MScSport and Exercise Medicine in Football
Apply direct- 1 year full-time
- 2 years part-time
Why study a sport and exercise medicine in football master's degree at Solent University
Learn to develop and apply your sport and exercise therapy, physiotherapy, or sports rehabilitation expertise to the specialist field of football medicine to work with injured and non-injured players.
- £0minvested in our campus estate and facilities in the last five years
- 0thUK uni for sustained employment (Longitudinal Educational Outcomes, 2022)
- The course has excellent links with professional football clubs.
- You'll have the opportunity to undertake the FA Level 4 Intermediate Trauma Medical Management in Football (ITMMiF) professional qualification alongside your studies.
- You'll learn from a highly experienced course team who bring industry knowledge into their teaching.
- You'll have the opportunity to take on a mentored professional placement at a football club to put theory into practice.
- You'll be able to gain practical experience in our modern sports therapy treatment suite. These spacious rooms are equipped with couches and sports therapy equipment for treatment and rehabilitation.
- Benefit from free exercise science career consultation for life. Our careers advice service, Solent Futures is available to all Solent students and graduates for life, helping you to progress in your current career or discuss options for a change in career.
- This course is eligible for the Postgraduate Master's student loan. The loan is from Student Finance England and can be used to cover costs (ie, accommodation, tuition fees) associated with postgraduate studies (it was up to £12,167 for 2023 entry).
Course overview
Looking to get into or build on your existing knowledge and skills in the exciting area of football medicine? This course is designed for sport and exercise therapy, physiotherapy and sports rehabilitation graduates, either interested in moving into football medicine, or already working within football and wishing to complete this master's degree alongside their clinical practice.
Focusing on advanced clinical practice in football, this course will provide you with the opportunity to study specialist sport and exercise medicine modules designed to develop a specialist expertise in acute sports trauma, physical rehabilitation, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of a wide range of injuries in football.
You will have the opportunity to develop the practical skills needed to rehabilitate injured football athletes and enhance the fitness, and performance of non-injured players. You will gain an advanced understanding of the key theories and concepts related to the training, physical development, and rehabilitation of football athletes, as well as sport and exercise science procedures used in evaluating and monitoring fitness and performance.
A mentored professional placement at a football club will provide you the opportunity to put theory into practice. You will be expected to take responsibility for your own caseload, examining, assessing, treating, and managing football athletes. This will enable you to develop, apply and reflect on your own performance across the core areas of football medicine and to draw on, and review, the profession’s evidence base.
The programme has excellent links with professional football clubs, and you will have the opportunity to undertake the FA level 4 Intermediate Trauma Medical Management in Football (ITMMiF) as part of this course.
Any questions?
Contact international admissions
Email:Â admissions.international@solent.ac.ukCall:Â +44 (0)23 8201 5066Speak to a tutor
Speak to a tutorCourse features
Part-time option
You can study this course part-time
Specialist facilities
This course has access to specialist facilities
Apply direct
You can apply direct to Solent University for this course
Additional qualification
This course offers additional qualifications for you to obtain with your degree
This course is for
This course is ideally suited to those looking to move into the exciting area of football medicine, who have already studied areas such as sport and exercise therapy, physiotherapy and sports rehabilitation.Â
What this course leads to
Sport and exercise medicine within football is a developing speciality and there is a need for professional people with an expertise in acute sports trauma, physical rehabilitation, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of a wide range of injuries in football. This fantastic course is carefully aligned to employer needs and aims to enhance your professional knowledge, skills, and experience so you can pursue a career in football medicine.
See where our alumni are working
This course will enable you to develop roles in:
- Physical rehabilitation
- Acute sports trauma
- Diagnosis and treatment
- Injury prevention
Meet the team
The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.
Facilities
Our sports complex supports our sport and health and fitness degree programmes. The complex comprises two sports halls, two fitness studios, strength and conditioning and high performance gym, health and fitness and personal training teaching teams, and sport and exercise therapy clinical space.
