Teaching methods
- Case-based learning
- Clinical reasoning sessions
- Clinical skills sessions
- eLearning
- Lectures
- Placements
- Practical classes
- Problem-based learning
- Self-study, Seminars
- Small group learning
- Tutorials
Medical School Building, Nottingham, UK
Qualification | Entry Requirements | Start Date | UCAS code | Duration | Fees |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BSc Hons | AAB | September 2024 | B160 | 3 years full-time | £9,250 per year |
Qualification | Entry Requirements | Start Date | UCAS code | Duration | Fees |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BSc Hons | AAB | September 2024 | B160 | 3 years full-time | £9,250 per year |
This course is recognised by the Health and Care Professions Council and The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
This course is recognised by the Health and Care Professions Council and The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
34 (minimum of three subjects at Higher Level, including 6 in biology at Higher Level)
7.0 with no less than 6.0 in each
As well as IELTS (listed above), we also accept other English language qualifications. This includes TOEFL iBT, Pearson PTE, GCSE, IB and O level English. Check our English language policies and equivalencies for further details.
For presessional English or one-year foundation courses, you must take IELTS for UKVI to meet visa regulations.
If you need support to meet the required level, you may be able to attend a Presessional English for Academic Purposes (PEAP) course. Our Centre for English Language Education is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.
If you successfully complete your presessional course to the required level, you can then progress to your degree course. This means that you won't need to retake IELTS or equivalent.
Check our country-specific information for guidance on qualifications from your country
A levels must include biology or physical education, or an acceptable biological science (for example human biology).
A pass is required in science practical tests, where these are assessed separately. However, we will make allowances where covid has been the reason for practical test results being unavailable. General studies is not accepted.
Plus a minimum of five GCSEs at grade 9-5 (A*-B), taken in one sitting, which include maths, English language and either biology or integrated/combined sciences.
Please note: you must have achieved the GCSEs at the point of application and not at the point of entry.
Citizenship Studies
Critical Thinking
General Studies
Access to HE
D30M15 including Distinction in 24 biology/physiology units (please contact us for advice on acceptable units).
Previous degree
2:1 in a relevant subject (if in a non-relevant subject, contact us for advice).
Interview
An interview is mandatory, in line with our professional and regulatory body requirements.
All offers are also subject to a successful interview and satisfactory health screening, and disclosure and barring service (DBS) clearance. Visit our application process page to find out more about personal statements, work experience and interview - how to prepare and what to expect.
Health and criminal records screening
In accordance with Professional and Regulatory Body requirements, all applicants are subject to health screening by Occupational Health, and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks before they can commence the course.
More information can be found on the School of Health Sciences Occupation Health and DBS page.
Minimum age requirement
We do not consider your application if you will be under 17 years and 9 months on the 1 September of the year you start your course.
Elite athletes
We can make a contextual offer if you're an athlete competing at a high level and are offered a Sports Scholarship. We recommend that you complete the expression of interest form as soon as possible so that your elite athlete status can be confirmed prior to an offer being made. More information and how to apply can be found on the UoN Sport pages.
Part-time working alongside university studies
As a student on a full-time professional training course, it is expected that your primary focus would be your full-time university studies. If you're considering part-time paid employment alongside your university studies it is advised that you discuss your position with your personal tutor before committing.
Previous applicants
Regretfully, we will not consider a second application from applicants who have been unsuccessful in a Physiotherapy interview with us previously.
If you don't meet the requirements for this course and you are a UK or EU student, you might want to consider our one-year Health Sciences with Foundation course.
At the University of Nottingham, we have a valuable community of mature students and we appreciate their contribution to the wider student population. You can find lots of useful information on the mature students webpage.
Physiotherapy is a vocational degree and applicants need to be enthusiastic about the profession and sure in their own minds that they really want to be a physiotherapist.
We usually require you to undertake as much physiotherapy work experience as possible primarily within the NHS hospital and community settings before applying. Experience in other areas, such as special schools, private practice, sports clinics, and centres for the elderly will strengthen your application.
It is desirable to gain work experience prior to applying, to demonstrate that you understand the role of a physiotherapist and the demands and challenges of working in a NHS environment.
Please note, we are not expecting any work experience to have taken place or be ongoing after March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Your application for 2023 entry will not be negatively affected if you’ve been unable to complete work experience you had planned.
