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What makes Physiotherapy at Worcester special?

Physiotherapists enjoy a challenging and rewarding career, working with patients in a variety of settings, from intensive care to community care, helping those affected by injury, illness or disability to fulfil their potential and rebuild their life. Physiotherapy also plays an important role in injury prevention and health and wellbeing.

In addition to the knowledge and expertise you will need to be a first-rate physiotherapist, at Worcester you will study leadership throughout that will enhance your degree and help you develop your career. With our commitment to inter-professional learning, you will also gain experience working alongside Occupational Therapy and other Allied Health students, invaluable teamwork experience for anyone hoping to work in the modern inter-disciplinary health sector.

Overview

Overview

Key features

  • 100% overall student satisfaction in the National Student Survey in 2020 and 96% in 2021.
  • Completion of the programme will give you eligibility to apply for registration with the HCPC. Physiotherapy is a protected title which means you must be registered with HCPC to use this title and work in the UK
  • Excellent links with physiotherapists throughout the region, ensuring the course content is professionally relevant, and placements are varied and well-supported
  • Develop your clinical skills through work-based learning and our excellent on-site facilities, including simulation suites.

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physio-csp-hcpc-logos

This course is validated by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) and approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Successful completion of the course gives you eligibility to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council and membership of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

Man in hospital gown laying down on hospital bed, with a blood pressure monitor being strapped onto his arm by a nurse

£5,000 support for healthcare students

From September 2020, the Government announced that eligible students on Dietetics, Midwifery, Nursing (Adult, Child, Mental Health), Occupational Therapy, Paramedic Science, Physiotherapy and Radiography (diagnostic) courses will receive a payment of at least £5,000 a year, which they will not need to pay back.

More details about the payment
Entry requirements

Entry requirements

120
UCAS tariff points

Academic entry requirements

  • GCSE English and Maths at grade C/4 or above. University of Worcester GCSE Maths and English equivalency tests are also accepted.

And

  • 120 UCAS tariff points or BBB, to include A2 Grade B minimum in Biology / Human Biology / PE (General Studies not accepted). 120 points must be achieved in A2 subjects or equivalent
  • BTEC Extended National Diploma (Sport & Exercise Science, Health Science and Applied Science preferred) DDD. Other BTEC National Diplomas may be considered with AS or A2 Biology / Human Biology / PE at grade B
  • Irish Leaving Certificate: 3A and 3B grades in 6 Higher Level papers at one sitting, including 2 science subjects of which one should be Biology
  • Access to Higher Education Diploma welcomed - 60 credits in total, with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3 with at least 24 credits at Distinction and the remainder at Merit, with at least 15 of those in Biological Science related subjects. Access to Health and Science preferred. At least 120 UCAS points must be achieved
  • International Baccalaureate: Obtain a total of 128 UCAS tariff points from a maximum of 3 International Baccalaureate Higher Level Certificates, to include Biology at H6

Other qualifications

BTEC Extended Diplomas 

Subjects other than those listed above may be considered where at least 360 of the credits (or 1/3) are obtained from biological science units and receive Distinction grades.

AS or A2 in Biology or PE at grade B can be offered in addition where these requirements are not met.

Other additional qualifications may be considered where an applicant does not have the necessary Biology or PE qualifications. Students should normally have been in education within 3 years of commencing a place on the course. Please contact Admissions Team C for information: admissionsc@worc.ac.uk

English Language Requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English and who are required to provide a language test certificate as evidence of their proficiency must ensure that it is, or is comparable to, IELTS level 7.0 with no element below 6.5. (HCPC 2017)
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) - 7.0 with no element below 6.5

Don't quite meet the entry requirements?

Applicants who do not meet the above entry requirements for the 3 year BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy course may be eligible to apply to the 4 year Physiotherapy BSc (Hons)with Foundation Year course.

