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About us
The University is ranked first in Australia and fourth in the world for graduate employability in the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020.
Find out moreThe University is ranked fourth in the world for sport, physical therapy and rehabilitation in the QS Subject Rankings 2020.
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In response to COVID-19, the University of Sydney has reviewed the availability of courses to be delivered remotely for students commencing their studies in Semester 1, 2021.
Some units of study and/or placements relating to this course cannot be delivered remotely or online for students commencing their study in Semester 1, 2021. You will be required to attend in-person on campus from Semester 2, 2021.
Note: The University intends to offer as many units of study as possible in a remote as well as face-to-face learning method of delivery in Semester 1, 2021 and subject to ongoing border closures and public health orders impacting attendance on campus, in Semester 2, 2021. However, some units of study and courses require students to study in-person at the relevant University of Sydney campus/es and host locations for placements and will not be available remotely.
International students
For detailed information on remote study options for international students in 2021 please read the section below titled 'Options for international students commencing remotely in 2021.'
About this course
The Master of Physiotherapy develops the ability to use highly-developed clinical reasoning skills to assess, diagnose and treat people with movement problems caused by a wide variety of joint, muscle, nerve and metabolic disorders. You will also learn to help people avoid injuries and maintain a fit and healthy body.
As a physiotherapy student, you will learn from leading academics how to use a range of drug-free techniques to treat and prevent injuries, as well as promote a healthy body. In addition to the high-profile sports side of physiotherapy, graduates also practice in roles that contribute significantly to the wider community, such as the management of neurological conditions, movement disorders, rehabilitation and recovery.
During this two-year degree, you will explore introductory and advanced musculoskeletal, neurological, and cardiopulmonary physiotherapy, applied to patients across the lifespan. Biomechanics, occupational health and community health are incorporated in various units of study, and evidence-based practice and professional practice are embedded throughout the curriculum. Four five-week clinical placements in your second year will provide the opportunity for you to apply your knowledge and gain significant practical experience in a range of clinical areas including rehabilitation, acute care, ambulatory care/outpatients and community/general care.
Learn more about studying health sciences at Sydney.
Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) are available for this course for eligible domestic students. This means that your course fees are subsidised by the Australian Government and you pay a student contribution amount (SCA). CSP places are limited in number and are allocated based on academic merit.
There are no specialisations for this course.
For academic requirements check the ‘Admission requirements’ section on this page.
You can apply online via the application portal. When you are ready to apply, select the ‘Apply’ button on this course page. Visit the How to apply page for other important information.
Application dates
Applications open - 1 July of the preceding year
Applications close - 31 October of the preceding year
Early offers: A small number of rolling offers released to applicants with high academic merit
Offers released: December - January
We strongly encourage applicants to apply as early as possible, offers are made on a rolling basis and places are limited. Separate scholarship deadlines apply - check the scholarships website for details.
Semester 1 (March)
You can apply online via the application portal. When you are ready to apply, select the ‘Apply’ button on this course page. Visit the How to apply page for other important information.
Application dates
Applications open - 15 March of the preceding year
Applications close - 31 October of the preceding year
Offers released: Offers are made throughout the year based on academic merit and subject to availability in the program
We strongly encourage international applicants to apply as early as possible to allow time for visa and travel arrangements. Separate scholarship deadlines may apply - check the scholarships website for details.
Semester 1 (March)
You will follow a prescribed course of study with a total 96 credit points (cp).
Year 1
Year 2
Faculty Handbook: Unit of study overview
Mandatory work component = 840 hours.
This mandatory work component must be completed as part of the award requirements for the course.
Key course details for 2021
In the first year of your candidature, the unit of study PHTY5192 can be completed remotely in Semester 1, 2021.
All other units of study in the first year of your candidature include practical components that require you to undertake face to face learning either on campus in Sydney or at placement locations in Australia. Under the course rules, you must complete these units before you can start your second year of candidature.
Detailed information about your options for studying in 2021
If you wish to commence your course remotely, you can enrol and commence the above unit of study in Semester 1, 2021 and complete it remotely.
If you commence remotely in Semester 1, 2021 but are unable to travel to Sydney for Semester 2, 2021, you will need to suspend your studies during Semester 2, 2021 and complete the remaining first year units of study in 2022 before you are able to progress to your second year of candidature in 2023. This means that your total course duration will be extended from two years to three years.
The Master of Physiotherapy degree requires the completion of 96 credit points (cp) of study. Each unit of study (UOS) is worth 6 cp and four UOS are undertaken each semester.
Clinical reasoning is developed throughout the course. In the second year of the course knowledge and experiences from clinical placements, advanced musculoskeletal, neurological and cardiopulmonary physiotherapy, and evidence-based and professional practice are all drawn upon in the capstone unit of study advanced clinical reasoning. In addition, the final clinical placement provides the opportunity for students to practice their clinical reasoning skills just prior to graduating as a physiotherapist.
To be eligible to apply you will need to fulfill the following criteria;
The faculty has a list of approved degrees and units to meet the knowledge requirements listed above. Applicants will need to complete the pre-requisite information form if their undergraduate degree is not listed as an approved degree.
Please read all instructions carefully and ensure that you refer to the supplementary information, approved degrees and units document before completing the form.
Admission process
Download the graduate entry masters admissions guide (pdf, 180KB) for more information on the admissions process for domestic and international applicants.
Inherent Requirements
Inherent requirements are the essential tasks and activities necessary to be able to achieve the core learning outcomes of a course. They are specific to a particular course or discipline. To assist students to make informed choices about their study, we have identified and set out the inherent requirements for this course.
The academic criteria that are displayed are applicable to currently available courses only, and are updated annually in October and may be changed without notice. The Handbooks Online and the University of Sydney Calendar are the official legal source of information relating to study at the University of Sydney, and you are referred to those documents.
For more information about the University’s credit policy, please see the Credit for Previous Studies page.
The Master of Physiotherapy is accredited by the Australian Physiotherapy Council (APC).
Graduates are eligible to apply for registration as physiotherapists with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia (PBA), overseen by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
More information can be obtained from the Australian Physiotherapy Council.
Physiotherapy is applied in the management of a wide variety of acute and chronic cardiopulmonary, neurological and musculoskeletal conditions, among patients across the lifespan. For example:
It also plays a central role in the management and prevention of chronic conditions such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.
Physiotherapists work in many places, including:
Some physiotherapists pursue a clinical career assessing and treating patients; others pursue a career in academia to undertake research to further the evidence base for assessing and treating patients and to teach physiotherapy students; others mix a clinical career with academia.
Eligible graduates may consider an additional three years of study as a research candidate for the higher research degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The PhD is designed to provide students with the opportunity to undertake in-depth study in a specialised area under the supervision of a team of two or three academic staff members with expertise in the desired field of research.
The award of a PhD will enhance your profile as a genuine researcher and expert in your chosen field, afford opportunities as a published researcher, and may lead to an academic appointment, or to a research appointment with a government or industrial research and development organisation.
