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Physiotherapy Schools and Programs in Madrid, Spain

About Physiotherapy Schools and Programs in Madrid, Spain

Physiotherapy is a health profession that prevents, treats and helps patients recover from injuries and functional limitations by physical means: therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, electrotherapy and other techniques. Students combine basic sciences such as anatomy and physiology with many hours of clinical practice. In Madrid the bachelor's degree is taught at public and private universities, and officially recognised master's degrees allow graduates to specialise.

A degree that qualifies you to practise

In Spain physiotherapy is a regulated profession. To practise it you need the official bachelor's degree (grado) in Physiotherapy, whose curriculum is set by Order CIN/2135/2008: it is an official grado of 240 ECTS credits, which normally means four years of study. No qualification may use the title Graduado or Graduada en Fisioterapia unless it meets these conditions, so it is worth checking in the Registro de Universidades, Centros y Títulos (RUCT), the ministry's register of official degrees, that a programme is official.

After the grado, students can take a master's degree (máster universitario) of 60, 90 or 120 credits and later a doctorate. Continuing education courses and a university's own master's programmes (títulos propios) are not official qualifications.

Where to study Physiotherapy in Madrid

  • Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM): a public university. Its grado in Physiotherapy, listed in RUCT, is run by the Facultad de Enfermería, Fisioterapia y Podología, which has a clinical simulation room (Aula de Simulación Clínica).
  • Universidad CEU San Pablo: a private university offering the Grado en Fisioterapia / Bachelor in Physiotherapy, listed in RUCT. According to the university, 60% of the programme is practical training, and it can be studied in Spanish or in English.
  • Universidad Pontificia Comillas: a private university with an official grado in Physiotherapy taught in person in Madrid and the Máster Universitario en Biomecánica y Fisioterapia Deportiva (biomechanics and sports physiotherapy).

Most teaching is in Spanish. If your Spanish is not yet fluent, bear in mind that clinical placements involve working with patients and require you to communicate with ease.

Admission for international students

Students who completed secondary school outside Spain usually apply for accreditation from UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses the academic records of international students and runs the tests needed to enter bachelor's degrees at Spanish universities. They then apply for a place at each university within its own deadlines.

If you are already a physiotherapist

Physiotherapists who qualified outside Spain and want to work in Madrid need homologación (official recognition) of their degree, because this is the procedure that allows a person to practise a regulated profession; a declaración de equivalencia only certifies the academic level of a degree. The Colegio Profesional de Fisioterapeutas de la Comunidad de Madrid, the regional professional association, publishes information on the requirements for registration and on degree recognition.

Careers

Physiotherapists work in hospitals and health centres, private clinics, sports centres and clubs, care homes, home care, occupational insurance mutuals and special education centres. With a master's degree they can specialise, for example in sports, musculoskeletal or pelvic floor physiotherapy, or move into research.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a Physiotherapy degree take in Madrid?

The grado in Physiotherapy has 240 ECTS credits, which are normally completed in four years.

Which universities in Madrid offer Physiotherapy?

Among others, the public Universidad Complutense de Madrid and the private universities CEU San Pablo and Pontificia Comillas. All three have the grado listed in RUCT.

Can I study Physiotherapy in English in Madrid?

Yes. Universidad CEU San Pablo states that its grado can be studied in Spanish or in English.

Can I work in Spain with a foreign physiotherapy degree?

Yes, but you first need homologación of your degree, because physiotherapy is a regulated profession in Spain.