Work experience

We are looking for applicants who have a good understanding of the breadth of the profession and the diverse settings where Physiotherapists may work. Work experience shadowing a Physiotherapist is highly recommended, however, we appreciate that this can sometimes be difficult to obtain. Where shadowing experience isn't possible, knowledge of the profession may be gained through attending University open days or careers events, talking to qualified Physiotherapists, reading professional publications or researching online. The following websites may provide a helpful starting point; the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and Health and Care Professions Council, and Step into the NHS and NHS Careers.

If your Physiotherapy work experience is still pending when you submit your application, please don't worry. Tell us what you have planned, demonstrate that you have researched the breadth of the profession in other ways and reflect on any alternative relevant experience you have had so far.

Personal Statements

Applicants should ensure that their personal statements are focused on a clear interest and motivation for becoming a Physiotherapist. Applicants should also:

  • Be able to reflect on their work experiences in relation to their future studies and their career
  • Demonstrate team-working and leadership skills; for example in your work, hobbies or sports
  • Show clear awareness of the qualities and values that are needed to become a healthcare professional
  • Demonstrate strong verbal and inter-personal communication and listening skills
  • Be able to work with a wide variety of different people as individuals, and provide examples of this
  • Have strong and creative problem solving and thinking skills
  • Have clear motivation for a career in Physiotherapy, and have made a reasoned career choice
  • Be able to articulate clearly why they are interested in a career in Physiotherapy

We welcome applications from disabled students. More information and guidance on disability and becoming a health and care professional can be found on the Health and Care Professional Council website.

No offers will be made without Interview. Meeting the minimum entry requirements does not guarantee an interview, or a place on the course. For full details please see the UCAS website.

All offers are subject to satisfactory Health Clearance and Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

Students will also be required to sign a Code of Conduct and Fitness to Practice disclosure on commencement of the course.

The University strongly recommends that all students join the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). Joining this professional body will enable you to access a wide range of academic material that will enhance your learning. Additional benefits include clinical negligence insurance that may be necessary for practice learning in some non-NHS practice placements. Not becoming a member may affect your opportunities to experience the widest range of placements.

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Course content

Course content

Year 1

Mandatory

  • Structure and Function of the Human Body 
  • Principles of Physiotherapy 1 
  • Principles of Rehabilitation  
  • Foundations for Professional Practice 
  • Health and Wellbeing  
  • Introducing the Evidence  

Year 2

Mandatory

  • Principles of Physiotherapy Practice 2 
  • Acute Management and Rehabilitation 
  • Integrated Community Physiotherapy Practice 
  • Teamwork for Professional practice 
  • Research Methods: Developing the Evidence  

Year 3

Mandatory

  • Challenging Pathologies and Complex Needs 
  • Contemporary and Developing Physiotherapy Practice
  • Generating the Evidence (Dissertation)
  • Leadership Throughout Professional Practice 
  • Enhancing Employability  
Teaching and assessment

Teaching and assessment

The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip you for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement. A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support through the personal academic tutoring system enables you to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will enable you to flourish and be successful.

Teaching

Students will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes a range of experienced, well qualified academics, physiotherapy specialist clinicians, and physiotherapy and healthcare professionals in leadership roles. The team is well supported by service users and carers in ‘expert by experience’ roles from IMPACT, practice partners and from the Health Hub in the McClelland Centre for Health and Wellbeing. Staff team members from the Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy courses contribute to delivery of shared modules.  

Teaching is informed by research and practice. All course lecturers have or are working towards a higher education teaching qualification or are Associates, Fellows or Senior Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. Over 90% of teaching staff have Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. 

Contact time

In a typical week at levels, 4 and 5 students will have 13-19 contact hours of teaching per week. In level 6 students will normally have slightly less contact time (10 hours) to facilitate independent study. On average, 90% of teaching will be campus-based face to face teaching with 10% blended online learning.  

Typically, class contact time each week is structured around a 1-hour lecture and a two-hour practical, or a 2-hour lecture/seminar.  

Students will undertake placement hours at levels 4, 5 and 6. Full-time practice learning placements equate to 37.5 hours for practice learning in each week of the 6-week placement block. All of these learning hours will be formally recorded and signed by an authorised signatory.

