Physiotherapy
BSc (Hons)
Key facts
UCAS code
B160
Start dates
September 2023 / September 2024
Location
Course length
Full time: 3 years
Accreditation(s)
Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP)
UCAS Tariff Points
128
Overview
Our popular Physiotherapy course covers the use of physical and psychological approaches in the promotion, restoration and maintenance of health and wellbeing. The course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).
The National Health Service (NHS) values are woven into the course and our recruitment process. You should have a caring and compassionate nature and respect for others. You will also need to have excellent communication and teamwork skills.
On the course you will:
- learn in clinical settings with international and national reputations
- undertake the 1,000 hours of clinical practice required to qualify as a chartered physiotherapist.
On graduating you’ll be fully prepared to work in the current healthcare environment. We have a high graduate employability rate of over 90%.
We welcome UK, EU and international applicants. If you already have a relevant bachelor's degree but would like to pursue physiotherapy, we offer a pre-registration master's course.
How to apply
Wherever possible we make our conditional offers using the UCAS Tariff. The combination of A-level grades listed here would be just one way of achieving the UCAS Tariff points for this course.
Standard offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 128
A Level: ABB
IB Points: 32
BTEC: DDM
Contextual offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 104
A Level: BCC
IB Points: 29
BTEC: DMM
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
A Level: Including 40 UCAS Tariff points (or 32 UCAS Tariff points with a contextual offer) from one A Level or a comparable Level 3 qualification in a biological science subject (e.g. Biology, Physical Education, Psychology).
GCSE: Grade 4 (C) in English, Maths and Science. For English and Maths, Level 2 Functional Skills are accepted as alternatives to GCSEs.
Graduates: Honours degree 55% or above. Where this does not include Biological Sciences, applicants will also require A-Level Biology/Human Biology at grade B or 75% in OU Human Biology (SK299).
Applicants are expected to show evidence of recent academic study over the last 2 years (5 years for degree applicants)
Work experience
At the time of application you will be expected to demonstrate some work or observational experience in physiotherapy. You should include a reflection of this in your personal statement on your UCAS form.
The reflective statement should demonstrate your commitment to Physiotherapy and show that you have an understanding of the depth and breadth of the profession. See Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
Caring and Helping Others
Applicants should be able to demonstrate on their UCAS form a sustained period of experience (paid or voluntary) of caring and helping others in a health or social care environment.
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.
Applicants will be assessed on their academic ability, work experience, insight into caring and helping others and their ability to demonstrate 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.
Applicants will be shortlisted for interview based on the strength of their UCAS application.
English language requirements
An IELTS score of 6.5 (with a minimum of 6.5 in all components) is required where English is not the main language. Equivalent English Language qualifications may be considered.
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.
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.
Credit transfer
Many of our courses consider applications for entry part-way through the course for students who have credit from previous learning or relevant professional experience.
Find out more about transferring to Brookes. If you'd like to talk through your options, please contact our Admissions team.
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:
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Involvement with a group offering care or support in your local community, face to face or virtually.
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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.
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Please note, tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.
Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.
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.
Placement costs
There are costs that need to be paid for by students in travelling to and from practice placement and/or potential accommodation costs (a minority of students require additional accommodation for placement(s) during the course). Currently these can be as much as £1,000 per placement for accommodation and/or travel but will depend on location and type of placement. Home students may be able to claim reimbursement of these additional placement costs. Currently, the average travel cost per placement is £300 and for placements that require accommodation the average cost per placement is £600. There are 5 placements during the course (but more may be required if students are obliged to re-take with potential resulting additional costs).
Other costs
Books and electronic resources - approx £150
Diagnostic tools such as stethoscope - approx £35
Use of anatomy resources - £10
Shoes for practice to be worn with uniform - approx £35
Suitable clothing for the Labs - approx £30.
Further information on additional costs for healthcare courses can be found here.
Learning and assessment
In Year 1 we introduce the core areas of physiotherapy practice. As well as values and professionalism. You will take and reflect on a volunteer opportunity. You'll also work with other health care students on the Skills for Health Informatics module.
In Year 2 your modules will cover current health drivers, such as:
- the public health agenda
- health promotion
- integrated community working.
You'll work with other students on an inter-professional module focusing on team-working. The shared learning research methods module prepares you for your final year dissertation. In semester 2 you start your clinical year.
After your clinical year, you return in semester 2 of Year 3 to complete your dissertation. You'll take a final module on specialist Physiotherapy practice. Collaborative practice education focuses on key concepts of leadership and quality management. This will help prepare you for the transition from student to graduate.
Learning and teaching
Your course modules are all compulsory and credit bearing. We use an enquiry based approach. This means you will link knowledge from different fields in a clinical scenario and develop your independent learning.
Our modules involve:
- lectures
- seminars
- peer-group presentations
- online learning
- clinical simulation.
You will have your own academic adviser and link lecturer while on placement. They will help you with your academic, professional and clinical development.
Assessment
Assessment methods used on this course
Assessment methods include:
- examinations
- coursework
- assessment of clinical practice
- practical viva voces.
Assignments may include:
- essays
- critical reviews of practice
- individual and group presentations.
Our formative assessments and feedback help prepare you for your final assessments. You will develop professional skills through key self-assessment and reflection accounts.
Study abroad
You may be able to go on a European or international study exchange while you are at Brookes. Most exchanges take place in the second year. Although we will help as much as we can with your plans, ultimately you are responsible for organising and funding this study abroad.
After you graduate
Career prospects
Physiotherapists may work in units in neurology, respiratory care, orthopaedics, musculoskeletal conditions, care of the elderly and paediatrics. There are also opportunities in sport, industry and private practice. Many physiotherapists move into more specialist areas of practice, research, teaching, health promotion or management.
Some physiotherapists go on to consultant posts within the NHS. Others may become sports specialists or ergonomic advisers in industry. The range of career opportunities is very wide.
Professional accreditation
Upon successful completion of the physiotherapy course, you will be eligible to apply for registration with the regulatory body, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), and may apply for membership of the professional body, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).
Please note that HCPC and CSP approval of this course is subject to review and can be withdrawn at any time.
Further study
Students who successfully complete the award may be able to develop their careers further. A wide range of courses are available at Oxford Brookes for continuing professional development (CPD). A number of graduates go on to take postgraduate courses such as an MSc degree in a related field.
Free language courses
Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Information from Discover Uni
Full-time study
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.