The School and Health and Wellbeing at the University of Worcester is looking to appoint an external examiner for the MSc (pre-reg) Physiotherapy course. Applications are invited from suitably qualified and experienced academic staff. The successful applicant must be a qualified Physiotherapist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists (CSP). In addition, they must hold a Master’s degree or above, have experience of working with pre-registration physiotherapy courses in higher education, and experience of teaching and assessing at level 7.

The appointment will run for four consecutive academic years plus one semester to allow for a transition of the role. The post will run from the 1st of September 2026 to 31st December 2030.

Roles and responsibilities

The post holder will be required to:

• Verify and review assessments offering commentary for all modules reviewed.
• Attend the University of Worcester to observe face-to-face assessments, where applicable.
• Confirm the examination / assessment process is fair and just.
• Quality assures the standards of learner’s performance.
• Review any proposed course changes
• Review claims for recognition of prior learning (RPL).
• Meet with students and practice partners to gain stakeholder feedback.
• Attend the Board of Examiners, usually held online.
• Provide an annual report to the University of Worcester.

University of Worcester’s criteria for appointment

All appointments are subject to the applicant meeting the University’s criteria for appointment. Applicants are advised that the University applies the following criteria to external examiners:

• The area of expertise of external examiners is within the area of assessment undertaken.
• Applicants should have recently been employed (or are still employed) within a university appointment.
• They must not have been a University of Worcester examiner within the last five years.
• They must be fluent in English and eligible to work in the UK.

An external examiner should have enough recent external examining or at least three years internal examining experience to demonstrate competence in assessing students in the subject area. Applicants without experience or with limited experience as externals should, where possible, join an experienced team of externals, and arrangements will be made to ensure that they are assigned a mentor for the first 12 months of their contract.

Successful applicants will be expected to attend an External Examiner induction day, which usually takes place in January of each year.

Pay and expenses

The annual fee is paid on submission of an accepted annual report. Reports are expected within three weeks of the examination board.

Where appropriate, External Examiners are able to claim expenses incurred in association of the role, such as travel expenses to visit the university.