University of Southampton Calendar 2009/10


University Calendar 2009/10 Section VIII : Academic Regulations - Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences School of Health Sciences

School	School of Health Sciences
Final Award	Bachelor of Science (Honours)
Programme(s)	BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy
Last modified	July 2009

Reference should be made to the University's General Regulations found in Section IV and Section V (Higher Degree Regulations) of the University Calendar.

Except where the School has been granted an opt-out by the University, the following academic regulations apply in addition to the General Regulations.

Admissions

Candidates for admission must satisfy the Regulations for Admission to Degree Courses as specified in Section IV of the University Calendar. They must normally offer at least three A level passes and, additionally, at least five GCSE passes at Grade C or above including English Language, Mathematics and a science subject. Candidates aged over 21 years and those who have other academically equivalent qualifications completed in the three years prior to commencing a programme are also considered. Information about those qualifications most commonly accepted is published in the School prospectus and updated annually. Candidates with other qualifications outside of these are considered on an individual basis.

Admission to, and continuation on, the programme is subject to specific health requirements (consistent with the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act, 1995). This is to comply with statutory requirements laid down by the Health Act (1999) and the Health Professions Council. Prospective students are required to inform the Head of Programme of any health problems relevant to their future employment as a health professional. All students will be subject to an occupational health check.

Admission to, and continuation on, the programme is subject to consideration of any criminal convictions. The programme is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1986). This is to comply with statutory requirements laid down by the Health Act (1999) and the Health Professions Council. Prospective students are required to inform the Head of Programme of all criminal convictions. All students will be subject to an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check.

Students holding a professional qualification in Physiotherapy may register for individual modules and, on satisfactory completion of that module, may be awarded the appropriate credit.

Equality Statement
The School wishes to make places available to a wide range of people who will make a useful contribution to the study and practice of physiotherapy. The University and the School are committed to a comprehensive policy of equal opportunities in which students are recruited on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities and are given equal opportunities within the University. The aim of the policy is to ensure that no prospective or current students should receive less favourable treatment on any grounds that are not relevant to academic ability and attainment and state registration as a professional Physiotherapist.

The University's Disability Equality Scheme includes an Action Plan which identifies the steps that the University is taking to improve the opportunities available to disabled students. Applications from candidates with disabilities are always considered and assessment of their abilities and needs undertaken sensitively.

Decisions are based on whether or not the applicant meets the admission criteria, whether the programme can be delivered to the applicant in a way that meets their requirements, making reasonable adjustments if necessary and whether at the end of the programme, the graduate would meet the HPC Standards of Proficiency.

Accreditation of Prior Experiential/Certificated Learning (APEL/APCL)
Applicants will be considered on an individual basis for exemptions from modules through transfer of credits in accordance with University regulations if:

the modules have equivalent learning outcomes and credit ratings;
the topics contribute to a coherent pathway of study.

The decisions about the equivalence of applicant’s learning will be informed with reference to the programme specifications and statements of learning outcomes.

Structure of Programme(s)

Progress from one level of the programme to the next will depend upon the successful completion of the appropriate examination and coursework requirements, and the satisfactory completion of practice placements.

In level 4 students will study 120 credits (certificate level)
In level 5 students will study 120 credits (diploma level)
In level 6 students will study 120 credits (honours level)

The full-time programme leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science [Honours] in Physiotherapy shall normally be of three years' duration. The maximum period of registration shall normally be six years and will incorporate periods of suspension of studies.

The part-time programme leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science [Honours] in Physiotherapy shall normally be of four or five years' duration. The maximum period of registration shall normally be eight years and will incorporate periods of suspension of studies.

The outline of the content of each module shall be specified in the module profiles and made available to students on the 'Blackboard' virtual learning environment.

Progression

Progression Regulations are as described in the University Calendar, Section IV : General Regulations; Progression, Determination and Classification of Results.

Module Referral and Retrieval
The criteria for module assessment referral are:

Failure to achieve a Pass/Fail assessment.
Where an assessment comprises of two or more components the minimum pass mark for each part must be 40%.
Non-attendance or late arrival more than half an hour after the start of an examination/presentation, or is required to leave the examination room.
Submission of an assignment 24 hours or more after the published deadline.

Termination of Registration
A student’s registration will normally be terminated following resit/retrieval assessments if he/she:

achieves a mark of 39 or below on a re-submitted/resit attempt;
fails a Pass/Fail assessment on a re-submission/resit;
does not attend, or is more than half an hour late for a resit examination or is requested to leave the examination room;
submits a written further attempt assessment more than 24 hours after the stated deadline.

Assessment

To graduate from the programme, students must have satisfactorily completed all assessment components including the required practice placement hours.

Candidates who exceed the specified word limitation (+/- 10%) within a module will incur a 10% penalty reduction in their assessment mark.

Award of Qualification(s)

All candidates registered for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy shall be candidates for an Honours degree since this is the minimum level of attainment laid down by the professional body as a pre-requisite for registration as a physiotherapist.

Successful completion of this programme provides eligibility to apply for registration with the Health Professions Council (HPC). It is a legal requirement that anyone who wishes to practice using a title protected by the Health Professions Order 2001 is on the HPC Register. For more information, please see the HPC website.

In order to qualify for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Science [Honours] in Physiotherapy candidates must:

have satisfied the entry requirement as set out in the programme regulations;
have followed the approved curriculum and passed all the required assessments and examinations;
have completed all practical work, clinical placements and other coursework as required;
be judged as of good character and worthy of admission to the Health Professions Council's register.

Students who are successful at all level 4 assessments but are unable to complete their full degree studies shall be eligible for the exit award of a Certificate of Allied Health Studies.

Students who are successful at all level 5 assessments but are unable to complete their full degree studies shall be eligible for the exit award of a Diploma of Allied Health Studies.

Any student who experiences grave or terminal illness/injury which prevents them from continuing on their programme of study and achieving qualification may be eligible for a posthumous or aegrotat degree named Certificate in Allied Health Sciences or Diploma in Allied Health Sciences. The award cannot be named ‘Physiotherapy’ since the term 'Physiotherapy' is a title protected under the Health Act (1999) for those who are fully qualified and registered as Physiotherapists.

Placements/Study Abroad/Exchange/Fieldwork

Practice placements form an integral part of the programme and students are required to pass in order to be awarded a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy.

Other

These regulations may be revised during the student's period of registration in accordance with the procedures approved by Senate.

Special Considerations
Compensation is not permitted on this programme. The treatment of special considerations is dealt with under separate Special Considerations procedures.