墨爾本大學

The Master of Rehabilitation Science is a course designed for physiotherapists, exercise scientists, occupational therapists, nurses and other qualified allied health professionals who want to become experts in rehabilitation and health promotion to help rehabilitate people recovering from injury and illness.

The course has been developed around three major themes: theory and practice, research and innovation, and rehabilitation in context. Within these themes, you can focus your studies on a variety of subjects related to your specific profession, including women’s health, paediatrics, neurology, acute care, musculoskeletal rehabilitation and emerging technology. You will also have the opportunity to develop skills in leadership and health advocacy.

As a student of this course, you’ll deepen your skills and learn the principles of best practice rehabilitation, including how to help people regain lost skills, the physiology of fitness and conditioning, the pathophysiology of common conditions, and the specific needs of those affected by limited ability and function.

Who the course is for

This course has been created for qualified health professionals who are seeking to improve their practice and develop internationally transferable skills in rehabilitation and health promotion. It is relevant to a range of qualified allied health professionals including, but not limited to:

• Physiotherapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Exercise Scientists
• Nurses
• Prosthetists
• Orthotists
• Podiatrists.

Designed to be interdisciplinary, the program is also suitable for professionals who already work in clinical areas such as nursing, prosthetics, orthotics and podiatry. The unique course structure allows you to personalise your degree and design a program that best meets your practice needs and builds your professional profile and expertise.

Course aims

This comprehensive program prepares graduates to effectively plan and review rehabilitation strategies to suit a range of scenarios, ranging from acute critical illness, community rehabilitation and lifespan care.

The course has been developed to give students an individualised career pathway, while enhancing their understanding of human function and disability and the skills to promote physical well-being among people of all levels of ability. As part of the course, you will identify and analyse the determinants of health that influence wellbeing. You will learn to design, implement and evaluate rehabilitation strategies holistically.

You will learn about the principles of rehabilitation, the physiology and pathophysiology of common conditions, and rehabilitation strategies for the effective and safe implementation of rehabilitation in a range of practice contexts. Specifically, you will learn techniques including exercise prescription, goal setting and health behaviour modification, measurement of physical activity and sedentary behaviours, fitness evaluation and a selection of appropriate outcome measurements and indicators. The course emphasises contemporary best practice rehabilitation in multiple clinical and community contexts, nationally and globally.

Career outcomes

A postgraduate qualification in Rehabilitation Science will build your professional profile and reputation which can open up new employment opportunities. Graduates of this program will gain leadership prospects within a range of health professions.

There are growing professional opportunities available for graduates who complete the Rehabilitation Science program. Worldwide, industry figures indicate an increased need for more highly trained rehabilitation practitioners to help people regain movement or function that has been lost.