fields, such as strength and conditioning, physiotherapy or osteopathy
Others may decide to look at jobs outside of science and enter a diverse range of roles ranging from law, finance, public relations, teaching, and charity work.
Spotlight On: Sport Rehabilitator
We invited four professionals to talk to you about their roles in sports rehabilitation:
- Michael Nicol, Owner of a private practice
- Oliver Ware, Head of Medial, Jersey Reds
- Andrew Thompson, Sports Rehabilitator and Rehabilitation Practitioner
- Mickila O'Boyle, Owner
Login to SharePoint to watch a recording of this event
- Alumni: Email us to gain access to the webinar
The need for sports rehabilitators
The British Association of Sport Rehabilitators and Trainers (BASRaT) is the UK regulator for sport rehabilitation states:
‘As the number of people participating in sport and exercise at all levels continues to increase, so too do the diverse demands on healthcare practitioners. Couple this with the nationwide drive to make Britain a healthier place and get people of all ages and physical conditions exercising; there is a definite need for exercise and rehabilitation professionals who can work alongside and complement the existing healthcare practitioners.
Sport rehabilitators help people suffering from pain, injury or illness involving the musculoskeletal system. They help people of all ages to maintain their health and fitness, recover from and prevent injury and reduce pain using exercise, movement and manual based therapeutic interventions.
The course at the University of Nottingham is accredited with BASRaT which entitles graduates who meet their entry criteria to apply for full graduate membership and bestows the professional title of graduate sport rehabilitator.
Find out more about BASRaT
Where could I work? What jobs titles should I look for?
As expected, the majority of sport rehabilitation graduates will go on to work in the health and sport sector.
Employers can range from the:
- Ministry of Defence
- private practice
- professional sports clubs and teams
- health and well-being sector
- leisure industry
Opportunities for BASRaT graduates are advertised nationally and will appear under a variety of job titles including:
- team therapist
- remedial instructor
- rehabilitation case manager, therapist or trainer
- sports rehabilitator
- clinical assistant
- sports therapist
- physiotherapist
- fitness instructor
Starting salaries range from £18,000 to £25,000.
Please note that further qualifications or accreditation may be required as well as your degree. Professional body membership (such as BASRaT) and suitable insurance coverage is often required for employment.
Enhancing your employability during your degree
To ensure currency and safety in practice all graduate sport rehabilitators are required to complete continuing professional development (CPD) to compliment, update and further specialise the knowledge gained as part of the BSc (Hons) Sport Rehabilitation programme.
Some graduates will choose to complete additional qualifications or short course learning in areas such as Strength and Conditioning with organisations such as the UK Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) or the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), dry needling and or specialist manual therapy skills with short course providers or further their studies to higher degrees at universities in allied subjects such as Physiotherapy.
The UKSCA state that: having a degree does not make you exempt from completing the UKSCA’s accreditation process but of course the knowledge and skills you have obtained should support you in your assessment.
Topics they will cover include:
- foundation in strength and conditioning
- applied coaching science
- weight lifting for sport performance
- plyometrics
- agility and speed
- planning effective programmes
Coaching qualifications
- You may want to acquire coaching qualifications within a particular sport or acquire multi sport coaching skills. Check out UK Coaching for more information
- Alternatively, choose a sport and acquire specific coaching qualifications such as Learning Football England coaching programme
- Free online training and qualifications are available through groups such as England Rugby, UK Sport, the Football Association and World Rugby on a wide variety of coaching topics including concussion, child welfare and mental health
Away from sport you could be active in the community or student societies and make a positive contribution to the communities you live within
Skills to develop during your course or through extracurricular activities
As well as the skills developed on your course, participation in extracurricular and work experience, organisations large and small are also looking for students to have developed a range of attributes such as the following while at university. What employers seek from candidates is evolving all the time and it is important that you keep up to date with recruitment trends in the career areas that interest you.
- Collaboration
- Relationship building
- Initiative
- Resilience
- Adaptability
- Influencing online and in person
- Business appropriate communication
- Self-motivation
- Career management
Working with young or vulnerable people
Knowledge and understanding of child protection issues will be required if you apply for jobs with young or vulnerable people. For example, The Football Association may ask you to hold a current FA Safeguarding Children Workshop certificate (or willing to complete a FA Safeguarding Children Workshop certificate).
Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university's control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.
What are my further study options?
You may decide that a job on graduation is not for you and consider undertaking a masters degree or PhD in sport science.
There are a variety of Level 7 MSc qualifications such as Strength and Conditioning, Physiotherapy and Public Health. Short CPD courses are also commonplace within this profession.
For some PhDs a masters degree might be preferred.
Examples of PhDs include:
- Rehabilitation
- Rehabilitation science
- Human performance and rehabilitation sciences
- Shoulder and upper limb research
- What are the mechanisms underlying the effects of exercise on chronic knee pain and function?