Department of Physiotherapy

Introduction

Physiotherapy as an area of knowledge comprises knowledge and study of human beings, their movements and functioning. The scientific basis of physiotherapy is health science, the natural sciences, the study of movement, the social sciences and the humanities. The study of movement is used to describe a field of knowledge that combines the sciences and humanities with a special focus on motor development, learning and control. All areas of science are incorporated into physiotherapy practice and provide a number of dialectic perspectives for consideration of the phenomenon of “movement”. Movement is interpreted as the mutual influence of a number of inseparable phenomena on the cellular, anatomical, physiological, psychological, and social levels.

The academic skills taught in the physiotherapy degree programme are based on theoretical knowledge, examination and treatment-related skills as well as clinical skills combined with knowledge of science, social science and humanities subjects. On that basis, the student becomes able to select and apply different methods of symptom analysis, treatment and evaluation of outcomes. The theoretical instruction and the clinical training in examination and treatment aim at promoting and supporting the student’s development of this combination of knowledge, skills and competences.
Through the education, students must learn to target physiotherapy to all people in all ages, both individuals and groups. The direct contact with people is thus an important characteristic in physiotherapy interventions demanding development of the student’s personal qualifications during the education.

International strategy

We have an inernational strategy which highlights student and staff mobility and cooperation with curriculum and research.

Exchange is driven by your own ideas, initiative and commitment supplemented with counseling. We receive exchange students in the spring and autum, primarily in clinical practice.

We suggest you have completed the first two or three semesters of your education before you come to the physiotherapy education in Aalborg as an exchange student. At this point you will have acquired the knowledge and professional identity needed in your home country which you will use as a basis for studying in Denmark.

Organisation of education

The physiotherapy education has 16 lecturers employed and have 440 students. The education is in the process of implementing curriculum 2008.

The 210 ECTS credits in the degree programmes are made up of 168 ECTS credits for theoretical instruction and 42 ECTS credits for clinical training.

The students meet different study methods during the 3.5 years of study: lectures, demonstrations, groupwork, projects, supervision, learning portfolio, and learning-lab activities.

Curriculum
Starting from September 2008 the education has a study programme divided in 14 modules with different themes and topics. For further information on this curriculum, please follow the link to the right.

The theoretical part is 168 ECTS, the clinical part is 42 ECTS, the elective part is 10 ECTS and the bachelor project is 20 ECTS.
The different topics in the 14 modules are:
1. Physiotherapy: subject, profession and studies 
2. Touch, communication and manual tissue work 
3. Identification and analysis of movement and activity 
4. Physical activity in healthcare and rehabilitation 
5. Multidisciplinary module Multidisciplinary profession 
6. Examination, diagnostics and differential diagnostics 
7. Symptom analysis and treatment 
8.Examination and treatment of strain injuries and degenerative conditions 
9.Clinical reasoning and decision making 
10. Society, healthcare and prevention 
11. Quality assurance in the physiotherapy profession through clinical reasoning and treatment 
12. Self-employed physiotherapists 
13. Elective module 
14. Documentation and development

Facts