BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise therapy with Foundation Year

This module is designed to introduce you to the physiological and psychological response to sports injuries. Topics of study include pain, the inflammatory response and tissue repair. There are also topics that consider injuries that relate to specific tissue types and body regions. The module also explores the psychological aspects of sports injury including the psychological responses to injury as well barriers to recovery.

You will identify your current knowledge, experience and interests in a selected area of study and create an action plan to support your progression into Higher Education. You will describe how your previous experiences have provided a platform for you to study sport at university. This will provide a basis to create and develop an action plan for your first year of study. In doing so, you will develop your ability to retrieve information and improve your communication skills.

This module supports the development of skills in the immediate management of injuries that occur in sport and exercise environments. You will learn basic life support, pitch side management of injuries including support for suspected spinal injuries. Consideration will also be given to the process of determining when athletes are fit to return to play and also maintaining accurate records and procedures for accident reporting

The purpose of this module is to develop a detailed understanding of musculoskeletal anatomy that is necessary for successful practice as a Sport and Exercise Therapist. You will learn the structural and functional components of tissues such as bones, muscles, nerves and ligaments.

This module starts with an introduction to basic massage techniques before advancing to sports massage. Topics studied include contraindications to massage, postural assessment, pre and post event massage as well as specific techniques such as myofascial release and muscle energy technique. You will also be introduced to professional standards and ethical issue in sport and exercise therapy. Completion of this module equips you with the necessary skills to work confidently with athletes in real sports events.

This module will teach you the principles and techniques used to assess joints and tissue structures. This will include functional assessment as well as special tests with a focus at this stage on assessment of the upper and lower limbs. You will also learn to recognise the common sport and exercise related injuries affecting the joints you are assessing. In addition, you will learn physical examination and assessment skills as well as develop your decision making and clinical reasoning skills.

This module provides opportunities to further develop and apply the skills of examination and assessment of peripheral joints. You will learn and apply the techniques of manual therapy to the treatment of peripheral joints, tissues and structures. Treatment methods are based on current recognised approaches to manual therapy and consider the biomechanical and physiological rationale for treatment. Contraindications to manual therapy, as well as recognition of normal and abnormal responses, will be covered with the aim of developing further the clinical reasoning and decision making skills expected of graduate Sport and Exercise Therapists.

This module requires you to undertake a work-based placement related to your career aspirations. You will develop your identity as a professional in your field, including a set of values, skills, and attributes required for graduate employment. You will build on your understanding and self-awareness developed at Level 4 to negotiate a set of developmental goals that will enhance your employability. Both during and following your placement, you will reflect on your learning and heightened self-awareness of areas for further development. You will develop your capacity to articulate your readiness for employment to others.

In this module students will develop knowledge and understanding of the major physiological and biochemical principles relevant to sport and exercise (i.e. cardiovascular, respiratory, neuromuscular, metabolic, endocrine, and thermoregulatory responses and adaptations to exercise). Students will explore the physiological and metabolic responses to exercise in environmental extremes, such as in hot and cold conditions, in addition to the challenges of exercising at altitude. Students will also transfer academic knowledge into practical application within the laboratory. Students will observe and conduct a range of physiological and metabolic assessments, including ventilatory gas responses during exercise, maximal oxygen uptake, blood lactate concentrations during graded exercise, and cardiovascular responses to different modalities of exercise. The coupling of theory with practice is a key concept for this module, enabling the student to not only engage with academic literature, but also start to develop key laboratory and personal and interpersonal skills that are essential for a career in exercise physiology and a wide range of sport and exercise related industries.

By completing this module you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the techniques and strategies used in the rehabilitation of sports injuries. Rehabilitation techniques will be applied across a wide selection of sports and injury types to help develop your confidence in managing the rehabilitation process from the early phase that immediately follows injury through to complete recovery and return to play.

The aim of this module is to continue your development as a Sports and Exercise Therapist practitioner. You will undertake a clinical placement in a relevant setting, and further develop your identity as a Sport & Exercise Therapist. You will demonstrate the professional values, competencies, and attributes expected in the field. You will build on your understanding and self-awareness developed at Level 5 to negotiate a personal learning agreement, including a set of developmental goals that will enhance your development as a Sports and Exercise Therapist practitioner. Both during and following your clinical placement, you will reflect on your learning and heightened self-awareness of areas for further development. You will develop your capacity to articulate your readiness for employment to others.

The Professional Project is the culmination of your undergraduate degree course which will enable you to work independently in an area that excites and interests you. The Professional Project enables you to engage with a substantial programme of independent study which allows you to define and explore in some depth a topic relating to your course or intended future employment, as well as developing advanced skills in managing an extended project. The Professional Project provides experience of critically evaluating and reflecting upon the particular methodologies of your subject area. The project may include practical elements, dependent upon the subject discipline being studied. For students continuing from level 5 within the Institute of Sport, a project proposal will have been completed during a Level 5 module. The module is year-long and it will be your focus while you participate in the taught content during Block 1 which will lead to your submission of an ethics application (proposal). By the end of Block 4 you will submit both a written submission (project) and for participation at the school of sport student conference, either a either a mind map or pictorial representation of your project, which you will decide upon in discussion with your project supervisor. The presentation will be delivered to a small group of your peers and your supervisor/ second marker at the Department of Sport Student Conference (in the style of a viva voce). This should be considered a professional celebration of your studies moving into your employment. We therefore advise that you choose a topic that fuels your passions and interests, and that is relevant to your desired career path(s). You will work in partnership with your supervisors, and with their facilitation work towards a memorable end to your undergraduate studies.

The purpose of this module is to extend your examination and assessment skills to the treatment of the vertebral column and spinal problems, incorporating. Maitland’s philosophy of vertebral mobilisations. The module builds on the skills you have developed during 5SR054 Examination & Assessment of Peripheral Joints and 5SR055 Peripheral Manual Therapy. The module explores the relevant factors involved in the development of spinal problems and adopts an evidence-based approach to the mobilisation techniques used to treat them. The theory behind the techniques is covered in depth to ensure you have sufficient understanding of the approaches being considered. In addition you will develop the practical skills necessary for safe and effective treatment.

This module will enable you to better support exercisers and athletes where there may be additional needs or specific considerations to be made. Topics of study include age and physical activity exploring some of the issues surrounding adolescent sport (e.g. developmental issues) and injuries specific to that group, as well as older adults including degenerative conditions and other age-related factors. Additional topics include the female athlete triad, culture, religion, disability, gender and sexuality, and mental health/well-being. Overall, the module will enable you to recognise some of the common issues facing athletes and exercisers at various stages of development and to provide effective support as a Sport and Exercise Therapist.