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University of Bedfordshire
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
UK, LU1 3JU
With more than 50 per cent of the course focused on the development of practical skills, we aim to produce confident, competent and professional clinicians equipped for practice in todays sports therapy environment. Students undertake in-depth study in the areas of: human anatomy, physiology, pathology and clinical management skills.
The course is also underpinned by sports science, physiology, biomechanics and psychology. You will practise in our in-house sports massage clinics and externally within sports clubs and sports teams, and within local hospitals and clinics. At stage three you will undertake an independent research project.
Successful students can gain a number of professional certificates and recognitions during their studies. These include: a first aid certificate from the UK Health and Safety Executive, membership of the Sports Massage Association at level four, and a gym instruction certificate recognised by the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs Level two). You could also gain eligibility for insurance for professional practice through Independent Professional Therapists International (IPTI).
Key features
Areas of study include:
Assessment is both formative and summative in nature and occurs at various points throughout the academic year. A wide variety of assessment strategies are employed, appropriate to the specific learning outcomes which are being assessed. Modes of assessment include examination (seen and unseen), essay, practical performance, laboratory report, research project, case study, presentation and data-analysis. The programming of assessment points across the units seeks to manage the student assessment workload.
All of the assessment points are designed to promote independent learning and continuous professional development (CPD), and the professional practice units reflect this by requiring portfolios of work and reflective practice logs. These units will also provide an interdisciplinary approach to combine principles delivered throughout the program. This will be assessed through a combination of case studies and reflective essays.
Your critical analysis skills will assessed throughout, with the research strand providing the key assessments in this area. The Final Year Project will assess your critical analyses skills in combination with your ability to work independently.
Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:
1. Present information coherently through verbal, numerical, graphical and written means, developing a reasoned argument and challenging assumptions.
2. Apply transferable and subject specific skills to the planning preparation and implementation of practical and theoretical based activities in related areas.
3. Be autonimous for your own learning and continuing professional development.
4. Demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of the integration of the various principles and how these disciplines interface, including an understanding of underpinning theoretical principles from service, research and professional contexts.
5. Critically analyse evidence, including its reliability, validity and significance, and investigate contradictory information and reflect on experiences in developing subject expertise.
6. Source, interpret and critically evaluate primary research and apply these skills in designing, conducting and reflecting personal research projects.
7. Be aware of the moral, ethical, environmental and legal issues which underpin best practice, and work within a professional code of conduct, including that of client confidentiality.
8. Be aware of the professional development in Sports Therapy, and how these impact on your own continuous professional development and employability.
9. Develop interpersonal skills, including coherent communication, and apply these to professional field and clinical based settings.
The benchmark statements for sport based courses is Unit 25 The Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Unit and this degree is concerned in particular with section 2.4 `programmes broadly concerned with sport.
Drawing upon the Benchmark statements (QAA, 2000) this course contains the elements suggested by Unit 25, Furthermore as it is as Science course, it is further informed by section 6.4 and is concerned therefore with `the study of human responses to sport and exercise and `the study of the performance and its enhancement, monitoring and analyses. Subject areas outlined in Unit 25 are covered in the course including human anatomy and physiology, kinesiology, biomechanics, sport psychology and nutrition. These are covered in separate strands that run throughout the three years of the course.
(see http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/honours/hospitality.asp).
Specifically, the areas outlined that are covered within the program are:
6.17 The study of human responses to sport and exercise.
6.18 The study of the performance of sport and its enhancement, monitoring and analysis.
6.19 The study of health-related and disease management aspects of exercise and physical activity.
6.20 The study of the historical, social, political, economic and cultural diffusion, distribution and impact of sport.
6.21 The study of the policy, planning, management and delivery of sporting opportunities
In addition the course also maps to the National Occupational Standards set by Skills.
Active at levels 2. The unit Gym Instruction (L1) maps to the NOS at level 2. This unit has been accredited by the sector skills council for the fitness industry (Skills Active). Quality assurance for this unit is dealt with both by an internal examiner and by Skills Actives own QA assessor.
In addition, National Occupational Standards in Sports Massage (D520, D521, D522) are aligned with the units in Sports Massage, Advanced Soft Tissue Techniques and Applied Anatomy.
The B.Sc.(Hons) Sports Therapy programme aims to enable students to develop the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding of the industry and at the same time the personal attributes of self-motivation and drive to enable them to gain entry to satisfying and stimulating career paths.
There is a strong emphasis on combining theory and practical skills to enhance employability skills, and this is reflected in over 50% of the curriculum being dedicated and exclusive to Sports Therapy areas of study.
