Programplaner og emneplaner - Student

EPN-V2

Programme name, Norwegian: Bachelorstudium i fysioterapi

Valid from: 2025 FALL

ECTS credits: 180 ECTS credits

Duration: 6 semesters

Schedule: Here you can find an example schedule for first year students.

Programme history

Introduction

The Bachelor’s Programme in Physiotherapy is a three-year programme of professional study (180 credits). Students who complete the programme are awarded the degree of Bachelor in Physiotherapy, which forms the basis for one year’s practical training. After completing the programme and one year’s approved practical training, candidates can apply for authorisation as a physiotherapist pursuant to the Act relating to Health Personnel.

The programme description has been drawn up on the basis of the National Regulations relating to a Common Curriculum for Health and Social Care Education and the Regulations on national guidelines for physiotherapy education adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research. The programme was established under the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges and the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

The goal of physiotherapy is to improve the prerequisites for functioning, health, coping and self-realisation. Physiotherapists can contribute by building a foundation for physical learning and movement, and by affecting specific conditions of importance to an individual’s activity and participation.

Physiotherapy is both a field of knowledge and a profession. Physiotherapy provides knowledge about physical, psychological, social and existential dimensions of the human being, and the body, movement, functioning and interaction with surroundings lie at the heart of the field of knowledge. The theoretical foundation comprises knowledge from natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities.

Physiotherapists come into contact with people of all ages, with different diseases, injuries and levels of functioning, and from different social and cultural backgrounds. Physiotherapists have a duty to safeguard everyone’s right to equitable services.

Physiotherapy is practised via person-centred and evidence-based, reflective processes that include examination, assessment, clinical diagnostics, goal setting, measures and evaluation. Physiotherapy measures include manual techniques, exercises and guidance, as well as adaptation and adjustments in the user’s environment. Physiotherapists work with individuals and groups and at the cross-sector system level. The profession contributes to interprofessional cooperation and shares the responsibility for ensuring that habilitation and rehabilitation processes meet the user’s need for coordinated and comprehensive services.

The physiotherapy programme at OsloMet is based on the university’s values. Diversity and equality are fundamental values in the practice of physiotherapy in a diverse population. The programme therefore facilitates learning experiences that provide an understanding of individuals with unique life experiences, in all phases of life, and who live their lives in different arenas.

Relevance to working life

Physiotherapists work in local rehabilitation services, healthy life centres, schools/kindergartens, public health centres, nursing homes, home-based services and physiotherapy clinics. Physiotherapists also work in a number of fields in the specialist health service and are often employed at hospitals and rehabilitation institutions. At these institutions, physiotherapists contribute in health services for patients in the acute phase of disease and the early rehabilitation phase, as well as for patients who need specialised rehabilitation. Physiotherapists’ work also includes tasks relating to working life, including assessment, guidance and adaptation of the user’s working environment.

Relevance to further education

A bachelor’s in physiotherapy qualifies students for admission to several different further education and master’s programmes, both at OsloMet and at other institutions in Norway and abroad. OsloMet offers master’s programmes in physiotherapy, and rehabilitation and habilitation.

Target group

Engelsk språk fra videregående eller tilsvarende.

Admission requirements

Etter å ha gjennomført dette emnet har studenten følgende læringsutbytte, definert som kunnskap, ferdigheter og generell kompetanse.

Kunnskap

Studenten kan på engelsk:

beskrive teknologens arbeid innenfor et valgt teknologiområde,
beskrive forskning og utvikling innenfor et valgt teknologiområde,
forklare retoriske virkemidler og argumentasjon.

Ferdigheter

Studenten kan på engelsk:

bruke korrekt terminologi innenfor teknologirelaterte emner generelt og innenfor et valgt fagområde spesielt,
presentere teknologi og relaterte prosesser,
utforme og skrive tekniske og akademiske tekster på engelsk i tråd med internasjonale konvensjoner og uttrykksmåte,
finne relevante kunnskapskilder, vurdere kvaliteten på kilder og refererer til kilder i henhold til etablerte standarder,
bruke muntlig engelsk i faglige diskusjoner.

