BSc (Hons) Sport Rehabilitation with foundation year
Course Overview
Graduate Sport Rehabilitators (GSRs) are in demand due to our increasing participation in sport and exercise and the injuries we inevitably sustain. Sport rehabilitators are trained in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and are essential across all levels of sport, from amateur to elite. The University of Bolton's BSc (Hons) Sport Rehabilitation with foundation year qualification offers industry-approved training ready for a career working with sportspeople and members of the public. By studying for this British Association of Sport Rehabilitators (BASRaT) accredited honours degree, you can develop essential knowledge and understanding of sports rehabilitation principles and practices while experiencing life at our supportive, student-focused, multicultural campus.The foundation year is the first year of this degree, offering an excellent grounding in the fundamentals of anatomy, physiology and biomechanics alongside study skills development. It's designed to prepare you for degree-level study.
We focus on equipping you with hands-on practical experience teamed with an invaluable grounding in theory so that you can graduate with a well-rounded skillset. Our dedicated and professionally experienced team will guide you to explore musculoskeletal injury prevention screening, specific exercise therapy, and clinical treatment skills. Extensive practical and laboratory work will help cement your understanding of human anatomy, the biomechanics and physiology of the human body, and the pathology of injury and dysfunction. We also aim to help you develop lifelong learning skills so that you can take ownership of your professional development for the future, maximising your potential for success.
You may gain direct experience on-campus at our Sport and Physical Activity Rehabilitation Centre in Bolton One, as well as through external placements, safe in the knowledge that as a graduate, you'll be eligible to practice as a registered GSR, rehabilitating athletes from injury.
Highlights
- This course is accredited by BASRaT. As a graduate of the University of Bolton's BSc (Hons) Sport Rehabilitation with foundation year degree, you'll be eligible to apply to join the BASRaT practitioner register and subsequently use the graduate Sport Rehabilitator (GSR) title. The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care approves BASRaT's accredited practitioner register.
- Our solid links with professional and elite sport mean we can access an extensive array of placements. We work with Olympic sports, Premiership and Super League rugby clubs, professional and semi-professional football clubs, as well as with an army specialist mobility rehabilitation centre, private clinics and orthopaedic departments.
- You'll be encouraged to attend world-class guest lectures from renowned sports professionals and practitioners in the orthopaedic, sports and private practice arenas. These enhance your learning, help you make contacts in the industry and contribute to your professional development.
- You'll have the opportunity to gain additional qualifications as part of your programme. These include in-house basic life support, the Royal College of Surgeons-endorsed level 2 certification in Pre-Hospital Immediate Care in Sport course, assessed by the Rugby Football Union, and eligibility for an externally recognised level 3 performance massage qualification.
Key Features
- Our on-campus facilities are based in the purpose-built Bolton One building, including hydrotherapy and swimming pools, a rehabilitation suite, a strength and conditioning suite, fully-equipped physiology and biomechanics laboratories, and specialist classrooms. We also use some facilities at the world-class Bolton Arena.
- We offer a highly qualified and experienced team of multi-sports practitioners and academic staff with links to top-flight athletes and sports teams. Our chartered, state-registered and BASRaT-accredited lecturing staff are involved in current clinical practice and relevant research.
- Opportunities exist for you to gain experience in our clinician-led Sport and Physical Activity Rehabilitation Centre, where you can engage with a range of athletes: elite, professional, recreational and participatory.
- You'll complete at least two external placements and gain over 400 supervised clinical hours of experience before graduation. For example, your placements may be at professional sports clubs, physiotherapy clinics, or the Ministry of Defence.
- We offer bespoke pathways if you're keen to have a career in the Military. On successfully completing the Military application and interview process, you'll have the chance to partake in paid training alongside your degree; in fields such as Combat Medic Technician.
- Your dedicated personal tutor will support you in developing valuable transferable skills such as communication, self-management, group work, numeracy, research and critical evaluation.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Entry Requirements
- 48 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T-levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
- Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3. Relevant sport, physical education or science-related subjects are preferred.
- You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
- You’ll be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
- This course involves working unsupervised with children and/or vulnerable young people and adults and you must gain an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting your studies. Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online Update Service.
- You'll need to demonstrate that you're of good health and good character and satisfactorily pass occupational health screening. You'll be required to complete a confidential self-declaration form outlining any medical or health conditions that may affect your ability to undertake academic or sport rehabilitation practice tasks.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
- Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
With people's increased awareness of exercise and the need to prevent and manage injury, there's a growing demand for practitioners specialising in musculoskeletal healthcare for the physically active. As a graduate of our BSc (Hons) Sport Rehabilitation with foundation year, you'll have a comprehensive knowledge of the fundamentals of sport rehabilitation. You'll also have experience relating theory to practice and using your skills in a practical setting on placements.
