New model: "Overall management – therapy programmes" for the primary-qualifying programmes (PQS) Speech and Language Therapy (B.Sc.), Occupational Therapy (B.Sc.) and Physiotherapy (B.Sc.)

The therapy professions of Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy are currently undergoing major developments and changes.

A parallel training system with study programmes and vocational training poses challenges not only to universities but also to employers and colleagues in therapeutic professional practice.

With the key issues paper of the Federal-State Working Group "Overall Concept Health Professions", an action plan is presented for a reform of training in the health professions as well as a restructuring of tasks and competence profiles. Universities could play an important role here in the future.

In order to meet these current challenges adequately, bundle resources and facilitate joint planning in the PQS programmes (e.g. state exams), the extended university leadership of IB Hochschule für Gesundheit und Soziales has decided to introduce an overall management for the primary-qualifying programmes Speech and Language Therapy (B.Sc.), Occupational Therapy (B.Sc.) and Physiotherapy (B.Sc.) in a rotating two-year model. This was decided by a faculty council resolution of 18 February 2020.

Prof. Dr. Antje Schubert will take on the "Overall management – therapy programmes" beginning 1 April 2020.

Alongside this overall management there will be professorial subject representatives. For Speech and Language Therapy this is Prof. Dr. M. Hartinger, for Occupational Therapy Prof. Dr. G. Zimmermann and for Physiotherapy Prof. Dr. A. Schubert.

The professorial subject representatives take on, alongside subject-specific tasks, mainly the conceptual further development of the programmes, while the operational running is coordinated by the overall management of the therapy programmes.