A levels must include biology or physical education, or an acceptable biological science (for example human biology).
A pass is required in science practical tests, where these are assessed separately. However, we will make allowances where covid has been the reason for practical test results being unavailable. General studies is not accepted.
Plus a minimum of five GCSEs at grade 9-5 (A*-B), taken in one sitting, which include maths, English language and either biology or integrated/combined sciences.
Please note: you must have achieved the GCSEs at the point of application and not at the point of entry.
Citizenship Studies
Critical Thinking
General Studies
34 (minimum of three subjects at Higher Level, including 6 in biology at Higher Level)
Applicants whose backgrounds or personal circumstances have impacted their academic performance may receive a reduced offer. Please see our contextual admissions policy for more information.
BTEC
Access to HE
D30M15 including Distinction in 24 biology/physiology units (please contact us for advice on acceptable units).
Previous degree
2:1 in a relevant subject (if in a non-relevant subject, contact us for advice).
Interview
An interview is mandatory, in line with our professional and regulatory body requirements.
All offers are also subject to a successful interview and satisfactory health screening, and disclosure and barring service (DBS) clearance. Visit our application process page to find out more about personal statements, work experience and interview - how to prepare and what to expect.
Health and criminal records screening
In accordance with Professional and Regulatory Body requirements, all applicants are subject to health screening by Occupational Health, and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks before they can commence the course.
More information can be found on the School of Health Sciences Occupation Health and DBS page.
Minimum age requirement
We do not consider your application if you will be under 17 years and 9 months on the 1 September of the year you start your course.
Elite athletes
We can make a contextual offer if you're an athlete competing at a high level and are offered a Sports Scholarship. We recommend that you complete the expression of interest form as soon as possible so that your elite athlete status can be confirmed prior to an offer being made. More information and how to apply can be found on the UoN Sport pages.
Part-time working alongside university studies
As a student on a full-time professional training course, it is expected that your primary focus would be your full-time university studies. If you're considering part-time paid employment alongside your university studies it is advised that you discuss your position with your personal tutor before committing.
Previous applicants
Regretfully, we will not consider a second application from applicants who have been unsuccessful in a Physiotherapy interview with us previously.
If you don't meet the requirements for this course and you are a UK or EU student, you might want to consider our one-year Health Sciences with Foundation course.
At the University of Nottingham, we have a valuable community of mature students and we appreciate their contribution to the wider student population. You can find lots of useful information on the mature students webpage.
Physiotherapy is a vocational degree and applicants need to be enthusiastic about the profession and sure in their own minds that they really want to be a physiotherapist.
We usually require you to undertake as much physiotherapy work experience as possible primarily within the NHS hospital and community settings before applying. Experience in other areas, such as special schools, private practice, sports clinics, and centres for the elderly will strengthen your application.
It is desirable to gain work experience prior to applying, to demonstrate that you understand the role of a physiotherapist and the demands and challenges of working in a NHS environment.
Please note, we are not expecting any work experience to have taken place or be ongoing after March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Your application for 2023 entry will not be negatively affected if you’ve been unable to complete work experience you had planned.
On this course, subject to meeting the relevant criteria, you may complete 1,000 hours of supervised clinical practice throughout your degree, in order to comply with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy's requirements. This includes six five-week placements in years two and three. Placements are designed to reinforce what you have learned on your course, and prepare you for practice in a range of settings.
We work with a number of hospital trusts offering expertise across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. Placement locations and areas of practice could include:
Our Clinical Placements team organises all placements.
Please note:
In order to undertake a placement, you will need to achieve the relevant academic requirements as set by the University and meet any requirements specified by the placement host. There is no guarantee that you will be able to undertake a placement as part of your course
On this course, subject to meeting the relevant criteria, you may complete 1,000 hours of supervised clinical practice throughout your degree, in order to comply with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy's requirements. This includes six five-week placements in years two and three. Placements are designed to reinforce what you have learned on your course, and prepare you for practice in a range of settings.
We work with a number of hospital trusts offering expertise across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire. Placement locations and areas of practice could include:
Our Clinical Placements team organises all placements.
Please note:
In order to undertake a placement, you will need to achieve the relevant academic requirements as set by the University and meet any requirements specified by the placement host. There is no guarantee that you will be able to undertake a placement as part of your course
*For full details including fees for part-time students and reduced fees during your time studying abroad or on placement (where applicable), see our fees page.
