UWTSD Home - Study With Us - Undergraduate Courses - Sport and Exercise Therapy (BSc)
The University of Wales Trinity Saint David offers the first accredited Sports Therapy degree in Wales. It’s one of 32 undergraduate degrees accredited by the Society of Sports Therapists, and is unique with its bilingual offering. Students completing the full degree are eligible for professional membership of the society, including medical indemnity, public liability insurance and use of the title ‘Graduate Sports Therapist’.
Graduate Sports Therapists are clinical specialists in the field of musculoskeletal injury with expertise in the sport and exercise environment. Graduates find employment in the world of professional, semi-professional and amateur sport and in private clinical practice. Some have gone on to work in the NHS and others in the military.
You will become a competent sport and exercise therapist who can assess, diagnose, treat, rehabilitate and prevent injuries and illness in the sport and exercise environment on completion of the programme. We strive to develop clinically autonomous practitioners who work within their scope of practice and the medico-legal requirements of the profession.
The modules and assessments have been designed to ensure you will be able to show the knowledge, understanding, application and competency needed to the meet the professional body standard.
Do you speak Welsh?
If you would like to study some of this course in Welsh, 40 credits are available in Welsh. More information can be found on the Welsh version of this page.
Sport and Exercise Therapy (BSc)
UCAS Code: SET1
Apply via UCAS
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Tuition Fees 2023/24:
Home (Full-time): £9,000 per year
Overseas (Full-time): £13,500 per year
Why choose this course?
- The longest-running Sport and Exercise Therapy degree in Wales and accredited by the Society of Sports Therapists.
- Upon graduating, students will have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to work as part of a team or independently as a Graduate Sports Therapist.
- In addition to the main skills required of a sports therapist, students will also gain the skills required to conduct fitness and health assessments and will have the opportunity to qualify as gym instructors and personal trainers.
- Conducting and understanding research is also a key skill developed throughout the degree and students will be constantly challenged to critically review the latest research and conduct their own studies. In the final year, students will design and conduct their own research in a specialist area of their choice.
- Teaching staff are experienced Graduate Sports Therapists, having worked in professional, semi-professional, national and international sports over a number of years.
What you will learn
A Graduate Sports Therapist is someone who is competent and capable of dealing with acute injuries pitchside, performing a clinical assessment to develop a diagnosis, and uses a variety of treatment methods, alongside sport-specific rehabilitation techniques, to get the athlete back to full sports participation.
Students will learn in dedicated sport therapy suites.
In the first year, students will learn the fundamental skills needed in the assessment of sports injuries, together with soft tissue techniques, including sports massage and pitchside first aid. Students will also have the opportunity to work as pitchside first aiders and gain clinical experience in our sports massage clinic. Alongside these sports therapy-specific modules, students will also study applied human physiology and personal training modules.
In the second year, students will be taught to complete a full examination and assessment of an injured player and make a diagnosis, treat the injury with manual therapy techniques and rehabilitate the athlete back to full sports participation.
In the final year of the programme, students will study sports trauma management, electrotherapy and will undertake 200 hours of clinical practice. These clinical hours will be supported by our on-site Sports Injury Clinic which offers Sports Therapy appointments to staff, students and the general public, under the supervision of the sports therapy team. Students are also encouraged to engage with local and national work placement providers to build an extensive portfolio of Sports Therapy Experience.
A dissertation style research project in an area of individual interest is also completed in this final year.
Year One - Level 4 (Cert HE, Dip HE & BSc)
- Human Physiology & Fitness (20 credits; core)
- Introduction to Clinical Assessment (20 credits; core)
- Introduction to Soft Tissue Skills (20 credits; core)
- Personal Training (20 credits; core)
- Professional Skills for Sports Therapists (20 credits; core)
- Sport and Exercise Injuries (20 credits; core).
Year Two - Level 5 (Dip HE & BSc)
- Biomechanical Assessment of Performance and Injury (20 credits; core)
- Clinical Assessment (20 credits; core)
- Early to Intermediate Rehabilitation (20 credits; core)
- Exercise Physiology (20 credits; core)
- Manual Therapy (20 credits; core)
- Research in Health, Exercise and Physical Education (20 credits; core).
