Physiotherapy and Leadership (pre-registration) MSc

Postgraduate

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By studying for this master’s degree, you could become eligible for registration as a physiotherapist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) in two years.

Year of entry

2025-26

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time

Duration

2 years full-time

Course code

SHCT008

Start date

January 2026

How to apply

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Course overview

As a physiotherapist, you can play a vital role in supporting people to maximise their health, wellbeing and quality of life through movement, exercise, manual therapy and education.

Develop the theoretical understanding and practical skills required to be an effective physiotherapist.
The course prepares you to work safely and efficiently in several practice roles and settings, including the National Health Service (NHS), private practice, sports, specialist education and leadership.
This course is suitable if you have a relevant undergraduate degree and patient-facing experience.
Simulation events and interprofessional learning throughout the course help you develop collaborative, practice-ready skills⁴.
Our strong placement provider links mean you could find yourself practicing in educational and professional transformative learning environments such as acute and community services, and public, private and charitable organisations.^2,5

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

Ranked 9th Modern University in UK by the Times

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

Ranked 8th for Overall Satisfaction in PTES

Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2024

Why you should study this course

Approved by the HCPC and accredited by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), successful graduates of the course will be eligible to apply for registration with the HCPC and for membership of the CSP¹.
Placements meet the total number of hours specified by the CSP and the HCPC, and are sequential, building upon knowledge, skills and behaviours^2,5.
You will have access to industry-standard facilities and simulation events, including mock wards with interactive manikins and community houses. Simulation events and experiences with other healthcare professional learners are delivered throughout the course⁴.
Study one module at a time, with five weeks of learning followed by one week of assessment per module.
All eligible students on this course can apply for a minimum payment from the Government of £5,000 per year, with additional payments for students incurring childcare costs⁶.
Development of leadership skills is embedded throughout the course. You will have the opportunity to plan your professional project based on actual healthcare exposure that you experience during the course^2,5.

Studying in the School of Health and Care

Gain the skills and experience to transform lives, communities and the future of healthcare delivery. We aim to empower you to become a stand-out healthcare professional, capable, competent and confident in your field and role within the wider healthcare team.

While continuously developing your sense of professional identity as a physiotherapist from day one, you'll also collaborate with learners from other School of Health and Care fields, learning in an environment that puts inclusivity, diversity and dignity at its heart.

Accreditation and professional recognition

This course is accredited¹ by the following bodies:

Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

This course is approved by the HCPC for the 2025/2026 intake. On successful completion of the Physiotherapy and Leadership (pre-registration) MSc course, you will be eligible to apply for registration with the HCPC as a physiotherapist (additional costs apply).

As a professional course, a minimum level of 80 per cent attendance is expected in all modules. You must complete a minimum of 1,000 practice placement hours during the course.  

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP)

This course is accredited by the CSP for the 2025/2026 intake. On successful completion of the Physiotherapy and Leadership (pre-registration) MSc course, you will be eligible to apply for membership of CSP (additional costs apply).

You are required to comply with the Code of Conduct of both the HCPC and the CSP throughout the course. As a professional course a minimum level of 80 per cent attendance is expected at all modules.

What you'll study

You will learn the foundations of physiotherapy practice, inclusive of anatomy and physiology, biopsychosocial assessment and management of various pathologies and populations. Alongside this, you will learn how to harness technology and navigate evolving healthcare environments.

We will support you in becoming a safe, professional and inclusive practitioner that provides person-centred care, and learns how to utilise scientific knowledge and evidence to continuously improve yourself and the profession.

Additionally, you will study leadership as a skill that will enable you to communicate with multiple stakeholders to lead, manage and influence future healthcare delivery.

Modules

Becoming a Professional Practitioner – 15 credits

Explore the intersection of professional values, behaviours, and actions within the context of health and social care and evaluate relevant global factors that influence healthcare. You will build upon a strong foundation of personal and academic skills, developing your strategies for continuous improvement with an emphasis on critical thinking and evaluation. The module is designed to cultivate a culture of professionalism, enabling you to recognise and challenge inequality constructs within yourself, your profession, and the broader context of health and social care.

Compulsory

Analysing Human Health and Movement – 15 credits

Understand anatomical knowledge and biomechanics, and develop the ability to analyse human movement. These are essential foundations for effective physiotherapy practice. Develop your palpatory, handling, observational and analytical skills. These skills are essential for applying theory and performing competent movement analysis in clinical practice.

Compulsory

Optimising Health for Improvement – 15 credits

Learn about the normal structure and physiology of tissues and selected body systems. This knowledge will help you understand changes that occur in common pathologies. Learn physiotherapy assessment principles that are essential for providing person-centred care in diverse healthcare contexts. These principles reflect current ethical and cultural considerations within a biopsychosocial framework.

Compulsory

Placement 1: Entering Professional Practice – 15 credits

Consolidate your professional and theoretical knowledge by integrating and applying it in practice. Develop your understanding of treating and communicating with clients while demonstrating the judicious use of current and relevant evidence in making clinical decisions. Develop your personal and professional insight and the ability to constructively reflect on your performance within interprofessional and multicultural health contexts. During the practice element of this module, you will be supported to assume responsibility for patient management and be involved in the whole process from assessment to discharge ^2,5.

