Bachelor in Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Sciences

Would you like to apply to an undergraduate physiotherapy program? Are you a senior with Biology and Math A and/or B in your high school profile? We can offer you a challenging program with top professors and personal attention to you as a student. A unique mix of scientific and practical training. This fulltime undergraduate program will allow you to start a career in both Physiotherapy and Science.

Within this bachelor program you can specialize by choosing the unique Technology Track.

Connection to Medicine

The Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation undergraduate program has many similarities to the study of Medicine, and is therefore an excellent alternative to students who didn’t get selected in the Medicine decentralized selection procedure. To offer more possibilities to those students, SOMT University of Physiotherapy has been working on creating the option of a post-graduate Medicine program.

SOMT University of Physiotherapy has come to an agreement with VU University in Amsterdam and VUB to offer students the possibility to take a few extracurricular modules that levels the Physiotherapy undergraduate program to an undergraduate in Medicine. The modules are:

• Immunology at the VUMC
• Extensive Anatomy Internal Organs/Embryology at the VUB
• Internal Metabolism at SOMT University of Physiotherapy

Workfield: The academic physiotherapist

With an increase in ageing population, who could have multiple health issues at once, as well as an increase in immigrants with specific health issues, giving the right care grows ever more complex. This asks for a high-level of expertise.

University-level trained physiotherapists are capable of facing this challenge, and finding the best treatment for patients with complex health issues. Furthermore, physiotherapists are given increasingly bigger roles in the prevention and screening of conditions, diagnostics and treatment of patients with multiple (chronic) complaints, within a team.

The Physiotherapy undergraduate program prepares students for the changing field, with attention to the scientific basis of the profession, and a deepening of the basic subjects (anatomy, physiology, research and treatment, academic competencies). We offer a program that challenges you, and adheres to the current and expected changes in health care. As an academically trained physiotherapist, you are able to deliver scientifically justified care, are an equal interlocutor to similarly schooled general practitioners and specialists, and you can contribute to the basis and development of the field through scientific research.

The complete program is equal to physiotherapy programs from universities in the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Nordics.

Post-Graduate: Working as a physiotherapist

The Physiotherapy undergraduate program leads to a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Physiotherapy degree, after three years of study.

To be able to work as a physiotherapist, you will have to continue with the Masters in Physiotherapy at the Maastricht University (med. 2018). This is a one-year graduate program, which includes a 10-week internship besides theoretical and practical education, and which is concluded by writing a master thesis. However, after the BSc program you will also be eligible for MSc in Medicine clinical researcher, human movement sciences program, health sciences or other Master programmes

After the three-year undergraduate and one-year graduate program, you receive the title of Master of Science (MSc) in Physiotherapy, which will allow you to apply for a BIG registration (which is mandatory in order to work as a physiotherapist).

Subsequently, you can specialize in the fields of Manual Therapy, Sports Physiotherapy, Pelvic Physiotherapy and Geriatric Physiotherapy, for example. If working as a practitioner doesn’t appeal to you, you could continue with your studies in physiotherapeutic sciences, movement sciences or health sciences.

As a post-graduate, you could work as:

• an independent physiotherapist
• a physiotherapist/researcher
• a doctorate
• a manager of a physiotherapy department in a hospital or (rehabilitation) institute
• a professor in physiotherapy
• a consultant to a health insurer
• an official in (European) health care
• a consultant in health care

Program Structure & Practical Matters

The Physiotherapy undergraduate program consist of twelve ten-week periods, which are 15 ECTS each.

SOMT University of Physiotherapy believes that the process of careful clinical reasoning undoubtedly benefits all health care. Our programs are therefore built on a scientific basis, whilst simultaneously focusing on acquiring practical skills. Approximately 50% of the program is therefore focused on practical education.

Every ten-week period consists of courses that have been created around a central theme, such as backpain or neurology. This three-year program has been divided in 25% theory, 25% practice and 50% self-study, which approximately translates to 16 contact hours per week. Every course is concluded with an exam.

The program includes multiple methods/types of work, such as work groups, practicals, internships and seminars.

Class days & ECTS

The Physiotherapy undergraduate program comes down to a total of 180 ECTS. One ECTS amounts to 28 hours of study (both in-class and self-study).

You’ll have classes and workgroups approximately three days a week in the first and second year, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Every ten-week period also includes a four-day clinical internship.

The third year consist of two fulltime clinical internships of ten weeks each. The third year is concluded with a bachelor thesis.

Language

The program is in English in a class with international students. Internships in the Netherlands are in Dutch or in English at special locations throughout the Netherlands, Internships abroad are conducted in English. Written exams will be taken in English, oral exams are in Dutch or English.

Tuition

The Physiotherapy undergraduate program is a private program, which means it is not funded by the government. Taking our vision for the future physiotherapist into account, we have chosen for smaller classes, top professors, personal attention and excellent facilities. Quality will always be the highest of our priorities.

Student Loans

For Dutch students

As a SOMT University of Physiotherapy student, you have the right to a DUO student loan (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs). You can also apply for tuition-specific credit regulations there. As the tuition for SOMT University of Physiotherapy is higher than others, you have the possibility of taking a larger loan as well!

