1. Handbook
  2. Bachelor of Biomedicine (Degree with Honours)
  3. Informal Specialisation
  4. Physiotherapy Science
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Physiotherapy Science

Bachelor of Biomedicine (Degree with Honours)Informal specialisationYear: 2026

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Overview

The Department of Physiotherapy Honours program is designed to offer research projects for students who seek to gain experience in clinical physiotherapy science.  The Department of Physiotherapy offers substantial research expertise in a wide range of fields that provide project opportunities, including acute cardiorespiratory rehabilitation, exercise oncology, neurological rehabilitation, musculoskeletal, sports and exercise and paediatrics.

The projects offered are from leading clinician/scientist/researchers, and the research teams have established national or international profiles with outstanding track records of exceptional mentorship and supervision.

The research project is complemented by a series of seminars and workshops that focus on physiotherapy research. All of the projects offer the opportunity of progression to higher degrees including a Masters or PhD. This one-year program also provides an excellent foundation for graduates wishing to pursue physiotherapy or other health professional studies.

The course starts in February, ends in November, and is only available full-time.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of the specialisation, students should be able to

  • Locate, utilise and synthesise information available in scientific and physiotherapy literature and ensure an understanding of experimental data in order to construct a rational scientific argument
  • Identify pertinent clinical questions and design experiments to address these question (s)
  • Conduct research, including selection and implementation of experimental models and methods, data collection methods, and statistical analysis methods
  • Communicate scientific questions, theories and research findings effectively to various audiences
  • Apply principles of intellectual integrity and the ethics of scholarship, including identifying and following the principles of ethical conduct of research in human clinical research
  • Demonstrate proficiency in time management for completion of scientific tasks against set deadlines
  • Work effectively independently, and collaboratively under supervision within a research team from diverse backgrounds.

Last updated: 19 November 2025

Structure

100 credit points

The Honours program consists of 100 credit points completed over 12 months full time comprising of two (2) Advanced Coursework subjects and a Research Project.

To be awarded Honours with a specialisation in Physiotherapy Science, students must successfully complete the following:

Coursework Component:
Students must complete 25 credit points of advanced coursework subjects. This is achieved by enrolling in the following subjects in the appropriate semesters.

Research Component:
Students must complete a total of 75 credit points of research across the duration of the Honours program. This is achieved by enrolling in a combination of the following subjects in the appropriate semesters.

Subject Options

Code Name Study period Credit Points
BIOM40001 Introduction To Biomedical Research
March (On Campus - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
PHTY40012 Physiotherapy Research in Practice
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
PHTY40013 Physiotherapy Science Research Project 1
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville)
 25
PHTY40014 Physiotherapy Science Research Project 2
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 50
 

Last updated: 19 November 2025