MSc Physiotherapy

The deadline to apply for this course starting in October 2024 is 12.00pm (GMT) on 23 February 2024. Please see our how to apply webpages for more information.

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, at Essex, 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 MSc Physiotherapy (pre-registration) course is studied over two 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 yourself 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 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 students we work with a variety of practice based learning providers from across our region. From the 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 £5,000 per academic year grant (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 (additional items can be purchased by students if they choose).

Additional expenses

You will incur additional costs and expenses throughout this course, which you can learn more about here (.doc).

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.

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.

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 MSc Physiotherapy (pre-registration) course lead is Adrian Mallows. Adrian is passionate about research driving the physiotherapy profession and patient care. He has extensive experience in education and research around musculoskeletal health, being involved in multiple international collaborative research projects.

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 MSc 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 MSc Physiotherapy (pre-registration) 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.

"I could not have asked for a better foundation to my career than the course at Essex, which is founded on encouraging students to be autonomous in gaining their skills and knowledge through the support of experienced teaching staff. We were always challenged to be critical of our knowledge and how it could be applied to individuals in our care. Patients being at the centre of our care underpinned all modules, which is an attitude that was invaluable in seeking and gaining employment."

Emily Linney, MSc Physiotherapy, 2021

UK entry requirements

Our applicants are required to:

• Hold a 2.2 honours degree, or international equivalent, in a relevant discipline such as: a life science, psychology, sociology, biological science or sports science degree. Your degree should have been awarded within the last 5 years. We will consider applicants who graduated more than 5 years ago, on a case by case basis
• Demonstrate the relevance of your degree to the course and physiotherapy
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of the scope of work that a physiotherapist is required to undertake
• Demonstrate how you have developed your academic skills and are prepared to work at Master’s level
• How the NHS constitution and its core values are reflected in your own values and behaviours
• IELTS with an overall score of 7.0, with no element below 6.5 (if required). the qualification does not have to be held at the point of application.
• Successful performance at interview

You must also submit one recent reference which clearly demonstrates how you are a suitable applicant for the course.

Don't worry if you cannot provide your reference when you make your application, as if we make you an offer you will be able to provide this at a later stage.

References should be recent and verifiable, on official institution paper, signed and dated by the referee. If a referee wishes to provide an email reference, it must be sent from the referee’s email account.

The following documents should be submitted with your online application:

• A personal statement
• A current CV
• Academic transcripts

Your personal statement should include and explain:

• The relevance of your degree to the course and physiotherapy
• Understanding of the scope of the work that a physiotherapist is required to undertake
• How you have developed your academic skills and your preparedness to study at Masters level
• How the NHS constitution and its core values are reflected in your own values and behaviours (you can find further information on these on the Health Education East of England website and the Gov.UK webpages
• How any relevant work experience (including voluntary work) supports your application

You must also have a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check (including child and adult barred list check) and a Occupational Health Check. Both of these are organised by the University.

A satisfactory Overseas Criminal Record Check/Local Police Certificate is also required, in addition to a DBS check, where you have lived outside of the UK in the last 5 years for 6 months or more. Where it is not possible to obtain an Overseas Check a relevant professional reference may be accepted

Interviews

For the October 2024 intake, interviews commence in January 2024. Interviews and offers are made on a first-come-first-served basis until the available number of places are filled. After this offers will be made for a place on the waiting list.

Continuing Professional Development

If you are already a registered physiotherapist, please see our Continuing Professional Development webpage.

English language requirements

An overall IELTS score of 7.0, with 6.5 in all components.

Course structure

Please note that our MSc Physiotherapy (Pre-Registration) is an intensive two-year course based at our Colchester Campus.

Postgraduate study is the chance to take your education to the next level. These carefully selected modules will give you the chance to explore, question, and create powerful ideas. Picked to give you an extensive and in-depth education, they'll equip you with the specialist knowledge, vital transferrable skills, and the confidence to make a genuine difference to the world around you.

There are 44 weeks' teaching per year. The structure of the programme adopts a developmental approach to the mastering of physiotherapy skills. You will be introduced to physiotherapy through observing and working with physiotherapists practising in a variety of settings (primary and secondary care, public and private sectors, adult and the elderly, acute care setting and specialist mental health/learning disability services), and adopt a critical stand in the discussion of contemporary physiotherapy practice in the context of the environment of practice.

We're reactive, we're pioneering, we never stand still, so modules might change from year to year in response to new developments and innovation. Those listed below show how a typical course might look, but more detail on course structure, including details of all optional modules, is available on our Programme Specification.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Teaching

• Teaching staff include clinically qualified lecturers in physiotherapy, alongside clinically qualified members of other health professions from the School of Health & Social Care, and many clinical partners.
• The multidisciplinary nature of our School and its rapid growth has fostered a dynamic and innovative learning environment.
• Postgraduate Taught students in the School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences typically attend two-hour workshops, or a one-hour lecture and one-hour seminar for each module each week, though, in vocational programmes such as Physiotherapy, the focus is placed on practical sessions.

Assessment

• You are assessed through coursework, presentations, essays, case studies/portfolios, reflective accounts, vivas, examinations and direct observation of practice by the mentor in clinical settings
• You also conduct a research proposal