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Doctor of Physiotherapy

Program overview

Bond University’s innovative approach to physiotherapy education ensures you are work-ready, competent, and confident to practice in a wide range of settings including hospitals, community clinics and private practices. 

Bond’s Doctor of Physiotherapy program is renowned for its unique blend of problem-based scientific learning, practical application, and more clinical hours than any other physiotherapy degree in Australia! 

You will graduate equipped with the fundamental physiotherapy knowledge, critical skills, and professional behaviours and attitudes required to examine, diagnose, and treat clients across the lifespan by learning from an integrated curriculum of clinical and related basic sciences. 

Immerse yourself in clinical experiential learning, with clinical placements included in the core subject listing, and a further internship offered as an elective. Placements are sought in a variety of settings across the full spectrum of clinical areas including orthopaedics, cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, neurological, ortho-geriatric, rehabilitation, chronic disease, disability, occupational, and sports practice. 

Your classes will primarily be delivered at the Bond Institute of Health and Sport, where you will have access to advanced facilities and equipment. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to undertake innovative and clinical research projects.

Program code: CC-63034

CRICOS code: 111801K

Program overview

Bond University’s innovative approach to physiotherapy education ensures you are work-ready, competent, and confident to practice in a wide range of settings including hospitals, community clinics and private practices. 

Bond’s Doctor of Physiotherapy program is renowned for its unique blend of problem-based scientific learning, practical application, and more clinical hours than any other physiotherapy degree in Australia! 

You will graduate equipped with the fundamental physiotherapy knowledge, critical skills, and professional behaviours and attitudes required to examine, diagnose, and treat clients across the lifespan by learning from an integrated curriculum of clinical and related basic sciences. 

Immerse yourself in clinical experiential learning, with clinical placements included in the core subject listing, and a further internship offered as an elective. Placements are sought in a variety of settings across the full spectrum of clinical areas including orthopaedics, cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, neurological, ortho-geriatric, rehabilitation, chronic disease, disability, occupational, and sports practice. 

Your classes will primarily be delivered at the Bond Institute of Health and Sport, where you will have access to advanced facilities and equipment. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to undertake innovative and clinical research projects.

Program code: CC-63034

CRICOS code: 111801K

More clinical hours than any other physiotherapy degree in Australia

About this program

The Doctor of Physiotherapy program offers an innovative problem- and case-based learning model of physiotherapy education to prepare entry-level physiotherapists for their roles and responsibilities as first-contact practitioners. The program integrates the clinical, pathological, and related basic sciences with the physiotherapy knowledge, skills, and professional behaviours and attitudes required to examine, diagnose and treat physiotherapy clients. The Doctor of Physiotherapy assists students to progressively develop and apply their knowledge, skills, and professional attitudes and behaviours to undertake physiotherapy practice and places a strong emphasis on clinical experiential learning with up to 1400 hours of learning in a clinical environment. Clinical practice experiences are designed to produce work-ready, entry-level graduates who are competent to practice across the lifespan in a range of environments and settings.

Variable experiences across the lifespan are sought in a range of clinical settings. These will include acute care (such as general cardiorespiratory and orthopaedics), inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation, and musculoskeletal outpatients (such as hospital outpatients or private practice). Students may also have the opportunity to experience a diverse clinical setting in line with their interests, such as paediatrics, women’s/men’s health, specialist acute care services, sports, and rural, remote, or international placements, dependent on placement availability. 

 

Program features

  • Learn by doing

    Gain up to 1400 hours of hands-on, patient experience in the full spectrum of clinical settings. Before working with actual patients, you will get to practise your skills in a simulated environment enabling you to combine the theory learned in class with realistic execution.

  • World class facilities

    During relevant clinical placements, teaching sessions and research projects, you will have access to advanced testing, training, and recovery technologies in a suite of health science and sports research laboratories at the Bond Institute of Health and Sport. You will also get to work with a variety of clinical and athletic populations in the institute’s testing and training facilities.

