The Australian College of Physiotherapists (inaugurated in 1971) was established for the training of clinical specialists and advancing excellence in the practice of physiotherapy. The College now represents the leaders in clinical practice, research, management and academia. Instrumental in developing the career pathway for the profession, the College has governance structures that place it at the apex of an integrated career pathway open to all physiotherapists.
The College is broadening its membership to include new types of Fellowship and relevant credentialing opportunities. Membership of the College will include Fellows in Clinical Specialisation, Research (Original Contribution) and Leadership. Member of the College/Titled Members, Registrars, and adjunct recognition for supporters and industry leaders. The new College encompasses development and integration of career pathways for new and emerging clinical disciplines.
The College offers two tiers of membership: Titled and Fellow.
Fellowship can be achieved via a clinical specialisation or non-clinical pathways while the Titled members can join as Members of the College.
Membership of the College will be open to APA members who have achieved the level of a ‘highly advanced’ practitioner in their selected discipline, as defined by the Competence Framework. This is the entry level to the College.
The APA physiotherapist Title is a formal recognition of the attainment of a highly developed level of competency in a particular area of practice. An APA member must successfully complete a rigorous process to prove they have the required level of clinical expertise and knowledge to achieve Titled status.
There are several ways for you to advance your career and gain recognition for your knowledge and experience. Titling is the first step to advance your career before you embark on specialisation qualifications available through the Australian College of Physiotherapists.
Available to physiotherapists in the areas of practice listed below. The APA Physiotherapist Title is a measure of career progress. It represents a physiotherapist who is highly qualified in a particular area of practice. If you attain the APA Physiotherapist Title, you have undergone a rigorous process to demonstrate your physiotherapy experience and knowledge.
The following areas of practice have a titling pathway:
There are currently two pathways that lead to Titling – academic and experiential (outlined below). Information on the pathways that are available in each practice area is provided in the APA Title Information Booklet.
Note: A portfolio pathway is being developed aligned to the APA Career Pathway. This pathway will enable physiotherapists to present a range of evidence to demonstrate their attainment of competence across the seven roles in the APA Career Pathway Competence Framework at milestone level 3 – Highly Developed. We anticipate a staged rollout as we build capacity in our assessment pool across national groups, commencing in the second half of 2022.
More information is available in the APA Title Information Booklet.
Academic pathway
More information on the eligibility requirements is provided in the Eligibility section below.
Experiential pathway
Meet the eligibility requirements and complete the written and clinical practical assessments. This pathway is suited to members who have not completed an Australian post-graduate coursework masters’ degree or those who have completed a masters’ which is not on the APA ‘recognised’ list (provided in the Eligibility section below).
There are three stages to this process, you must pass each stage before you can move to the next stage:
* Exception: Occupational Health physiotherapists are assessed on a portfolio and post portfolio discussion in lieu of written and clinical practical assessments.
Once you have successfully completed one of these pathways, you have the right to use the APA Titling nomenclature in your professional title.
Example: Jane Smith completed the Titling process in the practice area of sports and exercise physiotherapy. Jane can now refer to herself as an ‘APA Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist’.
Please refer to the Australian Physiotherapy Board guidelines for the use of titles.
More information is available in the APA Title Information Booklet.
Each pathway has its own eligibility criteria, listed below are the minimum requirements for all pathways.
All pathways
You must have:
More information is available:
Academic Pathway
You must have successfully completed a postgraduate Australian master’s degree:
Recognised courses (Click here for a list of recognised courses)
These are the Australian postgraduate coursework master’s degrees that are recognised for the academic pathway to titling.
This list contains courses that may no longer be offered, however they remain eligible for academic titling under the rules that applied at the time.
Please note: If your Australian postgraduate coursework master's degree does not appear on this list, and you believe it is recognised, please contact the Titling Officer
Phone: (03) 9092 0888
Email: ng.title@australian.physio
Experiential pathway
You must have:
Stage 1 – initial application and document assessment | $295 incl. GST |
Stage 2 – written assessment fee (experiential only) | $1,370 incl. GST |
Stage 2 – remarking of written assessment (if required) | $500 incl. GST |
Stage 3 – clinical practical assessment fee (experiential only) | $1,370 incl. GST |
OHPA: $295 application fee + $1,370 Portfolio assessment and post portfolio discussion
More information is available in the APA Title Information Booklet.
You can apply for Titling at any time by completing the required forms listed below:
More information is available in the APA Title Information Booklet.
Applications are normally processed within 2 - 4 weeks.
Experiential pathway: the written assessment usually takes around 8 weeks to complete plus a few weeks for marking, the video recorded clinical practical assessment takes around 12 weeks to complete plus a few weeks for marking and conducting the tele/videoconference/viva.
If there are any delays, we will let you know by email or phone.
More information is available in the APA Title Information Booklet.
Read the APA Title Information Booklet.
If that doesn’t answer your question, contact the Member Support Team on (03) 9092 0888 or 1300 306 622.
Available to titled physiotherapists who meet the entry requirements.
Specialisation as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists is conferred to physiotherapists who have attained the highest level of expertise in their particular field of physiotherapy. These physiotherapists have undergone a rigorous training and examination process.
Once you achieve specialisation, you are known as a Fellow of the Australian College of Physiotherapists, the pre-eminent professional body representing specialist physiotherapists in Australasia. Fellows are sought-after by peers, other health professionals and consumers for their expertise. As a Fellow, you may contribute to the professional education of your colleagues, actively engage in your own professional development, and be involved in research activities.
