Do you like the sound of spending your days helping people? Are you fascinated by the human body? Well, a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) at Monash University might just be the right degree for you!
In this article, we will cover everything you could possibly need to know about choosing this course.
Ready to suddenly become super informed? Let’s get into it!
What is a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) at Monash University?
Core Units for this Degree
How to Get into a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) at Monash University
What’s the Teaching Format?
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
What is a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) at Monash University?
A Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) at Monash University is designed to help students develop the knowledge and skills needed to become practicing physiotherapists.
It is a 4-year degree held at Monash University’s Peninsula and Clayton campus. The course covers content such as anatomy, biomechanics, psychology and ethics.
Within the degree there exists a strong focus on interdisciplinary practices and inter-professional education, with students being provided with opportunities to work with peers and learn from faculty in other health science courses. For example, a Physiotherapy student at Monash may be expected to work alongside a nursing student to complete an activity on patient care.
At the end of this degree, students are able to register for the Physiotherapy Board of Australia. A successful application means graduates are able to practice as a registered physiotherapist across all states and territories.
Honours
The course is designed with a built-in Honours program. This provides students with an additional final year of study where they can undertake further industry placement and pursue research projects in various areas of specialisation.
This makes graduates more competitive when applying for jobs post-degree, as it demonstrates to employers a heightened level of practical competency and critical thinking.
Career Paths
There are numerous career paths available to those who complete this degree.
Graduates can choose between entering into a career as a clinical physician or a researcher. Either way, there exists the possibility of becoming an educator if further study is pursued.
When in the industry, there are also multiple specialisations that graduates can choose to align themselves with. Some of these include:
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- Geriatric physiotherapy
- Paediatric physiotherapy
- Cardio-respiratory physiotherapy
- Musculoskeletal physiotherapy
- Neurological physiotherapy
Check out what a career in physiotherapy is like here!
Core Units for this Degree
Physiotherapy at Monash has a very structured course program. Every student studies the allocated core units, without needing to select additional majors, minors or electives.
Monash structures their Physiotherapy degree very differently from other universities. While most other degrees make students study basic anatomy and physiology before moving into any specific physiotherapy content, Monash starts teaching practical skills immediately.
“The Physiotherapy degree at Monash integrates everything while you’re learning about a particular topic.” — Riya Prerna Ghosh, Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) IV at Monash University
For example, while first year students are introduced to the anatomy of the legs, they are also taught the appropriate physiotherapy skills involved in assessing and treating injuries in the lower limb. This structure is maintained throughout the duration of the degree, providing students with a learning environment focused on practical education
First and Second Year
First and second year focuses on learning the basic principles of physiotherapy. Both years consist of one 24 credit point unit per semester, meaning you don’t need to go through the stressful experience of making sure your credits align each year.
These 24 credit point classes include units such as Physiotherapy 1, 2, and 3 — where students learn about basic clinical practices, necessary anatomy for different areas of the body and healthcare policy and ethics.
Third and Fourth Year
In third year, students complete one final 24 credit point unit in their first semester. After this, the structure of the course changes and there is a greater focus on getting students ready for entering the workforce.
For example, the third year subject, Business and Management in Physiotherapy looks into the operational and management side of running a clinic.
Fourth year is a mixture of extended placements and major research assignments relating to the degree’s honours requirements.
Placements
Placements are an important feature of this degree. In second year, students start by undertaking a 2-week observational placement.
In third year, this is extended to two separate 5-week blocks. The responsibilities of students also change in third year, with placements giving them the opportunity to work directly with patients.
Finally, students in their fourth year will undertake 15 weeks of placement spread out across the year into three 5-week blocks.
It should be noted that it is compulsory for each student to complete at least one rural placement throughout the duration of their course.
How to Get into a Bachelor of Physiotherapy at Monash University
To be guaranteed entry into the Bachelor of Physiotherapy at Monash, you’ll need an ATAR of 93.
Prerequisites and Requirements
Subject prerequisites include a Year 12 study load consisting of English, with a study score of at least 35 in English (EAL) or 30 in English other than EAL, and a score of at least 25 in two Science courses.
Additional requirements include a National Police Check, Working With Children Check and Immunisation. While it is not mandatory, it is also highly encouraged that applicants complete some sort of formal first aid training.
