Physiotherapy (BSc)

Our course is designed to be stimulating and relevant to the needs of a professional physiotherapist. Great emphasis has been placed on the practical and clinical aspects of the courses, all of which have been accredited by the relevant professional bodies.
Diverse learning and teaching methods are used throughout, reflecting module content, your developing knowledge and growing expertise. All modules have a formalised teaching and learning structure which employ a range of formal lectures, seminars, workshops, practical skills sessions and case scenarios.

Independent studies are also an important aspect of the programme. Specific work may be set but you will also be required to identify gaps in understanding and initially address these in self-study or independent learning sessions.
The modular structure embraces teaching and learning opportunities available in a practice-based environment, where you will spend 1,000 hours in a practice setting. Acquiring knowledge and skills through practical experience is key to our physiotherapy degree.

As in the professional environment, great emphasis is placed on working in a multi-disciplinary team. Opportunities for shared learning and inter-professional education; learning alongside students from other disciplines are embedded.

This programme offers elements of provision through the medium of Welsh. This is achieved through, where possible, placing students in Welsh speaking areas or with Welsh speaking supervisors in their clinical placements, supporting students with learning materials and group work in the medium of Welsh where appropriate and by enabling students who wish to submit assignments or to complete examinations in Welsh to do so.  All students are entitled to a Welsh speaking personal tutor for the duration of their studies.

How will I be supported?

You will be assigned a personal tutor throughout your studies with whom you will have regular meetings with. They will provide pastoral support and academic guidance throughout the programme. In addition you will be assigned an academic supervisor who will support you in the development of your dissertation. When you are out on practice-based learning you will be assigned to a mentor/clinical educator who will support you with your practice-based learning.

Our virtual learning environment is accessible via desktop and mobile devices, allowing you to access electronic resources from anywhere. Dedicated computer labs, student study rooms, campus-wide WiFi networks, printing facilities and a dedicated Healthcare library are available year-round. Staff are available onsite to assist students and provide support and advice.

You will have access through the Learning Central VLE to relevant multimedia material, presentations, videos, lecture capture, bibliographies, further links, electronic exercises and discussion circles.

The University offers a range of services including the Careers Service, the Counselling Service, the Disability and Dyslexia Service, the Student Support Service, and excellent libraries and resource centres.

How will I be assessed?

Assessments include written assignments (including report writing), visual and verbal presentations, practical examination, portfolio creation, clinical assessment and the production of a research dissertation in year three.

Feedback
We will provide you with feedback on your work in a variety of formats. These will include oral feedback during tutorials, feedback provided during lectures, written feedback provided through online module discussion forums, and electronic written feedback on assessed coursework through Feedback Studio.

You will be provided with summary written feedback in relation to examinations and you can discuss your overall performance with your personal tutor.  During practice-based experiences you will be supported by mentors/clinical educators who will provide verbal and written feedback on your progress and clinical performance.

What skills will I practise and develop?

Knowledge & Understanding:

• Apply core physiotherapy knowledge and skills associated with the safe and effective best practice of physiotherapy with due regard to the ethical, social, political and legal aspects of care.

Intellectual Skills:

• Systematically evaluate research evidence including healthcare guidelines and integrate with individuals’ needs and personal/professional experience to provide effective management.
• Contribute positively to the development of ethical research within the healthcare setting with ability to evaluate research questions, methodologies and research findings and integrate into their professional practice.

Professional Practical Skills:

• Act as autonomous and independent practitioners who critically evaluate and reflect on their practice while adhering to the HPC standards of conduct, performance and ethics (2016), with an acute awareness of the scope and limits of physiotherapy practice.
• Work as members of a multi-professional team to provide healthcare with the individuals’ values at its heart, ensuring a humanistic approach to the management of patients of all ages and cultures.
• Demonstrate a wide range of effective communication skills, including verbal, visual and written, using a critical approach to adapt these skills to ensure a collaborative approach to giving and receiving of information to a diverse range of audiences.

Transferable/Key Skills:

• Adapt to the changing role, responsibilities, working practices and environments and demonstrate resilience, leadership and innovation to advance physiotherapy practice.
• Utilise effective educational and mentoring skills to empower individuals to take responsibility for their own health.

How is the Programme structured?

The Programme takes place over three years of full-time study. It follows a modular framework where each academic year, consists of 4 modules, represents a single level of learning. A single level is equal to 120 credits and the award of BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy requires the accumulation of 360 credits.

The first 18 months of your undergraduate education will be based in university gaining the knowledge, skills and behaviours to be an active participant in your first practice-based education opportunity half way through year 2. The second 18 months you will spend the majority of your time in practice settings developing your personal and professional skills across a range of different areas of physiotherapy and returning to university to complete your research project with guidance from your research supervisor.

The integrated curriculum will help you to identify connections between the knowledge, skills and behaviours that are key to a developing physiotherapist. The first year of the programme is structured so modules run in parallel, so you can integrate knowledge of physiological, biomechanical, anatomical, behavioural and clinical sciences which provide the foundation for physiotherapy practice. As you progress through the years you are required to add different layers to your knowledge and skills revisiting subject areas, adding increasing levels of complexity including, reasoning approaches, patient centred care, multi-disciplinary working, service user diversity, practice-based learning, government and professional drivers and public health.