Triangle

Course overview

Comprehensive rehabilitation is critical for those impacted by injury and illness, so it’s our duty as rehabilitation professionals to seek new, innovative ways to care for patients.

Our new master's programme will give you an interdisciplinary view of rehabilitation, drawing ideas from the latest research and clinical practices. By the end of the programme, you’ll have gained further skills and knowledge to deliver effective rehabilitation and help patients move forward with their lives.

This programme has been developed in collaboration with the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), an innovative multi-disciplinary rehabilitation facility near Loughborough. This means you’ll have access to the brand-new facilities and patients in the NRC as well as the Medical School Building at the University of Nottingham, which has close links with Queen’s Medical Centre.

During the course, we will expand on your existing healthcare experience using evidence-based practice to develop your:

  • clinical judgement skills
  • leadership skills
  • knowledge of rehabilitation techniques and current evidence
  • research methods
  • understanding of rehabilitation after injury and for long-term conditions
  • implementation of interventions

This degree is particularly exciting for healthcare professionals who want to advance their skills and move to a more senior role in their career, or someone who has completed an undergraduate degree and wants to focus on a more clinical role.

If you have any questions about the course or NRC, please email us.

*The date on which applications open and the course start date are dependent on the completion of the building of the National Rehabilitation Centre, which is scheduled for the end of 2024.

Why choose this course?

Multidisciplinary work

Tap into ideas from a wide range of disciplines, including medicine, healthcare, engineering and psychology. 

Access to the NRC

Develop your skills with the opportunity to study at the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), a new 70-bed NHS rehabilitation facility, currently being built near Loughborough, designed for research, innovation and education.

Learn from experts

Stay up to date with the latest developments in rehabilitation and learn from experts within the field

Course content

Students are expected to spend approximately 10 hours studying for each credit on the course including teaching and independent study, so a 20-credit module should take around 200 hours to complete or around a total of 25 eight-hour days. 

Modules

Core modules

Rehabilitation Research Project 60 credits

In this module, you’ll design, develop and implement your own research with supervision from a researcher within our team.

It’s a key part of your course that allows you to explore an exciting area of research, such as:

  • rehabilitation
  • sports injury rehabilitation
  • neurorehabilitation
  • exercise remedial instruction

Carrying out a research project to this scale gives a valuable insight into the world of rehabilitation research while allowing you to put your skills and knowledge into practice.

Research Methods in Rehabilitation 20 credits

Exploring research methods in the field of rehabilitation 

Theoretical Foundations of Rehabilitation 20 credits

This module provides an overview of concepts central to all forms of rehabilitation.

You'll be introduced to an understanding of disability from different perspectives: models of disability, the biopsychosocial model and the WHO conceptual framework. Links between theory, research and practice in rehabilitation will be considered. The module will cover research issues in rehabilitation research, focusing particularly on complex interventions, evaluating interventions and measuring outcome.

The module also explores how research evidence informs approaches to rehabilitation, using examples of rehabilitation in practice in different conditions from psychological and multidisciplinary perspectives. The module also considers the spectrum of rehabilitation, reviewing the broad range of health and social contexts in which rehabilitation occurs

Contemporary Topics in Rehabilitation 20 credits

This module will develop your baseline knowledge and understanding of a wide range of topics within rehabilitation. 

Examples of topics we might cover include:

  • telerehabilitation
  • concussion
  • ethical and legal issues in rehabilitation practice
  • virtual reality
  • exercise prescription
  • rehabilitation psychology
  • living with a disability

Throughout the module, you will critically analyse the research and theories that feed these topics.

Clinical Reasoning and Evidence-Based Practice 20 credits

This module addresses clinical reasoning and critical evaluation of rehabilitation outcomes by comparison with case studies, current theories and research findings.

Providing students with skills in critical analysis, evaluation and application of evidence relating to rehabilitation practice and research.

It will provide a critical review of the forms of evidence that underpin professional practice and research in rehabilitation. and enable students to make recommendations about changes based on a critical evaluation of the evidence base.

It will also consider:

  • reflexivity
  • clinical reasoning
  • critical appraisal
  • communication
  • leadership

Optional modules

Trauma rehabilitation and implementation 20 credits

Trauma rehabilitation and implementation 

This module provides students with an overview of traumatic injury rehabilitation and implementation research.

Students will have the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of UK major trauma networks, trauma rehabilitation pathways and systems, implementing complex interventions in the rehabilitation pathways, implementation theory and research methods, and behaviour change theory.

Throughout the module, links between theory, research and practice in trauma rehabilitation will be demonstrated.

