Physiotherapy BSc (Hons)

This course is in clearing with spaces available

Overview

Course options

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Degree

UCAS code: B160 120 UCAS points
  1. BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy

    • Home Applicant
    • Full time, 3 years
    • 9250 Per year

What makes this course different

  • £5,000 training grant available now

    Degree-level Nursing and Allied Health students will receive at least £5,000.

    Learn about the grant
  • 95% Employability

    95% go on to work and/or study within 15 months after the course (Unistats 2020).

  • 1st in London

    90% Overall Satisfaction in the latest National Student Survey - (Physiotherapy NSS 2022)

Course modules

Select year

In your first year, you'll get to grips with physiotherapy fundamentals. Understanding rehabilitation is crucial for helping patients regain and maintain physical function.

Anatomy and Assessment Skills 1

Introduction to Physiology

Anatomy, Assessment and Treatment Skills- Upper Limb

Physiotherapy Clinical Skills

Professional Practice (Mental Wealth)

Introduction to Physiology 2

Practice Based Learning 1

In years two and three you will focus on specific areas like musculoskeletal, respiratory, and neurological problems. You'll work on your decision-making, learning how to manage patients with complex conditions.

Cardiovascular Physiotherapy

Neurological Physiotherapy

Research Methods

Physiotherapy Rehabilitation

Practice Based Learning 2

Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy

You'll do clinical placements with NHS trusts or private healthcare organisations. Some of the best physiotherapists will not only teach you but also share their extensive experience. You'll learn theory and practice, and develop critical thinking skills to make informed decisions.

Practice Based Learning 3 (Elective)

Complex Practice 1

Practice Based Learning 4

Research Governance and Leadership

Complex Practice 2

Neuromusculoskeletal Assessment and Trauma

Practice Based Learning 5

NOTE: Modules are subject to change. For those studying part time courses the modules may vary.

Download course specification

Your future career

A physiotherapy degree puts you in a powerful position when it comes to entering the world of work. Physiotherapists are in high demand across the UK and abroad. You could start a career in the NHS, where physiotherapists work across the medical spectrum, from intensive care and stroke rehabilitation to recovery from major surgery or trauma to care of the elderly and paediatrics.  You could specialise in the treatment of physical issues arising from one of the body's systems. This could mean focusing on bones, joints and soft tissues (musculoskeletal), the brain and nervous system (neurological), the heart and blood circulation (cardiovascular) or the respiratory organs. We are proud to say that our physiotherapy staff and students were involved with the delivery of the NHS Nightingale project during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Industry links

Integral to this course are placement experiences with local healthcare providers who work collaboratively with the University. Through our placement links, we have close connections with a range of NHS and independent providers including Barts Health NHS Trust, Barking Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals Trust, North East London NHS Foundation Trust, and East London NHS Foundation Trust.

Graduate employers

Close links with our healthcare partners ensure employment in the future for learners who complete their courses and are registered with the HCPC. 

Many of our graduates secure jobs within the trusts that have supported the students during their course. one of our local NHS partners across North East London. Upon completion, our graduates have an opportunity to work in acute hospitals, private hospitals and the independent sector.

Job roles

We have graduates who have gone on to work in senior roles within the NHS (for example Consultant Physiotherapist in sports medicine). UEL graduates have also taken key roles in international sports organisations (for example the Women's Tennis Association and Essex County Cricket Club), and major games medical teams (for example the Olympics and Commonwealth Games). 

Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal.

Further study

You might decide to study for a further degree in a related subject, either an MSc or PhD, such as our new MSc in Clinical Exercise Physiology.

As a university committed to your career growth, we've curated dedicated Career Zones across all of our campuses with practical services tailored to your success. From internships, personalised coaching, and employability workshops to volunteering, mentoring, placements, and enterprise opportunities, we offer a diverse range of support.

Our online Career Zone platform provides accessible career support and is equipped with practical tools to navigate your career journey. Whether you're in the classroom or beyond, we're here to empower your professional development."

Rema Khatun

Career Zone

How we support your career ambitions

We offer dedicated careers support, further opportunities to thrive, such as volunteering and industry networking. our courses are created in collaboration with employers and industry to ensure they accurately reflect the real-life practices of your future career and provide you with the essential skills needed. You can focus on building interpersonal skills through group work and benefit from our investment in the latest cutting edge technologies and facilities.

Career Zone

This digital platform provides you with careers and employability resources, including: 

  • Jobs board for internships, placements, graduate opportunities, flexible part-time work 
  • Mentoring programmes for insight with industry experts 
  • 1-2-1 career coaching services 
  • Careers workshops and employer events 
  • Learning pathways to gain new skills and industry insight

Mental Wealth programme

Our Professional Fitness and Mental Wealth programme issues you with a Careers Passport to track the skills you've mastered. Some of these are externally validated by corporations like Amazon and Microsoft.