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, you are expected to undertake around 15 - 20 hours of personal self-study per week. Typically, this will involve completing online activities, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library and online, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, as well as preparing for examinations.

A range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources, supports independent learning.

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes senior academics and professional practitioners. Service users and practicing professionals, who may deliver sessions related to their clinical speciality or health condition and experiences, also support your teaching.

Teaching is based on research and consultancy; all permanent members of the Physiotherapy staff have a higher education teaching qualification or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

Assessment

A typical formal summative assessment pattern for each year of the course is:  

Level 4  

  • Literature Review, Oral viva of underpinning knowledge and clinical reasoning skills, OSCE (Observed Structured Clinical Examination), Reflective Essay, Essay’s and a Case Study based Problem List and Treatment Plan and completion of hours in one practice placement. 

Level 5  

  • Small Group Presentation, OSCE’s (Observed Structured Clinical Examination), Case Study Presentation, completion of a research-based Ethics Form and completion of hours in two practice placements.  

Level 6

  • Dissertation, Case Study Presentation, Video Reflective Portfolio, Business Case Proposal, Interview, Digital Health Project and completion of hours in two practice placements.  

Feedback

You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback on examination performance is available upon request from the module leader. Feedback supports learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.

We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.

Programme Specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.

Meet The Team

Rachel Kyte

Rachel Kyte

Rachel qualified as a Physiotherapist at Keele University in 2000. She worked as a rotational Physiotherapist in Nottingham before travelling overseas and working in New Zealand. Rachel continued her clinical career in a variety of settings including NHS, private practice, and industrial and occupational health, before obtaining a band 7 community musculoskeletal role in Birmingham.

Rachel completed a master’s degree in acupuncture and discovered a passion for teaching, becoming an accredited tutor for the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP) and training clinicians in acupuncture for pain management. Rachel joined the University of Worcester teaching team in 2013 when the Physiotherapy course started and has enjoyed taking the leap into academia, supporting students throughout their degree. In addition to teaching, Rachel is the School Learning and Teaching Co-ordinator.

When she is not working, Rachel enjoys rowing and walking on the Malvern hills.

Qualifications

PG Cert in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (2015)

MSc Acupuncture (2009)

BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy (2000)

Helen Frank

Dr Helen Frank

I am the Deputy Head for the School of Allied Health and Community and I am also a Principal Lecturer in Physiotherapy. I work within a team of dedicated, motivated and excellent academic and support staff who deliver outstanding courses in health professions at undergraduate and post-graduate level.

I am a Physiotherapist, and was an international swimmer, and competed in the Olympics in 1988.

Gordon Smith (4)

Gordon Smith

Gordon Smith joined the University of Worcester in June 2013 to take up his first undergraduate lecturing post. Gordon has over 30 years experience as a clinical physiotherapist. He has worked in a variety of locations including the USA and New Zealand. He has been a Physiotherapy Team Leader, working in the NHS in Worcestershire for over 20 years. Gordon has been actively involved in promoting a 5:1 placement model in the MSK OP clinic where he is based at Evesham Community hospital. Gordon has previously been a Fellow of the Society of Musculoskeletal Medicine which involved post graduate lecturing to physiotherapists and doctors.

Kat Wood (4)

Katharine Wood

Katharine joined the University of Worcester in 2013 to take up her first undergraduate lecturing post. She has worked predominately in the NHS but has left to establish a charity that specialises in the rehabilitation of neurological conditions. Alongside lecturing she also works part-time as a clinician treating a range of individuals with neurological diagnoses.  Kat leads the student led clinic at the McClelland Centre on City Campus.

