Physiotherapy BSc

3 years

Physios help people get back on their feet, treating patients from all walks of life – with all kinds of conditions. Sound rewarding? We think so too. In this degree, you’ll learn what it takes to become a physiotherapist and start changing lives for the better.

Physiotherapy BSc, 3 years

Physios help people get back on their feet, treating patients from all walks of life – with all kinds of conditions. Sound rewarding? We think so too. In this degree, you’ll learn what it takes to become a physiotherapist and start changing lives for the better.

Start date:

2024
2025

Course information

UK fee £9,250

UCAS code B160

International fee £25,900

Institute code L34

HCPC 2021

Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

The Guardian

15th in the UK for Physiotherapy (The Guardian University Guide 2024)

School of Healthcare

Course description

Course description

Physiotherapy is a healthcare profession that sees human movement as central to the health and well-being of people of all ages.

At Leicester, we fully prepare you for a career as a professional physiotherapist in a wide range of settings.

This course, led by our School of Healthcare, will teach you how to confidently assess and treat patients, and to work with both patients and other members of the multi-professional team professionally and effectively.

You'll learn from leading physiotherapists. Our teaching is delivered by a cohesive team of lecturer-practitioner staff who are all experts in their clinical fields of physiotherapy practice. This means that as well as teaching at the University, they also work as specialist physiotherapists in areas such as the NHS, Ministry of Defence, private practice and even high-level sport.

All your teaching takes place in small groups and we have excellent facilities that will allow you to develop and enhance your knowledge and skills, including dedicated practical rooms, a movement analysis lab, and a state-of-the-art clinical skills unit with high tech simulated patients that enable you to practise procedures in a safe environment. You will even have access to Leicester Medical School's anatomy dissection room.

We believe talking with patients and getting the bigger picture can make all the difference to how you approach treating a patient. With that in mind, our lecturers put a real focus on developing your communication skills to help you assess and treat your patients and to motivate them to achieve the best possible recovery.

Practical experience is central to our degree, and you will undergo training on a diverse range of placements, including with NHS and private hospitals, mental health placements, learning disability services, palliative care, high level sport, specialist head injury and sports injury facilities. This breadth of experience ensures you will become familiar with the variation and day-to-day demands of the physiotherapist’s role and you get all the clinical placement hours you need to qualify as a Chartered Physiotherapist.

Students on this course are eligible for a grant of at least £5,000 a year, which you do not need to pay back.

This course is part of the Higher Education Pathway for Armed Forces project, which recognises the qualifications, skills and experience of ex-armed forces personnel.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

  • A-levels: ABB including Biology, Human Biology or Physical Education. General Studies, Critical Thinking, Global Perspectives and the EPQ are not accepted.
  • GCSE: Six subjects including grade 6/B in English Language and Maths plus grade 5/C in four other subjects including Combined or Single Science subjects.
  • Access to HE Diploma: Pass diploma with 45 credits at level 3, 30 of which must be at Distinction and 15 at Merit. Please contact the Admissions Team with the details of your Access to HE Diploma for eligibility.
  • International Baccalaureate: Pass diploma with 30 points including grade 6 in HL Biology. Minimum of 4 in HL Maths or 5 in SL Maths Analysis and Approach, or 6 in Maths Application and Interpretation required if grade 6/B not held at GCSE. Minimum of grade 5 in English A or 6 in English B required if grade 6/B not held at GCSE. Minimum grade 3 required in at least three other subjects if not held at grade 5/C at GCSE.
  • BTEC Nationals: Pass Extended Diploma with DDD in Sport and Exercise Science or Health and Social Care. Please contact the Admissions Team to confirm if other Sport-related BTEC subjects will be considered without a required A-Level subject. Any other BTEC subject must be taken with an A-Level in Biology, Human Biology or Physical Education.
  • Foundation Year for Health Care Professions courses: 120 credits with at least 30 in relevant subject and an average of 70% in the first attempt.
  • Graduate applicants: 2:1 or better. If your degree is in a related subject (such as Biomedical Sciences, Biology, Anatomy or Sport) you do not need to meet all the entry requirements above. However, if your degree is in an unrelated subject, you will need at least Grade B in A-level Biology.
  • Armed Forces into Allied Health: Please contact our Admissions Tutors for an advisory consultation. More information about the AFIAH project.
  • T Levels: Distinction in Health (with an Occupational Specialism in Supporting the therapy teams)

You will be expected to show academic attainment at the required level within 3 years of the course proposed start date.

Other official national and international qualifications considered from across the world. You can review some of the qualifications we accept on our countries page and English Language equivalencies.

If your qualification or country is not listed, please contact us for more information, including the name and result of the qualification you have studied.

