Flinders Bachelor of Health Science/Master of Physiotherapy will develop your knowledge and skills required to become registered and work as a physiotherapist. The degree builds on Flinders University’s strengths in rural health and health service improvement, and prepares you for a career as a contemporary health professional able to work across a variety of settings.

As a Physiotherapy student at Flinders you will be able to take advantage of:

• The only university in South Australia with an on-campus teaching hospital. Bedford Park’s Flinders Medical Centre serves as trauma centre for the southern suburbs, and parts of the Adelaide Hills.
• The Flinders Health Sciences clinical skills lab that offers students the opportunity to service public patients
• Small class sizes and one-on-one tuition with supportive staff
• Role-play with actors to simulate clinical experience

What you’ll study

Example of typical study program:

First year: core topics in legal and ethical aspects of health care, human bioscience, health promotion for health professionals, communication and interprofessional practice, health practitioner practice, introduction to physiotherapy, and exercise and musculoskeletal physiology

Second year: core topics in introduction to principles of learning, skill acquisition and biomechanics for physical educators, critical social analysis of health, Indigenous health for health sciences, a psychological perspective of health, body systems, neuroscience for therapists, and rehabilitation studies.

Third year: core topics in biomedical instrumentation; qualitative and quantitative methods of social health research; human musculoskeletal anatomy; introduction to the science of physiotherapy; pain, posture and movement; and rehabilitation studies.

Fourth and Fifth year: core topics in performance of movement and function, design and ethics in research with vulnerable populations, neurological rehabilitation, health promotion, and chronic disease management.  There will be the study of musculoskeletal practice, cardiorespiratory practice, interprofessional practice, physiotherapy clinical practice, and complex case and advanced practice.  You will also complete a series of clinical practicums.

Clinical Placement

The degree provides you with practical experience that prepares you for the workforce.

• Undertake clinical learning at Health2GO, an interprofessional student clinic located on campus at the University.
• Undertake 26 weeks of supervised clinical placements.
• Complete at least one rural and/or remote placement.

Upon graduating the double degree students are expected to be able to:

• identify and apply key theoretical and practice approaches within physiotherapy
• integrate physiotherapy knowledge and skills to manage disorders across the lifespan in a wide variety of settings including rural and remote locations, with both individuals and various populations
• collaborate and communicate with clients to meet their health needs in a culturally sensitive manner
• select physiotherapy interventions relevant to the needs of clients using reflective and evidence-based practice
• apply physiotherapy skills in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of clients and in health promotion and disease prevention
• collaborate and communicate effectively with other health professionals in providing high quality health care; and
• reflect on their practice and plan their ongoing professional development as life-long learners.

Entry Requirements

• High School entry requirements:  ATAR 95
• Prerequisites: None
• Assumed knowledge: 2 Biology and  Physics
• University entry requirements: assessed on individual basis
• Must meet English language requirements

Students who fulfil the requirements of the Bachelor of Health Science degree according to the course rule, and have a GPA of no less than 5 in the 2nd and 3rd year topics completed, will be permitted to progress to the Master of Physiotherapy

Professional Recognition

Flinders University’s Bachelor of Health Science/Master of Physiotherapy program is accredited by the Australian Council of Physiotherapy.  Graduates are eligible for physiotherapy registration in any State or Territory of Australia through the Physiotherapy Board of Australia.  Graduates applying to licensing in Canada will be required to provide details of their program of studies to the relevant bodies and sit a licensing examination.

Students wishing to license as a physiotherapist in Canada should contact the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy for procedures and accreditation procedures. The CAP is the national federation of provincial/territorial regulators in Canada.

KOM Consultants understands the process and requirements needed to enter the Physiotherapy profession in Canada.  Contact KOM Consultants for more information.  All students applying directly through KOM Consultants will be supported with the latest information on the accreditation process.