Overview
In the fourth or final year, you will be based at one of the School's clinical centres in Dunedin, Christchurch, or Wellington.
You will spend the majority of the year carrying out supervised clinical practice in a variety of rotations around the city, as well as in other towns and cities in the surrounding province. It may also be possible for you to pursue an overseas clinical rotation.
The fourth-year programme explores all major fields of physiotherapy through supervised clinical practice, so that you are well prepared to make decisions about your future career.
You may also have an opportunity to undertake a research project.
Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPhty) fourth-year papers
Most students undertake a course of five compulsory fourth-year papers, enabling them to graduate with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPhty). These papers total 120 points, and represent a full-time course load.
The BPhty fourth-year papers are:
- PHTY 455 Physiotherapy Clinical Practice 3
- PHTY 456 Physiotherapy Clinical Practice 4
- PHTY 457 Physiotherapy Clinical Practice 5
- PHTY 458 Physiotherapy Clinical Practice 6
- PHTY 459 Research for Physiotherapy
Bachelor of Physiotherapy with Honours (BPhty(Hons)) fourth-year papers
If you excel in third year studies you are invited to enrol in the Bachelor of Physiotherapy Honours (BPhty (Hons)) programme, rather than the standard Bachelor's programme. To be considered for the honours programme, you must have passed all third-year BPhty papers with an average grade of at least A-.
The BPhty (Hons) qualification enables direct entry to a research career.
There are two compulsory BPhty (Hons) papers, totalling 120 points and representing a full-time course load:
Honours student profile
Ciaran Mahood
Honours student Ciaran Mahood tells us that one big challenge of higher level study in physiotherapy was - getting started.
Because the achievement of physiotherapy Honours seemed a distant end goal, he made an early decision to break his studies down into a series of smaller and more manageable component parts.
Read about Ciaran's research work with evidence-based practice
Summer student scholarships
Divisional Health Science Scholarships involve a programmed ten-week research project over the summer break. Email us for up to date information at physiotherapy@otago.ac.nz