MSc/PgDip/PgCert Applying Physiotherapy
Attendance
Full-time, Part-time
Full-time 18 months
Part-time typically three years
Starts September and January
At a glance
If you have little or no postgraduate clinical experience in physiotherapy you can choose this course to improve your career prospects by gaining additional skills and a postgraduate qualification. The course includes many skills that are required for HCPC registration and can be used as evidence to support your application.
Key points
Gain additional skills and qualifications to enhance your career potential.
Specialise in areas of physiotherapy most suited to your career aims with optional modules.
Use completed modules as evidence in your HCPC registration application.
Choose the whole course or individual modules depending on your requirements.
About this course
If you are a qualified physiotherapist who has little or no postgraduate clinical experience, you can use this course to gain additional experience and skills to prepare for you career. You can also choose this course if youve had a gap in your professional working life and wish to practise again.
The course is designed to be clinically relevant to physiotherapy practice both in the UK and internationally. Your fellow students come from various cultural backgrounds and bring a range of experiences with them. You draw on this diversity during the course, sharing ideas and experience, comparing and contrasting clinical experiences and background.
You learn to evaluate your practice critically through an evidence-based approach. You cater for your own professional development needs, by choosing modules and assignment topics specific to your interests.
Your studies are based around active and independent learning. All of your modules have a clinical focus and build on your clinical experience. Each module allows you to apply your learning to the clinical context as part of the course and, where appropriate, we use patients as part of the module delivery.
You may be seeking to gain Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration. Our course is designed to include many skills that are required for HCPC registration. This means that you can use completed modules as evidence to support your application for HCPC registration but attending this course does not guarantee HCPC registration.
Study individual modules
You can study individual modules from this course and gain academic credit towards a qualification. Visit our continuing professional development website for more information.
Associated careers
By taking this course, you improve your career opportunities in physiotherapy, in the UK and internationally.
Professional recognition
This course is endorsed by the by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. It also addresses the educational requirements of physiotherapists who are seeking Health and Care Professions Council registration.
Course content
Study route
You can complete the full masters or study to postgraduate diploma (120 credits) or postgraduate certificate (60 credits) level. You can also study individual modules.
To gain the postgraduate certificate you need to complete reasoning for practice clinical skills: application and practice or sports specific practical skills measuring health outcomes applying research methods in practice.
To gain the postgraduate diploma you would need to complete the postgraduate certificate plus 45 credits of option modules professionalism, empowerment and autonomy.
Core modules
Reasoning for practice
This module develops your skills in critical reflection, clinical reasoning and evaluation of literature. It introduces a self-directed approach to learning and the other skills required for MSc study. You consider the role of different sources of information and learn how to access, critically evaluate and apply research to reasoning.
Clinical skills: application and practice
This module enhances the effectiveness of practical physiotherapeutic skills such as precise palpation, handling skills and movement analysis in healthy people and in people with movement dysfunctions. You examine their impact on the therapeutic relationship and clinical effectiveness. Discussions include the adaptation of different skills for different contexts, environments and cultures.
Professionalism, empowerment and autonomy
Physiotherapists must work as autonomous, independent practitioners. This module explores the issues associated with independent working and patient focused care. You explore working within health care organisations and structures, along with changing policies and practices. You critically reflect upon practice and consider changing roles, responsibilities, ethics, changing boundaries, limitations, confidentiality, legal issues and consent.
Measuring health outcomes
This module examines measurement, measuring scales and instruments and how they can be used to provide evidence of effective intervention in the health and social care environment. You develop an understanding of the drivers in health care and the impact of this on measurement and clinical practice.
Applying research methods for practice
You gain a broad understanding of specific qualitative and quantitative methodologies that assist in the development of a research process. You obtain the necessary skills and knowledge for an in-depth understanding of research issues and methodologies such as ethics, grant writing, funding sources, research governance issues, user involvement and current policy issues for researchers.
Dissertation
The dissertation integrates a wide range of aspects of theory in relation to practice in your chosen area of study. You apply an understanding of research methods to the development of practice. The project focuses in detail on real organisational or practice.
Optional modules
musculoskeletal physiotherapy practice neurological physiotherapy practice paediatric management pain management sports specific practical skills teamwork in sport teaching skills in higher education applying clinical practice (a placement module)
Optional modules are delivered depending on demand.
Assessment
Coursework, ranging from written assignments to verbal presentations. There are no formal written examinations, but some modules involve practical assessment.
Entry requirements
You need
an honours degree, diploma or evidence of equivalent study in physiotherapy
to satisfy the admissions team of your ability to complete the programme of study
You must have an IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.5 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
You must also declare
any disciplinary proceedings taken by earlier employers or educational establishments
any investigation relevant to you under the Children Act 1989 or other associated legislation
Fees
Home and EU students
2013/14 academic year
Full-time typically £4,590
Part-time typically £1,530 a stage for PgCert, PgDip and MSc stages
International students
2013/14 academic year
Typically £12,060 for the course
2014/15 academic year
Typically £12,150 for the course
How to apply
Complete the application form available at www.shu.ac.uk/study/form
Contact details
For further information contact the Post-experience and Postgraduate Office, Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, Collegiate Crescent Campus, Sheffield, S1 1WB. Phone +44 (0)114 225 2373, fax +44 (0)114 225 5495, e-mail AlliedHealth@shu.ac.uk