Our vibrant campus brings state-of-the-art facilities to enhance your learning and elevate your student experience. Our award-winning teaching building, The Spark is centred around students and offers a stimulating study environment with flexible learning spaces.
Year one
Core modules
Assessment and Evaluation of the Football Athlete
This module will focus on developing your clinical skills and underpinning theoretical knowledge in the assessment and evaluation of pre- and post-injury/ medical illness of the football athlete. You will further develop your clinical reasoning and practical abilities in the planning and implementation of football specific assessment and evaluation protocols.
Applied Techniques in Sport and Exercise Science
When prescribing therapeutic exercise programmes to prepare the football athlete for training and competition and reduce the likelihood of injury, you will need to possess appropriate specialised knowledge of Sport and Exercise Science principles. This multi-disciplinary module serves to equip you with the underpinning theory behind three branches of Sport and Exercise Science – Exercise Physiology, Psychology, and Biomechanics. Key themes central to football medicine will underpin the content of this module and will cover the integration of a spectrum of factors that influence optimal performance and injury risk. Practical work will evaluate these factors with reference to the influence of training and conditioning.
Management and Rehabilitation of the Football Athlete
This module will focus on developing your clinical skills and underpinning theoretical knowledge in the management and rehabilitation of the football athlete. You will further develop your clinical reasoning and practical abilities in the planning and implementation of football specific management and rehabilitation protocols.
Applied Research Methods and Study Design
Your clinical decision processes will be based on the synthesis of the current evidence-based football medicine research for best practice, which underpins all learning strategies within this course. This module aims to promote your knowledge and understanding of the research process, and to develop the real-world skills necessary to undertake a successful research project.
Independent Research Project
This module will provide you with an opportunity to undertake an independent investigation into a theme of your choosing. You will be required to identify a specific academic problem or issue associated with football medicine, and then use an evidence-based approach to select the most appropriate research methodology to answer your question. You will then present your work in a peer reviewed journal format.
Professional Practice in Football
This practice-orientated module will provide you with an opportunity to draw together key aspects of your entire MSc Sport and Exercise Medicine in Football, incorporating a placement in a practical based football setting. You’ll learn what it means to be a therapist, in a football environment, where you can practice your professional skills with real injured football athlete.
Learning resources
At Solent, our aim is to deliver innovative, inclusive, and intellectually stimulating teaching to develop self-confident and highly employable graduates. All our courses are designed with employability in mind, which makes industry-based learning a priority.
This course has a strong focus on practical hands-on learning, enabling you to directly participate in your own learning and draw on your own experiences and skills. There will be an emphasis placed on student-directed activities and in-class discussion, with plenty of opportunity for group work, peer exchange and peer-learning. You will also cover essential professional, academic and employability skills. A mentored professional placement will provide you with an opportunity to put theory into practice. It is envisaged that guest speakers from the football industry will also be part of the learning activities.
Learn transferable skills
Throughout the course you will be supported to develop a range of transferable skills including research skills, analysis, project management, group work and presentation skills.Â
Why choose a career in sport and exercise medicine in football?
A career in football can be incredibly rewarding and it's a booming industry - the European football industry is now valued at between £20–25bn (Deloitte, 2021).
Designed for sport and exercise therapy, physiotherapy and sports rehabilitation graduates, either interested in moving into football medicine, this course will provide you with the opportunity to study specialist sport and exercise medicine modules designed to develop a specialist expertise in acute sports trauma, physical rehabilitation, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of a wide range of injuries in football.
You'll also have the opportunity to undertake the FA Level 4 Intermediate Trauma Medical Management in Football (ITMMiF) professional qualification alongside your studies. You'll learn from a highly experienced course team who bring industry knowledge into their teaching.
Solent Careers
The Solent Careers team is committed to getting students into great careers.
While you are studying, the team can help you with finding work experience or placements, link you with a mentor, check your CV, or offer one-to-one guidance.
If you're in your final year, we also have graduate job opportunities just for Solent graduates.
6th
UK uni for sustained employment
Longitudinal Educational Outcomes, 2022
Alumni network
As part of our global alumni community, you can take advantage of a range of benefits.