For international students

It is possible to apply for a grant to be supported in an international apprenticeship or as a volunteer
See: europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus

Another grant possibility is the Erasmus fund via the European Solidarity corps. At this moment SOMT University of Physiotherapy has applied to become a registered European Chartered Higher Education. As soon as this is acknowledged, SOMT University of Physiotherapy can be a part of the solidarity corps and can create more possibilities to for students to develop their potential to the fullest.
See for more information europa.eu/youth. 

Locations

The undergraduate program is offered at SOMT University of Physiotherapy in Amersfoort. Certain practicals and training (such as the dissecting room practical) take place in Maastricht. These will be clustered within a short time span, so as to avoid frequent travel to Maastricht. There are also a few seminars and practicals at the UMC (Utrecht University Medical Center), as well as rehabilitation centers such as ‘de Hoogstraat’ in Utrecht. The Physiotherapy graduate program is conducted in Maastricht, at Maastricht University.

Admission requirements

Admission requirements with a Dutch diploma

Students with a Dutch diploma will be admitted to the bachelor program Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Sciences with a vwo-diploma with the profile

• Natuur & Gezondheid
• Natuur & Techniek, including Biology

For the Technology Track we advise the subjects Mathematics B and Physics.

Admission requirements with an international diploma

A secondary school diploma considered equivalent to the Dutch pre-university ‘vwo’ diploma is required. The required subjects are Mathematics and Biology.
For the Technology Track we advise the subject Physics.

Please check the website of Nuffic - The Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education, to compare your diploma to a Dutch diploma. If your diploma is not listed here, you can check the website of IDW for an international credential evaluation.

Language requirements for international students

International students must provide a language certificate*

• Academic IELTS: minimum overall score of 6.0
• TOEFL iBT: minimum score of 80
• TOEIC: Listening and Reading 670 & Speaking and Writing 290
• Cambridge Assessment English: First (FCE) – Grade B (scale 173-175), first (FCE) – Grade C (scale 169-172)

*SOMT University of Physiotherapy is allowed to make exemptions compared to above.

Program Content

The content is competency-focused, divided into physiotherapeutic competencies, scientific competencies and competencies in relation to the role of a physiotherapist within social health care, as described in the professional competency profile.

Within the Physiotherapy undergraduate program, education is often centralized around a clinical problem. Students will be working in groups to find a solution to a problem, such as what is the most probable diagnose? What is the most optimal treatment? What are the patient’s prospects? In solving these problems, we provide the students with supportive workgroups, practical classes and theoretical seminars. This is known as student – centered- learning
Additionally, there are classes on the methodology of scientific research, statistics, ethics, science philosophy and sociology. Lastly, special attention is given to academic writing and presenting. See program at one glance.

The most important distinctions between university-level education (BSc and MSc) and an education in Applied Sciences (professional bachelor) are:

• A scientific program trains its students as scientists, and its subjects focus on science and academic competencies.
• In a scientific program that educates students in their role as a specialized profession (such as physiotherapist or doctor), the center of gravity is a combination of professional and science-based competencies. You have to be able to give care to patients, as well as conduct scientific research. Universities of Applied Sciences tend to focus less on this double role as physiotherapist/researcher, and mainly focus on training their students as health care professionals.
• A university-level program is fast-paced, as the abovementioned double role calls for an increasing amount of more complex subject matter.
• As an academically trained physiotherapist, you are a full-fledged participant in multidisciplinary teams in primary and secondary care, with other similarly-schooled general practitioners and specialists.
• Through your university-level education, you will be the specialist-clinician in movement-related issues within the Dutch health care field. You will have full responsibility of your patient’s functional health.

Diploma

The educational progamme is developed in the basis of intended learning outcomes fitting the Dublin descriptors and Bologna agreement on higher education and fitting the Physiotherapy professional competence profile. These intended learning outcomes have been split up and are covered by courses and learning trajectories. A test matrix is developed covering all competencies (and skills). Based on a 28-hours equivalent to 1 ECTS credit, 60 ECTS credits per study year are covered by all formative and summative exams per study year considering the study time involved (with following the course and studying the exam or writing developing the end product as an assignment).

Students are awarded the ECTS credits when passing an exam. By accumulation of credits the students are awarded the degree. The process of achieved ECTS credits are registered in Moodle and Osiris; The on-line blackboard environment for each student.
The educational program of the BSC education is published on the website and the allocated ECTS credits are published in the Education and Examination Regulations. All credits earned abroad at institutions with whom SOMT University of Physiotherapy has a signed inter-institutional agreement will be transferred automatically and are counted for the final degree. The grading at SOMT University of Physiotherapy is from 1-10, with 10 being the highest score comparable for instance with an A. The Egracon conversion tool is used to explain the grade distribution in the central test folder. Currently SOMT University of Physiotherapy is implementing the Egracon conversion of grades. When finalized this will be published on the website .

An official certificate will be issued attesting the mobile participant's traineeship activities (duration, traineeship tasks and, wherever possible, competences developed) after finishing the traineeship. The ECTS credits involved will be automatically recognized and will be counted for the students’ degree. The transcript of records of all followed courses/ modules/ traineeships will be made explicit on the supplement of the Diploma as well as the location of a traineeship. For the diploma supplement issue, the template of the European Commission, the Council of Europe and UNESCO will be used.

International office

For all your questions about visa, living and studying in the Netherlands you can ask our International office Manager: Eelko Barnhoorn