Compulsory

Values-based Physiotherapy Practice – 15 credits

Explore integrated and holistic approaches to physiotherapy theory and practice whilst developing clinical reasoning skills and competencies in assessment and intervention. Emphasis will be on the ability to critically appraise principles and apply them to service users in a variety of contexts. An evidence-based approach should allow you to relate theoretical principles to contemporary practice. In preparation for employment, you will be encouraged to identify your own developmental needs and develop strategies to meet these needs across all areas of professional practice. Explore the concept of entrepreneurship within physiotherapy. Module content is built on real-life examples of entrepreneurs who are leading and guiding the profession to work differently, more innovatively and more creatively. You should learn how to apply these principles to change and improve physiotherapy practice.

Compulsory

Placement 2: Developing Professional Practice – 15 credits

The primary aim of this module is to enable you to consolidate your theoretical and practical skills and demonstrate the judicious use of current and relevant evidence in making clinical decisions. You will be supported and guided by the Practice Educators to structure an individual learning experience. You will develop your personal and professional insight and the ability to constructively reflect on your performance within interprofessional and multicultural health contexts^2,5.

Compulsory

Modules

Facilitating Change in Physiotherapy – 15 credits

Develop knowledge and understanding of psychosocial, politico-economic, cultural, and environmental factors that influence individual and community health and wellbeing. You will explore and apply concepts of wellbeing, disability, disease and health inequality. In addition, you will examine key health and social care initiatives to understand the importance of person-centred approaches to wellbeing, prevention, care and support. Module content covers preparing for interviews and entry into the job market.

Compulsory

Evaluating Evidence Within Health and Care – 15 credits

In this module, you will evaluate the evidence base, knowledge, and drivers for practice in health and care. You will explore and debate the context of interdisciplinary and profession-specific evidence-based practice and practice-based evidence. You should develop a deep understanding of the methodologies associated with real-world evidence within health and care. Finally, you should apply this knowledge to construct a rationale for an evidence-based professional project.

Compulsory

Leading for the Future as a Health and Care Professional – 15 credits

Our Health and Care workforce is required to lead the delivery of high-quality care, whilst navigating a complex health and care ecosystem. You will engage in inter-professional learning, drawing upon contemporary theory, practice, and evidence to analyse and reframe your understanding of what accountable leadership means, and critically reflect upon your own experiences. You will apply your understanding of the interrelated themes of leading self, teams, organisations, and systems to develop confident and creative approaches to lead complex sustainable change.

Compulsory

Placement 3: Progressing Towards Independent Practice – 15 credits

In this module, you will consolidate your ability to apply advanced communication skills to integrate reflection and evidence-based assessment and treatment in your professional practice. You will be required to assume increasing responsibility for the effective management of client caseloads including efficient time management and resource allocation. You should make positive contributions to interprofessional team functioning, understand the importance of continuing professional development in maintaining quality and standards of practice, and demonstrate your ability to critically utilise diverse evidence in clinical decision-making in the context of client-centred care^2,5.

Compulsory

The Evidence-based Practitioner: Professional Project – 15 credits

In this module, you will critically reflect on the evidence and apply knowledge, concepts, and research techniques to a professional question or problem. You will make recommendations to improve practice for a range of stakeholders across health and care. You will identify an area of current or emerging practice, design an evidence-based project (for example, audit, evaluation, primary research or systematic review), and implement it using recognised techniques. Where relevant, you can tailor this project to address service or employer priorities.

Compulsory

Placement 4: Developing Autonomous Practice – 15 credits

In this final practice-based learning module, you will be supported to demonstrate an ability to undertake the role of an independent, autonomous and reflective practitioner. You will be expected to efficiently manage a client caseload, consistently demonstrate evidence-based practice, and effectively integrate the professional and interpersonal skills acquired during the course. In addition, you should embrace the critical role of lifelong learning and continuing professional development by practicing to the highest standards and within your scope of practice as a student physiotherapist. You will need to demonstrate a good understanding of practical healthcare. You will also be expected to demonstrate your ability to effectively contribute to collaborative, multidisciplinary contexts and to the effective delivery and development of quality healthcare ^2,5.

Compulsory

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

Teaching and learning methods may include:

lectures
seminars
tutorials
presentations
group projects
workshops
practical laboratory sessions
simulation and use of AI
practice placements^2,5.

Teaching contact hours

As a full-time student on this course, you will study modules totalling 180 credits across two academic years. A typical 30-credit module requires a total of 300 hours of study. Study hours are made up of teaching contact hours, and guided and independent study.

Teaching hours

Teaching hours may vary, depending on where you are in your studies, but on average you will have between 4 and 8 teaching and learning hours each week. You will also have the opportunity to attend optional sessions, including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback.

