Physiotherapy

Summary:
Help people move, recover and live well. On this Physiotherapy degree, you will learn how to support individuals with a wide range of health conditions, improving mobility, independence and quality of life.

Physiotherapy combines science, movement and care. You will develop the knowledge and practical skills to assess, treat and manage patients with complex needs, from injury and illness to long-term conditions and ageing.

At Southampton, ranked 1st in the UK for Physiotherapy (Complete University Guide 2026), your learning is grounded in clinical practice and research, preparing you for a rewarding career in healthcare.

Key features of the course:

Gain over 1,000 hours of clinical placement experience across settings including hospitals and community services, covering areas such as musculoskeletal, neurology and cardiorespiratory care.

Learn to manage complex cases, developing skills in assessment, treatment and rehabilitation.

Build key professional skills including communication, decision making, teamwork, leadership and patient-centred care.

Train in purpose-built facilities, including simulated hospital wards, clinical skills suites and a replica living environment.

Learn from academic staff who are shaping the future of physiotherapy practice.

Graduate with eligibility to register with the Health and Care Professions Council as a physiotherapist.

Student support:

From day one, you will be supported on campus and during placements by your Personal Academic Tutor and a network of experienced staff.

You will also be part of a supportive student community, with opportunities to reflect on your experiences through initiatives such as Schwartz Rounds.

Further information:

On successful completion of the course, you will be eligible to register with the Health and Care Professions Council as a physiotherapist.

The NHS Learning Support Fund may be available to support your studies. If you are a UK applicant, you may be eligible for £5,000 per academic year, depending on your circumstances.

The Physiotherapy programme is built around the principles of a spiral curriculum; this means key topics or concepts are revisited, each time in more depth or complexity across the three years of study. Practice based learning is embedded with the throughout the programme, beginning in year 1.

Year 1: Develop the foundational knowledge required to becoming a physiotherapist, including anatomy, clinical assessment and treatment, culminating in completion of the first practice placement.

Year 2: Apply knowledge of physiotherapy to treating populations across the lifespan and people living with multiple long term conditions. Develop skills in communication and understanding the psychosocial aspects of clinical treatment. Undertake two further practice placements.

Year 3: Evaluate concepts within physiotherapy and translating evidence in to clinical practice, develop leadership and innovation in healthcare and prepare for transitioning into clinical practice. Complete final two practice placements towards the end of the programme to facilitate the transition into clinical practice.

For a full list of modules available please visit the course page.

Throughout your degree you'll be supported to achieve your best in assessments by our vibrant Health Sciences community, your Personal Academic Tutor, and your Practice Mentor.

The learning activities for this course include the following: lectures, classes and tutorials, coursework, individual and group projects and independent learning (studying on your own).

We’ll assess you using: essays, oral presentations, written and practical exams and placement assessment.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• Health and Care Professions Council
• Physiotherapy, Chartered Society of