School of Health Professions

BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is a hands-on healthcare profession that uses physical approaches to promote, maintain and restore physical, psychological and social wellbeing. Our innovative curriculum uses real clinical scenarios and diverse practice settings ranging from neurological rehabilitation to acute respiratory care and sports. Reflecting the conditions that physiotherapists treat, our approach is designed to bring your learning alive and develop your clinical reasoning.

You will benefit from our established track record of working with local professional sports teams, the armed forces and extracurricular experience such as pop-up clinics for the local half marathon. You will graduate armed with the skills and experience to find employment in a variety of environments. You could find yourself working in hospitals, health centres, the local community, with the elderly, the disabled or for charitable organisations both in the UK or abroad.

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First choice for health

Delivered by professional experts, our programmes are tailored to you and your career. Together, we address today's most challenging healthcare issues, through research-informed teaching and active, real-world learning.

#firstchoiceforhealth

Health students will get £5,000 support payment each year

The Government is issuing Health Professions students on courses from 2020 a payment of at least £5,000 a year, which they will not have to pay back. A further £3,000 of funding a year is available for eligible students.

Find out more about the bursary

Careers with this subject

Graduate armed with the skills and experience to find employment in a variety of environments. You could find yourself working in hospitals, health centres, the local community, private practice, armed forces, sports clubs,  with the elderly, the disabled or for charitable organisations both in the UK or abroad. 

Physiotherapy is increasingly a “first contact profession” and multiple career options are available, with scope to progress within clinical, education, research and leadership roles.

Advice from graduate Tom Rogers:

"Physiotherapy in football is a small world so get your name out there in whichever way you can and impress somebody, either through voluntary or even part time work which football academies are always recruiting for. This is a great way to get experience and get your name in the mixer.

Be prepared to work at all levels: be that academy or within the professional ranks of a very demanding, anti-social job that involves travelling, and weekend and evening work. However, on the bright side, be prepared for the best work environment you will ever work in. If you’re lucky enough, you will get to have great working relationships with athletes and a range of medical professionals in a team environment."

Read more from Tom in his case study. 

Key features

  • Experience excellent placement opportunities in a variety of clinical settings, which have ranged from acute teaching hospitals, to the community, sports clubs and the Armed Forces. This includes a full placement in your first year with all placement marks potentially contributing towards your degree classification.
  • Learn to study independently and in small groups with our enquiry-based learning curriculum.
  • Achieve your potential as an autonomous practitioner with highly developed problem-solving skills.
  • Benefit from extracurricular experience by providing supervised physiotherapy support at our pop up clinics, such as local sports events.
  • Explore, collaborate and contribute to research informed practice, with a physiotherapy team engaged in research at an international level.
  • Graduate armed with the skills and experience to find employment in a variety of environments - from the NHS to private practice, armed forces to sports clubs working locally or internationally.
  • On successful completion of the course, you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council. As a successful graduate, you’ll be able to progress from student to full membership of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

Please note: In order to successfully complete your course and be eligible to apply for a professional registration you must complete a specified number of practice placement hours along with your theoretical study. This is a requirement of the HCPC. You will only be able to take personal holidays during the specified leave periods for your course. This includes induction week where it is vital you attend ALL sessions.

Course details

  • Year 1

  • In your first year, inter-professional learning with students from other healthcare disciplines will give you an insight into what it is to be a ‘professional’. You will enjoy physiotherapy modules relating to anatomy and physiology as well as the importance of health promotion and exercise. You will develop your understanding of applied movement science and evidence based physiotherapy practice and embark on a rewarding clinical placement. 

  • Year 2

  • In your second year, you will learn about the rehabilitation of patients with cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal and neurological conditions. You will take increased responsibility in practice, utilising your theoretical knowledge and developing the confidence and personal skills required to be an autonomous physiotherapist. 

  • Final year

  • In your final year you will study more complex case scenarios in the key areas of physiotherapy practice. You will have the opportunity to undertake a supervised project in an area of your choice. During your placements, emphasis is on the levels of professional mastery and fitness for practice that you will require for registration and employment.

Every undergraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the course aims, the course structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest course structure and may be subject to change:

BSc Hons Physiotherapy Programme Specification 6138

The modules shown for this course are those currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new modules. Please note that programme structures and individual modules are subject to amendment from time to time as part of the University’s curriculum enrichment programme and in line with changes in the University’s policies and requirements.

Entry requirements

UCAS tariff

136 - 120

GCSES
Normally 5 GCSEs grade C/4 or above to include Mathematics, English and Science. Preference is given to applicants who have obtained these grades on application. Please note the institution may consider equivalent numeracy and literacy qualifications.

