Physiotherapy (Pre-Registration)
MSc
Key facts
Start dates
September 2024 / September 2025
Location
Course length
Full time: 24 months
Accreditation(s)
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), Regulatory Body: The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Overview
Our MSc in Physiotherapy (Pre-Registration) is a qualifying course for graduates with a relevant first degree. It provides the opportunity to undertake a physiotherapy course leading to registration at master’s level.
We use an interprofessional approach to learning, with some modules shared with other health and social care students.
You will need to have the academic ability to work as an autonomous practitioner. And be able to reason through individualised healthcare needs. You will also need:
- to show personal qualities and values which underpin the overall care you give
- strong communication and team-working skills
- a compassionate and caring nature.
Our lecturers are experienced in their specialist practice areas. They maintain excellent practice links with those areas locally or across the region. They are able to provide a global perspective on Physiotherapy.
We welcome applications from home, EU and international students.
How to apply
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
GCSE: 5 GCSE passes at grade C or above, including English Language and Maths.
Applicants should have a BSc honours degree at 2:1 or above (or equivalent) in a science-based subject in:
- Anatomy
- Biological sciences
- Biology
- Kinesiology
- Physiology
- Sport and Exercise Science
- Sports Therapy (depending on biology content)
Applicants must:
- produce one recent reference.
- have experience of paid or voluntary work within a physiotherapy context which enables the applicant to demonstrate an understanding of the depth and breadth of Physiotherapy and an understanding of the knowledge, skills and values required.
Applicants will also be assessed on their demonstration of the following qualities:
- communication and interpersonal skills
- working with others
- a caring and respectful attitude to others
- reliability, honesty and trustworthiness
- problem solving skills and the ability to use initiative.
Additionally:
- All applicants will be screened for fitness to practise.
Scroll down for work experience in the Covid-19 pandemic
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
Screening
All applicants will be screened for fitness to practise and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be made.
Selection process
All Oxford Brookes University Health and Social Care Programmes conduct Value Based Recruitment (VBR). We recognise that values and attitudes have the greatest impact on the quality of people's care and their experiences.
VBR is a way of helping our Programme recruitment teams to assess the values, motives and attitudes of those who wish to work with people in health and social care settings. When we refer to values we mean, for example, the values included in the NHS constitution.
VBR focuses on 'how' and 'why' an applicant makes choices in how they act and seeks to explore reasons for their behaviour. Further details about the VBR framework can be found here.
English language requirements
For applicants whose first language is not English, an Academic IELTS score of 6.5 (with a minimum of 6.5 in each component) is required.
Please also see the University's standard English language requirements.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
International applications
We are pleased to offer a number of places to international applicants. For more details, please contact us. International applicants will need to apply early to allow enough time for obtaining visas.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
We offer a range of courses to help you meet the entry requirements for your postgraduate course and also familiarise you with university life in the UK.
Take a Pre-Master's course to develop your subject knowledge, study skills and academic language level in preparation for your master's course.
If you need to improve your English language, we offer pre-sessional English language courses to help you meet the English language requirements of your chosen master’s course.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Application process
Work experience during the COVID-19 pandemic
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic traditional work experience placements in physiotherapy are unlikely to have been available since March 2020. However, you should still show at application and interview an understanding of a career in physiotherapy and the wider health care environment. Alternative ways of developing your insight and NHS values could be:
-
Involvement with a group offering care or support in your local community, face to face or virtually.
-
Showing an interest around key health issues in the media and reflecting on what this means for physiotherapists. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy here is a good source of information.
Applications are dealt with on a first come, first served basis, so please act early to avoid disappointment.
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.
The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page
Financial support and scholarships
All eligible Physiotherapy students on courses from September 2020 (new and continuing) will receive a payment of at least £5,000 a year which they will not need to pay back. For more information please visit NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF).
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.
In addition to the tuition fees, there are costs that need to be paid for by students in travelling to and from practice placement and potential accommodation costs.
These could be as much as £2,000 per placement depending on the location and type of placement. However currently the average accommodation cost per month is £550 and average travel cost is £250 per month. Students will spend up to 30 weeks on placement.
Other costs
- books and electronic resources - approx £100
- diagnostic tools such as stethoscope - approx £35
- deposit for anatomy resources - £10
- shoes for practice to be worn with uniform - approx £50
- suitable clothing for the labs - approx £30.
Learning and assessment
You will be taught full-time over two years. This is alongside the well-established and highly-regarded BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy three year course that we offer.
Working at masters level, you will focus on developing your knowledge of physiotherapy, which is evidence-based and underpinned by research.
You will be provided with the knowledge and skills to be:
- research minded in your attitude to knowledge and the evidence base to physiotherapy
- self motivated, proactive and equipped to make informed judgements in clinical practice
- experienced in multi and interdisciplinary working.
In Year 2 your modules broaden to evaluate current health drivers for example, the public health agenda and the increased focus on pre-habilitation and integrated community working. Collaborative practice education is one of the themes in the practice modules. This is further explored in the shared leadership module. Blocks of practice placements continue in Year 2. You will also complete your dissertation.

Study modules
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Learning and teaching
We use an enquiry-based approach to learning and various teaching and learning methods are used such as:
- practicals
- peer-group presentations
- group workshops
- lectures
- seminars.
You will:
- learn in a friendly and stimulating environment
- share your learning with other healthcare students
- develop your teamwork skills
- improve your understanding of the other roles which you will encounter in practice.
Our excellent teaching facilities include:
- dedicated clinical skills suites and simulation resources
- a well-equipped movement laboratory
- a family of computerised simulation manikins (including a simman, simbaby and birthing mother)
- a broad range of anatomy models.
You can access an extensive range of learning resources through 'Brookes virtual'. This is an online repository of lectures, handouts, information and learning exercises.
Assessment
Assessment methods used on this course
We use a range of assessment methods across the academic modules to enable you to demonstrate how you have achieved the learning outcomes. These include:
- practical examinations
- vivas
- written assignments
- presentations
- online examinations
- your dissertation project.
Clinical placements are assessed as pass/fail. Formative feedback is provided by your clinical educator to help your development as you progress through the programme.
Research
The Centre for Movement Occupational and Rehabilitation Sciences (MOReS) brings together research, education and care.
It is underpinned by a strong, well-published research group, the movement science group
Within the Centre, staff, students and alumni across the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences are engaged in a number of research projects.

After you graduate
Career prospects
On completion of the course, physiotherapists may work in units with expertise in:
- neurology
- respiratory care
- orthopaedics
- musculoskeletal conditions
- care of the elderly
- paediatrics.
There are also employment opportunities in professional sport, industry and private practice.
Physiotherapists are employed in an increasing range of settings in acute hospitals and in primary care settings in the community. They have the opportunity to care for a wide range of individuals, from newborn babies to elderly members of the population.
Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been
published on the website. For more information, please visit our
changes to programmes page.