CURRICULA > BACHELOR’S DEGREE, PART-TIME STUDIES > DEGREE PROGRAMME IN PHYSIOTHERAPY
Bachelor’s Degree, Part-Time Studies ...

Degree Programme in Physiotherapy

  • Programme
  • Curricula
  • Studies offered
Contact
Head of Degree Programme
Marja-Leena Lähteenmäki
Study Affairs Coordinator
Riitta Metsäpelto
Student Counsellor
Tiina Säilä

Qualification Awarded and the Level of Qualification

Physiotherapist, EQF 6

Special Admission Requirements

General admission criteria, see TAMK’s websites.

Recognition of Prior Learning

It is possible for students to have their prior competence recognised.
See TAMK’s credit transfer guidelines

Qualification Requirements and Regulations

Completion of curriculum studies and achievement of related competence objectives.
Further information:
TAMK Degree Regulations
Ammattikorkeakoululaki ja asetus ammattikorkeakouluista

Profile of the Programme

The degree is a bachelor-level professional higher education degree.
The degree complies with the criteria set by the Finnish national degree system as well as with the European framework for degrees and other competence.
Ammattikorkeakouluja koskevaa lainsäädäntöä

Key Learning Outcomes

During the first academic year, the students gain an overview of the profession. At the end of the year they can assess a healthy persons’ movements and locomotion as part of their functional ability. They can use, for instance, massage and different guidance and instruction methods in promoting the movement and functional ability of individuals and groups. The students get to know the profession’s ethical principles and learn to act along them.
After the second academic year, the students have the skills to promote and support the movement and functional ability of adult patients, who have musculo-skeletal, breathing, cardio-vascular, neurological or psycho-somatic problems. The students get to know different organizations of health care and rehabilitation during their practical placements. They also get to know English and Swedish language needed at work. At the end of the second academic year the students can, under supervision, use evidence based knowledge in planning and implementing physiotherapy.
During the third year the physiotherapy students learn about children’s and elderly peoples’ health, functional ability and problems and physiotherapy for them. At the end of the third year, the student can plan and implement physiotherapy together with clients and their reference groups based on the clinical reasoning process. The students gain the skills required in entrepreneurship as well as in project work and may spend some months in international student exchange.
Before graduating the physiotherapy students have deepened their knowledge in an interest area through their Bachelor’s thesis, alternative and elective studies. They have also integrated language skills as part of their professional identity.

Occupational Profiles of Graduates with Examples

The graduating students have the skills needed for expert tasks in promoting health, functional ability and wellbeing of individuals and groups. Physiotherapy is evidence-based and physiotherapists work within legislation and the profession’s ethical principles. Physiotherapists work with different aged people in hospitals, health centres, research and rehabilitation centres, spas, private physiotherapy clinics as well as in different organisations, schools, as private practitioners as well as in different projects and marketing. They can operate in different professional situations also in English. Physiotherapists often work as a team member but are responsible for planning, acting, evaluating and developing their work.

Access to Further Studies

The degree gives eligibility for master’s degrees.

Examination Regulations, Assessment and Grading

Assessment of study performances is based on TAMK’s assessment criteria
The detailed assessment criteria can be found in course implementation plans. The teaching and assessment methods are agreed on with students at the beginning of each course.
TAMK’s assessment criteria

Graduation Requirements

Completion of studies and achievement of competence objectives in the extent set by the curriculum.

Mode of Study

Physiotherapy has it’s basis in physiotherapy science. Studies in the degree programme consist of professional studies, Bachelor’s thesis and elective studies. Larger modules are divided into smaller study units. The knowledge of different subjects is integrated to develop student´s individual knowing. The programme contains 81 ects gredits worth of practical training and 48 of those are studies in different clinics or other practice surroundings.
The professional growth process of each student is essential in physiotherapy education. It is based on the know-how the student already has before the education begins. The process varies individually depending on the learning environment and the social and cultural situation. The physiotherapy education is implemented according to the problem based learning (PBL) approach. The learning process starts with problems based on which the students formulate their learning tasks. They participate in the study programme and find the answers to the problems during different learning situations, alone or together with other students. The PBL pedagogy supports students´ information acquisition skills, personal knowledge creating skills, lifelong learning skills and skills for studying in a group.
From the beginning of the third year of studies, some of the students may specialise in well-being entrepreneurship by applying for the study path in proacademy. The studies at the proacademy of well-being services are carried out in multi-disciplinary, coach-led teams of students from the degree programmes in physiotherapy and social services. The students set up their own team enterprise and learn through projects. The studies consist of team meetings, working in small groups, independent study as well as the development and implementation of well-being services. The learning goals of the curriculum correspond to those of the other students of physiotherapy/social services.

Development of the Programme

The Ministry of Education and Culture’ definitions of policy and TAMK’s strategy have been considered in the curriculum.