As a graduate, you'll also possess key transferable skills that employers highly value. These include the ability to work independently, planning and time management, adapting to changing circumstances, good communication skills, responding to customers and their needs, applying health and safety and risk assessment techniques, and teamwork.
What can I do with this qualification?
GSRs have a solid undergraduate academic platform to study at the master's level in a range of fields, including physiotherapy, strength and conditioning, exercise science, physician associate, psychology, biomechanics, and sports medicine.
Alternative career options
Graduates can also use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers, bearing in mind that postgraduate study and/or work experience may be required. Areas of employment or possible roles include:
- Strength and conditioning
- Teaching and lecturing
- Police
- Fire service
- Leisure industry
- Health and social care
- Health promotion
- Outdoor activities/Education manager
- Sport and exercise psychologist
- Sport therapist
- Community rehabilitation support worker
- Rehabilitation caseload manager
Professional Recognition
The course is accredited by the British Association of Sport Rehabilitators (BASRaT), the professional body for Graduate Sport Rehabilitators (GSR), which holds an Accredited Professional Register approved by the Professional Standards Authority for Healthcare in the UK.
Upon successfully completing your degree programme, you'll be able to apply for Professional Membership of BASRaT subject to meeting the prerequisite eligibility criteria set by the professional body.
BASRaT provides full professional liability insurance to all Professional Members, enabling you to practice as a sport rehabilitation professional.
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
Bursaries
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2025-26 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
If you wish to apply to multiple institutions or courses for September, then apply through UCAS
You can apply for up to 5 courses through UCAS (at the same or different institutions) for a fee of £27. Alternatively, if you only wish to apply for a single course at a single institution then a reduced applicant's fee of £22.50 is applicable.
The online application form and guidance notes are available on the UCAS website.
You will need the following information to complete your UCAS application form:
Institution Code Name: BOLTN
Institution Code Number: B44
Tel: 0870 1122211
Web: www.ucas.com
International Applicants
The University welcomes applications from international students from all over the world. We try to make the application process as simple and as fast as possible for our international applicants.
This course is not currently accepting international online applications.
Please contact Admissions by telephone on 01204 903903 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
Admissions
University of Bolton
Deane Road
Bolton, BL3 5AB
United Kingdom
Tel: 01204 903903
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
Partner Organisation Applicants
Please contact Admissions by telephone on 01204 903903 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
Admissions
University of Bolton
Deane Road
Bolton, BL3 5AB
United Kingdom
Tel: 01204 903903
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
Teaching & Assessment
We use a blended learning approach, combining face-to-face sessions with online and practical work as appropriate. Knowledge, skills and understanding are developed through a wide range of teaching methods, including lectures, seminars, simulations, workshops, tutorials, and practical skill-learning sessions. You'll also have access to a virtual learning environment with online learning resources.
Presentations and masterclasses by guest speakers are used throughout the programme to enhance employability and link theory with practice. Similarly, work experience forms a large part of the programme and will help you to develop your skills in a practical environment.
In terms of assessment, you can expect written coursework, oral presentations, time-constrained activities, practicals and clinical vivas. These contribute to your final marks and allow you to demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes for the course.
We also use other forms of assessment to help you learn, provide you with feedback and inform your development, though these don't count towards your final marks. For instance, you might be asked to complete quizzes or undertake practical exercises. You'll also receive feedback on assessment drafts. These will help identify any areas that would benefit from extra attention or where you need additional support from your tutor.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Transition to Higher Education
- Foundations of Anatomy and Physiology
- Foundations of Sport Therapies, Injury and Exercise
- Foundations of Biomechanics in Sport
- Lower Limb Anatomy and Musculoskeletal Assessment
- Upper Limb Anatomy and Musculoskeletal Assessment
- Musculoskeletal Management
- Clinical Enquiry and Personal Development
- Biomechanics and Movement Analysis
- Physiology for Exercise
- Spinal Pathology, Assessment and Treatment
- Physical Activity in Health and Disease
- Professional Practice
- Injury Pathology and Treatment Modalities
- Injury Rehabilitation Principles
- Evidenced Based Project Development
- Advanced Clinical Reasoning and Patient Management
- Return to Sport
- Sport Rehabilitation Project
- Clinical Practice
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 0 | Coursework 47% Practical exams 30% Written exams 23% |
| Level 1 | Coursework 33% Practical exams 53% Written exams 14% |
| Level 2 | Coursework 33% Practical exams 67% |
| Level 3 | Coursework 35% Practical exams 65% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 0 | Guided independent study 59% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 41% |
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 64% Placement/study abroad 2% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 34% |
| Level 2 | Guided independent study 62% Placement/study abroad 8% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 30% |
| Level 3 | Guided independent study 61% Placement/study abroad 25% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 14% |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
