A Master of Science in Physiotherapy is offered by dissertation only. Current areas of research include paediatric neurology, neuromusculoskeletal and sports physiotherapy, orthopaedic physiotherapy, disability prevention, health promotion, and physiotherapy education.

Admission requirements

An applicant to the MSc (Physiotherapy) must have a BSc (Physiotherapy) degree.

Duration of the degree

The MSc (Physiotherapy) must be completed in a minimum period of one year full-time and a maximum period of three years full-time or five years part-time. The student will be also need to provide proof of attendance at an approved course in research methods and biostatistics. The course may be completed prior to registration, may be an online course, or may be a course offered at UCT.

Thesis

The student will be expected to produce a research proposal and to obtain ethical approval for the study. For full time students this usually takes approximately 6 months. The data collection should take about 9 months and the analysis and write up of the thesis a further 9 months. The student will be expected to work independently under the guidance of the supervisor. In some cases there may be funding available to assist the student with the research project. The thesis may not be longer than 50 000 words and will be marked by two external examiners.

Pre-Application Procedure

If you are interested in the dissertation only program please note the that part of our internal pre-application process, you will need to submit the following documents:

  1. A copy of your CV
  2. Copies of your degree certificate and transcripts
    1. Note: your degree would need to be approved by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) when making a formal application
  3. Proof of registration with your relevant health professional board
    1. Note: you will need to register as postgraduate student with HPCSA: https://www.hpcsa.co.za/ )
  4. A 500 word outline of your proposed research project/area of interest:
    1. There is no template or prescribed format. The outline will be used to assess your scientific reasoning ability and writing skills.
  5. A brief 300 word letter of motivation for applying for a postgraduate degree
  6. Names and contact details of three academic referees

 

Your application will be circulated to staff in the Division to see who could potentially supervise you. Once a supervisor has been identified, you will be introduced to them. Pending the outcome of this meeting, you will be invited to submit an official UCT application form.

Please send your Pre-Application documents to DHRS Application Enquiries. Please note that you need to submit all documents for your application to be considered.

Fees

Fees for the Postgraduate degrees in Physiotherapy are obtainable from the Fees Office and vary from year to year. Students can anticipate an average 10% increase in fees each year.
Fees Website
Email: Fees office
Phone: +27 21 650 1704
Fax: +27 21 650 4768

Financial assistance

Financial assistance is available for postgraduate students at the University of Cape Town. Further enquiries may be directed to the Postgraduate Centre and Funding Office.

Enquiries

Please contact DHRS Application Enquiries for any further information.