Your journey
The Physiotherapy programme for School Leavers and Mature Entry students is delivered over four years, with two semesters per year:
- Foundation Year Physiotherapy *
- First Physiotherapy
- Second Physiotherapy
- Final Physiotherapy
* Graduate Entry students are exempt from Foundation Year Physiotherapy and enter directly into First Physiotherapy.
For approximately two-thirds of the programme, you will be based on RCSI's main campus in the city centre, learning clinical skills which you will put into practice for the remaining one-third, when you are primarily based in a clinical setting. This education model allows for the immediate real-world application of students' developing clinical skills, under the supervision of dedicated clinical tutors.
Your placement blocks are interspersed with blocks of learning in the academic setting, to facilitate real-time assimilation of new knowledge.
Throughout the Physiotherapy programme, an emphasis is placed on the development of independent learning, problem-solving, clinical reasoning, critical appraisal skills and professionalism. You will learn these skills through a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, practicals, simulation (using both manikins and simulated patients), tutorials, seminars and case study presentations.