Year Three - Level 6 (BSc)
- Advanced Rehabilitation and Injury Prevention (20 credits; core)
- Exercise and Specific Populations (20 credits; core)
- Professional Practice in Sports Therapy (20 credits; core)
- Research Project for Sports and Exercise Therapists (40 credits; core)
- Sports Trauma Management (20 credits; core).
The degree is vocational and so assessment of modules is always through written and practical assessments. These may be essays, reports, literature reviews, practical examinations, clinical based examinations and presentations.
Healthy Carmarthen, Meet the team and Graduates Success
Course videos
Key Information
Primary Tutors
- Kerry Nicholas
- Richard Thomas
Secondary Tutors
Students are expected to achieve 112 UCAS points with a focus on science-based subjects and physical education. Students are also required to have a minimum of Grade C in GCSE Mathematics, English and Science.
International students are required to achieve an IELTS level 7 with no element below 6.51. Mature students without sufficient UCAS points will be considered on merit through an interview process.
Any offer of a place on the BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy programme is subject to a DBS disclosure.
Grades are important; however, our offers are not solely based on academic results. We are interested in creative people who demonstrate a strong commitment to their chosen subject area and, therefore, we welcome applications from individuals from a wide range of backgrounds. To assess student suitability for their chosen course, we normally arrange interviews for all applicants at which skills, achievements and life experience will be considered as well as qualifications.
If you are considering applying for the BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy course at UWTSD, but you have a disability and are concerned about how this may impact on your ability to take part in practical classes and successfully complete the assessments, please contact the Programme Director.
Students graduating from the degree will gain the title of Graduate Sport Therapists and will be eligible for full membership to the Society of Sport Therapists. They will also be able to apply for membership of the Register of Exercise professionals. As such, students are most suited to become practising Sport Therapists or health and fitness consultants. They may also progress on to postgraduate master's programmes.
- Students will be required to purchase university tracksuit and training tops which are required in practical sessions and when working with external groups.
- Sports clothing (£80-£120) depending on course
- Students wishing to achieve additional, vocational qualification may be charges a registration fee from the awarding body.
- £30 induction overnight activity for all year 1 students
Richard Thomas, BSc Sports Therapy Graduate
"After much consideration I decided to return to full-time education by enrolling on a new course offered by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in Carmarthen – right on my doorstep! A degree in Sports Therapy.
"It was through word-of-mouth I heard about the course and after enquiring further and talking to the course director Kate Evans and Senior Lecturer Dave Gardner I discovered it was the longest-running Sport and Exercise Therapy degree in Wales and accredited by the Society of Sports Therapists.
"I wanted to make sure that if I was to invest three years of my life, where I would have to sacrifice time and money and juggle being a full-time father, a part-time gardener and a full-time student, I would be suitably qualified after graduating to begin practising immediately without having to gain further qualifications.
"I knew that with the challenges ahead I would have to feel very passionate about the course if I was to sacrifice so much. I was happy to hear that after the first year we would be suitably qualified to begin practising sports massage on our own clients and therefore make some money while we studied.
"Kate was passionate about the degree and I was happy knowing that there would be lots of practical aspects to the course. If I’m honest, I wasn’t prepared for the academic writing and researching that was necessary – I had been out of education for some time and it was a challenge to write academic essays again – a real shock to the system!
"I also found the acquisition of modern technology skills – PowerPoint presentations and statistical data analysis programmes quite daunting, however the University helped by providing study skill sessions that allowed me to gain valuable 1-1 tuition and I was brought up to speed in no time.
"I have worked with the Newport Gwent Dragon’s regional rugby team where course director Kate Evans is head of rehabilitation. It was amazing to work with someone of Kate’s calibre – someone who has two MSc's and a BSc along with almost 15 years’ experience working in professional and semi-professional rugby union.
"Her depth of knowledge and passion for the profession filtered into us as students and she challenged us both personally and professionally, clearly wanting her fledgling first year Sport Therapy graduates to succeed and follow in her footsteps! Although it may be some time before I consider a PhD, as she is currently undertaking!"
You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit our Scholarships and Bursaries section.
Visit our Carmarthen Accommodation section to find out more.
All equipment needed to study this degree is provided by the University within the dedicated sports therapy suite, sports injuries clinics, Human Performance Laboratory, Body Composition Laboratory, swimming pool, health suite and health club.
Several Open and Visit Days are held throughout the year where potential students are encouraged to come and discuss the course with academic staff.
