Bachelor of Podiatry

Podiatrists help improve mobility and quality of life in people of all ages. They diagnose and manage a wide range of foot and related lower limb conditions.

As a training podiatrist, you will provide foot health care to diverse clients. You will undertake podiatry surgical procedures, and musculoskeletal and gait assessments. You will prescribe orthoses and exercise to patients. You'll deliver wound care and foot health education.

Podiatrists see patients presenting with a range of conditions. These may include foot pain, sports injuries, footwear problems, skin or nail problems.

Podiatrists often work alongside other health professionals. They are part of a team delivering the best overall care for a patient with chronic disease such as diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis.

Work Integrated Learning

During this course you will undertake high quality, hands-on clinical placement experiences. You will complete approximately 900 hours of placement as part of this degree.

At our on-campus podiatry clinic, you will treat real patients.

The QUT Health Clinics are the most established student learning clinics in Queensland. Under the supervision of clinical educators (registered podiatrists) you'll develop your clinical skills.

QUT also contributes to events promoting foot health to the wider community. These events let you practice your skills while benefiting community groups.

You'll gain industry experience through professional placement at external facilities. Placement lets you learn from podiatrists and explore podiatry practice in different settings.

Placement experiences are structured to ensure your progression and development of skills. They help you to grow in confidence and experience while connecting you to future employers.

Honours pathway

At the end of your second year will have the option to apply for the Bachelor of Podiatry (Honours).

Studying honours involves completing a research project of your choosing. It will extend your knowledge of the field and give you a competitive edge when applying for jobs.

Entry to the program is competitive and based on grade point average.

On entry to honours you will retain all successfully completed credits from the Bachelor of Podiatry. The remaining bachelor units in your degree will be substituted with honours units. Honours is completed within the same course duration of 4 years full time, as the non-honours bachelor degree.

Careers and outcomes

Podiatrists are in high demand across Australia (2025 Occupation Shortage List).

You could work in many different settings treating diverse community and age groups. You may work in hospitals, private practice, sole practitioner or multi-disciplinary settings.

You'll have opportunities to further specialise within your career. Focus on diabetes, paediatrics, forensics, sports podiatry, podiatric surgery, prescribing medicines or clinical research.

Professional recognition

This course is accredited under the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Graduates are eligible to apply for registration with the Podiatry Board of Australia, and may also choose to join other professional peak bodies such as the Australian Podiatry Association and Sports Medicine Australia.

QUT’s undergraduate podiatry program is designed for graduates to have prescriber readiness following further study, with unique advanced entry point into the postgraduate podiatric therapeutics course.

The Graduate Certificate in Podiatric Therapeutics can be completed in 1 semester of part-time study enabling registration for endorsement for scheduled medicines.

With this additional postgraduate training, podiatrists can apply to the Podiatry Board of Australia and seek endorsement to prescribe scheduled medicines.

Student registration

QUT automatically registers students enrolled in this course with the Podiatry Board of Australia in accordance with the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009. Details about student registration are available from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.