No.1 in Australia

The University is ranked first in Australia and fourth in the world for graduate employability in the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020.

4th in the world

The University is ranked fourth in the world for sport, physical therapy and rehabilitation in the QS Subject Rankings 2020.

The Master of Physiotherapy develops the ability to use highly-developed clinical reasoning skills to assess, diagnose and treat people with movement problems caused by a wide variety of joint, muscle, nerve and metabolic disorders. You will also learn to help people avoid injuries and maintain a fit and healthy body.

As a physiotherapy student, you will learn from leading academics how to use a range of drug-free techniques to treat and prevent injuries, as well as promote a healthy body. In addition to the high-profile sports side of physiotherapy, graduates also practice in roles that contribute significantly to the wider community, such as the management of neurological conditions, movement disorders, rehabilitation and recovery.

During this two-year degree, you will explore introductory and advanced musculoskeletal, neurological, and cardiopulmonary physiotherapy, applied to patients across the lifespan. Biomechanics, occupational health and community health are incorporated in various units of study, and evidence-based practice and professional practice are embedded throughout the curriculum. Four five-week clinical placements in your second year will provide the opportunity for you to apply your knowledge and gain significant practical experience in a range of clinical areas including rehabilitation, acute care, ambulatory care/outpatients and community/general care.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Physiotherapy is applied in the management of a wide variety of acute and chronic cardiopulmonary, neurological and musculoskeletal conditions, among patients across the lifespan. For example:

• Assess and treat neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, stroke or movement disorders in children
• Provide rehabilitation after acute or chronic injury
• Assist in recovery of normal function following surgery or childbirth 

It also plays a central role in the management and prevention of chronic conditions such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. 

Physiotherapists work in many places, including:

• private practice
• sports facilities
• schools and universities
• public health organisations
• community centres
• aged-care facilities
• workplaces

Some physiotherapists pursue a clinical career assessing and treating patients; others pursue a career in academia to undertake research to further the evidence base for assessing and treating patients and to teach physiotherapy students; others mix a clinical career with academia.

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION

The Master of Physiotherapy is accredited by the Australian Physiotherapy Council (APC).

Graduates are eligible to apply for registration as physiotherapists with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia (PBA), overseen by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

More information can be obtained from the Australian Physiotherapy Council.