Our Masters in Physiotherapy program is committed to providing an educational opportunity for its students which is excellent, innovative and consistent with the mission of the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University. We strive to prepare physiotherapists to be caring and reflective practitioners who are clinical scholars with the ability to provide client-centred, effective and efficient health care, to critically evaluate the scientific basis of practice, to adapt to and initiate change, to collaborate within interprofessional teams, and to become life-long learners.

Tell me… what is physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is the art and science of rehabilitation. Physiotherapists work with clients of all ages who are at risk for functional loss of or impaired by movement dysfunction caused by illness, injury, developmental disorders or the aging process. The goal of physiotherapy is to maximize independence by promoting, maintaining or restoring physical function, fitness and well-being. Clinical practice encompasses client goal setting, assessment, education, intervention planning and intervention through the use of various options including exercises, education, mobilization and manipulation, or the use of thermal, mechanical or electrical energy.

What is the scope of practice for a physiotherapist?

Physiotherapists practice in a variety of settings, both independently and as members of health care teams. Such settings include hospitals, rehabilitation centres, chronic care facilities, nursing homes, schools, industry, medical supply firms, outpatient and sports medicine clinics, home care programs, and mental health facilities. Also, therapists may own and manage private clinics and consulting agencies. With advanced preparation, career opportunities exist for involvement in administration, education, and research.

As health professionals, physiotherapists recognize a responsibility to act as advocates for health care consumers, and to take into account biological, sociological, and psychological factors that may affect their ability to take responsibility for their own health and wellness.

What is unique about a Masters of Physiotherapy at McMaster University?

The M.Sc. (PT) program utilizes a problem-based, self-directed learning philosophy. An overall goal is to exercise the student's capacity to think and discover during the process of gaining knowledge. Our program is designed to guide, stimulate, and challenge students in order to produce professionals who will make a difference in practice.

Our curriculum is developed and modified by faculty who keep themselves appraised changing trends in health care and physiotherapy practice overall. The faculty are acutely aware of the current and evolving roles of physiotherapists. Physiotherapists are working in increasingly complex sectors which require an advanced skill set. New graduates need to be autonomous primary health care practitioners able to design new programs, develop proposals, evaluate outcomes and supervise others in order to provide the best interventions to the clients who we serve. There is a greater emphasis on independent, evidence-based practice which requires physiotherapists to have critical appraisal skills and additional preparation in research methods.