Built through consultation and collaboration
The refreshed Accreditation Standards were developed via a thorough review and broad consultation process, bringing together perspectives from universities, clinicians, regulators, health consumers, students, accreditation assessors and experts.
This collaborative approach helped ensure the standards are contemporary, evidence-informed and fit for purpose, while supporting high-quality physiotherapy education across Australia.
Recognising different communities and local needs
A key strength of the Council’s accreditation is recognising healthcare does not look the same everywhere. The needs of a metropolitan community can be different from those of regional, rural or remote communities. Education providers also operate in different contexts, with different models, partnerships and student cohorts.
The Council’s Accreditation Standards support an outcomes-based approach to accreditation. This means the Council focuses on how physiotherapy programs prepare graduates to meet the required outcomes, while allowing universities flexibility in how they design and deliver their programs.
This helps education providers contextualise their programs to meet local healthcare needs while maintaining a consistent national standard for physiotherapy graduate outcomes.
Strengthening the connection between education, workforce and community need
Good accreditation strengthens the link between what students learn, what the workforce needs, and what communities expect from physiotherapists.
The refreshed standards help keep physiotherapy education aligned with contemporary practice, national health priorities and the realities of healthcare delivery.
By setting clear, rigorous and future-focused expectations, the Council helps strengthen public confidence in physiotherapy education and supports a workforce that is ready to meet the needs of communities across Australia.