Physiotherapy Schools and Programs in Argentina

Physiotherapy Studies in Argentina

In Argentina, physiotherapy is studied as kinesiología. The university degree is called Licenciatura en Kinesiología y Fisiatría or Licenciatura en Kinesiología y Fisioterapia, depending on the university, and graduates hold the title of licenciado. Programmes are taught in Spanish and combine biomedical sciences, therapeutic exercise and physical agents with supervised clinical practice.

SpainExchange lists three schools in Argentina for this subject: two in Buenos Aires and one in Córdoba. They are the public Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC) and two private universities, the Universidad Abierta Interamericana (UAI) and the Universidad Maimónides.

What students learn

The UAI describes the discipline as treating people who have an illness or its after-effects with movement and physical agents such as heat, cold, light, electricity and pressure. According to the UNC, its graduates are trained to assess a person's functional capacity and to apply physiotherapy techniques, physical agents and preventive, therapeutic and rehabilitation procedures.

The study plan of the Universidad Maimónides shows the typical content. The first year covers human anatomy, physiology and histology, biomechanics and movement analysis, kinesitherapy and general semiology. Later years add exercise physiology, applied physical agents, neurology, orthopaedics and traumatology, and orthoses and prostheses. The fourth year covers cardiorespiratory, paediatric and geriatric physiotherapy, a rotating internship and a final thesis workshop.

How the degree is organised

Under the Higher Education Law (Ley 24.521), only university institutions may award the licenciado degree and equivalent professional titles, as well as master's and doctoral degrees. Officially recognised degrees are valid throughout the country, while the provinces keep their powers to regulate the professions.

The length of the programme differs between universities. At the Universidad Maimónides, the Licenciatura en Kinesiología y Fisiatría takes four years on campus. At the UAI, the degree with the same name takes five years and is taught in a hybrid format, with live classes in virtual classrooms and classes on campus.

After the first degree, graduates can specialise. The UNC's school of physiotherapy, for example, offers postgraduate programmes in hydrokinesitherapy and pelvic floor rehabilitation, and the UAI has a specialisation in sports physiotherapy.

Admission and language

Under the Higher Education Law, applicants need a completed secondary education and must meet the admission system of each university. At the UNC, the first subject of the degree is a 100-hour levelling course (Ciclo de Nivelación) with chemistry, physics, biology and study skills; besides the edition at the start of the year, a spring edition usually runs in September and October. The UAI asks for a legalised secondary-school transcript, a medical fitness certificate and a pass in its compulsory entrance course.

Teaching and clinical practice are in Spanish. Students whose first language is not Spanish can prove their level with the CELU, the only Spanish exam officially recognised by Argentina's Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Students who finished secondary school in a country that has an education agreement with Argentina, such as Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Spain, Mexico or Peru, must have their certificate validated (convalidación) to study at a national institution. The procedure is free.

Visa and residence

Students enrolled in a full degree of the official education system can obtain temporary residence as a student from the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones. For students still abroad, the university, which must be registered in the national register of sponsoring institutions (RENURE), applies for an entry permit; once it is approved, the student collects the visa at the Argentine consulate. Residence is granted for up to one year at a time.

Costs

Decree DNU 366/2025 changed the rules for public universities. Undergraduate study at state institutions is free for Argentine citizens and for foreigners with permanent residence; state universities may charge other students, who can still receive scholarships where university statutes or agreements provide them. Private universities charge tuition fees; the UAI advertises special discounts for foreign students.

Where to study physiotherapy in Argentina

• Universidad Nacional de Córdoba: Escuela de Kinesiología y Fisioterapia of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, at the Ciudad Universitaria in Córdoba
• Universidad Abierta Interamericana (UAI): five-year programme in Buenos Aires (city centre, Lomas de Zamora and Castelar) and in Rosario, with a leaning towards sports and trauma physiotherapy
• Universidad Maimónides: four-year programme in the Caballito district of Buenos Aires, with placements in external hospitals and private centres and at the university's own physiotherapy service and human movement laboratory

Careers

Physiotherapists work in prevention and rehabilitation in areas such as orthopaedics and traumatology, sport, neurology, cardiorespiratory care, paediatrics and geriatrics. The UAI also names health promotion, the management of health services and expert reports for the courts. Because the provinces regulate the health professions, check the registration rules of the province where you plan to work.

Frequently asked questions

What is physiotherapy called in Argentina?

It is called kinesiología. The degree is the Licenciatura en Kinesiología y Fisiatría or Licenciatura en Kinesiología y Fisioterapia, and graduates are licenciados.

How long does the degree take?

It depends on the university. At the Universidad Maimónides it takes four years and at the UAI five years.

Is physiotherapy free for foreign students at public universities?

Not necessarily. Since decree DNU 366/2025, free undergraduate study at state institutions is guaranteed for Argentine citizens and foreigners with permanent residence; state universities may charge other students.

Do I need to speak Spanish?

Yes. Classes and clinical practice are in Spanish. The CELU is the Spanish exam officially recognised in Argentina.