Course details are accurate at the time of printing but may be altered as necessary. 

For full time MSc students the course lasts for one calendar year (end of September to early September the following year). For Graduate Diploma students the course lasts one academic year (end of September to early June). 

Part time students can complete the course over two or three years and will take examinations on appropriate sections of the course at the end of the year in which they study them. More information on part-time study is given below. Students interested in part-time study may also wish to consider starting with the new 60 credit Certificate Course.

The course will be organised as a series of modules, each of which earns credits. Modules earning a total of 180 credits must be passed to gain an MSc. For the UCL Graduate Diploma, 120 credits are needed. Some modules will be shared with other programmes in the MSc School whilst some are only for the Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy course. The following modules will be offered:
 

Title	Credits	Core or Option
Heart	15	Core
Muscle and Exercise Physiology	7.5	Core
Biochemistry and Nutrition in relation to sport and exercise	7.5	Option
Topics in Cardiorespiratory Research	7.5	Core
Control of movement	7.5	Option
Fundamentals of Pain	7.5	Option
Respiration	15	Option
Research Methods	7.5	Core
Becoming an Effective Practitioner	7.5	Option
Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy	3 0	Core
Clinical Education in Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy	3 0	Core
Project	6 0	Core

 

Timetabling

The year will be divided into 6 parts as follows: 
 

	Term	Start date	End date	Duration (weeks)	Content	Total credits
Introductory week	1	Sept 26	Sept 30	1	Introductory material, start of heart module
Zone 1	1	Oct 3	Nov 25	8	Taught modules	37.5-45
Zone 2	1-2	Nov 28	Feb 10	8	Taught modules	45-52.5
Zone 3	2-3	Feb 13	May 5	10	Clinical education, Project preparation, revision	3 0
Exams	3	May 3	June 3	4.5	Exams and revision
Project		June 4	Sept 17	15		6 0

Module Outlines

Heart, 15 credits, Core 
Organiser Dr Peter Sutton (Physiology Dept and Hatter Institute for Cardiology)
The module builds on a primary knowledge of cardiac function. It explores the evidence leading to our current understanding of the workings of the heart and subsequently develops basic physiological concepts as applied to the clinical scenario and aspects of pathophysiology.

Muscle and Exercise Physiology, 7.5 credits, Core
Organisers Prof R C Woledge, Prof Steve Harridge (Kings College London) 
Key topics: Energy supply to muscle; regulation of muscle phenotype; effects of training on muscle function; fatigue; cardiorespiratory responses to exercise. 

Biochemistry and Nutrition in Relation to Sport and Exercise, 7.5 credits, Option 
Organisers Prof R C Woledge, Prof Steve Harridge (Kings College London) 
Key aspects of nutrition in relation to health and performance; ergogenic aids; special nutritional requirements for sport; thermoregulation and electrolyte balance; physical performance and ageing.

Control of Movement, 7.5 credits, Option 
Organiser Dr Margaret Mayston (Physiology Dept) 
Proprioception; integration at spinal cord level; Motor centres in the brain; posture and locomotion; motor learning. 

Fundamentals of Pain, 7.5 credits, Option 
Organiser Prof Bruce Lynn (Physiology Dept) 
Basic pain mechanisms; pain signalling from muscle and joint; pain and inflammation; neuropathic pain; back pain; problem upper limb pain; psychological approaches to pain management.

Biomechanics, 7.5 credits, Option 
Organiser Prof D Grieve (Institute of Human Performance) 
Key principles of mechanics; biomechanics of the limbs and the spine; walking and running; jumping; lifting. This course will also include a brief introduction to ergonomics and a small number of prosection sessions covering the anatomy of the limbs and of the trunk and spine. 

Respiration, 7.5 credits, Option 
Organisers Dr Brenda Cross, Prof David Jordan (Physiology Dept)
The course will review the normal functioning of the respiratory system and will consider how disorders of respiration occur and the rational basis for treatment for these disorders.

Research Methods, 7.5 credits, Core 
Organisers Prof Bruce Lynn, Dr Peter Tatham (Physiology Dept) 
The scientific method; what we mean by "evidence based"; principles of experimental design; introduction to statistics; how to use spread sheets; use of web-based bibliographic databases.  This module uses a web-based, problem centred, approach and can be taken largely by distance learning.

Becoming an Effective Practitioner , 7.5 credits, Option 
Dr  Ralph Hammond and Steve Ashford
This module examines the purpose and the processes involved in the evaluation of the outcome of health care interventions. Key steps in the evaluation process will be covered including: the choice of outcomes, the selection and appraisal of appropriate measurement instruments, different methods of outcome evaluation, and the interpretation of results.