Contextual offers

The University of Leicester is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all applicants from all backgrounds. We make contextual offers to support students who may be impacted by the area they live in, their personal circumstances or who have completed one of our progression programmes. These offers are usually one or two grades lower than the standard entry requirements. To qualify for a contextual offer, you must apply for an eligible course and meet specific criteria – check if you’re eligible.

Health Requirements

All students who have applied to study our healthcare programmes are subject to Occupational Health clearance. This is to ensure that you are fit for all aspects of the course, and to protect the public who may be affected by your placement activities.

As a healthcare student, you must comply with any Department of Health, governing body or University guidelines on immunisations, vaccinations, and screening required to protect you and your patients during the course of your work. This also includes compliance with any health and safety requirements stipulated by these organisations such as the wearing of facemasks etc.

In order to undertake placement activities you will be required to be vaccinated for some infectious diseases. Some of our placement providers specifically request the COVID-19 vaccination. Without this vaccination, we cannot guarantee all of the clinical hours required for professional registration.

We also pride ourselves on using service users during our teaching. This teaching is an opportunity to see and feel first-hand the impact of disease, illness, and injury within the learning environment. Our service users can request that students involved in this face-to-face experience be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

During your course, you will be given the opportunity to be screened and given any relevant vaccinations at no cost to you. Without appropriate immunity or vaccinations, your place on the course may be at risk.

Criminal Records Check (DBS)

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 does not apply and all convictions, including those which are spent, must be disclosed. This is in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. As part of the course entry requirements you must provide the university with an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate. The university will bear the cost for this and will provide successful applicants with details of how to obtain their DBS certificate prior to the start of the course.

Age requirement

You must be at least 18 years old when you start the course. If you are not yet 18 you can still apply but you will need to defer your entry by a year if your 18th birthday will be after the start of the course.

Specific Learning Difficulties and Disabilities

Candidates with specific learning difficulties or disabilities are welcome to apply and will be considered according to the University’s Equality, Diversion and Inclusion Strategy. The Physiotherapy course may be able to make reasonable adjustments for such candidates, including at interview. However, it must ensure that all candidates will be able meet the core learning outcomes and competencies of the course, and in addition be able to practise as a physiotherapist on completion of the course. Initial scoring of the UCAS form and interview will be undertaken separately to any subsequent Occupational Health assessment. If you have a declared additional learning need or disability please inform the physiotherapy admissions team as soon as possible when you receive your interview invitation so that we can discuss reasonable adjustments. However, a satisfactory Occupational Health assessment may be a conditional part of any subsequent offer to determine if reasonable adjustment can be made.

English Language Requirements

IELTS 7.0 (or equivalent) with a minimum of 6.5 in each component. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.

International Qualifications


Find your country in this list to check equivalent qualifications, scholarships and additional requirements. Countries list

Fees and funding

Fees and funding

UK Students

Starting in 2024 

  • £9,250 in your first year. Tuition fees are subject to government regulations and may change in future years.

You may be eligible for support from the Learning Support Fund, administered by the NHS Business Authority. From September 2020, the LSF has been extended to include a non-repayable £5,000 per year bursary for new and existing students.

Find out more about scholarships and funding.

International Students

Starting in 2024 

  • £25,900 per year

If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.

From 2022 onwards, EU nationals will pay the International fee. If you are an EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme, you may qualify for the UK fee (subject to criteria).

Find out more about scholarships and funding.

Accreditation

Accreditation

After successful completion of your undergraduate course you will receive your BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy degree and will be eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).

Careers and employability

Careers and employability

Physiotherapy at Leicester prepares you to be a professional physiotherapist and the course exceeds the minimum of 1,000 clinical placement hours you need to qualify.

After successful completion of your undergraduate course you will receive your BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy degree and will be eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).

Once you have graduated and qualified, you can use the protected title of Physiotherapist and practice physiotherapy as an autonomous practitioner working in any area of your choosing.

Graduate destinations

Graduate physiotherapists are in high demand and can choose from a number of career pathways. Many of our graduates go into employment as Band 5 Physiotherapists in the NHS to consolidate their knowledge and skills as they undertake clinical rotations, which encompass all key areas of physiotherapy. Others have used their qualification to travel and work abroad either for VSO, local health provision or private practice. Numerous graduates have gone on to work in professional sport.

Graduate testimonial

"The course had a really personal feel with the lecturers being both knowledgeable and approachable. I managed to gain my first Physiotherapy role following a placement set up by the University and have not looked back since. I completed my band 5 rotations over a couple of years before concentrating on gaining more experience in the musculoskeletal field. I am now Head Physiotherapist with a professional sports team. My dream job when starting University!" Jonathon.

Careers and Employability Service


Get career-ready at Leicester with guidance from our award-winning Careers and Employability Service. We're here to give you a lifetime offer of support, even after graduation. Our team of specialist careers advisers and mentors will help you every step of the way. From supporting you with CVs and interviews, to volunteering opportunities and placements, we're here to help you reach your professional goals.