  • Fast-track your way there

    Complete the full educational pathway to qualify as a physiotherapist in just 4 years of study. You can complete Bond’s Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science or the Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Performance, in two years followed by the Doctor of Physiotherapy for another two years. As such, this is the fastest pathway to a career in physiotherapy with the highest level of physiotherapy graduate entry qualification possible in Australia.

  • Pathway into Medicine

    If you are interested in pursuing a medical career, high-achieving graduates of the Doctor of Physiotherapy program are eligible to apply for entry into Year 2 of the Bond Medical Program (lateral entry pathway).

    Watch the Lateral Entry Information video.

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Hear from our Bondies

  • Since leaving the US Air Force in 2014, I have been committed to improving the health and wellbeing of tactical personnel. Through the Doctor of the Physiotherapy program, the Tactical Research Unit (TRU) has provided me the means to do exactly that. The excellent mentoring and extensive work both clinical and research-based has put me on track to pursue a Ph.D. in the field and make meaningful impacts on tactical personnel training and managing injuries. 

    Colin Tomes - Doctor of Physiotherapy Alumnus
  • I enjoyed the content and was constantly intellectually stimulated. The program enabled me to develop a referral network in Australia and globally as Bond facilitated in my international registration so I could work in the UK. Head of the Physiotherapy Program, Professor Wayne Hing, provided me with a number of contacts within the industry, which ultimately helped me secure a job in London.  

    Jared Powell - Doctor of Physiotherapy Alumnus
  • I cannot speak highly enough about the amazing clinical experiences, the peer-to-peer learning environment, and the staff facilitation and support. The opportunities to travel throughout Australia and Solomon Islands has been such a unique and diverse experience, which I believe has prepared me for my future as a Physiotherapist. I am grateful for the friendships I have gained within our cohort. It has truly been an overall ‘beyond’ experience, and one of the best decisions I have ever made. 

    Lisa Hicklen - Doctor of Physiotherapy Alumna
  • Some of the unique characteristics that we have here at Bond are the strong relationships between our academics and students due to the smaller cohort numbers that we take in every year; our open-door policy; and the passion and the interest that our academics have for teaching. We also have the highest placement hours here in Australia which makes our students work-ready upon graduation.  

    Natalie Rando - Assistant Professor
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Inherent requirements

Inherent requirements are the essential abilities, knowledge and skills required to successfully complete the program. Learn more about the inherent requirements and make an informed decision about your capacity to undertake the program.

LEARN MORE

Hear from our Bondies

  • Since leaving the US Air Force in 2014, I have been committed to improving the health and wellbeing of tactical personnel. Through the Doctor of the Physiotherapy program, the Tactical Research Unit (TRU) has provided me the means to do exactly that. The excellent mentoring and extensive work both clinical and research-based has put me on track to pursue a Ph.D. in the field and make meaningful impacts on tactical personnel training and managing injuries. 

    Colin Tomes - Doctor of Physiotherapy Alumnus
  • I enjoyed the content and was constantly intellectually stimulated. The program enabled me to develop a referral network in Australia and globally as Bond facilitated in my international registration so I could work in the UK. Head of the Physiotherapy Program, Professor Wayne Hing, provided me with a number of contacts within the industry, which ultimately helped me secure a job in London.  

    Jared Powell - Doctor of Physiotherapy Alumnus
  • I cannot speak highly enough about the amazing clinical experiences, the peer-to-peer learning environment, and the staff facilitation and support. The opportunities to travel throughout Australia and Solomon Islands has been such a unique and diverse experience, which I believe has prepared me for my future as a Physiotherapist. I am grateful for the friendships I have gained within our cohort. It has truly been an overall ‘beyond’ experience, and one of the best decisions I have ever made. 

    Lisa Hicklen - Doctor of Physiotherapy Alumna
  • Some of the unique characteristics that we have here at Bond are the strong relationships between our academics and students due to the smaller cohort numbers that we take in every year; our open-door policy; and the passion and the interest that our academics have for teaching. We also have the highest placement hours here in Australia which makes our students work-ready upon graduation.  

    Natalie Rando - Assistant Professor
PreviousNext

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