See more details

We are careers first

Our teaching methods and geographical location put us right up top:

  • Work-based projects
  • Networking and visits to leading organisations
  • Support in starting a new business
  • London on our doorstep

How you'll learn

When not attending timetabled lectures or workshops, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This will typically involve skills development through online study, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects and preparing coursework assignments and presentations. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, specialist facilities, such as game labs, the library, the full Microsoft Office software, including MS Teams, and Moodle: our Virtual Learning Environment.

    Guided independent study

    Our innovative Technology Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL) approach enhances face-to-face learning by providing students with scheduled on-campus contact hours and additional learning opportunities. Through our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), students can access course materials and resources beyond their scheduled hours. We offer access to industry-standard technology and specialised spaces to prepare students for their future careers. Dedicated time for activities and development, along with a holistic approach to learning, fosters academic, personal, and professional growth. Students benefit from career support through on-campus and virtual Career Zones, personalised support services, and a dedicated online portal, Track My Future (TMF).

    Academic support

    Students are supported with academic or subject-related queries by a programme director, module leaders, academic advisors (you’ll have an academic advisor from the teaching team as soon as you arrive with us), and university central support services.

    Dedicated personal tutor

    If you need a bit of extra help with certain skills such as academic writing, English, maths, or statistics, academic tutors offer workshops, drop-in sessions, and one-to-one appointments to help you achieve your potential.

    You can receive advice and guidance on all aspects of the IT systems provided by the university from our IT Service Desks located on all three campuses. Our Student Support hubs feature centralised helpdesks.

    UEL provides support and advice for disabled students and those with specific learning difficulties (SPDs).

    Workload

    Each year you will spend around 300 hours of timetabled learning and teaching activities. These may be lectures, workshops, seminars and individual and group tutorials. Contact hours may vary depending on each module. The approximate percentages for this course are: 

    • Year 1: scheduled teaching - 360 hours; guided independent study - 840 hours. 150 hours of clinical practice in term 2.
    • Year 2: scheduled teaching - 360 hours; guided independent study - 840 hours. 300 hours of clinical practice across the year.
    • Year 3: scheduled teaching - 120 hours; guided independent study - 270 hours. (Please note, terms 1 and 2 in level 6 are shortened to accommodate clinical placements). 600 hours of clinical practice across the year.

    Your timetable

    You'll be based in the School of Health, Sport and Bioscience in Stratford, but you'll spend at least a third of your time 'learning by doing' away from campus. 

    We have strong links with local NHS trusts and private sector providers, which means you'll have a range of work placement opportunities. These placements begin after the Christmas break in your first year and, thanks to our excellent connections, take place in world-renowned hospitals and NHS Trusts. These include Barts Health, Homerton and Barking, Havering & Redbridge. Our supportive staff will help set these up to ensure you get the 1,000 clinical hours you need to qualify. 

    When not on placement, you'll enjoy practical and clinical sessions at Stratford, in small, supportive learning groups with low student-to-staff ratios. Our modern, purpose-built campus offers superb teaching facilities, including our own on-site clinic with four spacious, well-equipped teaching rooms. 

    Class sizes

    To be confirmed.

How you'll be assessed

Assessment tasks are mainly spread across the year to make the workload manageable. Assessment methods include group work, exams and individual work including essays, presentations, case studies, professional development and practical activities depending on the nature of the course. All grades count towards your module mark. More details will be included in the student handbook and module guides. You will always receive detailed feedback outlining your strengths and how you can improve. We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 15 working days, although you will receive immediate feedback following many of our face-to-face assessments.

Campus and facilities

Water Lane, Stratford

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The banner below displays some key factual data about this course (including different course combinations or delivery modes of this course where relevant).

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Statistics for BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy Degree, Full Time

Statistics for BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy Degree, Full Time

What our students and staff say

Physiotherapy
I undertook the Public Health Foundation year because I didn't have the qualifications necessary to directly advance to physiotherapy. The year helped me settle into university life, gave me the time to check I was on the right path and network with my future lecturers. The Foundation Year made me a well-rounded and confident candidate for the next step of university."

Maxine Baillie Harland, BSc Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy Student
The UEL team gave me the motivation and support, both clinically and personally, to get involved with events early on as a student physiotherapist. Many links and networks were set up by the course tutors. The course was practical, the support was great and the encouragement was never short from an amazing group of tutors. As a team, they made it feel like you could aim for and achieve opportunities that I would never have thought I could do, for example being a part of the Olympics."

Martina Kehoe

Physiotherapy, BSc (Hons)