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Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goals

We are committed to providing skills and knowledge to help prepare you tackle global challenges. We have mapped our undergraduate degrees for learning which aligns to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This degree includes learning which relates to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:

Find out more about the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Placement

Placement

Practice placements are an essential element to this course. As a Physiotherapy student at Leicester, your placements will allow you to complete the 1,000 clinical practice hours you need to qualify as a Physiotherapist.

We offer a fantastic range of practice placements that allow you to develop your skills in the diverse areas that physiotherapists work in. Your placement experiences may include areas in private practice, NHS, sports and charities, research and leadership. Up to 25% of the hours you spend on placement could include simulation and alternative placement areas such as research and leadership. Past and current students have had the opportunity to present research conducted during their placements at national and international conferences. Your placements take place across Leicester and Leicestershire, and further afield, such as Northampton, Coventry and even London. Additionally, there is an opportunity for a placement abroad at the end of year three.

When placements take place

You will complete your assessed placements in year two and three of your studies and will have a week of simulation and observation at the end of year one.

Year two

You will complete two six-week placements in year two. Currently, all students complete a whole-cohort placement for their first placement in Shipley (Bradford). 

Year three

In year three, you will complete two six-week and one five-week placement. For the final placement in year three, there is the opportunity for some students to complete an international placement.

Support during your placement 

You will have a named clinical educator and visiting tutor during each placement. You will also have access to support from the wider clinical and academic teams. Each student has a personal tutor who will provide support throughout the three year degree.

You can access support via the School of Healthcare placements Blackboard site, which has information about placement providers, transport whilst on placement, the placement handbook and other useful resources to support you whilst on placement. All clinical uniform will be provided.

Additional financial support whilst on placement

For placements outside Leicester, you are entitled to reimbursement from the NHS Learning Support Fund for some of the additional costs of attending, including travel expenses and accommodation.

Placement areas

Currently students complete placements in the following areas; however, we are consistently expanding and exploring new placement opportunities so this may change.*

*placements are allocated by the school of Physiotherapy and are dependent on availability.

Hear from our students

Want to find out what life is like during a Physiotherapy placement? Watch our day in the life videos.

For further information on placements in physiotherapy please contact physiotherapy@le.ac.uk.

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Course structure

Year 1

Year 1

In the first year the majority of study occurs in the university setting introducing the necessary theoretical background to support clinical education. The final week provides an opportunity to observe clinical practice and to contextualise knowledge and skills introduced thus far. In the practice environment you will work alongside and be supported not only by physiotherapy practitioners and fellow students, but also by a range of colleagues from other health and social care disciplines. This inter-professional collaboration continues into Years 2 and 3 as you develop towards professional autonomy.

Within the university, you will study the science of normal body systems to promote an understanding of their structure, function and inter-relationships, before moving on to altered and abnormal function and the role of assessment and rehabilitation. You will explore issues of personal and professional development, health and well-being in order to further prepare for learning in the practice environment. An awareness of the evidence base for health care professions and the research process is a fundamental and ongoing theme, promoted throughout the course.

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Year 2

Year 2

The second year develops your knowledge and skills, relating these to the scientific and therapeutic bases of physiotherapy in 20 weeks of university-based activity and 12 weeks of clinical practice. Opportunities for consolidation of learning and application of theory to practice are an integral part of the course.

Within both practice and university settings, the learning environment enables you to safely and effectively determine and implement comprehensive and integrated programmes of care for patients. You will be able to justify the selection of interventions, accurately assess patient outcomes and progress/end treatment or refer back for re-assessment by an appropriate qualified practitioner, whether that is a physiotherapist or a colleague from another health discipline.

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Year 3

Year 3

The third year and final academic year further develops clinical practice by enhancing your ability to function as an autonomous practitioner, partner and leader in 16 weeks of university-based activity and 17 weeks of clinical practice. The learning environment will enable you to build upon what you learned in Year 2 and once again you will have the opportunity to work with a range of professional colleagues. Inter-professional learning continues across the modules in both university and practice settings. 

Within both university and practice settings you will progress to be able to safely and effectively carry out a diagnostic assessment and manage patients with more complex needs. You will develop the capacity to lead and manage a physiotherapy/multidisciplinary team and exhibit awareness of the context of practice by exploring and identifying improvements to the service which will improve patient satisfaction and outcomes, and promote equality of care.

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Why Leicester?

Graduate ready for a career as a Chartered Physiotherapist. Through your placements, you will exceed the minimum of 1,000 clinical placement hours you need to qualify.

Our extensive practice placements offer hands-on experience and insight in a broad range of areas, including: NHS and private hospitals, mental health placements, learning disability services, palliative care, high level sport, specialist head injury and sports injury facilities. Ideal preparation for your professional career.

