Master of Physiotherapy at Swinburne University of Technology

This challenging master's degree enables students who have already completed a bachelor's degree and meet the prerequisites to practice as a Physiotherapist with two years of extra study. This degree prepares you for a rewarding career in helping people reach their bodies' full potential. As a registered Physiotherapist, you'll be at the forefront of care, being eligible to work as a first contact professional and valued member of allied health care teams. Your studies will develop your capability to assess, treat and prevent human movement disorders, enabling people to lead healthy and functional lives. Students who undertake activities where interaction with patients/the public is required for their degree, such as field or clinical placements/visits and in University clinics and gyms, must demonstrate they meet mandatory pre-placement conditional requirements. These include criminal history clearance, child related employment clearance and immunisation requirements. Please visit the Clinical Placement Unit for information on key requirements, and to access the full student checklists. Students must also be registered to practice physiotherapy in Australia. Applicants who are overseas trained Physiotherapists and are eligible to apply for registration with the Australian Physiotherapy Council are not eligible to apply for this degree. All students enrolled in a program leading to professional registration must be registered with the relevant national board. The registration process is undertaken by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) with the University providing notification to AHPRA following enrolment in the program. The Master of Physiotherapy (Graduate Entry) will teach you to assess, treat and prevent human movement disorders across various areas of practice, including sport, musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory and neurological conditions in people of all ages. The beginning of the degree will cover topics in evidence-based practice, clinical reasoning skills, professional practice skills, the mechanisms and management of pain; and the theory, assessment and management for cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal and neurological conditions. A central component of this master's degree is clinical placements, which commence in the second half of your first year of study, in the area of acute care. Your second year will focus on ethics and communication skills along with developing clinical competence in a range of clinical settings including rehabilitation, musculoskeletal and paediatric clinics. You'll become qualified to work with prevention and management of disability/illness in the workplace or community, and also as a member of a multidisciplinary healthcare team. This holistic view of a patient's health recovery is critical, especially across the different types of care needed for children and adults alike.

The Master of Physiotherapy will give you the qualifications and skills you need to become a practicing physiotherapist. Developed in collaboration with health professionals, industry leaders and professional bodies, this course will equip you with the future facing capabilities required to adapt and respond to rapidly occurring changes in health, and the health system. Through problem-based and practical learning experiences, this course will introduce you to a range of health care settings that have widespread community health impact. You will be challenged to reflect your yourself to consider how your values and strengths influence your practice as an emerging physiotherapist.

As a graduate of the Master of Speech Pathology, you will develop the knowledge and skills to work as an autonomous speech pathologist and respond to the needs of individuals and communities who experience difficulties with communication and swallowing. You will have the tools to provide safe, ethical and quality person, family and community-centred practice in complex and changing environments. Working across a range of health, education and private settings, you will provide evidence-based services to people and communities in local, national and global contexts. Effective communication skills will enable you to work in partnership with others and collaboratively in interprofessional teams. You will also develop the tools to lead, advocate and innovate to develop socially responsible and sustainable actions that support every individual's right to optimal communication and swallowing.