Generell kompetanse

Studenten kan på engelsk:

kommunisere skriftlig og muntlig kontekster som er relevante for nåverende og videre utdanning og framtidig yrke,
tilpasse egen muntlig og skriftlig kommunikasjon til mottaker, situasjon og formål,
planlegge og gjennomføre skriftlige prosjektarbeid alene eller sammen med andre.

Learning outcomes

Forelesninger, skriftlige og muntlige øvelser inklusive presentasjoner og diskusjoner. Studentene vil arbeide dels individuelt og dels i grupper.

Content and structure

The programme is a comprehensive course of study in that its academic content, teaching methods and practical training are linked. There should be a clear link between the learning outcomes described, learning activities and forms of assessment. The work and teaching methods used and the areas covered in the programme are organised in such a way as to promote both theoretical understanding and practical action competence. Practical training and supervision in relation to different skills are therefore included in all years of the programme. The ordinary workload is about 40 hours per week.

This includes self-study, organised teaching and exams. The academic year is 40 weeks long and comprises 60 credits.

The programme is divided into 15 compulsory courses and incorporates both practical and theoretical teaching at the university and external practical training. The learning outcomes described under each course describe the student’s expected progress in terms of competence and independence throughout the programme. All courses conclude with a final assessment.

First year of the programme

In the first year of the programme, basic examination and assessment skills are important. Theoretical knowledge about the musculoskeletal system, communication and ethical reflection are highlighted, and the students will practise applying the knowledge through various skills training. The principles of evidence-based practice are elucidated in a separate course and will be activated in the various learning activities throughout the programme. The anatomy and physiology of different bodily systems are also highlighted, as well as the body’s ability to adapt, motor learning, and theoretical perspectives on coping and motivation. Students will apply this theoretical knowledge through various skills training. Public health strategies and key health policy guidelines are dealt with in a separate course.

Second year of the programme

The second year of the programme focuses on the assessment of and physiotherapy measures adapted to patients with different health conditions. Students will gain experience of applying knowledge about illness in assessment and planning, and cooperation and user participation will also be key topics. Rehabilitation and habilitation are introduced as knowledge areas, and, throughout the year, physiotherapy is discussed in relation to different arenas and phases in life. The second year of the programme includes both skills training and practical training.

Third year of the programme

In the third year of the programme, the students carry out a bachelor’s project that will culminate in a bachelor’s thesis. The students will spend a large part of the year in practical training at institutions in the municipal health service and specialist health service. The last semester of the programme will also focus on the use of technology. Students will be able to exchange experience from practical training. Through their work of finding solutions to various physiotherapy-related problems, the students will learn to use relevant sources of knowledge (own experience, patients’ experience and research) critically. Reference is made to the course descriptions for more detailed information about of the content of the individual courses in the programme.

Study progress

The following progress requirements apply to the programme:

Students must have passed the first year of the programme before they can start the second year.
Students must have passed the second year of the programme before they can start the third year.
In the third year of the programme, students must have passed FYBPRA1 in order to start FYBPRA2.

Courses and teaching activities taught jointly with other programmes at OsloMet

The Bachelor’s Programme in Physiotherapy includes the following courses and teaching activities that also form part of other programmes at the university :

FYB1050 Public Health and Health Management, 5 credits
FYB1060 Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in Health Care, 5 credit
FYB1070 Technology and Society I, 5 credits
INTERACT (Interprofessional Interaction with Children and Youth)

In the courses FYB1050 Public Health and Health Management (5 credits) and FYB1060 Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in Health Care (5 credits), different academic environments at the Faculty of Health Sciences join forces to provide the students with a common competence platform in line with national guidelines. In FYB1050, focus is on the health services organisation, health legislation and administration, and preventive and health promoting work. In FYB1060, students learn about the rationale for evidence-based practice, with a focus on critical thinking and shared decision-making. For more details, see the individual course descriptions.

