Did you know the average person walks the equivalent of twice around the earth in their lifetime? If you’re passionate about community health and wellbeing, you can help keep people moving and on their feet with the Bachelor of Podiatric Medicine from Charles Sturt University.

Podiatry is a dynamic and well-established profession with a diverse scope of practice. Podiatrists play a key role in maintaining mobility and enabling independence – relevant to people of all ages and particularly important for an ageing population.

Our four-year podiatry course features a strong emphasis on clinical practice supported by on-campus workplace learning experiences at Charles Sturt University's Community Engagement and Wellness Centre.

Put your best foot forward

Graduates of this course can work in Australia and seek registration to practice in New Zealand, the UK, Singapore and Canada. International work placement opportunities in the final year of your course – in countries such as the UK, Singapore and Vietnam – will enable you to gain valuable experiences studying overseas.

Practical experience from the beginning

You'll begin workplace learning in your first year in Charles Sturt University's on-campus clinic. The clinic treats up to 240 clients each week, so you’ll experience the full scope of podiatric practice, including primary healthcare, diabetes management, rheumatology, biomechanics and sports medicine, paediatrics and surgery. As you progress through the degree, you'll spend more time in the clinic as preparation for workplace learning in the public and private healthcare sector. Senior students gain valuable experience through mentoring junior students in the clinic.

Take your study further

Eligible students can apply for the Honours stream in their third year. If selected, you’ll complete specific Honours subjects in your third and fourth year that develop your organisational, research and academic writing skills. Selection into the Honours stream depends on academic merit, the extent to which you have considered a potential project topic and the availability of appropriate supervisors. Following graduation, you can undertake further study to become endorsed to prescribe scheduled medicines or perform podiatric surgery.

Customise your education to suit your goals

Following successful completion of the first year of study, you can exit the course with the Diploma in Foot Health, or the Associate Degree in Foot Health after two years of study. These exit awards provide a strong foundation to seek employment as a podiatry assistant.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Podiatrist

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION

The course has been developed to meet the requirements of the Podiatry Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Registration Authority (AHPRA). Accreditation/recognition of the podiatry course is a legal/statutory requirement in Australia and graduates cannot practice Podiatry unless the course has been evaluated by the Australian and New Zealand Podiatry Accreditation Committee (ANZPAC).

The Podiatry course at CSU is currently recognised in Australia and graduates are eligible to apply for registration in other countries.

Current ANZPAC course accreditation is valid until 30 January 2023.