Sam Targett (resized)

Sam Targett

Sam is the Course Leader for the BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy programme and Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy. Sam has been a Chartered Physiotherapist since 2007 and her clinical background is focused on people with Cardiorespiratory conditions. Sam has worked in a range of secondary care settings in the UK specialising in Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy for Adults and Children, including the UK's largest Cardiothoracic specialist centre. Prior to her role at Worcester, Sam was part of the teaching team on the MSc Physiotherapy (pre-registration) programme at the University of Lincoln. She also has experience of supporting and managing students in clinical practice for several Allied Health professions, having been clinical practice and placement lead for a large NHS trust. Sam loves working with and supporting AHP students both academically and in practice and feels privileged to be part of such an innovative and supportive team here at Worcester.

Dale Turner

Dale Turner

Dale Turner joined the University of Worcester as a Lecturer in Physiotherapy in 2022. He qualified as a Physiotherapist in 2018 and has worked in a range of roles including Private Practice, Sport, and Occupational Health.

Dale has worked with a range of service users including Paediatric patients, athletes, and elderly patients.

He is specialised in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy (MSK) and is currently undertaking his MSc in MSK Physiotherapy.

Anna Billingham (resized)

Anna Billingham

Anna qualified as a Physiotherapist from The University of Manchester in 2005. She has predominantly worked in clinical practice in the NHS, in both inpatient and community settings. Anna is particularly interested in neurorehabilitation and the management of long-term conditions. More recently she has worked in elderly care supporting care homes to enable their residents to have a meaningful quality of life. Anna has been involved in several service development and service re-design projects. This has developed her interest in teamwork, change management and leadership, and she feels strongly about these principles being encouraged from the beginning of a healthcare professionals' career.

Anna has always enjoyed being a clinical educator for students out on placement. This has led her to make the move across to a teaching role at the University of Worcester and she feels excited to join the team in developing and inspiring the next generation of physiotherapists.

Gavin Hayden (4)

Gavin Hayden

I am a qualified Sport Scientist & Physiotherapist. After completing my degree in Sport Science at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, I spent a year working as a Physiotherapy Assistant before deciding to undertake a Master’s degree in Physiotherapy at Glasgow Caledonian University. I worked for 8 years in Glasgow Royal Infirmary gaining a diverse range of experiences of Physiotherapy in a variety of clinical areas.

After relocating to the West Midlands, I worked for 3 years in a Community Hospital in Shropshire as the Lead Inpatient Physiotherapist before deciding to embark on a long held ambition to teach in Higher Education. I worked as a Lecturer / Practitioner in Skills & Simulation on the Undergraduate Nursing Degree Programme for nearly 3 years, before successfully gaining my current post in Physiotherapy in 2019.

Derek Peters (2)

Professor Derek M Peters

Professor joined the University of Worcester in 2001 as a Lecturer in PE & Sports Studies, having previously completed a PhD in ‘Body fatness and fat distribution during the early years of maturation’ at the University of Exeter in 1995, and having then worked for six years as an Exercise Physiologist in the Public Sector.

In his 15 years in the School of Sport & Exercise Science Professor Peters has published research across nearly all academic disciplines associated with sport & exercise science and taught research methods modules and training on nearly all of the courses offered within the Institute at HND, Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate levels.

Catherine Barrett

Catherine Barrett

Catherine qualified as a physiotherapist in 1998 from the University of Manchester. She completed an MSc in Neurological Physiotherapy in 2006 at University College London and a PGCE in 2009 whilst working as a physiotherapy lecturer at Bournemouth University. Catherine has worked as a specialist neurological physiotherapist across a range of settings including inpatient stroke rehab and community neurological rehabilitation as well as a research physiotherapist at the National Clinical FES Centre.

Careers

Careers

You will be qualified to work in a variety of roles within the NHS, industry, community settings, sport and the private, independent and voluntary sectors. In addition, there are opportunities to work in education, research, service management and overseas.  

Ecem Komur a lady smiling

Ecem

Having the opportunity to study Physiotherapy at The University of Worcester has helped me gain skills to develop both in my career and as an individual, especially through the courses emphasis on leadership.

The inter-professional environment of learning has provided me with invaluable teamwork experience which I have been able to carry over to my work. To make the experience even better, we were given a wonderful opportunity to complete our final placement in Vietnam, which allowed me to enhance my communication and life skills on top of working in a completely new and unconventional setting out of my comfort zone.

