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Physiotherapy

Special Features

• ·The course closely integrates theory with clinical practice, in partnership with local hospital trusts
• It leads to eligibility for state registration with the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine, and to eligibility for full membership of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• The Department scored 23/24 (Excellent) in the latest subject specialist review of teaching quality
• Student bursaries are available through the Department of Health, covering all course fees.

Physiotherapy is one of the professions allied to medicine. Physiotherapists use their expertise and skills to treat and rehabilitate people with a range of health problems, through physical means. They work in collaboration with other healthcare professionals aiming to help patients return to an independent way of life.

Our three-year course aims to produce graduate physiotherapists who can practise using a research-based, evaluative and problem-solving approach to meet the needs of the changing healthcare system. You will have access to extensive and modern learning facilities both within the School of Health Studies and in the University as a whole. The Division has a well-stocked specialist library, a newly-installed computer laboratory, and movement analysis equipment.

Course Content

The course has four components: theoretical, practical, clinical and research.

The theoretical component provides the background from which you develop your clinical practice. Subjects covered include anatomy, behavioural science, kinesiology, biomechanics, physiology, pathology and clinical sciences. The practical component includes hands-on skills, taught in groups with demonstrations and practice sessions.

The clinical component involves working in clinical settings under the supervision of qualified members of the profession. Approximately one-third of your time will be spent in clinical placements in hospitals, health centres, clinics and specialised clinical units. The theoretical and practical aspects of the course come together in clinical practice, where you are able to apply your knowledge and skills in a real patient care environment.

The course is taught from a research perspective, enabling you to develop skills in the evaluation of practice and to meet the growing demands for accountability to patients and to the service. Practitioners will increasingly need to use scientific evidence to justify patient management strategies. Research is therefore taught as a subject throughout the course, which culminates in a project at the end of the third year.

Clinical Placements

Approximately one-third of your time will be spent on clinical placements, focusing on putting into practice the techniques and theory learnt throughout the course.

Assessment

Assessment includes written examinations, assignments, practical assessments, case studies, oral presentations, and a final-year project. Your physiotherapeutic skills are assessed at intervals throughout the course.

Funding

Bursaries for students on the BSc Honours course in Physiotherapy are provided by the Department of Health, and you will be eligible providing you are normally resident in the EU. These include all course fees and, for UK students, also a means-tested maintenance grant up to £2,545 per annum [1999]. There are no longer any restrictions on students from Northern Ireland or Scotland receiving such grants.

Other students will be considered according to the residency regulations of the Department of Health. The Admissions Tutor will initiate the application process.

A few places may sometimes be available to students meeting the entry requirements but not eligible for Department of Health support. Funding for these places (fees and maintenance) is the responsibility of the student.

Career Prospects

Career prospects for physiotherapy graduates are excellent, with 100% of 1999 graduates in employment within six months of graduating.

Most physiotherapists work in the NHS, though opportunities do arise in the private sector and industry. After your initial grounding there is scope for specialisation into areas such as manipulation, sports injuries, paediatrics, or mental illness. Or you could concentrate on research, or move into education or management.

"I really enjoyed the course and it was all relevant to the job that I am doing now. I am enjoying my job, it's just what I expected and I fell well prepared following all the clinical experiences gained as part of the course. I had no problem finding employment and all students from the course were just as successful." Rory Holliday, Junior Physiotherapist, St Lukes Hospital, Bradford.

Courses Offered

Study Patterns

Application and Admission

If you are taking the new Curriculum 2000 qualifications and offering any combination of A levels, vocational A levels, AS levels, and Scottish Framework qualifications, our standard offers are:

If you are taking BTEC qualifications our offers are:

For further and more detailed information on application and admission, including other qualifications, click here.

You must also pass an interview and a medical examination before you can be admitted. You must be physically fit, and capable of handling and moving both equipment and patients. In view of the need to work with vulnerable patients, offers may also be subject to police checks.

24 July 2001

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