Portobello Institute’s sports department has grown exponentially over recent years.
The success of our Sports Therapy degree programme has been at the forefront of that growth. Designed by Dr Susan Giblin in conjunction with London Metropolitan University as the awarding body of the degree, the BSc (Hons) Sports Therapy degree offers students a vast array of opportunities as graduates.
Since this internationally recognised degree is the equivalent of a Level 8 degree in Ireland, it can be used as an alternative route to a Level 9 Physiotherapy master's.
Having students who have successfully graduated through Portobello apply for places on Physiotherapy masters programmes makes this a proven pathway as an alternative route for students from CAO courses.
After completing a PLC course at Colaiste Idé, Sean Moriarty developed a passion for physiotherapy. He was able to use his knowledge gleaned at Portobello to earn work experience that would prove vital for applying to a master's in physiotherapy:
“The combination of practical and theory-based modules provided me with a valuable base for progressing within the Sports Therapy industry. Without gaining this knowledge I would not have been able to seek work with teams and athletes in a professional capacity.
I’m currently working with two rugby teams within the same club and a GAA club. I am also providing a Sports Massage service which is currently based in a local rugby club.
Noticing my skill set developed from scratch to confidently being able to practice sports therapy with a range of athletes and teams was my best experience during the course. With help from the lecturers, I found the transition from the PLC course to the degree a lot more manageable than I expected.
Small class sizes meant that all of the tutors knew the students by name which motivated us to perform to the best of our ability.”
Students come to Portobello from different backgrounds, different locations and through different routes. Dan O’Mahony had the same ambition as Sean Moriarty, but his journey would prove to be a little bit different.
“Before I started the course, I didn’t really understand what each area entailed. After Year 1, I knew what I liked and what I was good at. I knew therapy was the route for me.
Portobello Institute provided me with the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge for me to attain my ultimate career goal…I was also very fortunate to be given the opportunity to study with a great class of students and extremely supportive lecturers.”
By choosing the Portobello route, Dan was able to graduate with his Level 8 degree in Sports Therapy earlier than his peers who entered the CAO courses and then he successfully applied to the RCSI Level 9 masters in Physiotherapy in 2018.
Over recent years, Portobello graduates have had a high success rate applying to UL’s master's in Physiotherapy, which is one of the most competitive masters in the country.
Aoife Fleming is yet to graduate from Portobello Institute. She is entering Year 3 of her Sports Therapy degree and is already planning on following a unique pathway through future education opportunities after graduation. Aoife saw value in the diversity offered by a Sports Therapy degree, choosing Portobello over the physiotherapy courses she was offered by the CAO.
Her goal is to become a hydro therapist who is qualified to treat injured children.
“A person with neuro disorders will struggle to carry their own body weight. If you look at someone who has a sprained ankle, they still have the other leg, but when it comes to neuro if there’s any part of the spine then it’s bi-lateral so either side can’t catch itself.
Mainly with hydro physio most of the time it’s more neural but it’s beneficial for anyone who had a major incident and needs a lot of care.
You have so many kids out there who actually need physio, there’s nobody to do hydro physio who is actually specialized in it…Nobody has really heard of hydrotherapy but my intent is to have a whole innovative practice. My main goal is hydrotherapy but in a couple of years I hope to have an innovative physio practice instead of just having a room where it’s super boring.”
Using Portobello Institute's Sports Therapy degree as a route into future education opportunities, especially physiotherapy, is a popular and smart choice for incoming students.
Portobello Institute values the one in everyone and understands that education is only a part of your life. We don’t want to take up all of your time and create stress for you. You should go to college to improve your life outside of college and after college.
We are training the sports professionals of the future. If you would like to work in sports in a professional capacity, you can find a course that will provide you with the requisite education to do so.
If you'd like to read more about the sports degrees and qualifications we carry, you can visit the department page here.
If you are interested in any of our sports courses or have any questions you can book a consultation call with our expert sports advisor Sharde Sebastian here, email sharde.sebastian@portobelloinstitute.com or call 01 892 0029.
Featured in this article:
Johanna Shaw has a 2:1 in BSc (Hons) in Sports and Exercise Science from Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh. She completed an MPhil Studentship in Physical Activity for Health alongside an Exercise Development role. She then went onto a Tackling Inactivity in Students role funded by Sport England within a Further Education College in London before moving back to Dublin to Portobello Institute.