I have been able to use all these skills in my current role working for Kings College Hospital NHS foundation trust. Throughout the variety of other rotations I have worked in, my role always involves promoting independence and improving the quality of life of our service users, as well as developing the service itself. 

Carl Biles

Carl Biles

Carl has achieved a First Class Honours in BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy

“I was extremely grateful for the University’s efforts in diagnosing my dyslexia and providing me with the relevant equipment, without which I would not have succeeded on the course.” said Carl.

It has been a busy year for Carl, besides finishing his degree in the midst of a global pandemic and launching himself on to the NHS front line, he has taken up the opportunity to return to the University of Worcester to deliver lectures for final year students on trauma and orthopaedics, as well as welcoming his first child in to the world.

“I want to progress my career as a physiotherapist,” he said, “but I would also like to get involved more in the training of the next generation of physios, as well as doing more lecturing at the University, and of course, one of my main priorities for the future is to enjoy raising our baby.”

Daniel-Preston

Daniel

The physiotherapy course brought out the best in me, allowing me to think critically and constantly learn whilst in University and practice placements. However, the best part about this course was the staff, who supported me through the process unbelievably through their own passion for physiotherapy.          

I am currently working in adult mental health services and providing physiotherapy for people with severe and enduring mental illness in both inpatient and community settings.

Constance_Jackson

Constance

The physiotherapy course at the University of Worcester has been a tremendous aspect of my life journey. It didn’t just improve my academic excellence, it played a great part in shaping who I am today. The open door policy promoted support from the amazing lecturers with feedback on strengths as well as areas to improve on. 

This course and the brilliant team ensured I was prepared for life beyond the university walls by providing inter-professional learnings, valuable experiences from placements in various settings, enhancing my leadership and employability skills. It advanced my clinical reasoning skills, which I utilise in my workplace to provide holistic treatments adapted to suit individual and group exercise classes.

By incorporating all I’ve learnt  from this course, I am able to take positive risks in my role in optimising people's rehab potential as well as injury prevention.

Ella Cottle

Ella Cottle

“I chose Worcester because of how comfortable I felt during my interview and how I felt really at home,” she said. “One of my interviewers was so lovely and kind, I distinctly remember coming away knowing I wanted to come to Worcester. Worcester never felt like an intimidating, big city university, something that appealed to me.”

 “I really enjoyed my time at Worcester and felt incredibly supported throughout my studies. I think the support I had from my tutor, lecturers and friends is the reason I am enjoying work, feeling confident and falling back on all the learning we did.”

Two students are walking next to each other and smiling

Careers and Employability

Our Graduates pursue exciting and diverse careers in a wide variety of employment sectors.

Find out how we can support you to achieve your potential
Costs

Fees and funding

Full-time tuition fees

UK and EU students

The standard fee for full-time home and EU undergraduate students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees in the 2024/25 academic year is £9,250 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

International students

The standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on BA/BSc/LLB degrees and FdA/FdSc degrees in the 2024/25 academic year is £16,200 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

Funding for Physiotherapy students

The Government has announced that, from September 2020, students on Nursing, Midwifery, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Paramedic Science courses will receive a payment of at least £5,000 a year, which they will not need to pay back. 

Find out more about this payment.

Additional costs

Every course has day-to-day costs for basic books, stationery, printing and photocopying. The amounts vary between courses.

As part of the course you will need to travel to placements and will therefore need to pay any associated costs. You may be able to reclaim these travel expenses depending on your individual circumstances.

We pay for a clinical uniform for you but will need a practical kit for physiotherapy sessions such as shorts, jogging bottoms and polo shirts. There is the option to buy a University practical kit.

You are strongly encouraged to become student members of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, which costs £42 per year.

Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are required at a one-off cost of £58

 

Accommodation

Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience. Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study.

We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Chestnut Halls' at £131 per week to 'Oak Halls' at £221 per week (2024/25 prices).

For full details visit our accommodation page.

How to apply