The course FYB1070 Technology and SocietyI forms part of most bachelor's programmes at OsloMet. The course provides a fundamental understanding of the digital world and how technology influences people’s lives and the way in which they work, and will help the students to enter the labour market with a fundamental understanding of technology. The Department of Computer Science at OsloMet has the responsibility for the practical aspects of the course provision. See the course description for more detailed information.

INTERACT (Interprofessional Interaction with Children and Youths) is an interdisciplinary teaching project at OsloMet, where students from both the health and social care subjects and the teacher/kindergarten teacher education programmes meet in interdisciplinary groups. The purpose of this is to ensure that the students acquire the skills needed to meet society’s demand for better coordination of services that concern children and young people. INTERACT is based on pedagogical principles of interactivity and spiral learning, with extensive use of digital learning and assessment tools to support learning.

The teaching (INTER1100, INTER1200 and INTER1300) is carried out in the first teaching week each spring semester for students in the first, second and third study year of the programme, respectively, and is integrated as a compulsory coursework requirement in the existing courses in the programme description. In the Bachelor’s Programme in Physiotherapy, INTERACT is included in the following courses: FYB1300 Body, Movement and Activity, FYB2300 Health and Participation Throughout the Life Span - II and FYB3000 Complexity and Diversity in Physiotherapy Practice. See About INTERACT - INTERACT (oslomet.no) for a more detailed description of INTERACT.

Optional course Spans multiple semesters

1st year of study

1. semester

Anatomy and Physiology I

FYB1110 10.0 ECTS

Movement science, activity and the role of supervisor

FYB1310 20.0 ECTS

2. semester

Functional assessment

FYB1010 15.0 ECTS

Anatomy and Physiology II

FYB1210 10.0 ECTS

Introduction to clinical placement

FYBPRA10 5.0 ECTS

INTERACT1 The Same Child - Different Arenas

INTER1100 0.0 ECTS

2nd year of study

3. semester

Pathology in Physiotherapy

FYB2400 5.0 ECTS

Rehabilitation in physiotherapy I

FYB2500 15.0 ECTS

Public health, working life, and physical function in the elderly

FYB2600 10.0 ECTS

4. semester

Rehabilitation in physiotherapy II

FYB2010 15.0 ECTS

Public health, habilitation and rehabilitation in children and young people

FYB2310 5.0 ECTS

Clinical placement throughout the lifespan

FYBPRA20 10.0 ECTS

INTERACT2 Communication with Children, Youth and their Families

INTER1200 0.0 ECTS

3rd year of study

5. semester

Bachelor’s Thesis

FYB3900 15.0 ECTS

Clinical Placement - I

FYBPRA1 15.0 ECTS

6. semester

Complexity and Diversity in Physiotherapy Practice

FYB3000 10.0 ECTS

Digital Competence and Innovation in health

FYB3100 5.0 ECTS

Clinical Placement - II

FYBPRA2 15.0 ECTS

INTERACT3 Interprofessional Cooperation on and with Children and Young People

INTER1300 0.0 ECTS

Teaching and learning methods

Eksamensform: Mappevurdering, med følgende mappekrav:

to skriftlige individuelle arbeid (1 individuelt sammendrag på 300 ord og et individuelt essay på mellom 1500-2000 ord)
et skriftlig gruppearbeid (kort litteraturreview på mellom 2000-3000 ord) utført av grupper på 2-5 personer

Mappevurdering gis en helhetlig vurdering med én karakter.

Eksamensresultat kan påklages.

Practical training

Alle hjelpemidler er tillatt.