Practice-based learning

Practice-based learning forms an essential and significant part of your learning experience. Practice hours will differ between placements and different health and care courses. You will have access to university staff, but should expect to spend the majority of your contact time with practice collaborators undertaking placement activity. Overall, the hours you undertake in practice-based learning will need to satisfy the eligibility requirements set by the professional body regulating the profession, the HCPC. A minimum of 1,000 practice-based hours gained from a combination of placement and simulated learning will need to be completed over the course of your degree.

Guided and independent study

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You will be digging deeper into topics, reviewing what you’ve learnt and completing assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress to the end of your studies, you’ll spend more time on independent learning.

Online learning

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which could vary depending on the module. Assessment methods may include:

reports
tests
essays
exams
practical coursework
assignments
viva
presentations
digital patient-facing materials such as podcasts.

The Coventry University assessment strategy aims to ensure that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

An honours degree 2:1 or above (or international equivalent) in a relevant discipline, or an equivalent qualification alongside relevant work experience at a professional level.
Satisfactory health clearance, confirmation of vaccination status and enhanced criminal record disclosure. Please refer to the full requirements in the disclaimer section.⁵
In line with the National Health Service Constitution we use a values-based recruitment approach in seeking candidates with the appropriate values to support effective team working in delivering excellent patient care.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications. Speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

Typical entry requirements

An honours degree 2:1 or above (or international equivalent) in a relevant discipline, or an equivalent qualification alongside relevant work experience at a professional level.
Satisfactory health clearance, confirmation of vaccination status and enhanced criminal record disclosure. Please refer to the full requirements in the disclaimer section.⁵

In line with the National Health Service Constitution we use a values-based recruitment approach in seeking candidates with the appropriate values to support effective team working in delivering excellent patient care.

English language requirements

IELTS: 7.0 overall, with no component lower than 6.5.

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before starting your course.

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

Fees and funding

Student	Full-time	Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man	£9,250 per year	Not available
EU	£9,250 per year with EU Support Bursary £18,600 per year without EU Support Bursary	Not available
International	£18,600 per year	Not available

All eligible students on this course may qualify for a minimum payment from the Government of £5,000 per year, with additional payments for students incurring childcare costs.⁶

For advice and guidance on tuition feesand student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.

How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

You will have access to industry-standard facilities and simulation events, including mock wards with interactive manikins and community houses. Simulation events and experiences with other healthcare professional learners are delivered throughout the course.

You will also be able to experience the future of learning in our VR Cave. This huge simulation screen covers three walls. Using 3D headsets, you can step into realistic, interactive and immersive healthcare scenarios to practice your clinical skills and interact with simulated patients.

People walking in front of a building which has a big library sign

Lanchester Library

The library is usually open 24/7, in term-time. It’s where you can access your course’s specialist Academic Liaison Librarian. It’s also home to specialist teams which can support you with your academic writing and maths and statistics questions.

Glass modern building with a spire in the background

The Hub

The Hub is the centre of student life on campus. Facilities include a food court, convenience store, multi-faith centre, medical centre, hairdresser, coffee shops and the Your SU offices. It has fully licensed function spaces and a bar.

Two people working together with a laptop in front of them

Careers and employability

Get one-on-one career and employability guidance lasting up to 36 months from the end of your course. We’ll help you find placements and graduate roles, offer CV and application checks, mentoring, skills workshops, employer events and more.

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

Careers and opportunities

This course should equip you with the skills and knowledge to become a competent and effective physiotherapist with leadership capabilities. You should develop the confidence to solve problems and influence healthcare delivery and innovative practice.

Where our graduates work

Successful graduates of this course have gone on to work for companies including:

the NHS
private practice
sports clubs.

Some students have used their qualifications to work overseas in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

How to apply

UK students

To apply to study for a postgraduate course at Coventry University, you can apply online. Please read the entry criteria page before applying.

Full-time applications

For further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.

+44 (0)24 7765 2222

ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Complete our contact form.

International students

Full-time international students should apply directly to the university. Please read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.

How to apply

For further support for international applicants applying for postgraduate degrees view our International hub.

You can also download our international mini guide for an overview of study options and why you should study with us.

Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.

+44 (0)24 7765 2152

applications.io@coventry.ac.uk

Complete our contact form.

Disclaimers

Coventry University together with Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough, and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the University) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

¹Accreditations

The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

²UK and international opportunities

Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or international opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be unpaid and/or subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

³Tuition fees

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

⁴Facilities

⁵Placements

Satisfactory health clearance and enhanced criminal record disclosure is also required. As part of the health clearance checks, you will be required to provide information about your immunity and vaccination status. The information you provide will be used to determine your eligibility to go on placement(s). Placements are provided at the placement provider’s discretion. The University is, therefore, unable to guarantee the provision of placements or the location and type of placement offered.

⁶NHS payment

The rules may be subject to review by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in the future and as a result may change. Please, therefore, check the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) website for up-to-date information before applying.

Student Contract

By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the current 2024/2025 contract is available on the website for information purposes however the 2025/2026 contract will apply for the 2025/2026 intake. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.