Physiotherapy BSc(Hons)

International requirements and visas

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

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Other requirements and interview

All candidates must be able to demonstrate good knowledge of physiotherapy as a profession, acquired for example through visits to departments, talking to qualified physiotherapists, or reading relevant material. This should provide an insight into how this experience has informed their decision to become a physiotherapist.

Observational experience of physiotherapists working within an NHS or hospital setting is essential but this may be complemented by observing physiotherapists in other settings such as private practice, private hospitals or sports clubs. Experience of working in other caring environments and/or voluntary work is also beneficial.

A minimum period of one week is preferred but this may be accumulated, and consideration will be given to applicants who have been unable to fulfil this requirement due to local circumstances.

Interview

Successful applicants will be invited to an interview. These are currently being held online. 

Course structure

Year 1 of the course focuses on the core theory needed to start your career as a physiotherapist such as anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, health psychology, exercise prescription, surgery and orthopaedics before you start your clinical placements in year 2.

Years 2 and 3 of the BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy degree are a mixture of clinical practice and university-based studies. On your placements you’ll work with senior physiotherapists and other health professionals such as nurses, doctors and occupational therapists. You could be based in settings including hospitals, rehabilitation centres and patients’ homes.

You’ll share learning with other health professionals, allowing you to benefit from interprofessional collaboration, sharing knowledge and expertise.

As a student on this course you’ll also get to participate in Schwartz Rounds - hour-long sessions where students come together to listen to stories and share reflections in a supportive and confidential environment. The sessions offer the opportunity to reflect on the emotional aspects of clinical practice and are designed to support students and recent graduates working in complex settings.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through Student View.

Year 1

Year 1 focuses on the underpinning theory needed to be a physiotherapist, such as anatomy. You will be introduced to core physiotherapy skills such as exercise prescription and massage. Running through the first year is a professional module which explores what it is to be a physiotherapist.

In the second semester you will gain physiotherapy-relevant work experience and have the option to work with a voluntary organisation. This will develop your interpersonal and professional skills and enable you to start work with service users.

Modules

• The Physiotherapist as a Professional

  In this module you will be introduced to some of the key concepts that underpin professional behaviour/practice and interprofessional working. The module will provide you with the academic skills required to search, record and structure information from a wide range of sources. You will develop your abilities in scientific writing, critical appraisal, basic statistics and presentation skills.

  The experiential component will give you the opportunity to observe physiotherapy relevant practice with the aim of developing confidence, improving communication and team working skills, encouraging reflective practice and promoting professional behaviour. You will develop the knowledge necessary for the safe moving and handling of patients. The module also explores health psychology and how this applies physiotherapy practice.

• Foundations of Physiotherapy Patient Management

  This module introduces some of the basic concepts of working with patients, such as holistic person-centred care, communication skills and health psychology, which are cornerstones in the physiotherapist’s clinical reasoning processes. You'll develop your clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills, enhancing critical thinking and supporting clinical decision-making. You'll develop an understanding of partnership working including collaborative goal setting, person-centred care and shared decision-making.

• Applied Musculoskeletal Anatomy

  This module covers the study of anatomy, including basic terminology, and progresses to a detailed study of the bones, joints and muscles of both the upper and lower quadrant along with the trunk. You'll also develop your knowledge of nerves, blood vessels and lymph nodes in the living body. You will be introduced to the anatomical knowledge relevant to the clinical tests of joints, ligaments and muscles, and nerve integrity testing. You'll learn the practical skills of identifying the relevant structures in the living body alongside an exploration of the theory.

• Foundations of Physiotherapy Assessment

  This module develops your understanding and assessment of human physiology in health and illness. You will learn how to perform physiotherapy assessment skills to measure a person’s functioning. The module takes a whole person approach, integrating all body systems throughout the lifespan to understand and develop appropriate physiotherapy assessment skills.

• Foundations of Physiotherapy Treatment Skills

  This module develops your understanding of pathology alongside physiotherapy treatment skills. It will take a whole person approach, integrating body systems throughout the lifespan and developing associated skills of treatment and ongoing monitoring.

• Exercise for Health and Rehabilitation

  This module provides a foundation in exercise prescription and physical activity guidelines across the lifespan, in both healthy people and as part of rehabilitation programmes. You'll develop the knowledge and skills to design safe and effective exercise programmes (individual and group) to maintain and improve fitness components. You will explore the exercise physiology that underpins your exercise prescription.

Year 2

In year 2 you will go out on your first clinical six-week placement.

Modules

• Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy in Contemporary Healthcare
• Physiotherapy Management in Acute Care Settings  
• Physiotherapy Across the Lifespan
• Research Methods in Healthcare  
• The Physiotherapist as a Professional 2
• Practice Placement 1

Final year

During your final year you will consolidate your clinical practice on placement (by the end of the course you will have completed a minimum of 1,000 hours) while working on your dissertation. The dissertation gives you the opportunity to evaluate an area of physiotherapy practice in-depth.

The final module prepares you for professional physiotherapy practice and develops your professional portfolio. Local managers and clinicians from the NHS, private practice, sports and local companies contribute to this module.

Modules

• Clinical Practice Placements 2, 3, 4 and 5
• Research for Evidence-based Practice
• The Physiotherapist as a Professional 3

Facilities

Course fees

Additional funding support

UK students studying nursing, midwifery and some allied health professions subjects receive a non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 each academic year. Find out more on the NHS website.

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2023–24.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

• Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international undergraduate and postgraduate students
• Student finance and budgeting while studying
• About the university’s fees by checking our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

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