Undergraduate study

Overview

The course offers

• Integrated strands which are underpinned by the latest research findings

• Five core strands focus on Professional Practice, Health and Well-being, Therapies, Evidence-based Health and Rehabilitation and Clinical Practice in a variety of clinical settings

• Staff within the School of Health and Rehabilitation include lecturers, clinical and research staff and we pride ourselves on our excellent staff-student relationships

Details of selection criteria are available on Open/Visit Days and from Undergraduate Admissions, Mackay Building, School of Health and Rehabilitation.

NHS-funded places are available for UK/EU citizens. Additional places are available for international students.

The BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy is a three-year Single Honours programme offered by the School of Health and Rehabilitation. The programme actively promotes integration of the science of Physiotherapy with practical learning in a clinical setting within the NHS (community and acute hospital settings) and other sectors. The programme aims to develop excellent levels of academic and professional competence. It encourages students to develop current, adaptable and transferable skills which enable them to be proactive in an evolving health care environment.

Consequently, students are able to be responsive and innovative and take responsibility for their own learning during their three years at Keele University.

There is a strong School commitment to providing opportunities for applicants with varying educational and employment backgrounds. International candidates are also welcomed.

All offers are provisional and subject to interview and a satisfactory health screening, Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check and student membership of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. The course offers

Course Content

Throughout the three-year programme five themed strands are developed: Clinical Placements, Evidence-based Health and Rehabilitation, Health and Well-being, Professional Practice and Therapies. 

First year

Clinical placements: during the first year there are three clinical placements. You will undertake appropriate preparation prior to the placements including CPR, manual handling and infection control. Initially the emphasis is on acquiring basic handling and communication skills. In addition you will develop professional behaviours and gain experience of working in a multidisciplinary healthcare environment.

Evidence-based Health and Rehabilitation: you will be introduced to measurement processes, validity, reliability and descriptive statistics with a view to being able to develop a basic level of critical discussion about clinical measurement.

Health and Well-being: you will develop skills to positively influence people in order to bring about long-term change in behaviours that will ultimately lead to maintaining and/or improved health and well-being throughout the life course.

Professional Practice: the principles of reflective practice and the relevance of professional accountability and responsibility will be introduced along with topics relating to leadership and service improvement. In addition you will consider legislation, protocols and guidelines relating to record keeping and the role of governance.

Therapies:you will cover the anatomy and physiology of key body systems relevant to physiotherapy and their possible dysfunction. You will develop generic and physiotherapy specific examination and treatment skills.

Second year

Clinical placements: there are two placements during the second year that are undertaken in the clinical setting. This promotes consolidation of the knowledge, skills attitudes and behaviours developed so far. You will gain experience in patient management with emphasis on the effective implementation and analysis of therapeutic intervention. You will also be encouraged to reflect on your personal and professional development.

Evidence-based Health and Rehabilitation: you will develop an understanding of ethical consideration related to research. You will consider cause and effect relationships, design simple studies and develop basic audit skills and be able to use basic inferential statistics.

Health and Well-being: you will focus on the rehabilitation of individuals whose health and well-being has been compromised by a range of factors.

Professional Practice: you will continue to develop your skills of reflective practice and will begin to analyse the changing and diverse context of health and social care.

Therapies: you will develop a more in-depth knowledge of anatomy, physiology and begin to consider tissue biomechanics and common pathologies. In addition you will continue to develop examination and treatment skills as well as analyse and interpret intervention outcomes.

Third year

Clinical placements: there are three further clinical placements during the final year. There is potential for the last of these to be an elective placement. The emphasis is on developing higher-level clinical reasoning skills in order to become an autonomous practitioner.

Evidence-based Health and Rehabilitation: you will acquire skills in searching, selecting and critically appraising appropriate literature. You will develop a research question in order to carry out a research project. This culminates in a final project report.

Health and Well-being: you will consider the impact of long-term conditions on both the individual and society. You will consider the impact of the ageing process on health and well-being through the life course.

Professional Practice: you will further develop professional behaviour in relation to lifelong learning, communication and leadership and service improvement and development.

Therapeutics: you will develop clinical reasoning skills in order to address the needs of more complex presentations. The emphasis will be on the ability to justify, modify and prioritise physiotherapeutic management within the context of current research.

