Bachelor of Health Science (Physiotherapy) (Honours)
Want to advance your skills and be involved in research related to physiotherapy? This honours degree prepares you for a research-based physiotherapy career.
There’s a growing demand for physiotherapy clinical services and physiotherapists with advanced skills in clinical research. Graduates of the Bachelor of Health Science (Physiotherapy) (Honours) will have advanced research skills that prepare them well for doctoral level study and a research-based career pathway.
Top students in the Bachelor of Health Science (Physiotherapy) will be invited to apply for enrolment in this new honours degree.
*The programme is subject to final approval by the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand.
Download programme guides
Minimum entry requirements
- Must have completed 180 points at level 6 and 60 points at level 7 from the Bachelor of Health Science (Physiotherapy) with a B+ grade average or higher.
- A student who has already graduated with a Bachelor of Health Science (Physiotherapy) may not be admitted to the Bachelor of Health Science (Physiotherapy) (Honours).
- Admission is subject to the approval of the dean (or representative).
Potential students are usually identified in the third year of their bachelor’s degree. Your individual course of study will need to be approved by the programme leader.
Selection criteria
- Interview may be required
English language requirements
- IELTS (Academic) 6.5 overall with all bands 6.0 or higher; or equivalent
Year 1 & 2 and Semester 1 of Year 3
You’re enrolled in the Bachelor of Health Science (Physiotherapy) and need to complete courses to the required academic standard to be invited into the Bachelor of Health Science (Physiotherapy) (Honours).
If you’ve been accepted into the honours programme, any courses you have completed in the Bachelor of Health Science (Physiotherapy) will be reassigned to the Bachelor of Health Science (Physiotherapy) (Honours).
Bachelor of Health Science (Physiotherapy) courses
Year 3, Semester 2
This semester, you study three courses to further your understanding of physiotherapy practice, as well as one research methods course to prepare you for your dissertation next year.
You complete the following courses:
- PHTY705 Managing Complexity in the Acute Care Environment
- PHTY708 Managing Complexity in the Community Environment
- PHTY812 Physiotherapy Professional Practice and Research
And one of:
- HEAL865 Health Research Design & Planning
- MAOH801 Māori Health Research Practice – Te Rangahau Hauora Māori
- PUBH810 Pacific Health Research and Design
Year 4
The year will be arranged in four teaching blocks, and you spend the first three blocks completing your final-year clinical practice courses.
In the last teaching block, you then research a topic of your interest in your honours degree dissertation, working closely with your academic supervisor.
You complete the following courses:
- PHTY701 Physiotherapy Practice I
- PHTY813 Physiotherapy Practice II (Honours)
- PHTY814 Physiotherapy Practice III (Honours)
- PHTY995 Physiotherapy Honours Research Project
Ready to enrol in your courses?
Find out how you can enrol in the courses and classes for your programme, whether you’ve just joined AUT as a new student or you’re already studying with us. If you’re looking for more info on a specific course use our course search.
Skills you will develop in the physiotherapy honours degree
The outcomes for graduates of the Bachelor of Health Science (Physiotherapy) (Honours) are outlined in the Graduate Profile below.
As a graduate of this programme, you’ll meet the preparatory education requirements for registration as a physiotherapist in Australia and New Zealand.
You’ll also have the research and critical thinking skills for further postgraduate study at master’s degree or doctoral level, and to begin a clinical research career.
Other physiotherapy study options
Other postgraduate health science programmes
Key semester dates
($10,028 tuition fees + $1,192 student services levy)
($43,600 tuition fees + $1,192 student services levy)
- Fees shown are based on a full-time workload for the points indicated next to the fee. The exact fee charged will depend on which courses you select at the time of enrolment.
- Fees are subject to change year to year. If you are planning for study beyond the current year, fees may vary from those stated.
- There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay.
- International students' tuition fees reflect the full cost of tuition. Domestic students' tuition fees are less due to a proportion of the tuition fees being funded by the New Zealand Government.
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.