Physiotherapy and Leadership (pre-registration) MSc
Study level: Postgraduate
This Physiotherapy and Leadership (pre-registration) MSc programme aims to develop you into an innovative and effective physiotherapist who has the skills of problem solving, enterprise, resourcefulness and leadership to respond to the changing needs of future healthcare.
Year of entry
Location
Coventry University (Coventry)
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
2 years full-time
Course code
HLST242
Start date
January 2024
Course overview
The course is designed for people with a relevant previous degree and patient-facing experience.
- You will develop the theoretical understanding and practical skills required to be an effective physiotherapist.
- Your learning experience will help you to adopt the professional values and behaviours expected of you in the role; working respectfully within a multidisciplinary team, providing healthcare underpinned by current evidence and placing the clients in the centre of the therapeutic process.
- Simulation events are delivered throughout the course and inter-professional education is interwoven throughout the course to allow you to develop an understanding of integrated working and learning which is essential to becoming a collaborative, practice ready healthcare professional.
- All eligible home 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.

Joint Top Modern University for Career Prospects
Guardian University Guide 2021 and 2022
5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities
QS Stars University Ratings
Top 5 UK Student City (Coventry)
QS Best Student Cities Index 2023Why you should study this course
- It is acknowledged that working as an allied health professional requires emotional intelligence, resilience and a dedication to lifelong learning. Throughout the course you will be supported in your personal and professional development in order to meet these demands; allowing you to develop strategies to protect your own personal health and wellbeing as well as identify opportunities to flourish in your career.
- This course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and accredited by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP)1. Upon graduation, you will be eligible to apply for membership of CSP and registration with the HCPC (additional costs apply).
- The course is delivered using state-of-the-art facilities4, including mock wards with interactive manikins, a high dependency unit, a strength and conditioning suite and gym, and community houses. These facilities allow the use of active teaching approaches including immersive high-fidelity simulation exercises which contextualise your learning. These simulation events allow you to develop an understanding of integrated working and learning. By recording these learning experiences in an e-portfolio, you create a foundation for a professional lifelong learning commitment, fulfilling the requirements of the Health and Care Professions Council, with the aim of enhancing your employability upon graduation.
- We employ service users and carers to facilitate collaborative working with our service users as co-creators for course development and delivery. This provides you with an insight into the patient, service user and carer experience.
- Our strong collaboration with placement providers enables you to practice in a diverse range of environments such as acute and community services, and public, private and charitable organisations. Placements exceed the total number of hours specified by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and are sequential, building upon knowledge, skills and behaviours, culminating with a final placement where you complete a project to identify improvements to existing services.
- The course aims to elevate your existing understanding of research to apply evidence-based practice to clinical decision making. In addition to this, the Chartered Management Institute module in Leading Diverse Workforces aims to enhance your contribution to improving the quality of the services you and others provide.
- Coventry University has a long-standing history in providing outstanding physiotherapy education, both at an undergraduate and postgraduate level. We aim to constantly review our courses to reflect the latest knowledge and practice in the field and to produce innovative and creative physiotherapy leaders of the future.
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 2023/2024 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).
You are required to comply with the Code of Conduct of both the HCPC and CSP throughout the course. As a professional course a minimum level of 80% attendance is expected at all modules.

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP)
This course is accredited by the CSP for the 2023/2024 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 CSP throughout the course. As a professional course a minimum level of 80% attendance is expected at all modules.

Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
As part of this course, you will undertake a professional development module which is currently accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) for the 2023/2024 intake. Upon successful completion of this module, you will gain the CMI Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice at no additional cost. Further details can be found under the modules and on the Professional Development module homepage.
Coventry University’s accreditation with CMI is currently ongoing for the relevant modules and is regularly reviewed and monitored by the CMI through their quality systems.
What you'll study
How you'll learn
This course is taught utilising a variety of methods including the use of simulation, role play, and service users. You will have a mixture of lectures, workshops and practical sessions and a problem-based learning approach is taken to enhance your understanding. You may also have the opportunity to participate in interprofessional events with other healthcare students.
In a typical week you will have between 10-23 hours per week in university, depending on the semester. When on placement you will work 8 hours per day in your placement setting.
Additionally, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study of approximately 15-20 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.
The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.
As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2023/2024 academic year to be delivered in a variety of forms. The form of delivery will be determined in accordance with Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
Assessment
This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.
Assessment methods include:
- Written coursework
- Practical viva exams
- Posters and leaflets
- Presentations
- Interviews
- Dissertation
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.
International experience opportunities
You may have the opportunity4 to work with students at another university overseas as Collaborative Online International Learning opportunities are embedded into the course.
Entry requirements
Typical offer for 2023/24 entry.
Fees and funding
2023/24 tuition fees.
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 |
For advice and guidance on tuition fees3 and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page.
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 optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
- 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.
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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 government's 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
Our aim is to offer you sector-leading facilities4

Clinical Skills Labs
You will have access to clinical skills labs, with the opportunity to use state-of-the-art equipment including gait assessment lab, assessment tools and simulation models.

Mock Operating Theatre
Our Alison Gingell building includes a full-size mock operating theatre, containing scrub sinks and theatre lights. We also have a mock hospital ward so that we can study a complete patient pathway.

Hospital Wards
We have two fully-equipped mock hospital wards, each containing 4 beds. The wards are built to NHS standards and contain moveable beds, first aid equipment and patient monitoring tools.
Careers and opportunities
This course aims to produce competent and effective physiotherapists with leadership capabilities who are confident problem solvers and future leaders with the skills to influence healthcare delivery and innovative practice. It is designed to meet the academic, clinical and personal requirements of the HCPC and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
On successful completion of the course you will be able to:
- Demonstrate the application of knowledge, skills and behaviours that reflect the HCPC and CSP attributes for a physiotherapist
- Critically apply physiotherapy principles in the prevention and management of illness and maintenance of health
- Deliver and evaluate effective person-centred care in a variety of contexts for people across the lifespan including those with complex needs
- Be an innovative and creative practitioner who critically engages with evolving technological, social and political landscapes
- Examine and enhance your leadership capabilities to enable you to continually improve and influence service development
- Critically evaluate the principles for leading and developing people and equality, diversity and inclusion at a strategic level
- Critically appraise intercultural competencies at a national and international level, to practice as an autonomous health care professional, and to be able to appraise your own intercultural development in order to enhance your lifelong learning
- Appraise and create research as evidence-informed practitioners within the context of health and social care
- Apply collaborative capabilities that promote integrated learning and working, within public, private, and third sector organisations, for the health and wellbeing of people in our community
- Manage your own personal health and wellbeing and have insight and self-awareness of when and how to access support, as emotionally intelligent and resilient individuals.
Where our graduates work
Physiotherapy graduates from Coventry University work in a range of settings including the NHS, private practice and sports clubs at both grassroots and professional level. Some students use their qualifications to work overseas in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
How to apply
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UK students
To apply to study for a postgraduate course at Coventry University, you can apply online.
For further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.
Chat with our admissions team
Complete our contact form.
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International students
Full-time international students applying to start in September should apply directly to the university. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.
How to applyFor further support for international applicants applying for postgraduate degree view our International hub.
You can also download our International guide which contains lots of useful information about our courses, accommodation and tips for travel.
Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.
Chat with our admissions team.
Complete our contact form.
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Disclaimers
Coventry University together with Coventry University London Campus, 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 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 COVID and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the 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
Due to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.
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. You will also be required to provide information about your COVID-19 vaccination status. We therefore recommend that you are fully vaccinated including the COVID-19 vaccine. 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 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 2023/24 contract can be found here. 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.
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