This module will consider:

  • major trauma networks and centres in the UK
  • development of major trauma networks
  • trauma pathways and implementation
  • trauma psychology and long-term psychological effects of traumatic injury
  • management and leadership within complex systems
  • implementation of complex interventions in the trauma population
  • implementation theories and framework
  • implementation methodology
  • behaviour change theory and use in research
Rehabilitation for Pain Management 20 credits

Rehabilitation for Pain Management

Completion of this module will develop your knowledge, skills and attitudes to:

  • assessment and triage of patients with acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain
  • evidence based rehabilitation strategies to manage musculoskeletal pain conditions
  • evaluation and management of prognostic indicators in the rehabilitation of patients
  • consideration of national (UK) and international pathways of care
Technology in Rehabilitation 20 credits

Technology uses in Rehabilitation

Building knowledge and understanding the application of technology currently being used in contemporary rehabilitation in healthcare. You will also critique the current evidence around the use of technology in healthcare.   

  • conceptual framework: from movement neuroscience to technology application
  • mobile devices and wearable biosensors
  • interactive rehabilitation technologies 
  • robotic technologies for neurorehabilitation
  • brain-computer interface
  • intelligent systems in rehabilitation
The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Modules (including methods of assessment) may change or be updated, or modules may be cancelled, over the duration of the course due to a number of reasons such as curriculum developments or staffing changes. Please refer to the module catalogue for information on available modules. This content was last updated on Monday 08 July 2024.

Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.

Learning and assessment

How you will learn

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Case-based learning

Learning will be a mixture of face-to-face tutorials, seminars and lectures from experts in their field. Our teaching approach includes case-based learning to represent real-life situations.

How you will be assessed

  • Assignments
  • Research project
  • Presentation

Assessments are designed to enhance your skills and reflect real-world scenarios, including the opportunity to develop a rehabilitation plan based on a case study. You will also undertake a research project, in which you will have access to patients at the NRC.

Entry requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2025 entry.

Undergraduate degree2.1 in a relevant degree*
Additional information

*related healthcare subject, such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing, sports therapy and other allied health sciences.

Applicants with Medicine or those seeking to intercalate within their medical degree are encouraged to apply and will be referred to the course director for consideration.

Applying

Our step-by-step guide covers everything you need to know about applying.

How to apply
Medical School – Queen's Medical Centre

Where you will learn

Medical School – Queen's Medical Centre

Our Medical School is based in Queen’s Medical Centre, one of the UK’s largest hospitals.

There are dedicated clinical skills facilities including a dissection suite and teaching laboratories for medicine and healthcare students.

The hospital is located opposite University Park Campus and connected by a footbridge for easy access. Nottingham city centre is 15 minutes away by public bus or tram.

Fees

Qualification MSc
Home / UK £13,450
International £23,000

Additional information for international students

If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) .

These fees are for full-time study. If you are studying part-time, you will be charged a proportion of this fee each year (subject to inflation).

Funding

There are many ways to fund your postgraduate course, from scholarships to government loans.

We also offer a range of international masters scholarships for high-achieving international scholars who can put their Nottingham degree to great use in their careers.

Check our guide to find out more about funding your postgraduate degree.

Postgraduate funding

Careers

We offer individual careers support for all postgraduate students.

Expert staff can help you research career options and job vacancies, build your CV or résumé, develop your interview skills and meet employers.

Each year 1,100 employers advertise graduate jobs and internships through our online vacancy service. We host regular careers fairs, including specialist fairs for different sectors.

International students who complete an eligible degree programme in the UK on a student visa can apply to stay and work in the UK after their course under the Graduate immigration route. Eligible courses at the University of Nottingham include bachelors, masters and research degrees, and PGCE courses.

Graduate destinations

This course offers you the opportunity to refine and update your skill set within a practical setting, allowing you to maximise your potential for career development and promotion.

Recent graduates have gone on to work for NHS trusts (such as clinical specialists or advanced practitioners), universities (such as lecturers and senior academics, lecturer practitioners, or researchers), and in private practice.

Career progression

78.4% of postgraduates from the School of Medicine secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual salary for these graduates was £28,505.*

*HESA Graduate Outcomes 2019/20 data published in 2022. The Graduate Outcomes % is derived using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time, postgraduate, home graduates within the UK.

Two masters graduates proudly holding their certificates

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This content was last updated on Monday 08 July 2024. Every effort has been made to ensure that this information is accurate, but changes are likely to occur given the interval between the date of publishing and course start date. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply.