Australian residents
International students
ATAR:
Lowest selection rank*: 62.95
*Offers made in 2022. More about ATAR
Duration: 
4.5 years full time
Location: 
City Campus
Delivery mode: 
In person
Start date:
24 February 2025
Application due dates:
View How to apply
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Overview

Take a holistic approach to clinical care with a Bachelor of Science (Osteopathy)/Master of Health Science (Osteopathy) at Victoria University (VU). 

Get qualified for a rewarding career building ongoing relationships with clients, alleviating pain, optimising mobility and function, emphasising preventative care and promoting healthy lifestyle changes.

VU’s unique degree is the only course in Victoria that allows you to become an osteopath accredited with the Australiasian Osteopathic Accreditation Council (AOAC) in just 4.5 years and at a masters level.

During your degree, which covers both undergraduate and postgraduate subjects, you’ll study: 

  • anatomy
  • osteopathic principles and techniques
  • physiology
  • pathology
  • population health
  • evidence-based practice.

You'll also benefit from extensive work experience, with hands-on practice at our professional clinics.

Once you graduate, you’ll be eligible for accreditation to practise as an osteopath, with the skills to:

  • assess and diagnose a range of conditions
  • develop safe treatment programs
  • perform soft-tissue techniques
  • perform joint mobilisation and manipulative techniques
  • provide exercise rehabilitation programs. 

During your Master of Health Science (Osteopathy), you’ll get extensive hands-on experience treating real patients in VU’s Osteopathy Clinic at our state-of-the-art City Tower at our City Campus, as well as in a range of community-based clinics.

Working on a rotational basis both during and in-between semesters, you’ll gain real-world experience working with paying clients under the supervision of expert accredited osteopaths. Treatments you may assist with include:

  • soft tissue techniques
  • joint manipulation
  • joint mobilisation
  • exercise rehabilitation
  • general health care advice.

Your clinical work may also involve assisting with ergonomics, general health advice, rehabilitation, referral and resources.

With this dual qualification in osteopathy, you’ll have the qualifications needed for registration as an osteopath with the Osteopathy Board of Australia and membership with Osteopathy Australia.

You’ll be able to register and practise as an osteopath in all Australian states and in New Zealand. 

Need some advice?

Request a call back from one of our experienced VUHQ course advisers to get your questions answered.

Request a call back

Careers

As a highly-skilled osteopath, you can enjoy the independence of running your own private practice, or choose to provide healthcare in settings such as:

  • private clinics
  • multidisciplinary health clinics
  • sporting groups
  • community organisations.
Innovating sport performance

Innovating sport performance

Osteopathy graduate Ed Wittich’s career has simply been ‘outside the box’.

assets/arrow-long Created with Sketch.

Course structure

To attain the double award of Bachelor of Health Science (Osteopathy) / Master of Health Science (Osteopathy) students will be required to complete:

- 432 credit points of core studies

Year 1, Semester 1

Year 1, Semester 2

Year 2, Semester 1

Year 2, Semester 2

Year 3, Semester 1

Year 3, Semester 2

Year 4, Semester 1

Year 4, Semester 2

Year 5, Semester 1

We are the first Australian university to use a 'block' model of learning, where you study one unit at a time rather than juggling several at once.

Introduced in 2018, the VU Block Model has improved our student results and achievements, and has won awards for innovation and excellence. Initially for first-year students, it now applies to all students studying at our Melbourne campuses.

You'll study in short bursts, called blocks, of three 2-3 hour face-to-face teaching sessions per week.

Each block focuses on one unit (subject) and is only four weeks long, with up to four days between. Our two semesters have four blocks each, and there are optional blocks over winter and summer where you can catch up on a missed unit.

Some courses have labs and pracs too, and these are generally scheduled on the same days as teaching sessions. There are also workshops where you'll develop your study skills and prepare for your future career.

Find out more about the VU Block Model.

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Justify their professional, ethical and legal position as an osteopath within the scope of practice of an osteopath and the broader Australian healthcare system;  
  2. Critically appraise scholarly healthcare literature to integrate the best available evidence into practice to continually improve practice;  
  3. Design a patient-centred, culturally safe and evidence-informed management plan based on sound clinical reasoning, appropriate use of medicine, scientific evidence and patient/client preferences to inform decision-making;  
  4. Exemplify relevant leadership, ethical behaviour, prioritisation of resources, and appropriate communication on all aspects of the care process within a collaborative clinical setting including peers, inter-professional colleagues, supervisors, and a diverse range of patients;  
  5. Implement inclusive, culturally safe, patient-centred care for a diverse range of patient populations across the lifespan, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;  
  6. Advocate for patients and the community by promoting health through effective communication, collaborative practice, inter-professional practice, health education and evidence-based management;  
  7. Evaluate patient progress using standardised outcome measures, and document and appropriately communicate information about patient care;  
  8. Design and undertake a scholarly piece of work related to the osteopathic profession; and  
  9. Critically reflect on theoretical concepts, professional capabilities, self-care, personal and clinical experiences, and embrace lifelong learning to inform and continually improve practice.  

What's a unit?

A unit or 'subject' is the actual class you'll attend in the process of completing a course.

Most courses have a mixture of compulsory 'core' units that you need to take and optional elective units that you can choose to take based on your area of interest, expertise or experience.

Credits

Each unit is worth a set amount of study credits based on the amount of time you study. Generally, 1 credit is equal to 1 hour of study per week.

Fees & scholarships

Fee type for this course: Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)

Fee type definitions

The amount you pay for your course depends on whether you’re offered a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) or a full fee-paying place.

Students who enrol in a:

In addition to your tuition fees, you may also be charged a Student Services & Amenities Fee (SSAF).

Scholarships & assistance

Apply for a scholarship to help with your study costs.

We can help with fee assistance and advice.

Admissions

Victoria University is committed to providing a transparent admissions process. Find out more about how to apply for our courses, and our commitment to admissions transparency.

Applicants for this course will need to have met the academic requirements and prerequisites for this course outlined below.

Meeting the minimum admission criteria does not guarantee entry into this course. Past academic performance may be considered.

Admission criteria

The minimum criteria for admission varies depending on your education background. If you’re not sure which criteria applies to you, use the help tool on this page or make an enquiry and we can assist.

Inherent Requirements

'Inherent requirements' are the abilities, attributes, skills and behaviours needed to meet the learning outcomes of a course. These should be met while preserving the academic integrity of the university’s learning, assessment and accreditation processes.

You need to be able to demonstrate that you hold, or can acquire, the inherent requirements for this degree.

We may be able to make reasonable adjustments to help you manage circumstances that impact your studies – provided these don't fundamentally change the academic integrity of the degree.

Read more about inherent requirements.

Applicants with recent secondary education (within the last 2 years)

  • Australian Senior Secondary Certificate (e.g. VCE) or
  • an Australian or overseas equivalent or
  • an International Baccalaureate (IB).

Importance of ATAR for this course

ATAR+

We consider both ATAR and other criteria

NA

ATAR is not a consideration. We use other criteria

Admission criteria

Completion of an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate (VCE or equivalent) including Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or 20 in any other English.
PLUS:
A study score of at least 20 in one of Biology, Chemistry, any Mathematics or Physics.

Subject adjustments

A study score of 30 in Chemistry, any English or any Mathematics equals 5 aggregate points per study. A study score of 25 in Biology equals 5 aggregate points. Overall maximum of 20 points.

ATAR profile

VU course code: HCOP

VTAC course code: 4300243051

Campus: City Flinders

ATAR profile of people who received an offer for the Bachelor of Science (Osteopathy)/Master of Health Science (Osteopathy).
  ATAR
(Excluding adjustment factors)		 Selection Rank
(ATAR plus any adjustment factors)
Highest rank to receive an offer 99.60 99.95
Median rank to receive an offer 75.37 83.72
Lowest rank to receive an offer 50.65 62.95

 

Special admission programs

Our special admission programs cover a range of access and equity schemes that allow applicants from participating schools or disadvantaged social, economic or cultural environments to receive additional consideration. These include:

Applicants with vocational education and training (VET/TAFE) study

This information is for people who have completed an accredited award at an Australian Registered Training Organisation.

Admission criteria

Completion of an Australian Advanced Diploma or Diploma (or equivalent) in Health Sciences or similar.

Special admission programs

Our special admission programs cover a range of access and equity schemes that allow applicants from participating schools or disadvantaged social, economic or cultural environments to receive additional consideration. These include:

Applicants with higher education study

This information is for people whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a higher education course.

Admission criteria

Completion of at least one semester of an Australian Higher Education award (or equivalent).

Special admission programs

Our special admission programs cover a range of access and equity schemes that allow applicants from participating schools or disadvantaged social, economic or cultural environments to receive additional consideration. These include:

Applicants with work & life experience

This information is for applicants who left secondary school more than two years ago and who have not undertaken VET or higher education study since then.

Admission criteria

Completion of an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate more than two years ago.
PLUS:
Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or 20 in any other English (or equivalent).
AND:
A study score of at least 20 in one of Biology, Chemistry, any Mathematics or Physics.

Special admission programs

Our special admission programs cover a range of access and equity schemes that allow applicants from participating schools or disadvantaged social, economic or cultural environments to receive additional consideration. These include:

Additional information

A current First Aid certificate (HLTAID011) or Level 11 First Aid Certificate must be obtained prior to HBS3004 and clinical placement. Students must maintain a current certificate until graduation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON OSTEOPATHY BOARD AUSTRALIA (AHPRA) ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS REGISTRATION STANDARDS

All applicants must be able to provide the information required by the AHPRA English Language Skills Registration Standard for admission to the course.

This requirement applies to both domestic and international students.

All applicants must be able to demonstrate to Victoria University that they meet the Osteopathy Board of Australia AHPRA English Language Skills Registration Standard. Applicants can obtain further information about how to demonstrate the Standard at: https://www.osteopathyboard.gov.au/registration-standards.aspx
As part of this standard, applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have evidence of completing:
• At least 6 years (full time equivalent) continuous education taught and assessed solely in English, in any of the recognised countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, United States of America, Canada, Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom). Education includes tertiary qualifications in the relevant professional discipline, which you are relying on to support your eligibility for registration under the National Law.
OR
• IELTS with a minimum IELTS (academic module) overall score of 7 and a minimum score of 7 in each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking).
OR
• OET with a minimum score of B in each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking).
OR
• PTE Academic with a minimum overall score of 65 and a minimum score of 65 in each of the four communicative skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking).
OR
• TOEFL iBT with a minimum total score of 94 and the following minimum score in each section of the test: 24 for listening, 24 for reading, 27 for writing, and 23 for speaking.

Selection criteria assistance

Let us know which qualifications you have studied and we will help you find the admission information that most applies to you.

Which of the following qualifications have you studied, or are currently studying?

Still not sure? Make an enquiry and one of our advisors can assist.

Student profile

Take a look at a student profile to get an overview of students who have previously enrolled in this course.

Pathways & credits

There are many ways you can start your education journey at VU. Pathways offer an easy transition between courses at different levels, so that you can start with a certificate and progress right through to postgraduate study.

Use our credit calculator to find out how much credit you could get towards your course, based on your previous study.

If you have completed study with another university or institution and believe you are eligible to receive credit for skills and past study, you can apply for advanced standing.

Applications for advanced standing can be made after a discussion with your course chair or academic adviser.

Credit Calculator

Find out how much credit you could get towards your course, based on your previous study.

CALCULATE YOUR CREDIT

How to apply

Available start dates:
  • 24 February 2025

Before you apply

Before applying, you should consider whether you also want to apply for:

  • Special admission programs: Depending on your life circumstances you may be eligible for special consideration of your application.
  • Advanced standing: If you have significant experience or studies elsewhere you may be eligible for credit for some units of your course and not have to undertake them.

Find out more about applying for our courses.

Apply through VTAC

Apply through VTAC if any of the following apply to you:

  • you are applying for more than one course
  • you are completing Year 12 in 2023
  • you have an existing VTAC application to study in 2024

VTAC course code: 4300243051

VTAC very late applications are due 14 January 2025.

Apply via VTAC

Special Entry Access Scheme

You can apply for consideration of your life circumstances during the application process by submitting a VTAC Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS) application.

Apply direct to VU

Apply directly to VU if any of the following apply to you:

  • you are a current VU student
  • you are only applying for this course and are not completing Year 12 in 2023

Direct applications are due on 16 February 2025 for our next intake which starts on 24 February 2025.

Apply direct to VU

Already a VU student?

If you are already a VU student, apply direct to VU using our Admissions centre to transfer into this course. Remember it’s best to be accepted into your new course before withdrawing from your current one.

After you apply

  • It’s important to check for emails from us (which may go to your spam/junk folder).
  • Complete any requests for information by the given dates, otherwise your application may not be considered

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Get help

At Victoria University, we aim to display accurate and complete course information online. However, we are unable to guarantee that every course change is currently displayed. You may contact the University directly on +61 3 9919 6100 to confirm the most up-to-date course fees, pathways and credit transfer, recognition of prior learning, admission and enrolment procedures, examinations and services available to our students.