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. Careers & future study Graduate opportunities 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, physiotherapists assess and treat neurological conditions such as stroke or Parkinson’s disease or movement disorders in children; provide rehabilitation after acute or chronic injury; and assist in recovery of normal function following surgery or childbirth. 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 private practice, sports facilities, hospitals, schools and universities, public health organisations, community centres, aged-care facilities and workplaces. 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. Future study options 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.