Welcome to Canterbury Christ Church University. Our team are really looking forward to inspiring, supporting and working with you, as you begin your journey towards a rewarding career as a BASRaT accredited Graduate Sports Rehabilitator (GSR).
Mr Colm Gregory
Course Director
Academic Calendar: Semesters
View key dates for this Academic Calendar for 2024-25 including when teaching starts and finishes and when you break for holidays.
We want to reassure you that we were students once too, and we're aware that starting at CCCU is a real mixture of emotions for you in terms of excitement, anticipation, and a little bit of the unknown until you settle in. Remember this is not the first time you have done something like this (primary, secondary, college) and just like then, there was a team of people who supported and guided you through the process. The difference this time is, you’re joining and becoming a member of that supportive team!
You are a co-collaborator in the community of fellow students, technicians, administrators, and teachers on the next leg of you journey as you work to achieve your goals.
To support you in getting started, we have prepared an online resource with information and some answers to frequently asked questions. Please visit the Getting Started Padlet using this link. We will add information to this throughout the summer, as it becomes available, so please check this regularly for updates to content.
If you have a question that is not being answered in this Getting Started Padlet, please reach out and email (colm.gregory@canterbury.ac.uk) or, preferably book a face-to-face chat via the Online Appointment System.
In your first year you will cover 6 modules in total, 3 in the first semester and 3 in the second. In semester 1, we will teach you how to find your way around all the resources available to you through CCCU. We will start to develop your curiosity, as we introduce you to becoming a researcher and clinician. You will start to learn about the anatomy of the lower limb and the common injuries associated with the ankle, knee, and hip.
Running in tandem with anatomy, we will start to develop our clinical skills, in terms of how we interview the injured individual and try work out what might have happened. We begin to learn the various Sports Massage techniques to help us treat the body’s soft tissues (muscles and ligaments). We will review case scenarios to try to work out what injury has been sustained, and how we might manage that person’s injury with the knowledge and skill we currently have.
In semester 1, we will also be getting you trained up and certified as a First Aider so you can offer basic courtside and pitch side first aid to our university teams. This semester will be punctuated with trips to the anatomy labs for prosecutions where we will delve under the skin to see the lower limb anatomy in 3D.
In semester 2 you will start your journey in exercise physiology (learning about the body’s response/adaptation to exercise) and pathophysiology (the body’s response/adaptation to injury and disease). We now embark on part 2 of our anatomy where we will introduce you to the anatomy of the upper limb and its associated injury patterns. To build on your knowledge and skills in soft tissue treatment you will be expected to partake in a number of external events (London Marathon. Landmarks and Canterbury 10 mile), providing post event massage to competitors. This will help you to fine tune your skills under supervision as well as providing a valuable service to our CCCU community. This clinical experience forms part of your 400-hour minimum experiential learning over your 3 years and will account for approximately 70 hours in year 1.
Over the coming years we will support you in gaining supervised placements within the NHS, but you are encouraged to find local placements in a variety of sporting opportunities to enhance your employability and entrepreneurship.
A DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance is required as part of the registration for this course. Further information on this and how to complete the clearance can be found here.
An Occupational Health clearance is also course requirement. Further information on this and how to complete the clearance can be found here.
For consultations, please book an online appointment here.
Your Welcome and Induction will be w/c 16th September 2024 - we look forward to meeting you then.
On the social side, the Student Union (CCSU) has a huge range of clubs and societies – all of which have unique social calendars of their own and offer endless opportunities to make lifelong friends and discover new hobbies. And you can always create your own society and cultivate your own community!
CCSU will be hosting their Welcome Fayre on Wednesday 18th September 2024. Make sure you keep checking the CCSU website for further details and how to get involved.
We understand that you may be nervous about your first few weeks on campus but rest assured - you'll be joining a nurturing and supportive environment where diversity, equality and individuality are part of everything we do.
You can find out more about our welcoming community and making friends here.
If you are an International Student joining us then please see our International Student Support pages for further information and guidance.
In preparation for your arrival, it would be worth you reading a couple of PDF from the BASRaT (British Association of Sport Rehabilitators and Trainers) website and familiarising yourself with the content which will help you in your professional development:
To support your learning below are several textbooks that you can access via the library when you arrive, but you might want to invest in some of these as they will travel with you for the next few years. I have starred the books I think will be worth buying. It is useful to note that the University Bookshop offers 10% discount on most titles in print and have some price-beating book bundles. They also price match Amazon on core texts recommended in the module handbooks you will receive when you start in September.
Social Media
Follow us on…
X: @SpExSci_CCCU
Instagram: @sportexsci
Also take a look at our Faculty instagram pages: https://www.instagram.com/cccu_fsess/
Any issues please don’t hesitate to contact me on teams or via email on colm.gregory@canterbury.ac.uk
International students: don't miss out! Make sure you register for our international student success programme which provides practical advice on preparing to live and study in the UK.
If you have any further queries relating to administration issues please contact i-Zone or email the Sport Exercise, and Rehabilitation Sciences admin team (SERS@canterbury.ac.uk) who will be happy to support you and direct your query.