If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).
As a student on this course, you should factor some additional costs into your budget, alongside your tuition fees and living expenses. This includes around £30 for skeleton hire (please note skeleton hire is optional) and the costs of purchasing suitable sport clothing, such as trainers and swimwear, for practical sessions.
You are provided with a uniform to wear in practice placements however you may wish to purchase additional items.
You should be able to access most of the books needed through our libraries, though you may wish to purchase your own copies.
Travel to your placements is self-funded and costs will vary depending on location. However, you may be eligible to reimburse some of your travel and accommodation costs while on placement. Please note that these figures are approximate and subject to change.
As an allied health student, you'll receive an additional payment of at least £5,000 a year of government funding, which you will not need to pay back. Full information can be found here.
Sports Scholarships
Full details of these can be found here.
*For full details including fees for part-time students and reduced fees during your time studying abroad or on placement (where applicable), see our fees page.
If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).
As a student on this course, you should factor some additional costs into your budget, alongside your tuition fees and living expenses. This includes around £30 for skeleton hire (please note skeleton hire is optional) and the costs of purchasing suitable sport clothing, such as trainers and swimwear, for practical sessions.
You are provided with a uniform to wear in practice placements however you may wish to purchase additional items.
You should be able to access most of the books needed through our libraries, though you may wish to purchase your own copies.
Travel to your placements is self-funded and costs will vary depending on location. However, you may be eligible to reimburse some of your travel and accommodation costs while on placement. Please note that these figures are approximate and subject to change.
As an allied health student, you'll receive an additional payment of at least £5,000 a year of government funding, which you will not need to pay back. Full information can be found here.
Home students*
Over one third of our UK students receive our means-tested core bursary, worth up to £1,000 a year. Full details can be found on our financial support pages.
* A 'home' student is one who meets certain UK residence criteria. These are the same criteria as apply to eligibility for home funding from Student Finance.
Sports Scholarships
Full details of these can be found here.
Applications for 2024 entry to this course are now closed.
Humans are intricate beings, but what happens when injury or disease stops your body from working the way it should? Through clinical placements, case-based and simulated practice learning our newly accredited Physiotherapy BSc enables you to master the knowledge, clinical skills and confidence to become a qualified physiotherapist.
We’re leading the way in physiotherapy teaching and will ensure your skills are of the highest standard for your future career. Through real-life case studies, you’ll study each area of the body in relation to a simulated patient problem. This approach to teaching corresponds to clinical practice, meaning you’re gaining knowledge of anatomy and relevant experience of patient care. Additionally, all our modules are year-long, meaning you’ll gain a thorough understanding of each aspect of the human body.
As well as practical teaching, you’ll also complete a series of diverse supervised placements. Our placements are undertaken in six blocks of five weeks, giving you extended time in each clinical setting to really deepen your learning and skill set. Areas you can work in include: cardio-respiratory, intensive-care, neurology, musculoskeletal departments, community settings, as well as leadership and research placements. These placements build your confidence and abilities so that by the time you graduate, you’re able to embark on a career as a physiotherapist.
At Nottingham, you’ll gain the lasting knowledge, hands-on skills, and adaptability to navigate the future challenges of healthcare.
Humans are intricate beings, but what happens when injury or disease stops your body from working the way it should? Through clinical placements, case-based and simulated practice learning our newly accredited Physiotherapy BSc enables you to master the knowledge, clinical skills and confidence to become a qualified physiotherapist.
We’re leading the way in physiotherapy teaching and will ensure your skills are of the highest standard for your future career. Through real-life case studies, you’ll study each area of the body in relation to a simulated patient problem. This approach to teaching corresponds to clinical practice, meaning you’re gaining knowledge of anatomy and relevant experience of patient care. Additionally, all our modules are year-long, meaning you’ll gain a thorough understanding of each aspect of the human body.
As well as practical teaching, you’ll also complete a series of diverse supervised placements. Our placements are undertaken in six blocks of five weeks, giving you extended time in each clinical setting to really deepen your learning and skill set. Areas you can work in include: cardio-respiratory, intensive-care, neurology, musculoskeletal departments, community settings, as well as leadership, education, and research placements. These placements build your confidence and abilities so that by the time you graduate, you’re able to embark on a career as a physiotherapist.
