Sports & Exercise Medicine

Course Outline

The MMEdSc in Sports & Exercise Medicine at UCC is designed to give clinicians a deeper understanding of sports medicine, sports injuries and exercise medicine. This programme covers the evidence base of the management of sports medicine and musculoskeletal injuries. It emphasises the vital role of physical activity in the prevention and treatment of chronic illness/disease. This master’s degree will therefore educate a new, highly skilled cadre of clinicians and practitioners to manage sports injuries and the epidemic of lifestyle-related diseases and conditions.

This programme can be taken part-time over two years or full-time over one year.



Students take core modules to the value of 80 credits as follows:

SX6011 Sports Injuries I (10 credits)

SX6012 Sports Injuries II (10 credits)

SX6010 Exercise, Physiology & Prescription (10 credits)

SX6013 Exercise as Medicine (Chronic disease management) (10 credits)

SX6014 Health promotion strategies (5 credits)

SX6019* Research Methods in Sports and Exercise Medicine (5 credits)

SX6015 Dissertation in Sports & Exercise Medicine (30 credits)



*In Accordance with UCC`s policy for Recognition of Prior Learning students who have completed a relevant University research methods module, at a similar NFQ level, do not have to complete SX6019 upon documented evidence that the module has been taken within the last 5 years.



Students take elective modules to the value of 10 credits (15 credits if not taking SX6019 as core) over two years, from the following:

SX6016 Advanced Rehabilitation for Injuries (5 credits)

SX6017 Team Medicine (5 credits)

SX6018 Independent Study (5 credits)

SX6020 Standard Approach to Field Emergencies Level 2 (5 credits)



Note: A minimum of 5 students is required to run elective modules.

Applicants for the MMedSc (Sports and Exercise Medicine) will be required to hold either:



An Honours Medical qualification of the NUI or an equivalent institution, and to be in good standing with their national regulatory body, e.g. the Irish Medical Council or its equivalent OR



A Second Class Honours Grade I or higher in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) in Physiotherapy, and membership of /or eligible to be a member of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists;



Applicants who do not meet the normal academic or experience requirements may also be considered under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) following a review of their individual qualifications and experience by the course committee.



Admission of such applicants will be subject to the approval of the College of Medicine and Health Executive Committee;



Selection will be based on academic achievement and relevant work experience. Some applicants who do not fulfil the usual entry requirements may be invited for an interview to satisfy the selection committee of their suitability for the programme;



Acceptance of a candidate into the programme is subject to Garda Vetting.



For Applicants with Qualifications Completed Outside of Ireland

Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.



International/Non-EU Applicants

For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.

• In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.

• Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.



English Language Requirements

Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements.

Closing Date

Rolling deadline. Open until all places have been filled. Early application is advised.



Non-EU Closing Date

Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 June. Early application is advised.

1 year full-time, 2 years part-time.

Start Date 15 September 2025

Skills and Careers Information

Graduates of this programme will be able to pursue careers in the allied healthcare professions, become involved in a wide range of sport and exercise-related activities from General Practice and consultants in Sports Medicine to the provision of medical care for athletes and teams as well as exercise specialists for the provision of exercise medicine services within the HSE. Medical graduates will be eligible to apply for the higher specialist training programme of the Faculty of Sports & Exercise Medicine. Graduates may also pursue a career in higher education and research.