BSc Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a science-based health care profession committed to extending, applying, evaluating and reviewing the evidence that underpins and informs its practice. Physiotherapists adopt a ‘whole person' approach to maximise the potential of a person's function and movement. Thus, physiotherapists not only help people stay independent for as long possible after illness or injury, but also help maintain health for people of all ages; preventing disease and managing pain.
Patient involvement is at the core of this approach and as such, key attributes a physiotherapist must possess include the ability to empower, relate and educate people to facilitate change in their health and wellbeing. Physiotherapists are autonomous professionals, able to act as first-contact practitioners, as well as accepting referrals from other health care professionals. Consequently, central to physiotherapy practice is the making of clinical judgement and informed interpretation of clinical information.
Physiotherapists are also professionals who work in increasingly complex environments and we produce graduates who are able to demonstrate effective problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, underpinned by a sound physiotherapy knowledge base and appropriate professional skills. To succeed you will possess self-directed learning habits that will enable you to continue as a reflective practitioner and lifelong learner, maintaining your fitness to practise throughout your career.
Our full-time BSc Physiotherapy course is studied over three years and is designed as a continuous progression of integrated theory and practice, placing emphasis on students being proactive partners in their learning experiences.
Our School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (SRES) is a community specifically focused on sports and exercise science, sports therapy and physiotherapy. We are based in the Essex Sport Arena at the Colchester Campus and bring together internationally recognised research, knowledge and placement and vocational opportunities for our students and graduates.
Vaccinations
We continue to recommend Covid-19 and flu vaccinations. This is to protect you and the vulnerable people you may meet throughout your placement.
Practice-based learning opportunities
Practice-based placements are organised by our placement team and each student is timetabled to complete approximately 1,000 hours of practice-based learning. During placements, you'll work with qualified physiotherapists and other professionals to consolidate your learning, gain new experiences, and develop and refine your abilities. Learning on placement is achieved through interactive experiences and practice educators facilitating personal and professional growth within a variety of settings. The environment is supportive, enabling you to rehearse skills with constructive feedback.
To maximise the learning opportunities available to you, we work with a variety of practice-based learning providers across our region. From our Colchester Campus you may need to travel up to 90 minutes each day to and from a placement location, or use local accommodation for locations that are further afield. Eligible students are able to claim back these additional costs associated with attending placements through the NHS business authority, who you can also apply to for a grant of £5,000 per academic year (that you won't need to pay back)! Additional funding may also be available depending on your personal circumstances. You can find more information about eligibility and how to apply on the HSC Scholarships and Funding page.
You will be provided with two student physiotherapist uniform polo shirts, as well as two tunics and two pairs of trousers by the university, prior to your first practice placement (you can also purchase additional items, if you choose).
Additional expenses
You will incur additional costs and expenses throughout this course, which you can learn more about in our Additional Course-Related Expenses document (.doc).
Attend a live Q&A
Interested in this course as an international student? Register for our Q&A on Thursday 27 March at 09:30 GMT to ask academics your questions about this course.
Professional accreditation
Accredited by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).
Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for the purpose of providing eligibility to apply for registration with the HCPC as a physiotherapist.
- You gain hands-on experience in a range of professional settings through practice placements and our close links with clinicians in practice will strengthen your career prospects.
- Small cohort sizes enable strong working relationships between students and experienced staff.
- We’re 24th in the UK for Physiotherapy in the Guardian University Guide 2024.
Our expert staff
Our physiotherapy courses are taught by a friendly team of registered, experienced staff with a variety of different backgrounds. Within the team we have expertise across the areas of acute inpatient care, community settings and outpatient rehabilitation as well as in research and professional leadership. Full details of our staff can be found online.
In addition, our physiotherapy team invite a large number of practising clinicians to contribute to the teaching on this course.
The BSc Physiotherapy course lead is Debbie Miles, who qualified as a physiotherapist in 2006 having completed a pre-registration Masters programme at Teesside University. Debbie went on to work for more than 10 years in the NHS, in London and then Kent, specialising in the management of hand and wrist injuries and conditions whilst also developing a keen interest in clinical education. Having previously worked part-time at the University of Essex alongside an ongoing clinical role, Debbie moved full-time into education in 2018 though she continues some clinical practice alongside this to this day.
Specialist facilities
Within our School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, we have a range of specialist clinical laboratories and IT facilities to assist you with the effective learning and acquisition of new skills; for students of BSc Physiotherapy, we have four specialist labs on our Colchester Campus which provides you with all the facilities you need to train as a physiotherapist.
We also offer excellent physical and online resources in terms of libraries, computer labs, datasets, archives and other research materials.
You can take advantage of our links with the Institute of Social and Economic Research, which conducts large-scale survey projects, many for government, EU and other public agencies, and has its own library.
The UK Data Archive is also based at our Colchester Campus and stores national research data.
Your future
Successful completion of our BSc Physiotherapy leads to eligibility to apply for registration as a physiotherapist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) which allows you to practise as a physiotherapist in the UK, and to join the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) as a full member.
We also work with our University's Student Development Team to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.
Sport scholarships
Our Performance Sport Scholarship programme has been created for talented athletes playing at regional, national or international level, and offers a range of benefits. We want students competing in our focus sports (basketball, volleyball, tennis and football), as well as other team sports and individual athletes, to contribute to our performance sport programme. Our scholarships can include fee discounts of up to 100%, offered to athletes who demonstrate sporting excellence. Athletes who are awarded the scholarship may also receive a host of other benefits, including free kit, access to state-of-the-art facilities, performance coaching, the option to live in our Athlete Village (accommodation fees may vary) and a support package valued up to £1,500. These benefits are designed to help athletes focus on their training, and development, and to enable them to reach their full potential alongside their studies.
“My last placement at a Cardiothoracics ITU in Essex was an incredible experience. I learnt so much and it was so interesting I can’t tell you how much! The team were the best I’ve ever been with, and any other students are so lucky to be placed there, it was hands down the best placement I’ve had. I felt sad to leave.”
Lizzie Markham, BSc Physiotherapy student
At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.
The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications. The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.
The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.
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