Year 1: State-of-the-art lectures and skills training

The compulsory courses in the first year (60 ECTS) will help you to integrate your existing knowledge within the field of Physiotherapy. Teaching methods vary from class contact teaching to individual tasks, group assignments and practical sessions in smaller groups.

During the spring semester, you will spend 12 weeks on clinical internships during which you will learn how to deal with a variety of patients and diseases within private practices or hospitals in Belgium or abroad.

You will conclude your first year with a Master’s thesis that is based on a systematic literature review.

Year 2: Specialisation and Master’s thesis

In the second year (60 ECTS) all courses are related to the field of your major:

• Neurological conditions: this major focuses on the theoretical aspects of advanced methods in neurological rehabilitation.
• Internal conditions: this major focuses on the theoretical aspects of advanced methods in the rehabilitation of patients with respiratory, cardiovascular and/or metabolic disorders.

The specialised courses of the second year are organised in collaboration with other Flemish universities and thus include expertise from various top-class research groups.

You will also do clinical internships related to your major (13 weeks), write an evidence-based practice case report and finish your Master’s thesis. You will conduct scientific research (preferably in line with the thesis of year 1) within the domain of rehabilitation and physiotherapy, analyse data and publish the results as a scientific paper.

The University of Antwerp scores extremely well in Young University Rankings, obtaining the 5th place in the Times Higher Education Millennials 2020, the 7th in the Times Higher Education 250 under 50 2022 and the 20th place in QS 50 under 50 2021. On a global scale, the university ranks 131th in the Times Higher Education 2023 and 280th in QS World Ranking 2023.

Learning outcomes

Healthcare professional

1. The Master has specialised knowledge of and insight into domain-specific health problems in different target groups.
2. The Master can communicate orally and in writing in a professional way with patients and other concerned parties within a multidisciplinary context.
3. The Master can do a screening and a physiotherapeutic examination for complex and/or specific conditions, taking international frameworks and evidence-based practice into account.
4. The Master can stimulate health-enhancing behaviour in various target groups in the framework of preventative health care.
5. The Master can make a physiotherapeutic diagnosis and draw up, execute and evaluate a treatment/action plan in an ethically sound way in case of a complex pathology and for various target groups, taking international frameworks and evidence-based practice into account.

Healthcare manager

1. The Master can apply legal, deontological, and organisational aspects for the start-up or management of a physiotherapy practice or department.
2. The Master can organise himself and reflect individually and in a team in the function of optimal (quality) care in a multidisciplinary setting.
3. The Master can critically reflect on the policy with regard to the offer of physiotherapeutic care and service, taking into account the broader social context.

Profession developer and scientific researcher

1. The Master can perform scientific research related to the domain of rehabilitation sciences and physiotherapy.
2. The Master can evaluate research results, indicate their limitations, and propose solution-oriented adjustments to make a contribution to international scientific research or the physiotherapeutic professional practice.
3. The Master can communicate orally and in writing in a clear and structured way about his/her own research in the domain of rehabilitation sciences and physiotherapy.
4. The Master constantly acquires new insights in the domain of physiotherapy in the function of self-development and of making a contribution to the further development of the field.

The positive effects of physiotherapy have been well documented in the scientific literature. The expertise of physiotherapists is highly appreciated and sought after, and physiotherapists are becoming increasingly important in the changing landscape of healthcare.

As a Master of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy graduate, you will find employment in both intramural and extramural healthcare, whether or not in combination with an academic career.

Intramural health care

You will have the necessary practical skills and theoretical knowledge to start a professional career as a physiotherapy practitioner. You will be well prepared to pursue a career in a clinical setting such as a rehabilitation clinic, a day centre or a hospital where you will work in collaboration with other clinical experts (medical doctors, nurses, occupational therapists) and where you will be in close contact with your patients.

The professional network you have established throughout your clinical internships and Master’s thesis trajectory will be an advantage when searching for employment in the broad field of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy.

Extramural health care

You can also start as an employee in private practice or become self-employed and start a private clinic, in collaboration with partners or in an association.

Academic career

The research skills you have developed throughout the programme may also help you to continue your education in a PhD or an Advanced Master's programme in Antwerp or abroad.