At Nottingham, you’ll gain the lasting knowledge, hands-on skills, and adaptability to navigate the future challenges of healthcare.
Case-based learning - develop your clinical knowledge and skills through real-life and simulated case studies.
Be part of a small division with a strong support network of staff and students
Broaden your experience of the profession with the opportunity to undertake diverse placements across the East Midlands region
Develop your professional skills in collaborative learning opportunities with health care students across the University
Important Information
This online prospectus has been drafted in advance of the academic year to which it applies. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate at the time of publishing, but changes (for example to course content) are likely to occur given the interval between publishing and commencement of the course. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply for the course where there has been an interval between you reading this website and applying.
Mandatory
Year 1
Human Functioning
Mandatory
Year 1
Individual Health Evaluation
Mandatory
Year 1
Principles of Rehabilitation
Mandatory
Year 1
Developing Criticality
Mandatory
Year 1
Health in Society
Mandatory
Year 1
Leadership and Citizenship
Mandatory
Year 2
Practice Education 1
Mandatory
Year 2
Transforming Practice Learning
Mandatory
Year 2
Optimising Function
Mandatory
Year 2
Applied Criticality
Mandatory
Year 2
Population Health and Wellbeing
Mandatory
Year 2
Global Leadership
Mandatory
Year 3
Practice Education 2
Mandatory
Year 3
Sustainable Health
Mandatory
Year 3
Leadership and Quality Improvement
Mandatory
Year 3
Dissertation Project
Optional
Year 3
Contemporary Challenges in Rehabilitation
Optional
Year 3
Advanced Professional Development
Optional
Year 3
Occupational Health and Workplace Wellbeing
The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. This content was last updated on Tuesday 13 February 2024. Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.
How does the human body work? Using case studies and simulated learning, this module develops your foundational knowledge and skills in anatomy, physiology, human movement, disease and injury, and the biopsychosocial framework for health.
In this module, you’ll gain the essential communication and clinical skills to be able to diagnose and care for a patient or client. You’ll develop your consultation skills, learn how to take a patient’s history, undertake a physical assessment, note take and record clinical data.
Rehabilitation is one of the essential elements of being a Sport Rehabilitator. To achieve the desired outcomes for a patient or client, treatment and rehabilitation must be planned and applied carefully. In this module you will analyse and learn a range of therapy and rehabilitation skills including physical activity, exercise prescription, and therapeutic skills such as functional rehabilitation, manual therapy (hands-on skills) and sport rehabilitation.
Our management of patients and athletes should always be based on the research evidence. The ability to think critically about the information you are presented with is therefore essential to the role of a sport rehabilitator. Through the development of your critical thinking skills, you will be able to assess if something is true or not. You’ll build skills in critical thinking and reflection, critical appraisal - how to read a research paper, clinical reasoning – how to make the best clinical decisions, and logic and argument formation.
How can we contribute to making a healthier society? This module introduces you to the principles of public and population health, epidemiology (incidence of disease and injury in populations), and the global burden of poor health.
This module addresses the nature and practice of leadership and citizenship relevant to physiotherapy and your career. You’ll examine local, regional and global healthcare as well as professionalism, workplace structures and governance and healthcare organisations.
This module consists of three five-week clinical physiotherapy placements where you will be situated in the workplace with supervision by clinically based practitioners. This forms part of your 1000 hours of clinical training.
During your placements, you’ll apply the knowledge gained in your first year to practice. You’ll learn to:
How do we use technology in physiotherapy to help people? This module examines the latest healthcare technologies and innovations and assesses how we can use them in practice. You'll learn how to use these technologies across a range of clinical specialities and understand the need to develop more to aid treatment further.
Building on your knowledge gained in the year one module “Principles of Rehabilitation”, this module strengthens your understanding of rehabilitation to interventions, including exercise and hands-on therapies. You’ll also develop clinical reasoning in assessing and managing complex rehabilitation cases and be able to modify and progress exercise plans throughout patient care.
Criticality means critical thinking, clinical reasoning and critical appraisal. In this module, you’ll apply and analyse concepts of criticality in healthcare research. You’ll learn how to develop your own research proposal, compare research methodologies and methods, develop ethics and governance processes for healthcare research and evaluate data and undertake statistical analysis.