Plus one of the following:

A level
AAB must include Biology, Human Biology, PE or Applied Science. Excluding General Studies.

IB
33 overall with Higher Level Grade 6 in Biology or Sports, Exercise and Health Science.
GCSE equivalence – Higher Level = 4, Standard Level = 5 in Maths, English, and Science.
If overseas and not studying English within IB – MUST have IELTS 7.0 overall with 6.5 in all elements.

Access courses
Pass Access (e.g. science, health, nursing, and combined science) with 45 credits at level 3, 30 at Distinction to include 12 level 3 credits in biology. Remaining credits at level 3 must be at merit.

BTEC RQF National Extended Diploma/ QCF Extended Diploma
BTEC National Extended Diplomas and Extended Diplomas are considered on an individual basis, depending on the units that are studied. They may be considered on their own or alongside A level biology, human biology, PE, or applied science, subject to the biological content of the BTEC units studied. Please provide a full list of units studied within the BTEC in order for this to be assessed.

BTEC National Diploma modules
If you hold a BTEC qualification it is vital that you provide our Admissions team with details of the exact modules you have studied as part of the BTEC. Without this information, we may be unable to process your application quickly and you could experience significant delays in the progress of your application to study with us. Please explicitly state the full list of modules within your qualification at the time of application.

Equivalent qualifications may be considered. Alternatively, if you have any questions or concerns about meeting the entry requirements listed above we would encourage you to contact the Admissions Team on 01752 585858 or email ug-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk, where a member of the team can offer you further advice.

For a full list of all acceptable qualifications please refer to our tariff glossary.

APPLICANTS WHO HAVE NOT COMPLETED THEIR STUDIES IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE:

IELTS

7.0 overall with 6.5 in all elements. If you need to improve your English language to get onto a degree course at the University of Plymouth, you can book a pre-sessional academic English course.

Extended entry requirements

  • In addition to the above, evidence of academic study within the last five years is required.
  • You must pass disclosure and barring service and occupational health checks satisfactorily in order to be able to start this course.
  • If English is not your first language and you do not have GCSE English grade C or above you will have to achieve an IELTS or equivalent qualification at the grades stated below.
  • IELTS - Overall average score of at least 7.0, with a score of at least 6.5 in all elements  (if you need to improve your English language to get onto a degree course at the University of Plymouth, you can book a pre-sessional academic English course).
  • Meeting the academic minimum is the first stage of an application being considered. Applicants must also submit a strong personal statement in order to be considered further.
  • English language requirements
  • We welcome applicants with international qualifications. To view other accepted qualifications please refer to our tariff glossary.
Further information

Direct entry to year 2

If you have achieved certificated learning in addition to the entry criteria required for your programme of study, it may be possible to accredit this learning towards your chosen course. Full details on how to make an application are available on our open access MOODLE site (download details on how to access the site and submit your claim and supporting evidence). Your application will then be assessed and you will receive confirmation by email on the status of your claim.

Deferred entry

Unfortunately, we cannot permit deferred entry. However, if you have a query please refer to an experienced admissions administrator who will be able to explain the UCAS application process in more detail ug-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

We welcome applicants with international qualifications. To view other accepted qualifications please refer to our tariff glossary.

Fees, costs and funding

EU applicants should refer to our dedicated Brexit webpage for details of the implications of the UK’s plans to leave the European Union.

New Student 2020 2021
Home/EU £9,250 To be confirmed
International £13,800 To be confirmed
Part time (Home/EU) £770 To be confirmed
Full time fees shown are per annum. Part time fees shown are per 10 credits. Please note that fees are reviewed on an annual basis. Fees and the conditions that apply to them shown in the prospectus are correct at the time of going to print. Fees shown on the web are the most up to date but are still subject to change in exceptional circumstances.

Undergraduate Merit Scholarship for international students

Scholarship value: £2000 off your tuition fees in year one. 
To recognise continued academic achievement, you may also receive:

  • 10% off the successive years tuition fee if an overall grade of 60% or above is maintained
  • 20% off the successive years tuition fee if an overall grade of 70% or above is maintained.
To be eligible you must:
  • achieve one grade above your academic offer.
  • meet our standard English Language requirements.

This scholarship will be offered automatically, providing you meet the eligibility criteria. A separate application will not be required.

Further information about Scholarships for international students

Additional costs

Placements

All students within the School of Health Professions will spend time in placements away from university. The South West is a largely rural region, which often requires students to travel longer and further distances than may be expected when universities are in largely urban areas. In many cases students will stay away from home for the period of that placement time. Some students on these courses are eligible for reimbursement of additional travel and accommodation costs over normal daily travel costs. This support is part of the Learning Support Fund administered through the NHS Business Services Authority. However, this should be investigated by the student to make sure this applies to your chosen course of study.

