Sports therapy

Gain the specialist skills and knowledge required to work as a sports therapist.

Sports therapists help sport and exercise participants prevent, recognise and manage injuries; empowering everyone to achieve their full sporting potential. They respond immediately to injuries, can assess, treat and refer for specialist advice, give remedial sport massages and plan rehabilitation programmes.

At Essex, our sports therapy students work as a supervised sports therapist on placement, gaining real-life experience and confidence using the skills and knowledge taught to become an autonomous practitioner. 

In your first year, you you’ll be given the opportunity to provide post-race massages and support at sporting events such as the London Marathon, Ride London and the Colchester Half-Marathon. During your second year, you will provide pitch-side first aid for our Students' Union sport teams, and work in our taping and massage clinics. In your final year, you’ll gain experience in our Sports Therapy Clinic; assessing, treating and prescribing rehabilitation programmes to real clients alongside external placement opportunities with sports clubs and clinics.

Career opportunities range from working in a sports injury or clinic to working as a therapist for a sport clubs or sportsperson, both professional and amateur. Graduates are also eligible to register as a professional sports therapist with the Society of Sports Therapist. 

Gain the specialist skills and knowledge required to work as a sports therapist or a strength and conditioning coach.

Sports therapists help sport and exercise participants prevent, recognise and manage injuries; empowering everyone to achieve their full sporting potential. They respond immediately to injuries, can assess, treat and refer for specialist advice, give remedial sport massages and plan rehabilitation programmes.

Strength and conditioning is the practical application of sports science to improve an individual’s movement performance. The goal of a strength and conditioning coach is to prepare athletes physically for their sport, thereby improving performance and reducing the risk of injury. To effectively fulfil this role, a strength and conditioning coach must have a deep understanding of subjects such as human physiology, biomechanics, skill acquisition, and exercise prescription. Additionally, they must possess the practical skills necessary to instruct athletes in performing complex movements.

Our MSc Strength and Conditioning course is designed to equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel as a strength and conditioning coach for athletes of all levels. With a focus on practical application and research-based teaching, this course is ideal for those seeking a career in sport or seeking to advance their current practice in applied environments.

Make a difference to the lives of people.

In our multidisciplinary School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, we offer research supervision in all areas of staff expertise in sports therapy and related areas.

Our graduates go on to work with a wide spectrum of sporting populations from recreational athletes through to elite international performers in both clinical and management positions. Our graduates work in a large number of areas including professional and semi sporting organisations, private practice, local trusts, hospitals and care organisations.

Research study will allow you to work alongside internationally recognised academics by collaborating on campus, using facilities such as our Human Performance Unit and Sports Therapy Clinic. Our multidisciplinary approach also means that you will be able to work in the field with external partners and other departments.