Traditionally, physiotherapy is seen as a treatment for an individual person, but how can it help on a larger scale? In this module, you’ll examine the principles of population physiotherapy in relation to specific populations and groups of people. You'll gain an understanding of the equalities in different populations (for example: women, children, and marginalised groups) and evaluate the services available in certain locations.
How can physiotherapists change the world? In this module, you’ll apply the principles of leadership to individual and organisational contexts. You’ll learn how to develop social improvement projects, evaluate impact of health interventions, engage with global professional communities and develop international student networks to lead future change.
This module covers your final three clinical placements in the workforce and will see you apply all that you have leant into practice. Each placement is five weeks long and covers a range of clinical areas, working with experienced supervisors in the field. These placements will extend and deepen your clinical skills.
You'll learn to:
How can we help make healthcare future-proof? This module will evaluate the limitations of current healthcare and consider future-proof, holistic and sustainable healthcare models that can be embedded within rehabilitation practice in both local and global contexts.
This module asks you to consider how you, as a physiotherapist, could make healthcare work better. You’ll evaluate quality improvement theory and practice and gain an understanding of quality improvement practice to physiotherapy care systems. You will then create your own quality improvement project, which addresses an aspect of physiotherapy practice or clinical education.
This full-year module will see you complete a substantial piece of research related to your chosen area of practice. As part of your dissertation, you’ll critically review literature, identify a gap in the knowledge base, develop an appropriate research approach to address that gap, and write-up your project.
Advance your foundational knowledge of rehabilitation in specific and emerging contexts, exploring the latest issues and practices about physiotherapy. You'll evaluate physiotherapy strategies in a variety of priority areas. Create and undertake priority rehabilitation strategies and develop your practical skills for the assessment and management of specific and challenging groups.
This module explores the wide variety of career options open for physiotherapists. You’ll research areas such as clinical, research, management, leadership, politics, and education. All with the idea to give you an insight into each area so you can create a professional development portfolio related to your desired career route.
How can physiotherapists maintain and improve an efficient workforce? This module analyses the assessment and management of people in the workplace to ensure optimum levels of health and wellbeing for workers across all sectors.
You’ll learn to:
Teaching methods
Assessment methods
You can expect between 12 to 24 hours of contact time per week, with 12 to 24 hours of independent self-guided study each week.
You will also complete 1,000 hours of supervised clinical practice throughout your degree, in order to comply with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy's requirements. For each week that you are on placement, you'll work for approximately 36 hours, although the times for each placement may vary slightly. Some placements may require you to work longer days or weekends but you will be notified of this in advance.
By the end of the course you will have a sound knowledge of the fundamentals of physiotherapy and will have extensive experience of relating theories to practice in your clinical placements. You will have developed skills in research, and spent considerable time on personal development.
In the UK, most physiotherapists work within the wide variety of specialities offered by the NHS, including:
There are many other settings open to you including research and academia, charitable organisations, industry, special schools, sports centres, the armed forces, social services and veterinary practices.
Average starting salary and career progression
98.30% of undergraduates from the School of Health Sciences secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual starting salary for these graduates was £25,798.
HESA Graduate Outcomes (2017- 2021 cohorts). The Graduate Outcomes % is calculated using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK.
Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take.
Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.
Have a look at our careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.
The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers (Ranked in the top ten in The Graduate Market in 2013-2020, High Fliers Research).
Our Medical School is based in Queen’s Medical Centre, one of the UK’s largest hospitals. There are dedicated clinical skills facilities including a dissection suite and teaching laboratories for medicine and healthcare students. The hospital is located opposite University Park Campus.
Our Medical School is based in Queen’s Medical Centre, one of the UK’s largest hospitals. There are dedicated clinical skills facilities including a dissection suite and teaching laboratories for medicine and healthcare students. The hospital is located opposite University Park Campus.
The whole course is challenging but fun! I particularly have fond memories of placement working in learning disabilities. It also helps that the department has a helpful culture whereby students are treated like colleagues and this results in us as students becoming our best selves but we are also well supported on that journey. "
David Williams
BSc Physiotherapy
Faculty of Science
3 years full-time
Qualification
BSc Hons
UCAS code
B313
Faculty of Science
4 Years full-time
Qualification
MSci Hons
UCAS code
B23B
If you’re looking for more information, please head to our help and support hub, where you can find frequently asked questions or details of how to make an enquiry.
If you’re looking for more information, please head to our help and support hub, where you can find frequently asked questions or details of how to make an enquiry.