Codes and Combinations

Single Honours and Foundation courses available:

Entry requirements

A wide range of qualifications are considered – see website for details or contact the Undergraduate Admissions Tutor. A-level candidates require grades ABB (2012), to include Biology, Human Biology or PE.

Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks

Applicants offered a place on this degree programme will also be required to apply, through the University, for an Enhanced Disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). The School of Health and Rehabilitation will meet the costs of this. The University follows the CRB Code of Practice in these issues (click here for further information) and can provide a copy of this Code on request. The University also has a policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders. It should be noted that having a criminal record is not necessarily a bar to obtaining a place on this programme. Applicants from outside the UK will be instructed on how to acquire the equivalent documentation from their own authorities.

Occupational Health

To be admitted to the Physiotherapy programme, the School requires all students  - holding a firm offer - to be assessed by the Occupational Health Department at Keele University by means of a questionnaire. Applicants who have accepted an offer from Keele will be required to complete a pre-acceptance health questionnaire.

Teaching and Assessment

A variety of teaching, learning and assessment strategies are integrated into the programme. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their own learning throughout the course and the volume of independent work increases over the three years. The theoretical components of the programme are taught using a variety of strategies including lectures, tutorials, seminars, problem-solving, small group work and independent study. The practical elements are taught mainly by lecture/demonstration followed by practice in university and clinical settings. Students also have access to anatomy suite facilities in the School of Medicine. IT is integral to the teaching and learning strategies and includes discussion boards for many strands and the use of interactive software during lecture presentation.

The assessment system is intended to challenge and stimulate students and achieve the learning outcomes of the course. In addition, it is designed to reflect the increasing level of complexity as the programme progresses. Self-assessment through online quizzes via the Keele virtual learning environment is encouraged.

Various methods of assessment assist learning and enable students to identify their strengths and areas for improvement. The assessment system is one which combines coursework, assignments, seminar presentations, written and practical examinations and clinical assessments. These elements enable students to demonstrate academic attainment, research awareness and clinical expertise.

Successful completion of each year will enable students to progress through the programme where the assessment procedures will provide evidence for attainment for the award of BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy.

Inter-professional Learning

The Faculty of Health at Keele University is committed to the development and provision of high quality multi- and inter-professional learning, in line with the inter-professional education strategy (please see www.keele.ac.uk/health/interprofessionaleducation/).

Pre-registration students from all health and social care disciplines will work together to develop their collaborative skills, an understanding of the roles of future colleagues and a broader perspective of the patient experience in order to support inter-professional patient care. Health and social care disciplines involved include: Biomedical Sciences; Clinical Psychology; Medicine; Midwifery; Nursing; Operating Department Practice; Pharmacy; Physiotherapy and Social Work. Inter-professional learning and teaching activities, in large and small groups, will form a cohesive strand across the years of study for these student groups.

Programme specifications (new window)

Skills and Careers

New graduates often choose to start their professional career within the NHS, where a wide range of experience can be gained. Many physiotherapists choose to specialise in one of the various areas comprising Physiotherapy practice. Other options include general practice, private practice, sports clinics and clubs, fitness clubs, within the armed forces and working abroad. Alternatively, others may choose to embark on postgraduate study or to work in teaching, research or management. In the past, a high percentage of students graduating in Physiotherapy from Keele have been successful in gaining a physiotherapy position. The three-year Physiotherapy degree enables the development of many transferable skills that can be used in a variety of career settings or as an entrance to postgraduate study.

Membership of professional institutions

Applicants offered a place on the undergraduate programme will be expected to become student members of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. This is to ensure professional liability cover and to access the wide variety of resources that enable further student development. Graduates in physiotherapy are eligible to apply for registration with the Health Professions Council which is a prerequisite for practice in the UK. They are also eligible to apply for full Membership of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

Physiotherapy destinations for graduates who completed their undergraduate course in 2011:

Of those who responded:

Want to work in?

Many students are excited by careers that utilise the academic knowledge and skills developed on their degree:

• Physiotherapy

What else?

For those who do not wish to pursue a career directly related to their degree, here are some career ideas to open up options:

• Sports Therapist
• Learning Disability Nurse
• Chiropractor
• Occupational Therapist
• Homeopath
• Osteopath

Visit our Careers pages (new window)

Physiotherapy Admissions
SHAR Administrative Officer
Tel: 01782 734191
Email: shar.admissions@keele.ac.uk

Course Information
Tel: 01782 734554
Email: m.c.iwaszko@keele.ac.uk