Physiotherapy (Pre-Registration) MSc

By setting the core physiotherapy skills into practical situations, you will develop into a practitioner who is primarily focused on your clients. You will apply and analyse contemporary practice, while using evidence to determine the effectiveness of physiotherapeutic techniques. This will help you to recognise and solve clinical problems and improve service user outcomes.

You will consider the role of different professions and how they work alongside physiotherapists. You will do this through case scenarios, case discussion and visiting speakers from a variety of different clinical environments. Some of the things you will study include:

• Human Anatomy and Physiology
• Professionalism in Healthcare
• Musculoskeletal Conditions
• Neurological Conditions
• Cardiovascular Respiratory Conditions
• Normal Development & Paediatrics

We will encourage you to problem solve and discuss case scenarios with your fellow physiotherapy students. This is a model that follows current best practices within health and social care settings. Through this course you will learn leadership skills and engage in service development projects. While studying, you will learn to adapt to the changing needs of service users and changing health and social care provision.

Other opportunities for inter-professional learning are on offer throughout the 1000 professional practice placement hours. You will work alongside and shadow other health professionals. You will explore how services and professions work together to meet the needs of service users.

How you will study

The course will take 2 years to complete full time. You will study 7 modules across both years. 

The course will take 4 years to complete part time. 7 modules will be spread across all 4 years, 

You can find out which modules are available in each semester in the Course Specifications.

The amount of time you will spend at University each week will depend on the module you are currently studying.  

You placements are all undertaken full time (5 days a week) and are in the local Yorkshire, Humber and North Lincolnshire region.

Modules

Teaching and learning

The course learning outcomes are considered in the following three categories:

• Cognitive skills
• Disciplinary and professional skills
• Transferable skills

You will study using a blended learning approach, combining face to face and online learning. It is an inclusive approach, suitable if you have different learning needs, have caring roles and responsibilities, part time employment, or if you need to travel long distances from home to university.

The aim is to timetable set days for the MSc programme to enable you to work around other commitments, you can expect to be in university 3-4 days per week.'

Our teaching draws on both our research and professional experience. This means your learning is informed by the most current thinking in the subject area. You can find out more about our research and backgrounds by visiting our staff pages.

Assessment

Our assessment strategy has been designed to encourage you to think critically and creatively. We will challenge you to develop new concepts and thoughts on contemporary physiotherapy practice. You will be able to demonstrate your ability to problem solve, clinically reason, utilise evidence to formulate treatment plans, deliver presentations, and write reports.

You will be assessed using:

• Written work
• Oral presentations
• Poster presentations
• Portfolios
• Vivas (an academic discussion between the students and one or more members of academic staff)
• Practical demonstrations
• Practical placement assessment

Qualifications

If you have a 2:2 degree in a related subject, or a BA honours degree, your application may be still be considered. In this situation you will need to evidence significant academic or professional experience which is judged to be suitable by York St John University. 

Related subjects may include Human Biology, Behavioural Science, Sports Science or another health-related degree. You must have completed the foundation sciences, including human anatomy and physiology or psychology. 

Additional requirements

Admission to the course is dependent upon your completion of the following selection processes:

• Satisfactory DBS
• Satisfactory medical health questionnaire
• Insight into the physiotherapy profession
• Evidence of study within the last 3 years
• Vaccinations are required in order to access the full range of placements with our clinical partners

Interview

You will need to attend an interview for this course.

International students

If you are an international student you will need to show that your qualifications match our entry requirements.

Information about international qualifications and entry requirements can be found on our International pages.

If your first language is not English you should have IELTS at grade 7 (with no component lower than a 6.5) or another acceptable English language qualification.

International entry requirements

APEL

If you can't meet these minimum requirements it may be possible to take into account evidence of Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) as an alternative method of meeting the programme’s entry requirements. In such a case, appropriate references and records of employment might be presented to support the applicant’s case for admission.

UK 2025 to 2026 entry

The tuition fee for this postgraduate course in the 2025 to 2026 academic year is £9,535 for full time study.

This cost applies to all UK, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man students.

Funding your studies

If you live in England, you can use the same student loans system as undergraduate students to pay for this course. You are only eligible for this if you are studying full time.

When applying for funding, you will need to:

• Apply as an undergraduate student
• Find your course by searching MSc Physiotherapy (Pre-Reg), SLC code 921440 when making your finance application
• For applicants in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland please contact us to request a different SLC course code

If you live in Wales or Scotland, you will need to apply for a Postgraduate Master's Loan using the postgraduate funding opportunities link below.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

International 2025 to 2026 entry

The tuition fee for this postgraduate course in the 2025 to 2026 academic year is £18,400 for full time study.

These costs apply to all students living outside the UK.

Due to immigration laws, if you are an international student on a student visa, you must study full time. For more information about visa requirements and short-term study visas, please visit the International Visa and Immigration pages.

Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

International Fees and Funding

Tuition fees

NHS Learning Support Fund

If you apply for this course, you might be eligible for additional financial support from the NHS. Visit their website to find out more about eligibility criteria and what you can receive.

Learning Support Fund

Additional costs and financial support

Course-related costs

While studying for your degree, there may be additional costs related to your course. This may include purchasing personal equipment and stationery, books and optional field trips.

Accommodation and living costs

View our accommodation pages for detailed information on accommodation and living costs.

Where could Physiotherapy (Pre-Registration) take you?

On this course, you will develop the skills, abilities and competencies to become a qualified and registered physiotherapist. Your clinical abilities and knowledge of NHS standards will be applicable in many healthcare settings. You may wish to further and refine your knowledge by gaining professional experience, then returning into academic study to become an advanced practitioner.

Alumni stories

Visit our YSJ Snapshots blog to see what our past students from across the University have done with their York St John degrees.

Stand out from the crowd with postgraduate study.

Far fewer people have postgraduate degrees than undergraduate qualifications. This gives you something extra to set yourself apart in a competitive graduate job market.

Our careers service, LaunchPad, provides career support tailored to your ambitions. Through this service you can access:

• Employer events
• LinkedIn, CV and cover letter sessions
• Workshops on application writing and interview skills
• Work experience and volunteering opportunities
• Personalised career advice

This support does not end when you graduate. You can access our expert career advice for the rest of your life. We will help you gain the experience and confidence you need to succeed.