Western Sydney’s Physiotherapy program takes a strong evidence-based approach to health sciences teaching, learning and research, to produce professionals who can truly help clients and communities to lead healthier lives. When you graduate, you will have the skills you need to pursue a physiotherapy career in a range of health settings including private practice, aged care, private and public hospitals, rehabilitation and chronic health management. Career settings also include community-based agencies, rural and regional healthcare providers, and working with athletes and sporting organizations.

What you’ll study

The course in physiotherapy is offered as a 4-year Bachelor of Physiotherapy. The first three years of the program combine studies in physiotherapy with a broad understanding of biomedicine and health science fields to develop the professional competencies important for ethical and safe practice, high quality care and the skills to work in multidisciplinary teams. The final year focuses predominately on the development of physiotherapy practice skills, which are used during clinical placements to treat patients in the community. Evidence-based practice is one of the most important trends in healthcare today and a strong feature of the program.

The Honours program is available to high achieving students in the Bachelor of Physiotherapy. Honours is a key early step in the pathway to leadership in the profession and opens up the world of research, without taking any longer to complete the degree. Students apply for entry into the Honours program in Year 3 of the combined degree. They begin advanced research training in the latter half of Year 3. Clinical placements and an honours thesis are completed during the fourth year of the program. The thesis presents research that addresses real physiotherapy problems. This research will be conducted under the supervision of experienced academic researchers.

Clinical Placement

There will be practical experience in the first and second years of this program. During your third and fourth years, you will undertake clinical placements, then return to the University for a final component that explores the lessons you learned in the field and how to best integrate these into your career. This will focus on professional, technical, industrial and legal topics, as well as exploring complex case studies.

Entry Requirements

Students will need a high school diploma with a minimum GPA of 85%.  Note that GPA can run higher due to the competitive nature of the program.

Prerequisites: None

Assumed knowledge:  Biology

Professional Recognition

Western Sydney University’s Bachelor 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.