Medicine and healthcare
Physiotherapy
BSc approved for HCPC registration
Overview
Physiotherapy is about restoring movement and managing pain after injury, illness or disability. You study anatomy and exercise science in detail, then learn hands-on assessment and rehabilitation on placements in hospitals, clinics and the community. A sports science degree can be relevant later, but it does not by itself register you as a physiotherapist. People choose physiotherapy because the results are practical and visible, and because the work spans elite sport, older people's care and intensive care. Students who enjoy it like anatomy, explaining exercises clearly, and adapting a plan when a patient cannot do what the textbook suggests.
You want to qualify as a physiotherapist.
Sports coaching, fitness instruction and medicine are different roles.
People who like anatomy, practical problem-solving and encouraging patients.
What you will study
Universities do not teach the same modules. The lists below are a general shape, not a syllabus.
Year 1
- Anatomy
- Movement science
- Professional practice
Later years
- Musculoskeletal, neurological and cardiorespiratory practice
- Placements
- Research
Skills
Useful before you start
- Biology
- Clear instruction
- Physical confidence in practical classes
Developed during the degree
- Assessment
- Exercise prescription
- Hands-on treatment
- Clinical reasoning
Teaching and assessment
Teaching often includes Lectures, Practical skills classes, Placements.
Assessment often includes Exams, Practical exams, Placement assessments.
Typical weekly commitment
Estimate. Placement blocks replace much of the campus timetable.
Entry requirements
Indicative patterns from published UK admissions information. Not an offer. Actual requirements vary by course, university and year. Pearson Edexcel International A Level and Cambridge International A Level are not treated as the same qualification as GCE A level.
Indicative requirements by qualification
The A-level band is the catalogue reference. IB and American lines come from the named university guides under the table. They are not a conversion every university uses, and they are not an offer.
| Qualification | Indicative requirements |
|---|---|
| A Levels | BBB–ABB. Many courses ask for a science or PE. The exact subject is not the same everywhere. |
| IB Diploma | UCL publishes 34 points for ABB. The other end of this band is not in that table. A required A-level subject must be Higher Level in UCL's rule. Each Higher Level subject in that table is at least 5. UCL equates A* to 7, A to 6 and B to 5. This is one university's table. |
| American curriculum | That Manchester guide gives AP 5, 4, 4 for ABB. The other end of this band is not in the guide. Bristol publishes a GPA of 3.2, or 3.4 for competitive courses, and does not use one AP pattern for every degree. |
- University College London: Undergraduate entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, School of Social Sciences: Americas country guide. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Manchester, Civil Engineering: USA country entry requirements. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
- University of Bristol: USA international qualifications. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Not a universal rule.
A-level subjects
Many courses ask for a science or PE. The exact subject is not the same everywhere.
Often recommended: Biology.
Useful preparation: Physical Education, Psychology.
GCSE and IGCSE
Many healthcare courses expect English language and mathematics, and often sciences, at GCSE or IGCSE. Grade thresholds differ. No single grade is stored as a national rule. International GCSEs are not automatically treated as GCSEs by every university.
Indicative only. Look for HCPC approval, not only the course title.
Other ways in
- A postgraduate route exists for graduates of related degrees. It is not the school-leaver route.
Admissions tests and extra requirements
No admissions test is stored as usual for this course. A university can still set one for a particular year.
Course costs
For many standard full-time courses in England, the home-fee maximum in 2026 to 2027 is Up to £9,790. This is the maximum standard full-time fee published for approved English providers with a TEF award and an access and participation plan. It is not the fee a named university charges, and it does not decide whether you pay home or international fees.
Clinical, laboratory and studio courses are not given a different home-fee figure here, because the regulated maximum is not the same thing as an international or clinical fee.
International tuition is set by each university and is not stored here. Clinical courses are often much higher than classroom-based courses. A school in Qatar does not decide home-fee status.
Source: Changes to tuition fees: 2026 to 2027 academic year. Retrieved 2026-10-14. Living costs, field trips and professional fees are not included.
Where you could study
UK degrees in this subject are numerous. This page does not list every university, because a list without a checked entry requirement would look more certain than it is.
No individual UK course page is stored yet for this subject. Use the university site.
No overseas course has been checked for this subject yet.
Where could this degree take you?
Physiotherapist
Direct qualifying route
An approved physiotherapy degree is the registration route.
Sports coach
Related, but not enough on its own
Coaching is a different qualification. Physiotherapy can be a later special interest, not the coaching licence.
Fitness instructor
Related, but not enough on its own
Fitness instruction does not require this degree.
Explore your pathway
A course sits between school subjects and a career. It does not guarantee either admission or a job.