Learn in small groups from leading physiotherapist lecturer-practitioners. Our staff are experts in their clinical field and work as specialist physiotherapists in areas such as private practice and high-level sport, as well as the NHS, while also carrying out groundbreaking research.

Dedicated state-of-the-art facilities allow you to enhance your skills and knowledge, including our superb practical rooms, movement analysis lab and advanced clinical skills labs. You will also learn anatomy in Leicester Medical School's anatomy dissection room.

Teaching and learning

To mirror the work of a qualified physiotherapist, our course is very hands-on and you will be taught to embrace a vision of patient-centred care within contemporary health and social care environments.

Following theoretical teaching in the classroom, you will embark on a series of six-week practice placements. After each practice placement you will return to the University for a period of reflection, which will develop your knowledge and skills further, and inform performance in your subsequent practice placements.

For classroom-based teaching, there is a balanced mixture of lectures, clinical skills teaching, blended learning and group work. In each academic year there is an opportunity to learn alongside other health and social care students supported by our academic lecturer-practitioners and clinically qualified staff. All our students are provided with free iPads at the beginning of the course. Lecture and group work material is delivered directly onto these iPads, meaning content can be rapidly revised and updated, and you can annotate it during teaching sessions.

Physiotherapy is a vocational course requiring a commitment to lifelong learning. Throughout the course you should be prepared to reflect on your skills and organise your own self-directed study, fully preparing you for your career in Physiotherapy.

Placements

An essential element to this course, we offer a fantastic range of practice placements that allow you to develop your hands-on skills in the diverse areas that physiotherapists work. Crucially, you will exceed the minimum of 1,000 clinical practice hours you need to qualify as a professional physiotherapist.

Placements include:

  • Three large NHS teaching hospitals in Leicester
  • Private hospitals
  • Mental health placements
  • Learning disability
  • Palliative care, both adult and paediatric
  • Community services
  • Charity-run therapy centres
  • A young disabled unit
  • High level sport
  • Specialist head injury facility
  • Sports injury facilities
  • Injured military services personnel at the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre.

You will start with observational experience of professional practice in Year 1. In Year 2 there is 12 weeks of hands-on practice education. In Year 3 there is 17 weeks of hands-on practice education. Each placement is supervised by trained physiotherapy clinical educators, and you will be given clear learning outcomes defining what you should be able to do by the end of each one.

Whilst on placement you will have the opportunity to work and study with other health and social care students, reflecting the real-world professional environment.

Assessment

Our assessments are integrated to help you to consider all aspects of the course when tackling a clinical problem.

You will have regular opportunities for formative (informal) assessments throughout the course. These gives you an opportunity to test your learning and get feedback.

We will also give you feedback on the summative (formal) assessments that you must pass to progress to the next stage.

We use a variety of assessment techniques to test your ability to apply your knowledge and skills to clinical problems and patient management. These align to the type of subject they are in and the very practical requirements of a physiotherapist’s role.

In the practice placements you will receive formative feedback from your clinical educator as well as support from a tutor from the University. At the end of each placement, you will be formally assessed based on your performance throughout the placement period, and there is a separate assessment of your clinical reasoning ability. This helps you develop into an excellent therapist.

Application process

In line with Health Education England’s Values-based Recruitment Framework, the aim of the Physiotherapy admissions team is to have a selection process that is open, objective and fair in order to select students with the ability, character and values to become caring, competent, effective and safe physiotherapists.

Stage 1: UCAS form

Your UCAS application will be reviewed and your application will be assigned a score based on your GCSE grades, confirmed (not predicted) A/AS-levels or other academic qualifications, actual/predicted degree (where appropriate) and the quality and appropriateness of your personal statement and reference. Applications are then ranked and the highest scoring candidates invited for interview.

Stage 2: Interview

If you are invited for interview, you will be asked to attend either a morning or afternoon event in the Physiotherapy facilities at the University of Leicester. Within the interview event there will be some group and individual activities which will include a brief presentation, followed by an interview with members of the physiotherapy student recruitment team. We will then decide whether to make an offer (which may be unconditional or conditional) and this will be communicated to you via UCAS. If you narrowly fail to meet the terms of a firm conditional offer, we may still consider you and might admit you to the course if there are unfilled places.

Student Learning Contract

As part of the offer for a place on a Physiotherapy course at the University of Leicester all students are required to agree to abide by the conditions of a Student Learning Contract which you will be asked to sign during the induction week at the beginning of the course. This learning contract will apply to the entire duration of the course and the signed copy will be stored as a PDF on your University electronic record.

All students are subject to contractual regulations of University of Leicester, the Physiotherapy Course and of the Practice Education Organisation at which they are placed.

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Course Qualification Duration UCAS Code Availability
Course Physiotherapy Qualification BSc Duration 3 years UCAS Code B160 Availability How to apply

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