Queen Margaret University College

Course Details

BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy

Course Description

Physiotherapy is a rewarding healthcare profession which involves working with people to restore movement and function when someone has an injury, illness or other disability. Physiotherapists work with people of all ages and are involved in the management of people presenting with different health conditions, eg arthritis, stroke, heart disease, sports injuries. This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills required to practise as a registered physiotherapist in the private or public healthcare sector. In Year One you will gain an understanding of the basic and applied sciences which underpin physiotherapy. In the second and third years you will develop patient management and therapeutic skills. Part of your learning will take place in a variety of ‘real’ healthcare settings where you will be supported by an experienced, registered physiotherapist. You will work (under supervision) with patients, their carers and/or families and with other health and social care professionals who may be involved in their care. These experiences of practice-based learning are integrated throughout each year of study. Practice-based learning occurs in all levels of the course and takes place at sites across Scotland and students are required to cover any associated costs. In the final year, you will work in small groups to undertake a relevant physiotherapy project. Projects are designed to enhance knowledge and skills which will be valuable in the workplace. All project teams will have a dedicated supervisor to guide the process. We have implemented an Interprofessional Education (IPE) focus within all of our undergraduate healthcare courses to help produce graduates who are confident in their own professional identity but with additional skills that will allow them to work as effective team members. The IPE component will develop your mutual understanding of roles, expertise and values of other team members; skills and strategies in working in teams; problem solving, team decision making skills; role flexibility; and ability to learn from others.

Course Duration

NumberDuration
4year

Career outcomes

You can work as a physiotherapist in the National Health Service, both in major hospitals and in the community; in private practice; or industry. Graduates may also work as sports physiotherapists or pursue research careers. Kirsty Maciver BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy I always wanted to work in healthcare and in a role where I would be able to help others. I looked at many healthcare professions, but it was physiotherapy that interested me. On leaving school, I came to QMU as I was keen to study in Edinburgh and the university had a great reputation for it's physiotherapy degree. I really enjoyed the course. Whilst it was very challenging at times, the high practical content made it interesting and I enjoyed working with and learning from my classmates. In Years One and Two, we focused on learning the theory, knowledge of specific conditions and developing our assessment and treatment skills. There was a good balance of lectures, tutorials and practical group-based sessions, allowing us to constantly relate the theory to the practice and improve our overall learning. The practical sessions were fun and interactive and an ideal opportunity to both practice on and learn from one another. Years Three and Four were mainly practice-based learning/clinical placements and our honours research project. For me, placements were the best aspect of the course and indeed the most enjoyable: they allowed me to directly put my skills and theory into practice and gain a greater understanding of my own professional role as a physiotherapist. I undertook six placements, including one elective placement in an area of my choice. The placements were diverse and allowed me to gain experience in both core and specialist areas of physiotherapy, in settings from critical care to the community. Each one was a steep learning curve, but I gained so much more knowledge, skills and confidence and they prepared me to assess and treat patients with a broad range of conditions and complex needs. They helped me to become a well rounded, versatile physiotherapist with the skills and abilities to work confidently across both the acute and community setting and ultimately help me to obtain my first physiotherapy post. I have now gained my first band 5 (junior) post working as a physiotherapist in a busy, acute hospital for Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. It is a rotational post, allowing me to gain experience in a variety of different clinical specialties and continue to build upon the skills I learned as a student. It is an ideal job: I have the opportunity to work in the profession I was trained to do in a large, acute trust with a very supportive learning environment and continue to engage in the process of lifelong learning. On a daily basis I am using the skills and knowledge that I developed at QMU. Physiotherapy is a very rewarding career with opportunities to work in many different clinical specialties and settings. I want to continue to broaden my knowledge and experience in different clinical areas and I would not rule out further study in the future.




BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy Queen Margaret University College