Topics in Cardiorespiratory Research, 7.5 credits, Option 
Organisers Dr Eleanor Main(UCL Physiology/Institute of Child Health) and Dr Jennifer Pryor (Royal Brompton Hospital). 
This course is designed specifically for MSc Physiotherapy students. It is organised as a tutorial/supervised reading course. The student will choose three topics in cardiorespiratory physiology, pathophysiology or physiotherapy in discussion with the course tutors. The student will carry out a library study of the topics. The topics will be presented in oral and written form at a tutorial and will be assessed. In addition to increasing the students knowledge the course will aim specifically to improve library searching skills and presentation skills. For students following a Masters programme one of the topics will relate to their research project topic.

Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy, 30 credits, Core 
Organisers Dr Eleanor Main(UCL Physiology/Institute of Child Health) and Dr Jennifer Pryor (Royal Brompton Hospital). 
This module will investigate the role of the cardiorespiratory physiotherapist in the light of current evidence, skills and techniques. It will explore the implications of different pathological states and modification of practice. A variety of teaching methods will be used including student led seminars. The following topics will be explored:

Clinical Education in Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy, 30 credits, Core 
Organisers Dr Eleanor Main (UCL Physiology/Institute of Child Health) and Dr Jennifer Pryor (Royal Brompton Hospital). 
This will be built around 2 supervised placements and is designed to develop clinical expertise. The placement will be in an area where the student has not previously had much experience. Placement 1 will be in a range of hospitals including Barnet General Hospital and University College Hospitals. Placement 2 will be in an area chosen by the student. The placements will provide an opportunity for the student's clinical skills to be assessed. During this module the student will also complete a clinical reasoning essay linking patient management with biological and medical science 

Research Project, 60 credits, Core
An initial literature survey will lead to the formulation of a research plan. The project will then be carried out and written up as a detailed research report. The results will also be presented orally at the end of the course. Each project will have a 1st Supervisor who provides the main support, and a 2nd supervisor who acts as a further source of advice and helps with the assessment. 

Recent projects include: 

• Novice physiotherapists' attitudes towards clinical reasoning in preparation for 'on call'. A questionnaire. 
  
• Effects of simultaneous deep breathing exercises and mobilisation on pattern of ventilation in post-operative patients. 
• Is there a relationship between ACE genotype and patients performance following a pulmonary rehabilitation programme?
• Is the breath-hold test a valid assessment tool to aid diagnosis of Hyperventilation Syndrome?
• The effect of position on cough peak flow rate in normal subjects
   

Relation of Graduate Diploma to the MSc.

The taught elements of the course, totalling 120 credits, are sufficient in themselves to gain a UCL Graduate Diploma. If a student wishes, they may subsequently re-enrol to do a research project, and if successful will be awarded an M Sc. Fees for the Graduate Diploma are 2/3 those of the M Sc, i.e. pro rata in terms of credit value. 
 
 

Part-time study 

The modular nature of the course allows part-time study, taking up to 5 years (although most part-time students take only 2 or 3 years). Over a 2 year programme, students only attend UCL for an average of 1 day per week. However, the attendance is not spread uniformly. The project is the easiest component to organise as the timetable can suit the individual student and it can sometimes be carried out at the student's place of employment. For other parts of the course it is necessary to attend for short blocks (1-5 weeks) or for 1-2 days per week through "zones" lasting 8 weeks. The teaching in zones falls within the academic teaching year (End Sept to Easter). As the present part-time students would confirm, the key for part-time study is flexibility!

Remember also that when planning part-time study, for every "contact" hour spent at college, a further 1-2 hours needs to be set aside for self study. Also remember that in year one you will need to attend for 3-4 days during week one (the introductory week). Finally, each year you will need to be able to get time off work to take the module exams. Students interested in part-time study should discuss the options with the Course Tutors. 
 
 

Assessment
 

Assessment of taught modules
These will be assessed by course work and written exams. The exams will be at the end of the academic year, not at the end of the module.
Assessment of clinical education
1	Written work. Students are expected to relate pathological processes, clinical features with treatment strategies.
2	Patient Examinations. During the clinical practice students are examined assessing and treating one current patient and examining one new patient. Two examiners are present on each occasion - the clinical tutor and a college tutor.
3	Patient Presentations. Each student presents a patient treated on placement to their peer group and tutors in college, which is peer assessed.
4	Practical Problem Solving Examination. Each student has a examination lasting 45 minutes. The student is presented with 5 clinical problems and is asked to demonstrate and justify the use of appropriate management. The problems are of a nature such as to enable the students to demonstrate a wide variety of treatments, which the student can both justify and demonstrate skilfully.

Assessment of the project

The following elements will be assessed: 

1. The research report (limit 10,000 words), which must include a full literature review.
2. The oral presentation. 

Selected students have a viva with external examiner(s) and the course tutors. This further explores the research results and method, essay topic and any other aspect of the course that the examiners have identified as a strength or weakness in the student.

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