It is difficult to give a precise estimate of placement costs for each individual programme, due to the geographical spread of placements, and duration. However it is recommended you attend an Open Day to find out more about what placement costs can be anticipated or discuss placement with a member of our admissions teams.

Despite these costs, clinical placements offer an excellent opportunity to learn from experienced clinicians and are recognised as an essential part of students' development towards becoming a registered practitioner.

Further information

More details of any additional costs associated with the faculty's courses are listed on the following page: Faculty of Health additional costs.

How to apply

All applications for undergraduate courses are made through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). 

UCAS will ask for the information contained in the box at the top of this course page including the UCAS course code and the institution code. 

Apply for this course on the UCAS website.

For more information about submitting an application including application deadline dates, please visit the UCAS website.

All NHS funded professional courses are required to select and interview their applicants using a ‘values based’ approach. As part of this process, your UCAS personal statement requires this additional information, which will demonstrate insight into your understanding of the importance of NHS values in your chosen professional discipline.

Placements: hands-on experience

Placements are an integral part of our Physiotherapy programme providing you with the opportunity to develop and apply the theoretical knowledge and skills you have learnt to a range of clinical settings and graduate with a broad range of clinical placement experience.

You will complete a minimum of 1000 hours of practice placements spread across all three years, where you will work with patients under the close supervision of experienced physiotherapists.

Our placement areas range from large NHS teaching hospitals to rehabilitation units and community teams, plus some non-NHS areas including with the Armed Forces and professional sports clubs.

Placements are located across the South West region, including Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. Due to the wide geographical spread of our placement opportunities, you will be expected to undertake placements outside the local area. This may require you to relocate and find secondary accommodation for the duration of the placement (see additional costs under the fees, costs and funding section)

"Placement is probably the best part of the whole course. It gives you the chance to apply the knowledge and skills you have acquired at university, and makes you realise you know more than you think. It was quite daunting to start with, but eventually you start to look forward to placement! We have to complete 1000 hours (30 weeks) on placement, which is split into six placements of five weeks long. This gives us the chance to cover lots of different areas in physiotherapy, and makes you understand that there’s lots of specialities you may not have known before university."

Hayley Ranachan

Enhancing your experience

We encourage and support a range of voluntary, additional opportunities to enhance your employability and professional development. These include providing physiotherapy services at events such as the Plymouth Half Marathon, Plymouth 10K and assisting court side with Plymouth Raiders Basketball Team, plus supporting students in their own charitable and community engagement, underpinned by the Plymouth Award.

Opportunities exist throughout the programme for personal development for example: leadership opportunities by becoming a PALS (Peer-Assisted Learning Scheme) lead; enhancing your confidence and communication as a student ambassador; or developing clinical skills via our pop up Half Marathon and Functional MOT clinics. Your Personal Tutor will guide you throughout the programme; providing face-to-face academic and pastoral support.

Physiotherapy students
Physiotherapy
Human Movement and Function laboratory

Facilities

Learn at the purpose built Peninsula Allied Health Centre (PAHC), the home of the School of Health Professions. As well as having two fully equipped lecture theatres, seminar rooms, state of the art movement and analysis laboratory, and computing facilities, you will have access to modern, purpose built specialist skills laboratories and excellent research facilities. The centre is in close proximity to Derriford Hospital, Plymouth’s main hospital, and to the our medicine and dentistry facilities. There are regular bus links between the city centre and the PAHC building, subsidised by the  university.


Sarah Piercy receives strength and conditioning advice from Lecturer in Physiotherapy Dr Erin Byrd

Ruthy Pritchard - graduate profile

"Plymouth equipped me with skills beyond the clinical training:

  • it prepared me to be an effective problem solver
  • it taught me to evaluate the learning process, to be part of a team and to accept differences of opinion
  • it taught me to recognise strengths and weakness in a positive, constructive way
  • it taught me about learning from failure, and learning from success.

"Studying at Plymouth definitely changed how I see myself, it gave me confidence and direction. It taught me how to enjoy and appreciate long life learning." 

Learn how Ruthy became a respiratory specialist physiotherapist

Careers insight - Kiah Rosenstein

I want to help others achieve their physical potential and be the best they can be. This has been a very rewarding career and given me great personal satisfaction.
Kia tells us more

Careers insight - Tom Rogers

Since graduating in 2009, Tom Rogers has gone on to work as a physiotherapist at Swansea City Football Club.
Tom tells us more

Need to know

People

English Language Centre

We offer a range of courses to help you develop your academic English language skills.

These include pre-sessional academic English courses for undergraduates, taught postgraduates and research students along with insessional language classes, tutorials and activities to support students who have English as a second language.

Find out how we can help you reach your potential.