Whether it's been days or decades since you left us, or you're soon to don your cap and gown, things are constantly changing at Solent. We're always innovating, but we're also immensely proud of our heritage. And that means you.
20% alumni discount
Research and knowledge exchange
Research doesn't just live in publications and journals - the effects of groundbreaking research can be found everywhere you look. That's why research at Solent has always been firmly rooted in industry needs and real-world application.
Solent University prides itself on carrying out not only pioneering research, but also research that addresses real world problems. We offer opportunities to study for a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in a number of areas.
At Solent, we want to help you achieve your best and discover new insights. Whether you're thinking about applying for a PhD, or already underway with your research studies, you'll find useful guidance and information in our research pages.
Research at SolentTuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year are:
- UK and Channel Island full-time fees: £10,400 per year
- International full-time fees: £18,350 per year
For further information, please visit our tuition fees page.
Extra course costs
While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact student.funding@solent.ac.uk.
Alumni discount
Solent alumni are eligible for a 20% reduction of tuition fees if returning to study a postgraduate course.
Find out moreBursaries, scholarships and financial support
Solent University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships that provide financial assistance or waive fees for tuition or accommodation. Each bursary or scholarship has specific eligibility criteria. Check out our bursaries and scholarships pages to find out more.
Cost of living support
At Solent, we understand that the cost of living crisis may be of some concern. To help, we've put together some detailed information to show what support is available and how to make your money go further.
Graduation costs
There is no charge to attend graduation, but you will be required to pay for the rental of your academic gown (approximately £45 per graduate, depending on your award). You may also wish to purchase official photography packages, which range in price from £15 to £200+. Graduation is not compulsory, so if you prefer to have your award sent to you, there is no cost. Extra guest tickets will go on sale after results publication and will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. The cost per ticket is currently £15. Please note, we do not guarantee there will be any extra tickets available to purchase.
Student finance videos
Entry requirements
Please select an option below:
Key entry requirements
An honours degree at 2:1 or higher in a related field (Sport and Exercise Therapy, Physiotherapy and Sports Rehabilitation)
- Applicants will be either interested in moving into football medicine, or already working within a professional football environment.
- Applicants may be admitted to the course who do not have a degree at 2:1 or above, provided they can demonstrate the necessary graduate-equivalent knowledge, abilities, and skills.
- Applicants will hold a professional registration and professional indemnity appropriate to the country in which the mentored practice will take place.
Key entry requirements
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about UK, EU and international qualifications, please contact admissions.
Key entry requirements
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about UK, EU and international qualifications, please contact admissions.
Note to all international students requiring a visa
All international applicants need to be aware that the English language requirements to attend Solent University, and the English language requirements to obtain a visa from the Home Office, may be different. This means that if you meet the Solent University language requirement to gain a place on the course, you may still have to meet additional requirements to be granted with a visa by the Home Office.
We strongly advise all applicants to visit the Home Office website which outlines all the requirements for a successful visa application and to take a look at our 2023 course entry statement document.
An honours degree at2:1 or higher
Any questions?
Contact international admissions
Email:Â admissions.international@solent.ac.ukCall:Â +44 (0)23 8201 5066Speak to a tutor
Speak to a tutorYour application checklist
Applications for postgraduate courses can be made at any time prior to the start of the course. However, we strongly recommend you apply at your earliest convenience.
Please ensure you upload the following mandatory documents with your application:
- Two academic references.
- Certified transcripts of qualifications, including English language proficiency if non-UK student.
- Copy of passport.
- Copy of current visa (if applicable).
- A personal statement.
- Employer sponsor form, where appropriate.
Language requirements
Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are:
- IELTS minimum 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual component
- TOEFL IBT 92 with a minimum of 22 in writing and a minimum of 20 in reading, listening and speaking
- Duolingo English Language Test - 115 overall with minimum of 100 in each component
or equivalent.
Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.
Pre-Sessional English programme
The University also offers a pre-sessional English programme for international students who wish to improve their level of English before starting a degree course.
Study options
Make your application
- 1 year full-time
- 2 years part-time