In addition to the general support supplied by the University in relation to e.g. childcare, disability advice, international student support, financial support etc., specific support for the course can be divided under two headings
Academic/Programme Support
This type of advice will be available throughout the year, and the Academic Director, alongside the Academic Advice Team in the Faculty Office would be there to help as soon as any of the above becomes a problem.
However, if students have issues to do with a particular unit of the course, then the coordinator of that unit is likely to be the first point of contact, rather than the personal tutor. However, the Academic Director may need to be involved if the unit coordinator cannot answer a student query.
Throughout the course, you will frequently be asked to work in groups of varying sizes. From very early in the course, you will be working in collaboration with others and issues of responsibility, trust and flexibility will be addressed as central to your academic and professional development.
At each level of the degree you will be required to work with others either in the preparation of a seminar, a group presentation or a reflection upon the work of others. At Level 1 group tasks will be structured by the tutors; as the course progresses you will be given more independence in the development of structures which suit the particular requirements of the task.
You will on occasion be assessed as a member of a group and at other times for your individual input to the group. You will be also asked to comment critically upon your own contribution to the group as a whole.
An initial session on career options is offered by the team from the Centre for Personal and Career Development already at Level 1, to allow you to explore all the options available at the University to support career choices. At Level 2 you are expected to enhance your career related and employability skills through interactive exercises, group activities and individual reflection. These processes are often problematic and unnatural to people, differing to experiences in more traditional subject-based units. The focus falls on you to reflect on your own approaches, learning styles and skills; no textbook shows what works best for you, thus a degree of self discovery is required and you should be in charge of the process. You will be encouraged to ask appropriate questions and increase use of feedback. We also encourage critical thinking, coinciding with the transition to less tutor led and greater peer and self feedback, and management of tutor.
In level 3 you are encouraged to make use of the careers drop in centre at the Park Square campus. The careers tutor will also provide a number of drop in session embedded within a selection of third year units.
After qualification our graduates are equipped to work in a wide variety of sports therapy and in sports medicine environments, from the NHS, through to private clinics, sports clubs and sports teams. They are equipped to be employed by others, but also to work as private practitioners in their own business.
Career:
Upon qualification our graduates are equipped to work in a wide variety of sports therapy and in sports medicine environments, from the NHS, through private clinics, sports clubs and sports teams. They are equipped to be employed by others but also to work as private practitioners in their own business.
Further study:
The course also has close links to post-graduate opportunities, any many graduates continue onto Masters programmes in Physiotherapy.
A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.
Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.
Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.
We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.
We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.
The general requirement is one of the following:
Postgraduate applications (MA/MSc) should be made direct to the University using the standard University application form. There are some exceptions, please see individual course descriptions for details.
As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.
We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.
(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)
We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.
Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.
Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section
APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.
Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `
The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.
We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.
Return your completed application to:
University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk
The strategies adopted for learning and teaching in Sports Therapy reflect the diverse nature of the subject. On a unit level, they are closely linked with both the unit learning outcomes and unit specific assessment strategies. A large proportion of the course is practical with other teaching including lectures, seminar discussion groups (both tutor and student-led), workshops, laboratory work, gym-based practical sessions and individual and small group tutorials. The utilisation of independent learning is developed through the three-years of the course, and progresses to become particularly evident in Level III. This is developed by ensuring teaching strategy and assessment progressively becomes more independent, culminating in the final year project.
The practical sessions provide opportunities to develop practical and cognitive skills. They also provide a context in which theoretical knowledge can be applied and reinforced. Organisational, safety and legal issues are also an important feature. Practical sessions are often supported by seminar work. In general, lectures are used in most units to provide an overview of a topic. Students are expected to undertake considerable directed reading to assist their understanding of the lectures and to develop a more comprehensive knowledge of the field than can be provided through contact time alone. Follow-up work in the form of laboratories, practical sessions or discussion seminars (for example) enable the student to apply the theoretical work taught during lectures and gain a deeper understanding of its uses and contexts. Laboratory work and computer-aided learning programmes also provide practice opportunities for the application of statistical skills and data handling techniques in preparation for research projects and the understanding of research-based literature. The laboratory sessions in the performance sciences enable the student to acquire the practical and manual skills needed within these areas. Throughout the degree in the small group learning sessions, students are regularly required to engage in problem-solving exercises and analytical discussions with their peers. They learn to retrieve information from a variety of sources. They are given opportunities to learn, practise, and develop communication skills and methods of presentation. Almost universally across the units on the degree, students are required to develop skills in academic writing either of scientific reports or argumentative essays. The learning, teaching and assessment strategies employed throughout the course are progressive and as such aim to develop students autonomy as learners during their time at University.
