Course summary

We are pleased to confirm that Writtle University College and ARU (Anglia Ruskin University) are joining together. The merger will happen during the 23/24 academic year. Writtle’s full range of Higher and Further Education courses will continue to be delivered on site at the Writtle campus, enhanced by resources available at nearby ARU. If you are starting your course in September 2024, your degree will be awarded by ARU. Find out more about ARU, including our recent Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework, at aru.ac.uk. Writtle University College has an excellent reputation for its existing undergraduate Equine Sports Therapy course and our Integrated Masters in Vet Physio as well as our BSc in Animal Therapy that have both academic and professional input and by popular demand we are now offering an MSc Veterinary Physiotherapy as a postgraduate pathway. This exciting course is recognised by RAMP, Accredited by AHPR and supported by NAVP. The programme is designed to develop the skills of the student to support veterinary surgeons in the rehabilitation of a variety of species and will in particular focus on equine and canine patients. It will also focus on supporting equine and canine athletes both during competition and for recovery. It is designed to enhance competency in existing therapists and to help students with less experience achieve their goal as capable and knowledgeable veterinary physiotherapists. The programme offers successful students the opportunity to become part of the existing para-veterinary profession of veterinary physiotherapists by developing excellent understanding and knowledge of anatomical structure in relation to function, treatment, rehabilitation of a variety of animals and of core business skills for those who plan to be self-employed. The programme will be run on a part-time basis over three years, with the majority being delivered at weekends (11 weekends for the 1st year , 19 weekends - including internal placements on site - for the 2nd year). There will be the occasional Friday or Monday that requires attendance, such as Academic Induction and examinations. The first year is quite structured and enables us to accurately predict the level of commitment required from each student to pass the modules. In the second clinical year, students differ widely in their ability to pick up and accurately apply the techniques being taught. So the requirement for self-directed practice can be substantial. There is also an increased level of contact in year 2 as students need to undertake placement days alongside the taught element, so weekends become far more frequent than during the first year. By year 3 students will be able to organise their own study time to complete the dissertation. The first two years will comprise the Postgraduate Diploma in Veterinary Physiotherapy and if successful the student will obtain their VP practitioner status. The third year involves the dissertation and on completion the student will have a full MSc Veterinary Physiotherapy. A successful veterinary physiotherapist will soon find that demand for their services outstrips their availability as there are a limited number of qualified therapists in the industry.