Are you interested in studying USYD Physiotherapy but want to know what it’s like before you commit?
We’ll cover everything you need to know about the degree in this article, from core units and honours to the assessments, culture and more!
Let’s dive in!
What is a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) at USYD?
Core Units for this Degree
How to Get into Physiotherapy at USYD
What’s the Teaching Format?
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
What is a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) at USYD?
To study physiotherapy at USYD, you’ll complete aBachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy). You can expect to learn abouthuman anatomy,the different areas of physiotherapy, and the foundational skills you need todiagnose and treat patientssuffering from joint, muscle, and nerve disorders.
A Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) at USYD is a four-year degree, and you will be able towork as a Physiotherapist once you graduate without any additional study!
Honours
Honours isoffered to high-achieving Physiotherapy students as an integrated program. This means that you willcomplete an Honours project across the last three semesters of your degree, and that you’ll take Honours units instead of electives.
Completing an Honours project will see youworking under a supervisor on a particular topic, collecting data from research participants to present to other academics, and producing aresearch thesis.
To be eligible for Honours, students will need tomaintain a credit average throughout their degree and not fail any units!
Find out more about Honourshere!
Careers
While it might seem that working as a physiotherapist is the only career available from this degree, that couldn’t be further from the truth! With a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy),you can work in a variety of careers, including:
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- Musculoskeletal physiotherapist
- Neurological physiotherapist
- Cardiorespiratory physiotherapist
- Public and private sector
- Health care organisations
- 体育产业
- Schools and community
- Private practices
- Health education
This degree is alsoaccredited by theAustralian Physiotherapy Council (APC). This means that graduates are recognised as having the required skills to work as a physiotherapist, and that they can register as physiotherapists with thePhysiotherapy Board of Australia (PBA).
Once you have graduated and have some experience working as a physiotherapist you can alsospecialise further and become a titled physiotherapist in a particular areawith theAustralian Physiotherapy Association (APA)!
Core Units for this Degree
What are the Core Units?
First Year
In first year, you will takebone and muscle anatomy unitsthat focus on the areas from your shoulder to your fingertips in semester one, followed by the rest of the body in semester two.
You will also learn abouthistology, neuroscience, and cardiac and renal systems, as well asethics, sociology, and practical skillssuch asmanual therapy and diagnostic assessments!
Second Year
As you progress to second year,you will learn about motor control— including how to teach someone to juggle — and you will take units coveringexercise physiology, preventative health care, and musculoskeletal, neurological, and respiratory and cardiac conditions.
You will also undertake yourfirst clinical placementin between second and third year!
Third Year
At the start of third year, you will studyadvanced musculoskeletal, neurological, and cardiorespiratory physiotherapy units, as well aspaediatric physiotherapy.
In your second semester, you’ll undertaketwo five-week placementsfollowed by a condensed, ten-week semester. During the condensed semester, you will studyPhysiotherapy in Multisystem Problems, which will see you exploring complex clinical cases, and an elective or Honours unit.
Fourth Year
Your final year will see youundertaking two more placement units, with room to study your final two electives or Honours units.
Other core units includeAdvanced Professional Practice A and B,andPhysiotherapy in Sport and Recreation. In these units you will look at complex cases studies and disorders, as well as learn how to apply the skills and theory you’ve learnt to sports and recreational activities!
Areas of Physiotherapy
Since becoming a registered physiotherapist requires you to know about the different areas of physiotherapy,this degree doesn’t offer any opportunities to major or specialise. Instead, you’ll learn about the three areas of physiotherapy equally:
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- Musculoskeletal physiotherapy:This includes bone, muscle, and joint issues, such as sprains and injuries.
- Cardiorespiratory physiotherapy:This includes gas movement and secretion issues, where patients might have trouble clearing phlegm or have other breathing issues.
- Neurological physiotherapy:This can include patients suffering from strokes, traumatic brain injuries, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and other conditions.
Placements
When it comes to practical work experience, studying Physiotherapy at USYD means that you’llcomplete six placements starting from the end of second year,includingat least one rural or regional placement.
These are oftenheld in-between semesters,你会在不同的工作环境ts — thinkaged care facilities, hospitals, and private practice— and get experience in the different areas of physiotherapy so that you can become an accredited physiotherapist.
There arescholarships, loans, and support schemes availableto students completing their rural placement too, which you can find out abouthere!
How to Get into Physiotherapy at USYD
The ATAR cut-off for a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) is anATAR of 99. If you don’t meet the ATAR requirements, there are alternative ways into your dream degreehere!
Assumed Knowledge
Physiotherapyrequires a lot of knowledge about the human body and how it works.While there are no prerequisites to study Physiotherapy at USYD, the assumed knowledge for this degree isHSC Physics and HSC Chemistry.
On top of that, it’s alsorecommended that you study HSC Mathematics.
If you haven’t taken these subjects, don’t worry!USYD offers bridging courses for all three所以that you can start your degree on the right foot. Headhere了解更多!
Scholarships
The Faculty of Medicine and Health offer several scholarships, including some especially for Physiotherapy students:
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- Douglas and Lola Douglas Scholarship in Health Sciences (Physiotherapy):Value varies each year, eligible students must be Australian or New Zealand citizens or permanent residents, currently studying full-time and in their third year of a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) Honours.
