Accreditation of Entry Level Physiotherapy Education Programs

The Australian Standards for Physiotherapy provide the physiotherapy profession with a benchmark for the knowledge, skills and attributes of a safe and effective entry level physiotherapist in Australia.

A consistent national approach to the accreditation of physiotherapy education programs has been implemented in Australia for more than a decade. In 1995, the Australian Council of Physiotherapy Regulating Authorities (now the Australian Physiotherapy Council) formed a working party to develop a process of accreditation for physiotherapy education programs in Australia. A process for accreditation of physiotherapy education programs in Australia was introduced in 1997.

The 1997 process has been reviewed and an Accreditation Manual that includes details of the revised approach to the accreditation of entry level physiotherapy education programs will be published in December 2008. The manual is intended to serve as a resource for universities engaged in the planning, design, review and continuous quality improvement of entry level physiotherapy education programs.  It provides guidance for universities developing submissions as part of the process of application for, and maintenance of, accreditation. The Australian Physiotherapy Council will work in partnership with universities prior to publication of the manual to provide details of the draft Accreditation Manual.