Internationalisation

Gradert skala A-F

Work requirements

En intern sensor. Ekstern sensor brukes jevnlig

Assessment

Different forms of assessment are used in the programme that are adapted to the learning outcomes of the different courses. The forms of assessment used are intended to support learning and document that the students’ competence is adequate in relation to the applicable learning outcomes. The students will receive advice and supervision and have their performance assessed during the programme. It is important and necessary to assess students’ knowledge and skills often, so that the students receive feedback on whether their performance is in line with the programme’s requirements and whether they have achieved the learning outcomes.

Exams and practical training are assessed in accordance with the applicable rules set out in the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet and the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet. The forms of assessment and criteria are described in the individual course descriptions. All exams taken will be stated on the diploma, along with the title of the student’s bachelor’s thesis.

Assessment/exam

All courses conclude with a final assessment and/or an exam. The student’s performance is assessed on the basis of the learning outcomes defined for the course. The grades used are pass/fail or letter grades from A to F, with A being the highest grade and E the poorest pass grade. The grade F means that the student has failed the exam.

In some courses, the exam consists of more than one part. The student’s performance in each part of the exam is assessed by a separate grade, before a final overall grade is awarded. For courses that use exams consisting of more than one part, the course description will state how the final grade for the course is arrived at on the basis of the separate grades awarded for the different parts of the exam.

Most courses have required coursework that must be approved before the student can take the exam. See the course descriptions for more details.

Resits/rescheduled exams

Resit and rescheduled exams are carried out in the same manner as the ordinary exam unless otherwise specified in the course description. In special cases, resit and rescheduled exams in courses with group exams may be held as individual exams.

For exams where a percentage of the exam papers are selected for assessment by an external examiner, the external examiner’s assessment should benefit all the students. In such cases, one external and one internal examiner will first grade the selected papers. The internal examiner then continues grading the remaining papers together with another internal examiner. The assessments from the first part are summarised to serve as guidelines for the assessments carried out by the two internal examiners.

Grades awarded for written exams can be appealed, cf. Section 5-3 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges. It is not possible to appeal the grades awarded for oral and practical exams. In a group exam, the result of an appeal will only have consequences for the candidates who have submitted the appeal.

Assessment of practical training

Practical training is assessed as pass or fail. The assessment is based on the learning outcomes for the course and the continuous suitability assessment that students are subject to throughout the practical training period. To pass the practical training, the student must have met the compulsory attendance requirement. A minimum attendance requirement of 90 % applies to practical training courses. If the maximum limit for absence is exceeded, the student can make up for the practical training/teaching activities missed if practically possible. This must be clarified with the person responsible for the course (first year of programme) and with the practical training supervisor and contact lecturer for the second and third years of the programme. If it is not possible to compensate for the absence, the whole period must be retaken. This will result in delayed progress in the programme.

External programme supervisor

The study programme has an external programme supervisor in accordance with the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet. The external programme supervisor is charged with evaluating the programme’s structure and coherence, including the relationship between the learning outcomes as described in the programme description, the work and teaching methods and assessment arrangements. The external programme supervisor should normally supervise all the courses in the programme over the course of a three-year period and provide feedback and advice that the academic environment can use in its further work on the quality of education.

Suitability assessment

Diplomas for the completed programme will only be awarded to graduates who are suited to practise the profession. A student who represents a potential threat to the physical or mental health, rights and safety of their patients and colleagues is not suited for the profession.

Suitability assessments are made on a continuous basis throughout the study programme, and will be included in the overall assessment of the students’ professional and personal suitability for work as health personnel. Students who demonstrate little ability to master the physiotherapist profession must be informed of this at the earliest possible stage of the programme. They will be given supervision and advice on how to improve, or be advised to leave the programme.

Special suitability assessments are used in special cases, cf. Regulations to the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, Chapter 7. For more information about suitability assessment, see https://student.oslomet.no/skikkethetsvurdering.

Other information

Approved by the Academic Affairs Committee at the Faculty of Health Sciences on 16. October 2019.

Most recent amendments aproved by the Academic Affairs at the Faculty of Health Sciences on 13. November 2024

The programme description applies to students starting the programme in 2025.