Career prospects

The current planning system guarantees wide and rapid employment opportunities in both the public and private sector.
Possibility of working in rehabilitation facilities of AUSLs or private hospitals or clinics, either strictly neurological (e.g. head traumas, strokes, myelopathies, peripheral neuropathies, degenerative diseases), or orthopaedic (spinal diseases, arthroplasty), or specialist internal medicine (e.g. cardiological, respiratory, post-surgical rehabilitation).
Possibility of working in public or private rehabilitation facilities on an outpatient basis (patients suffering from neurological or other diseases but manageable on an outpatient basis).
Possible use in sports facilities (federations or clubs of different kinds and specialities, for normally able-bodied or differently-abled athletes).
The course aims to produce health professionals who perform, independently or in cooperation with other health professionals, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation interventions in the areas of motor, upper cortical and visceral functions resulting from pathological events of various aetiologies, whether congenital or acquired.
With reference to the doctor's diagnosis and prescriptions, within the scope of his/her competences, the physiotherapist:

a) draws up, also in a multidisciplinary team, the definition of the rehabilitation programme aimed at identifying and overcoming the health needs of the disabled person;

b) autonomously practices therapeutic activities for the functional re-education of motor, psychomotor and cognitive disabilities, using physical, manual, massage and occupational therapies;

c) proposes the adoption of prostheses and aids, trains in their use and verifies their effectiveness;

d) verifies the correspondence of the rehabilitation methodology implemented to the functional recovery objectives.

He/she carries out study, teaching and professional consultancy activities, in health services and in those where his/her professional skills are required.
 

Skills

Pursuant to Law no. 251 of 10 August 2000 (in Official Gazette no. 208 of 6 September 2000) "Discipline of the nursing, technical, rehabilitation, prevention and midwifery health professions" Health professionals in the rehabilitation area carry out, with professional authority and autonomy, for individuals and the community, activities aimed at prevention, care, rehabilitation and functional assessment procedures, in order to perform the competences envisaged by the relative professional profiles.
With a three-year degree, the physiotherapist exercises competences in professional responsibility, functional assessment, care and rehabilitation, therapeutic education, prevention, training/self-education, basic management/management, research, communication and reporting.

Employment status of graduates

The course provides an excellent entry into the world of work with an employability of 95.2% one year after graduation (Source: Alma Laurea, survey year 2019).

Employment status of graduate(almalaurea.it)

Additional knowledge and skills acquired at the end of the training course.

You are a professionally qualified physiotherapist if you:

I) have a degree in physiotherapy, pertaining to class no. 2 of university degrees in the health professions identified by Ministerial Decree 2 April 2001 - rehabilitation health professions; the qualification in itself qualifies for professional practice, although the training of physiotherapists may continue with a specialised degree (class 2 of Ministerial Decree 2 April 2001 on specialised healthcare degrees - science of the rehabilitation healthcare professions), university Master's degrees (first and second level), PhDs;

II) hold a university diploma in physiotherapy or one of the following equivalent qualifications:

  • physiokinesitherapist (two-year specific training courses ex l. 19 January 1942, No. 86, Art. 1);
  • rehabilitation therapist (l. 30 March 1971, No 118; Ministerial Decree 10 February 1974 and regional regulations);
  • rehabilitation therapist (d.P.R. 10 March 1982, No 162; l. 11 November 1990, No 341);
  • rehabilitation physiotherapy technician (Presidential Decree 10 March 1982, No. 162);
  • motor rehabilitation therapist (Presidential Decree 10 March 1982, no. 162);
  • massage physiotherapist (three-year specific training course ex l. 19 May 1971, No 403).

Further equivalences may be established, at regional level, in implementation of the State-Regions agreement of 16 December 2004, containing criteria and procedures for the recognition of equivalence to university diplomas in the health area of qualifications from the previous system, in implementation of Article 4, paragraph 2, of Law no. 42 of 26 February 1999.

 
Conditions for exercising professional activity.
No registration with any professional register is required at present. Possession of the educational qualification is therefore sufficient to practice the profession.