Physiotherapy (BSc)

Got a question?

Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.

Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000

You’ll take several core modules each year, which must be passed. Around two thirds of your time will be spent learning on campus. The remainder will be on clinical placements, totalling more than 1,000 hours.

Year 1 overview

You’ll work in groups with other healthcare students, to learn about core values and skills that underpin professional practice.

You'll study:

• anatomy and physiology
• musculoskeletal and neuromuscular movement and function
• social and psychological issues that influence physiotherapy management
• identifying and treating common clinical physiotherapy conditions
• principles of applied health science

You’ll also complete a clinical placement with an experienced therapist. You'll put your theory into practice with patients in the real world.

Year 2 overview

You’ll complete 2 clinical placements, and:

• learn how to manage a broad range of clinical cases
• develop the skills to motivate patients to engage with treatments and self-manage their condition
• study cases where patients have more than one condition, and learn how to adapt treatment to suit their needs

You'll also study research methods to help plan your research study in year 3.

Year 3 overview

Using a simulated environment, you'll learn how to assess and manage respiratory patients who are acutely unwell. This will prepare you to be an on-call physiotherapist when you graduate.

You’ll complete another 2 clinical placements and study core modules, which will cover:

• evidence-based approaches to assessing and managing complex cases
• innovation, leadership, influencing change and business development
• the legal, political and cultural context of professional practice

You can choose to take either a module on pain management, or professional development. The professional development module will let you explore a healthcare topic of your choice with the support of an academic coach.

You’ll also complete a research project, carrying out data collection analysis and writing a paper. You'll be supervised by one of Southampton’s renowned research academics.

Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.

The learning activities for this course include the following:

• lectures
• classes and tutorials
• coursework
• individual and group projects
• independent learning (studying on your own)

Course time

How you'll spend your course time:

Course leader

Ruth Turk is the course leader.

This course meets the full academic requirements to register as a Chartered Physiotherapist by the Health and Care Professions Council.

You can expect excellent career prospects in a range of healthcare environments where physiotherapy is practised. These include:

• intensive care
• stroke rehabilitation
• musculoskeletal outpatients
• care for the older adult

The NHS is the UK’s largest employer of health practitioners, but other options include social care, private practice and the armed services. There are also career opportunities in industry, leisure and academia.

More information about careers in physiotherapy can be found on the NHS Careers website.

Careers services at Southampton

We are a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022). Our Careers and Employability Service will support you throughout your time as a student and for up to 5 years after graduation. This support includes:

• work experience schemes

• CV and interview skills and workshops

• networking events

• careers fairs attended by top employers

• a wealth of volunteering opportunities

• study abroad and summer school opportunities

We have a vibrant entrepreneurship culture and our dedicated start-up supporter, Futureworlds, is open to every student.

Tuition fees

Fees for a year’s study:

• UK and Irish students pay £9,250.
• EU and international students pay £28,902.

What your fees pay for

Your tuition fees pay for the full cost of tuition and all examinations. Your fee also covers the cost of your uniform for clinical practice.

Find out how to:

• pay your tuition fees
• calculate your student finances

You'll need to consider extra costs for the following:

• suitable shoes for your practice placements
• your own fob watch
• your enhanced DBS certificate 
• your professional registration fee (on graduation)

On your placements you can claim travel and accommodation expenses over and above your normal daily travel costs to university. But there are limits on what you can claim. Learn more about placement costs and expenses. 

There will also be other costs not covered by the tuition fee. These may include:

• stationery
• personal computer or laptop and data storage devices
• printing

Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. Explore:

• accommodation costs

• living costs

• budgeting advice

Bursaries, scholarships and other funding

If you're a UK or EU student and your household income is under £25,000 a year, you may be able to get a University of Southampton bursary to help with your living costs. Find out about bursaries and other funding we offer at Southampton.

If you're a care leaver or estranged from your parents, you may be able to get a specific bursary.

Get in touch for advice about student money matters.

Scholarships and grants

You may be able to get a scholarship or grant to help fund your studies.

We award scholarships and grants for travel, academic excellence, or to students from under-represented backgrounds.

Support during your course

The Student Services Centre offers support and advice on money to students. You may be able to access our Student Support fund and other sources of financial support during your course.

Funding for EU and international students

Find out about funding you could get as an international student.

When you apply use:

• UCAS course code: B160
• UCAS institution code: S27

Apply for 2023 entry

What happens after you apply?

We will assess your application on the strength of your:

• predicted grades
• academic achievements
• personal statement
• academic reference

We're interested in the insights you have about the physiotherapy profession. We'll also consider how your personal values are aligned with the profession.

If you're successful at the initial written stage of the application process, we'll invite you to an on-line interview. We'll send an invitation e-mail which will include information on how to prepare and what to expect during the interview.

We'll aim to process your application within 2 to 6 weeks, but this will depend on when it is submitted. Applications submitted in January, particularly near to the UCAS equal consideration deadline, might take substantially longer to be processed due to the high volume received at that time.

Equality and diversity

We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.

Got a question?

Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.

Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000