- Elaine M Grierson Scholarship:Value of $6,000 per year for the duration of the degree, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students studying Physiotherapy are eligible.
There are plenty more scholarships where these came from too. Find out more about the scholarships offered by the Faculty of Medicine and Healthhereor general scholarships at USYDhere!
What’s the Teaching Format?
Studying Physiotherapy at USYD means you’ll have classes delivered acrosssemesters, and will see you attendinglectures and tutorialsfor four subjects a semester as a full-time student.
Class Structure
Lectures
Lectures generally cover thetheoretical aspectsof your subjects and are your largest classes, withup to 100 people attending. They run for1-2 hoursand can includelive demonstrations and group activities,所以it’s best to attend in-person!
Tutorials
The tutorials aregenerally 2 hours longand more hands-on than lectures, withabout 25 people attending.
For anatomy and neuroscience subjects, you can expect tosee and work with live cadavers and learn about what the different muscles and organs look like.
In physiotherapy subjects, you get totry out diagnostic tests on other classmates or manikins,as well as learninghow to use different equipment and how to prescribe exercises to people.
How many hours do you have to go to university?
As a full-time Physiotherapy student at USYD, you’ll beattending 12 to 16 hours of lectures and tutorials each week. On top of this, you’ll need to make time to complete assessments and study for exams so that you don’t fall behind.
You also shouldn’t forget to account for time spent at placements!
What are the assessments like?
Since studying Physiotherapy at USYD will equip you with practical skills and theoretical knowledge, you will be assessed via acombination of written and practical exams. Other forms of assessments such asquizzes and assignmentsare much rarer.
Exams
The most common form your assessments will take are exams, with most units assessing you viamid-semester and final exams.
Mid-semester exams make up about 20-30% of your final markand can test your understanding of the theory or your practical skills.
Final examsare held at the end of semester during the exam period, and areworth up to 70% of your final mark.Some subjects will also require you totake a physical exam and theory exam within the exam period, meaning that you can have up to seven exams across two weeks!
“There are a lot of [exams]. Year 1 sem 1 you have six [exams], year 1 sem 2 you will have six again because anatomy subjects will have a practical exam where you do a spot test [and] you identify the structures on the cadaver, [and] you have a theory exam. And your physio subjects … will have a theory and a [practical exam].”— Clement Wong
Assignments
Assignments can take various forms, such aswritten reports, group presentations, and digital exercises, and vary in weighting from 5% to 30%.
Quizzes
For subjects that assess you via quizzes, you can expect tocomplete multiple quizzes across the semester.These are generally online andworth about 10% of your final mark in total.
Skills That You Refine and Learn
Studying Physiotherapy at USYD will equip you with a variety of different skills that you’ll need to be a physiotherapist. Alongside learning abouthuman anatomy, biology, and the theory behind different areas of physiotherapy,you’ll develop skills inclinical reasoning所以that you can identify issues patients are suffering from and how to treat them!
As well as clinical reasoning, you will learnhow to communicate with patients and other health workers, actively listen to patients, and how towork with otherson placement and in the workforce.
This degree will also help youdevelop your cultural competence, meaning that you will have a better understanding of how a person’s cultural background will affect their worldview andyou will learn how to incorporate that into their treatment.
“People like to say not every patient’s the same. You can’t use a cookie cutter structure [for] everyone. So you do learn to adapt and be more mindful of these things.”— Clement Wong
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
Faculty and Culture
传统上,理疗教了small faculty on USYD’s Cumberland campus in the College of Health Sciences. From this year, Physiotherapy students will bestudying on main campus in USYD’s Susan Wakil Health Building.
“[The lecturers and tutors are] very knowledgeable. They generally will have clinical experience so they can help you with your clinical reasoning. They’re very open, always happy to help, and they’re always happy to chat.”— Clement Wong
Since you’ll be studying with the same people across many of your subjects, it’seasy to make friends within your cohorttoo. You’ll also find thatthe culture is a supportive one, and that students are happy to help each other out across year levels.
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To help first-year students adjust to university life, USYD runs aPeer Mentoring programeach semester.First-year students are placed in small groups with a senior studentstudying the same degree and attendinformal mentoring sessions, workshops, and social eventsduring the semester.
To find out more about peer mentoring at USYD, headhere!
Societies
When it comes to societies, theSydney University Physiotherapy Society(or SUPS) is a top choice for meeting like-minded students. SUPS hostsguest speaker nights, running and walking challenges, social events, and training coursesthroughout the year, giving you plenty ofopportunities to network, socialise, and hone your skills.
Headhereto explore Sydney Uni’s 250+ societies!
Rachel Fieldhouseis a Content Writer at Art of Smart Education and has just completed a double degree in Science and Arts at The University of Sydney, majoring in Chemistry, English, and Linguistics. Rachel’s writing has been published in Concrete Playground, Inside Enterprise, Planting Seeds, and SURG FM, and she currently writes blog posts for Remi AI, a Sydney-based Artificial Intelligence firm. When she’s not writing, you can find Rachel playing her saxophone or flute, or relaxing with some sudoku.