The following areas of practice have a specialisation pathway:
There are 3 steps to specialist recognition by the College:
Step 1: Achieve titled membership in one of the eligible areas of practice (listed above)
Step 2: Apply to the two-year training program of the College in an eligible area of practice
Step 3: Successfully complete all elements of the training program including practical and exams.
The training program is structured around four elements:
The two-year training program is a formal period of education, facilitated by a Fellow of the College in the area of practice you’ve applied to. It involves some facilitated clinical training. You will be required to provide evidence of quality practice.
At the end of the program, you undergo examinations. These run over a two-day period and require demonstration of specialist-level skills.
You must be a titled member of a national group that offers specialisation (see above list) and meet entry criteria to be considered for Fellowship by Specialisation.
$110 application fee + $9 900 program fee (including GST)
The program fee is paid in two instalments:
On acceptance into the program: $4950
On commencement of the second year: $4950
Clinical Examination and Viva: $3300
Exam repeat (if required) $110 per segment.
(Fees quoted are subject to change without notice)
Intake opens: 9 September 2021
Apply by: 1 November 2021
Program commences: 1 April 2022
To apply, complete the application and payment forms, and submit before 1 November 2021.
Make sure you have the following supporting documents ready:
Your application will be processed by mid-December.
Registrar has a maximum of four consecutive years to complete the training program and a further four consecutive years to complete the examination program.
Find out more by viewing the recording of the specialisation information session below.
Read the Specialisation Training Program Manual.
The Australian College of Physiotherapists holds a live-streamed Specialisation Training Program information evening in September each year.
Go to the PD Search and use ‘College’ as the keyword for further details.
If your question hasn’t been answered by any of these resources, email the Manager of the College.
You can also write to us or call us:
ACP Manager, Specialisation and Fellowship Programs
PO Box 437, Hawthorn BC VIC 3122 Australia
Phone: +61 3 9092 0873
Available to any member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association who is undertaking original research or publishing a scholarly book.
Fellowship by Original Contribution is an academic pathway to Fellowship of the College. It involves an application process, then the submission of original work that is scientific work, professional, academic or all three. Fellows by Original Contribution must not call themseleves a clinical specialist.
Once your work is passed by the Board of Examiners, you are known as a Fellow of the Australian College of Physiotherapists. Fellows are sought-after by peers, other health professionals and consumers for their expertise. As a Fellow, you may contribute to the professional education of your colleagues, actively engage in your own professional development, and be involved in research activities.
You can submit either original research or a published scholarly book or monograph as part of your application to become a Fellow.
Book or monograph
For a book, simply fill out the online application form below. You will be notified if you are accepted. The next step is to submit three copies of your manuscript. Your work will be assessed by two examiners.
Original research
For original research, the process is slightly different.
Step 1: Complete the application form including an outline of your proposed work.
Step 2: If your application is successful, you become a Member of the College.
Step 3: You work with your allocated supervisor to prepare your work for submission. This must happen within two years.
Step 4: Two examiners assess the work and provide their assessment.
Whether you submit original research or a book/monograph, all submissions are assessed on whether they:
For all applications:
There are also separate eligibility criteria depending the type of work you submit.
Original research
Book or monograph
$110 application fee + $2200 review fee of final work submitted
Each resubmission of work with major revisions: $2200
(Fees quoted are subject to change without notice)
Applicants can submit their application at anytime throughout the year.
To apply, fill out the application form.
Make sure you have the following supporting documents ready:
Once your application is accepted, you will be asked to submit one soft copy and up to three hard copies if requested.
It takes up to six weeks to process your application.
If you are submitting a collection of papers, you have up to two years to do this.
Once your work has been submitted, assessment takes approximately six weeks.
Read the information package on Fellowship by Original Contribution.
If that doesn’t answer your question, contact the ACP Manager of the Fellowship and Specialisation Tranining Program.
You can also write to us or call us:
ACP Manager, Fellowship and Specialisation Training Program
Australian Physiotherapy Association
PO Box 437, Hawthorn BC VIC 3122 Australia
Phone: +61 3 9092 0873
Fellowship as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists is conferred to physiotherapists who have met the criteria for Leadership—being designed in 2022
Acknowledgement of Prior Learning
Conflict of interest (CoI). Also see Procedure: Conflict of Interest
Consideration of cases of impairment at assessment
Occupational health and safety
Provision of ongoing support beyond the two year Training Program for Fellowship by Specialisation
Sitting exams outside the designated period
Make sure you know what the law says about using a specialist title. At this time, specialist titles for physiotherapists are not yet recognised under national registration. For more information refer to the Physiotherapy Board of Australia: Information on the use of Specialist Titles in Physiotherapy.
To avoid misleading the public, physiotherapists who have been awarded Fellowship by Specialisation are required to refer to their expertise in a way that establishes their credentials. The following format must be used: Jane Doe, Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist (as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 20**).
Australian College of Physiotherapists must be spelled out in full. Physiotherapists should only use the term ‘Specialist’ when they establish their credentials in the way outlined above. Specialist Fellows can also use the postnominal ‘FACP’ to establish their credentials: John Doe, FACP.
You are not to use the term ‘Specialist’ in any way to refer to your expertise, area of study or area of practice.
Find out more about using the College logo
ACP Complaints and Grievances form
ACP Appeals, Complaints and Grievances policy
ACP Appeals, Complaints and Grievances procedure
ACP Advice, Complaint or Grievance flow chart
© Copyright 2022 by Australian Physiotherapy Association. All rights reserved.