The units will make extensive use of the Universitys Virtual Learning Environment (BREO). Materials to support the units (e.g., outline, lecture powerpoints, seminar/lab activities and formative assessments) may be accessed by students through the BREO internet site, to improve student engagement, vary assessment type and give the students for both continuous summative and formative feedback.
The units in the Professional Practice Streand will make use of Pebblepad, ensuring all graduate students develop an e-portfolio of experiences and continuous professional development.
World Federation of Athletic Training and Therapy (WFATT).
Independent Proffesional Therapists International (IPTI).
Sports Massage Association (SMA) Under Application.
Register of Exercise Professionals (REPS) Level II only.
Communication
To help with the development of this you will:
Participate in a range of activities requiring you to communicate orally and in written forms. You will learn the communication skills necessary to express yourself (e.g. your individual aims, your skills and experience) in appropriate forms. At all levels you will work collaboratively with a number of different groups of people in a range of contexts, and will be required to use the written word in order to communicate ideas for a variety of different purposes.
At Level 1 in all there will be opportunities for you to take part discussion about different subjects, read and obtain information from a variety of sources and contribute to discussions. You are also introduced to scientific writing skills and have an opportunity to inform your communication skills by reading a variety of resources. You will be required to work collaboratively and will be introduced into the practice of reflection.
At Level 2, you will write different types of documents about straightforward subjects and you will enhance your active role within the learning process. You will contextualise the base knowledge of information from level 1, and apply this into a career orientated employability theme. In addition, at Level 2 you will develop your skills as academic researchers in order to enable you to articulate ideas and theoretical perspectives in written and practical form (Research Methods strand).
At Level 3 you will further challenge yourself by enhancing reflective practice, and applying this to independent learning, drawing on your attributes and independence as a learner. At this third level, you will undertake an independent research project which will involve a lengthy written submission on a topic of your own choice, and this will require creative, evaluative, analytical and critical skills (Final Year Project).
Information Literacy
To help with the development of this you will:
Participate in workshops, tutorials and developmental research projects in order to familiarize yourselves with a wide range of resources which can support your studies.
At Level 1 you will be introduced to the library and laboratory resources in workshops embedded within units (eg Sports Massage). A series of project-based tasks will ensure that you feel confident using the library catalogue, BREO, Pebblepad, databases, search engines and reference resources available through the internet. You will also be introduced to the assessment of source material as an integral component of your research. All units will make use of BREO in the posting of resources, and are likely to use of discussion boards, blogs, group pages, wikis and course announcements. You will take part in Extended Life Long Learning Inventory (ELLI) to ensure you reflect on your learning strengths and practices.
In addition to formal input on methods of data gathering, at level 2, you will be required to work more independently and confidently with the library and use the database resources at their disposal. You will be expected to source materials above and beyond the unit reading lists, and to undertake methodical literature searches as a part of this research process. You will provide reference lists for essays and be familiar with a range of research resources appropriate to the study being undertaken. You will feel confident in the use of digital technology as a resource. At this level, you will be required to engage in wiki activity within the Advanced Soft Tissue Techniques unit, and share and reflect on your findings.
At Level 3 you will plan and submit a project based on a topic of your choice (Final Year Project). Alongside your academic research, you will be using skills to explore possible employment options within the events/tourism/leisure industries, and familiarizing yourself with networks, funding opportunities and organizations which will be central to your success as a practitioner.
Research and Evaluation
To help with the development of this you will:
Undertake a range of research tasks either within the context of developing your academic or your practical knowledge. The research tasks will vary according to the type of work being undertaken and you will need, therefore, to be adept at understanding the skills involved in sourcing, selecting and utilizing appropriate material. In every practical process you will embark upon, you will be expected to plan and execute a methodical research process in order to develop your practical skills, but also your skills to critically evaluate. You will be introduced to a range of research skills including literature searches and critical reading, practical field based activities including questionnaire and interview design and conduct, as well as the analysis of findings from the use of such techniques in the field.
At Level 1 you will be introduced to the importance of research material. You will make use of practical research skills where you will use the library catalogue, access reference resources and databases in hard copy form and also electronically. In addition to actually using the practical research skills, this process will be designed to develop your skills to critically evaluate a variety of source materials.
At Level 2 you will receive formal input on research methods appropriate to your chosen field of research (qualitative or quantitative research methods). These units will provide you with information concerning a range of research approaches and techniques relevant to the fields of events. It will also develop your ability to work more independently as a researcher, and begin to formulate questions and fields of enquiry. These skills will not only be necessary as preparation for you to undertake your independent research at Level 3 (Final Year Project), but should equip you with the skills to critically evaluate your work as potential practitioners.
At Level 3 you will undertake an independent research project on a topic of your own choosing. Your research will be ongoing throughout the year and you will be expected to be able to source relevant material quickly, assess and synthesize findings, link to theory where relevant and consider practical applications of their research.