Alternate Entry
Monash also offers various alternate entry schemes for this degree.
The Monash Guarantee is one example. In this scheme, students with proven economic disadvantage who fail to meet the course’s lowest selection rank are able to use a lower mark to enter into their chosen degree if they meet the eligibility criteria.
Additionally, they also offer the Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS), which takes into consideration circumstances that may have affected your secondary education and makes necessary ATAR adjustments.
Scholarships
There are no specific scholarships available for Physiotherapy at Monash. However, students are eligible to apply for any one of Monash’s additional scholarships relating to financial hardship, sporting achievement and academic success.
You can take a look at some of these scholarships right here!
What’s the Teaching Format?
A Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) at Monash University is structured across semesters. This set up means that the teaching periods are organised throughout the year into two main study blocks with longer breaks in between.
Class Structure
The teaching format for each of these semesters consists of lectures, tutorials and practical classes.
Lectures
The main content for this course is taught via weekly lectures, which involve a lot of active listening and note taking. Attending your lectures are a must for this course, as their content is covered in the subsequent tutorials and practicals for each week.
Physiotherapy at Monash is a relatively small cohort, consisting of approximately 120 students. This means that lecture halls are never overcrowded and it is easy to get the attention of a lecturer if you have any pressing questions.
Tutorials
Tutorials consist of about 20 students — a size and environment not dissimilar to high school. Here, content from lectures are addressed in greater depth and students are given the opportunity to work collaboratively with their peers to complete activities and discuss points.
Practicals
At Monash, practicals are held in a mock clinic, where students have access to all the latest equipment and technologies. These classes are even smaller groupings of about 15 and are focussed on applying the content learnt in lectures and tutorials to real-life situations.
How much time do you spend in classes?
Physiotherapy at Monash has a very intensive workload, with the average study week being said to consist of 25-30 hours. This includes lectures, tutorials, practicals and self-directed study.
On top of this, students are expected to complete multiple placements throughout their degree. The university allocates designated periods throughout the semester for the completion of these placements, so that you can focus on getting the most out of the industry experience without distractions.
What are the assessments like?
Major group projects, quizzes, formal exams and practicals constitute the diverse range of assessments used by each unit.
The practical assessments, known as Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCE) are particularly noteworthy here. They involve students being given a surprise patient scenario in which they must respond to by performing a patient assessment and treatment.
These are often performed at the end of each semester, are timed and designed to mimic a real-life clinic environment.
Skills You Refine and Learn
In this course, students develop a wide range of professional and personal skills. In addition to the basic anatomy and physiology knowledge taught, there is also focus placed on developing leadership, time-management, critical thinking and communication skills.
Communicating with clients is an important feature of any physiotherapists’ job. Physiotherapy at Monash places significant emphasis on honing this skill, dedicating numerous classes to teaching effective communication techniques.
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
The teaching staff at Monash for a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) are all highly trained and experienced physiotherapists. They stem from various areas of specialisation, offering the students at Monash a diverse network of mentors.
The faculty is said to be incredibly friendly and supportive, which is a major bonus when completing such long study weeks.
“All of the staff and faculty are super approachable and they’re all very professional — they’re also very quick at responding to emails, which is always good!” — Riya Prerna Ghosh
The culture between students is very similar, with the cohort being described as very welcoming and friendly. The course’s frequent group assessments means that while there does exist a healthy level of competition between peers, there is also a strong sense of camaraderie and support.
Societies
Monash University Physiotherapy Society (MUPS) is the most relevant society for students undertaking this degree. They host various social events throughout the year, from laidback pub crawls and post-exam parties, to networking nights and formal balls.
Interested in the pros and cons of this degree? Check out our article here!
Support Programs and Resources
Monash University has a vast range of support programs and resources available. The Monash University library houses countless medical journals and articles accessible to students in person or online.
In addition to this, the library staff are an excellent resource often used by students to help with assignments and referencing. Monash also provides health and counselling support services, as well as various ones relating to financial aid.
The full list of student support services can be found here!
Jessica Arentz is a Content Writer at Art of Smart and an undergraduate student at the University of Sydney where she studies a Bachelor of Arts/Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) (Marketing). She currently volunteers at 2SER community radio station as a producer and newsroom reader. When not writing, you can find Jess searching the web for cheap flights or spending her days with her head buried deep in a book.
