Physiotherapy,BH-PHYTH

Overview

Learn how to prevent, treat and manage physical injuries and assist people of all ages with musculo-skeletal and/or chronic health conditions.

Your first year is interprofessional, gaining the skills to work as part of a healthcare team, while learning about the physical, structural and physiological aspects of human form and movement.

You’ll then study musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, cardiorespiratory and neurological sciences; and gerontology, paediatrics, gender health issues and pain management.

Throughout the course, you’ll learn how to select the best treatment option by analysing the research evidence and the individual’s perspective and health environment.

You’ll become proficient in treating acute and chronic conditions and disabilities, providing hands-on treatment, prescriptive exercise and lifestyle advice.

The development of essential ‘soft’ skills is also a part of your learning. These include empathic listening to help accurately diagnose an issue, problem-solving to address clinical obstacles, and reflective practice to critically analyse evidence and monitor the effectiveness of your management strategies.

You’ll develop your practical skills in laboratory classes and complete 1,100 hours in supervised placements in hospitals and community settings, including in rural and remote locations.

In your third and fourth years, you’ll become part of a peer research group that will work to complete (and potentially publish) a small research study under staff supervision.

You’ll graduate with an integrated honours-level qualification, ready to embark on a career as a physiotherapist or continue your studies as a researcher in a field of physiotherapy.

This can be a physically and mentally challenging course. Please familiarise yourself with the inherent requirements before applying.

What you'll learn

• ethically use research-informed / evidence-based physiotherapeutic strategies for individuals and groups across the lifespan
• competently and confidently apply and lead physiotherapeutic practice in diverse and changing environments and across a range of practice areas for improved healthcare outcomes at individual and/or group level
• effectively communicate with individuals and groups with diverse cultural, linguistic, ability, or gender perspectives, providing education and advocacy
• competently and innovatively use digital technologies that enhance healthcare delivery
• be curious, creative and responsive to emerging evidence and practice change, and engage proactively in lifelong learning
• demonstrate awareness of and an ability to respond to the national and international healthcare environment and broader healthcare priorities
• demonstrate cultural capability to improve healthcare outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders in interprofessional teams to achieve optimal client/patient outcomes

English requirements

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are outlined in the IELTS table below.

You may demonstrate English proficiency using the following tests and qualifications.

If your documents are not issued in English, an official translation from a recognised translation service must be provided.

Recognised translation services

• National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) accredited translator in Australia
• The Awarding institution
• A Notary Public Office
• The official Government body
• An official and accredited translator*

*Official translations are subject to review.

If you have undertaken previous study or work that matches the content of some of your Curtin course units, you may be able to obtain credit for recognised learning, which exempts you from studying those units.

You can apply direct online through our Applicant Portal. You can access the Applicant Portal by:

1. Navigating to the relevant course page
2. Click ‘Apply now’
3. When the pop-up window appears, select “Apply directly to Curtin University”.

If you want to package your course with a Curtin English course, you can submit your application with your course application documents to streamline the process.

If your application is successful, you will receive an offer that you will need to accept or reject.

If you accept your offer, you will receive a Confirmation of Enrolment ­– a document from Curtin that details your course, how long you will be studying the course, and the tuition fees. This document can be used for acquiring a student visa.

Apply to the Australian government for your student visa. Gaining a student visa will allow you to participate in full-time study in Australia and work up to 40 hours in a fortnight. If you’re under 18 years of age, you must have approved accommodation and welfare arrangements in place before a visa can be issued.