Creativity and Critical Thinking
To help with the development of this you will:
Be introduced to ideas on creativity and critical thinking early in the course. The course will present a range of concepts and theories relating to critical analyses and creative processes in the relevant areas of the course. You will be encouraged to develop critical thinking abilities and apply this through critical responses via comparative analysis, both orally and in written form.
At Level 1, emphasis will be upon the idea of critical evaluation of information. Using creative abilities and developing critical thinking skills will be a feature of Exercise Principles and Practice 1& Sports Massage where you will have opportunities to offer creative solutions to a number of case study based questions and critically reflect on how fitness professionals should react to specific situations.
At Level 2 you will be required to identify a problem and creatively come up with options for solving it, making changes to the plan where necessary (research methods). In addition you will be expected to build upon the creative solution of problems introduced in level 1.
At Level 3 the major unit where you will be required to be both creative and demonstrate your critical thinking skills will be in the Final Year Project. You will need to be able to critically assess a range of research approaches and techniques and select an appropriate approach for your individual project. In addition the work introduced in level 3 units is more heavily weighted towards critical evaluation of previous research and synthesis of information by evaluating a number of research articles in a particular area.
During induction you are introduced to the concept of managing your learning. Time management, setting targets with clear deadlines and skills auditing form an important part of this process. This is followed through with personal tutors assessing the skills audit and directing you to appropriate student support. At level 2 and 3 the tutor meets regularly with you and assesses any recent marks, and any drops in performance that have occurred. Again the tutor plays a vital role in developing your reflective practices.
You will also be given the opportunity to develop personal approaches to study, building on strengths and eliminating weaknesses, and developing ability to transfer learning from one context to another, following the SOAR (self-awareness, opportunities, aspirations and results) process model at a number of points during the curriculum. This approach requires that you become aware of
Embedded within the Professional Practice units, you will find what is known as Personal Development Planning. The Personal Development Planning (PDP) initiative and e-portfolio are intended to prepare you better for the world of work, providing you with greater self-reliance, self-awareness, and the ability to adapt to future changes in the labour market, to reflect upon and monitor performance, and identify skills and training needs.
In your first year of study you will be introduced to the use of e-portfolio (Pebblepad) within the Professional Pracitce unit. The e-portfolio is a an online tool charting your development and includes:
You will be required to use the Pebblepad system and you will need to set up a habit of reflecting on feedback from tutors and consider ways in which you might improve specific skills and/or build on the strengths demonstrated, preferably after each set of assessments. Much of the material for your e-portfolio will be generated through digital records (on-line blogs, discussion boards, employer feedback).
It will be your responsibility to maintain your e-portfolio but you will be supported in this by the generation of appropriate materials in units throughout the degree course.
In your e-portfolio, you will be expected to keep:
At the end of your studies, your e-portfolio will contain the information needed to draw on in making job applications and having successful interviews, because it makes you consider the wider relevance of the knowledge you have learnt and the skills you have acquired in the course of your studies.
Employers are often assessing not only your knowledge of the subject area and experience, but also value the set of attitudes and values which would support development of their company. We would like you to demonstrate and develop further these attitudes throughout your studies.
Lecturers expect that you will:
The code of ethical practice, for the Sports Therapy Industry set out the standards of behaviour employers in the industry will expect. These standards are introduced early in Level 1 within the Sports Massage unit and all you are expected to read, understand and implement them whenever they are in the appropriate context. While the assessment of the code is formative, the explicit expectation to adhere to them serves to underpin the increasing professionalism that is developing in the industry.
Laboratory skills and behaviour are also introduced at level 1 and should also be seen as a professional standard for you to adhere to.
Good study habits are enforced by monitoring attendance. Attendance data is collected by the faculty and is used to identify students who have failed to attend two consecutive sessions on any one unit. An intervention by letter, or email message may be used to let you know that you have been missed and to request an explanation.
The language of `competencies which are meaningful to employers and are requirements for candidates for employment are explained to you and used as assessment criteria on a number of assessments. You are given several opportunities to self assess and to develop strategies to improve these skills.
Students underperforming will be highlighted at the STaR board and requested see their personal tutor to determine any underlying cause, or to see where additional help can be sourced if required. To ensure that student work, particularly written reports do not contain plagiarised material, the online Turnitin plagiarism detection tool is used in many assessments, and is demonstrated to you to help them understand the issue. Relevant ethical and legal issues are explored in a number of units and you are required to consider the ethical aspects of their own project proposal in the final year.
This overall experience allows you to develop a professional identity and set the standards of professionalism which will prove the benchmark for all future work.
