Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)

This degree prepares you for a rewarding career as a registered physiotherapist in the fast-growing physiotherapy industry, where you will be eligible to work as a first contact professional and valued member of allied health care teams.

Your studies will develop your capability to assess, treat and prevent human movement disorders, enabling people to lead healthy and functional lives.

Throughout your studies you will undertake supervised clinical practice with patients within a vast range of industry organisations.

Some of your placements will also take place in our very own state-of-the-art Physiotherapy Clinics, located on-campus.

This practical experience is a great way for you to apply what you have learnt during your studies and encourages you to build industry networks and relationships.

What you'll need Students who undertake activities where interaction with patients/the public is required for their degree, such as field or clinical placements/visits and in University clinics and gyms, must demonstrate they meet mandatory pre-placement conditional requirements.

These include criminal history clearance, a Working with Children Check and immunisation requirements.

Please visit the Clinical Placement Unit for information on key requirements, and to access the full student checklists.

All students enrolled in a program leading to professional registration must be registered with the relevant National Board.

The registration process is undertaken by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) with the University providing notification to AHPRA following enrolment in the program.

Entry requirements

Admission criteria

The admission criteria have been grouped to assist you to easily find the information most relevant to your circumstances. However, you may fit into more than one and the university will consider applicants against each of the relevant criteria.

Certain conditions apply. For more information refer to Appendix 4 of the University's Selection and Entry policy.

Applicants are required to meet one of the following criteria with a competitive result, and demonstrate that they fulfil any prerequisite requirements and essential requirements for admission:

Recent secondary education Meet any prerequisite requirements with a minimum grade of C- or equivalent AND

• Qualify for the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE), and achieved a competitive Selection Rank (ATAR), or
• Complete secondary qualifications equivalent to SACE, or
• Complete the International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum score of 24 points

Applicants who have not achieved the Selection Rank required for automatic selection may be selected for any remaining places based on the grades of their year 12 subjects.

Recent secondary education ATAR profile

OR Higher education study

• Complete or partly complete a recognised higher education program at a recognised higher education institution, or
• Complete at least four Open Universities Australia (OUA) courses at undergraduate level or above

OR Vocational Education and Training (VET)

• Complete an award from a registered training organisation at Advanced Diploma level or above

OR Work and life experience

• Qualify for Special Entry, or
• Complete a UniSA Foundation Studies program or equivalent, or
• Hold completed secondary qualifications equivalent to SACE obtained more than 2 years in the past

Essential requirements for admission

Prerequisites

Assumed Knowledge

Deferment

This degree is available for deferment. This option is made available by responding to your offer during the application process via the SATAC website. Applicants who receive an offer into a midyear degree are eligible to defer for six months.

Students who undertake activities where interaction with patients/the public is required for their degree, such as field or clinical placements/visits and in University clinics and gyms, must demonstrate they meet mandatory pre-placement conditional requirements. These include criminal history clearance, a Working with Children Check and immunisation requirements. Please visit the Clinical Placement Unit for information on key requirements, and to access the full student checklists.

All students enrolled in a program leading to professional registration must be registered with the relevant National Board. The registration process is undertaken by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) with the University providing notification to AHPRA following enrolment in the program.

Physiotherapists assess, treat and prevent human movement disorders across various areas of practice, including sport, musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory and neurological conditions in people of all ages.

During your first years of study you will learn the basic medical sciences in courses such as human anatomy, physiology and psychology relevant to determinants of human health and function. The remainder of the degree focuses on abnormal movement and the prevention and treatment of disease and disability.

You will be trained not only to work as an autonomous practitioner concerned with prevention and management of disability and illness in the workplace or community, but also as a member of a healthcare team concerned with the physical and psychosocial rehabilitation of people who are ill or disabled.

Throughout your learning you will participate in:

• laboratory classes, where you will develop manual and technical skills, and
• professional practical experience at our on-campus Physiotherapy Clinic and during field placements.

For each course you study, you will need to allocate time for various classes such as lectures, tutorials, workshops, seminars and practicals. Plus you will need additional hours to study in your own time to complete assignments, readings and projects and contribute to online discussion forums (independent study). So as a general rule, if you are studying full-time you would need to allocate 12 – 26 hours of study when at university and 14 – 28 hours of independent study per week.

Your studies will incorporate practical, professionally focused and research-based learning, so assessment types will vary. You can expect them to include:

You will benefit from our strong industry links when you complete clinical placements in a variety of metropolitan, rural, regional or overseas health settings. This offers you the opportunity to build important industry networks as you work alongside expert physiotherapists in hospitals, rehabilitation centres and community clinic and aged care organisations.

This affiliation not only provides exceptional learning opportunities but is also an important network opportunity.

We also host regular University-wide employee master classes and employment expos, and alumni events in Australia and overseas.

Your career

In Australia, growth in the physiotherapy industry has been on the rise with career prospects continuing to look very strong, with a projected total of 13,000 job openings for physiotherapists by May 2024.1

As a registered physiotherapist you can work with people with a diverse range of injuries or conditions related to sport, musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory, and neurological in a variety of settings including:

• private practice
• clinics
• sport and exercise services
• rehabilitation centres
• hospitals
• home and community services
• disability services
• aged care facilities
• women's health and paediatric services
• occupational and health promotion units
• research.

Physiotherapists also work in management, administration, education, research, policy development, advisory contexts, and regulatory contexts.

Use your qualification as a pathway to further learning, including Masters by Research and doctoral studies.

1Australian Government Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Occupational Projections 2019.

Applying to study with us:

• go to the top of this page and make note of the SATAC code, then click Apply
• you will be redirected through to the SATAC website to continue your application

Please note that all pathways are competitive and no guaranteed due to limited places. A competitive Grade Point Average (GPA) and other entry criteria (including prerequisites) apply. For more information, visit unisa.edu.au/study or contact our Future Student Enquiries Team at unisa.edu.au/enquire or on (08) 8302 2376.

Our campuses have fantastic facilities including modern lecture theatres, libraries, workshops, laboratories, and areas that simulate real work environments. But you’ll also discover that your journey at UniSA is about social experiences, healthy living and getting involved. You’ll find student sports and fitness facilities, community clinics, tech zones and chill-out spaces. There are campus sport activities to keep you active, and if you are keen to explore the social side of university life, there are movies, cooking demonstrations, parties and loads more.

Adelaide has a variety of accommodation options to suit different requirements and budgets. Options include dedicated student accommodation or private rentals. See our long-term accommodation pages for plenty of options. If you need somewhere to live, our new student accommodation by urbanest is on Bank Street in Adelaide’s lively cultural precinct, an ideal perfect location for students. It is within easy reach of UniSA’s city and metropolitan campuses, Rundle Mall shopping, the Central Market, Chinatown, and the West End’s vibrant nightlife. It is also across the road from the Adelaide train station, and on bus and tram routes.

Our student support services will make your life at university easier. We want you to be successful, and if you need help, we're here to assist. We provide a full range of support services, including:

• academic counselling
• personal counselling
• social support services, including family support and nearby childcare

We have six campuses in metropolitan and regional areas, each with advanced facilities including modern lecture theatres, libraries, laboratories, and areas that simulate real work environments.

As a physiotherapy student you will have access to:

• Physiotherapy Clinics
• Physiotherapy laboratories
• Simulation clinic
• Anatomy laboratories
• Physiology laboratories