MSc Sport and Exercise Medicine

University of Derby

This MSc is designed to develop practitioners capable of delivering safe, effective, and person‑centred care within complex, real‑world environments.

Gain an in‑depth and contemporary understanding of Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM), with a strong emphasis on equity, diversity, and inclusion

Study a course that focuses on patient-centred and dynamic care

Become an adaptable practitioner who can demonstrate sophisticated clinical reasoning by tailoring care to specific situations and populations

Apply theoretical and technical knowledge in practice, and gain a higher level of clinical and leadership skills through placement experience

Take your learning to the next level

A core feature of the programme is its alignment to the Four Pillars of Advanced Practice (recognised across UK healthcare frameworks):

Clinical Practice

Leadership and Management

Education (and Mentorship)

Research (and Innovation)

These pillars guide the programme’s design and help you develop the confidence and capability required for contemporary advanced roles.

Our MSc Sport and Exercise Medicine offers industry- and research-informed content designed to develop your knowledge, technical capacity, and applied skills as a Sport and Exercise Medicine practitioner.

Rather than relying on traditional placement hours, learning is centred on applied experiences that ultimately develop your ability to become a mentor, building the leadership, educational and supervisory skills needed to support less-experienced learners. In doing so, you will be able to contribute to real-world clinical environments where you integrate evidence, navigate incomplete or emerging research, and manage increasingly complex cases.

You will learn to:

Make well-reasoned clinical decisions where guidelines are incomplete

Interpret and synthesise diverse information sources (e.g. biomechanics, imaging, bloods, wearable technology)

Manage complex presentations across a wide range of populations

Communicate and lead within multidisciplinary team environments

Mentor others, an essential skill for advanced practitioners.

Central to the programme design are the concepts of patient-centred and dynamic care, preparing practitioners who can adapt their plan whilst being sensitive to context and individual needs.

This includes the expected understanding of diverse athlete needs, such as supporting athletes with disabilities, recognising the broader risks to and requirements of optimising women’s health in sport: applying inclusive, context-sensitive practice as a standard and essential component of SEM.

Once you have completed the course, you will be able to:

Demonstrate an evidence-based understanding and critical awareness of sport and exercise medicine interventions, incorporating emerging, industry-accepted innovations

Develop evidence-based understanding of spinal and peripheral neuromusculoskeletal and vascular anatomy, applying this knowledge to evaluate, differentiate, and interpret functional, pathological, and injury-related problems across diverse sport and exercise medicine contexts

Present a critical understanding of the physical responses and adaptations to exercise and apply this knowledge to assess and manage diverse patients with sport- and exercise-related injuries and pathologies

Display a critical understanding of research evidence and expert opinion to inform and advance clinical decision-making, guiding patient management, ongoing care, and referrals in complex sport and exercise medicine contexts.