Program Overview

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Please note that for 2023-entry, this course is now closed for applications. You will be able to consider applying for this course for 2024-entry when applications open. Physiotherapy is a science-based health care profession committed to extending, applying, evaluating and reviewing the evidence that underpins and informs its practice. Physiotherapists adopt a ‘whole person’ approach to maximise the potential of a person’s function and movement. Thus, physiotherapists not only help people stay independent for as long possible after illness or injury, but also help maintain health for people of all ages; preventing disease and managing pain. Patient involvement is at the core of this approach and, as such, key attributes a physiotherapist must possess include the ability to empower, relate and educate people to facilitate change in their health and wellbeing. Physiotherapists are autonomous professionals, able to act as first-contact practitioners, as well as accepting referrals from other health care professionals. Consequently, central to physiotherapy practice is the making of clinical judgement and informed interpretation of clinical information. Physiotherapists are also professionals who work in increasingly complex environments and, at Essex, we produce graduates who are able to demonstrate effective problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, underpinned by a sound physiotherapy knowledge base and appropriate professional skills. To succeed you will possess self-directed learning habits that will enable you to continue as a reflective practitioner and lifelong learner, maintaining your fitness to practise throughout your career. Our full-time MSc Physiotherapy (pre-registration) course is studied over two years and is designed as a continuous progression of integrated theory and practice, placing emphasis on students being proactive partners in their learning experiences. Our School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (SRES) is a community specifically focused on sports and exercise science, sports therapy and physiotherapy. We are based in the Essex Sport Arena at the Colchester Campus and bring together internationally recognised research, knowledge and placement and vocational opportunities for our students and graduates. Mandatory Vaccinations As you may be aware, the UK government has now revoked legislation that requires all health and social care staff working in sites regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Whilst vaccination is not essential, we encourage our applicants and students to be fully vaccinated. Find out more about what this means for applicants to this course .

Practice-based learning opportunities

Practice-based placements are organised by our placement team and each student is timetabled to complete approximately 1,000 hours of practice-based learning. During placements, you’ll work with qualified physiotherapists and other professionals to consolidate learning, gain new experiences and develop and refine your abilities. Learning on placement is achieved through interactive experiences and practice educators facilitating personal and professional growth within a variety of settings. The environment is supportive, enabling you to rehearse skills with constructive feedback. To maximise the learning opportunities available to students we work with a variety of practice based learning providers from across our region. From the Colchester Campus you may need to travel up to 90 minutes each day to and from a placement location, or use local accommodation for locations that are further afield. Eligible students are able to claim back these additional costs associated with attending placements through the NHS business authority , who you can also apply to for a £5,000 per academic year grant (that you won’t need to pay back)! Additional funding may also be available depending on your personal circumstances. You can find more information about eligibility and how to apply on the HSC Scholarships and Funding page . You will be provided with two student physiotherapist uniform polo shirts, as well as two tunics and two pairs of trousers by the university, prior to your first practice placement (additional items can be purchased by students if they choose).

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Additional expenses

You will incur additional costs and expenses throughout this course, which you can learn more about here (.doc).

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Sport scholarships

Our Performance Sport Scholarship programme has been created for talented athletes playing at regional, national or international level, and offers a range of benefits. We want students competing in our focus sports (basketball, volleyball, tennis, football and rugby 7s), as well as other team sports and individual athletes, to contribute to our performance sport programme. Our scholarships can include fee discounts of up to 100%, offered to athletes who demonstrate sporting excellence. Athletes who are awarded the scholarship will receive a host of other benefits, including free kit, access to state-of-the-art facilities, performance coaching, the option to live in our Athlete Village (accommodation fees may vary) and a support package valued up to £1,500. These benefits are designed to help athletes focus on their training, and development, and to enable them to reach their full potential alongside their studies.

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Professional accreditation

Accredited by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for the purpose of providing eligibility to apply for registration with the HCPC as a physiotherapist. Why we're great.

• Improve your employability by developing excellent links with our clinical partners in practice.
• You gain hands-on experience in a range of professional settings through practice placements.
• Small cohort sizes enable strong working relationships between students and experienced staff.

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Our expert staff

Our physiotherapy courses are taught by a friendly team of registered, experienced staff with a variety of different backgrounds. Within the team we have expertise across the areas of acute inpatient care, community settings and outpatient rehabilitation as well as in research and professional leadership. Full details of our staff can be found online. In addition, our physiotherapy team invite a large number of practising clinicians to contribute to the teaching on this course. The MSc Physiotherapy (pre-registration) course lead is Adrian Mallows. Adrian is passionate about research driving the physiotherapy profession and patient care. He has extensive experience in education and research around musculoskeletal health, being involved in multiple international collaborative research projects.

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Specialist facilities

Within our School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, we have a range of specialist clinical laboratories and IT facilities to assist you with the effective learning and acquisition of new skills; for students of MSc Physiotherapy, we have four specialist labs on our Colchester Campus which provides you with all the facilities you need to train as a physiotherapist. We also offer excellent physical and online resources in terms of libraries, computer labs, datasets, archives and other research materials. You can take advantage of our links with the Institute of Social and Economic Research, which conducts large-scale survey projects, many for government, EU and other public agencies, and has its own library. The UK Data Archive is also based at our Colchester Campus and stores national research data.

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Your future

Successful completion of our MSc Physiotherapy (pre-registration) leads to eligibility to apply for registration as a physiotherapist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) which allows you to practise as a physiotherapist in the UK, and to join the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) as a full member. We also work with our University's Student Development Team to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities. "I could not have asked for a better foundation to my career than the course at Essex, which is founded on encouraging students to be autonomous in gaining their skills and knowledge through the support of experienced teaching staff. We were always challenged to be critical of our knowledge and how it could be applied to individuals in our care. Patients being at the centre of our care underpinned all modules, which is an attitude that was invaluable in seeking and gaining employment." Emily Linney, MSc Physiotherapy, 2021