Become a Chiropractor
The First Step of Your Career in Chiropractic
In order to become a registered health professional in Australia, chiropractors are required to undertake an extensive programme of professional and academic training, and in order to maintain their registration, it is a requirement that chiropractors undertake continued professional development (CPD) training on an annual basis.
RMIT University (VIC)
Qualifications
With a Bachelor of Health Science/Bachelor of Applied Science (Chiropractic) through RMIT, you will examine how such disorders affect biomechanics, the nervous system and health in general. The focus is on manual treatments such as spinal adjustments and other joint and soft-tissue manipulation. Anatomy, physiology and pathology courses underpin the clinical science studies of physical examination, differential diagnosis for the chiropractor and clinical practicum. You will begin work-integrated learning immediately, culminating in your fourth year when you will perform patient-care duties with supervision from a registered practitioner. At the RMIT Health Clinic at University Hill, Bundoora, fourth and fifth year students, under the supervision of registered chiropractors, treat patients using a wide variety of management approaches.
Macquarie University (NSW)
Qualifications
Studying at Macquarie University allows you to obtain either a Bachelor of Chiropractic Science or/and Master of Chiropractic. Both the three-year undergraduate and two-year masters are delivered by academics and staff who are heavily involved in clinical work, have had a private practices of their own and research. Undergraduate students can enjoy exploring subjects across anatomy, physiology and microbiology. Teaching facilities include Macquarie University’s basic science and wet laboratories, purpose-built chiropractic facilities, as well as digital radiology and simulation mannequins.
Murdoch University (WA)
Qualifications
With Murdoch University, you will graduate with the internationally recognised qualifications you need to achieve your career goals. Study includes manual therapies for the spine and extremities, examining differential diagnosis, undertaking clinical anatomy, neurology and radiology. Students also study rehabilitation and physical therapy, whilst also learning pharmacology and applied nutrition techniques. A Murdoch University Bachelor of Science / Bachelor of Clinical Chiropractic degree accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education Australasia (CCEA) grants eligibility for registration in Australia, New Zealand and many other parts of the world.
Central Queensland University (QLD)
Qualifications
CQ University offers three tiers of study.
Undergraduate Certificate in Bioscience for Chiropractic (Diploma) – can be completed as a 6 month full time course or 1 year part time. Bachelor of Science (Chiropractic) – can be completed 3 years full time or 6 years part time. This is an evidence-based degree designed to provide you with the qualification needed to apply to enter the professional qualification, the Master of Clinical Chiropractic. Master of Clinical Chiropractic – can only be completed in a full time capacity over 2 years. Study the Master of Clinical Chiropractic and equip yourself with the knowledge and clinical skills to meet the competencies required by the Council on Chiropractic Education Australasia (CCEA) and therefore apply for registration as a chiropractor in all states and territories in Australia and New Zealand.
Chiropractic training has at its heart practitioners being taught to assess and diagnose spinal and musculoskeletal problems, and learning therapeutic approaches to these problems. Practitioners are instructed in the key elements of chiropractic diagnostic and manipulative skills, such as spinal adjustments and other joint and soft-tissue manipulation. This specialised training takes place alongside studies in anatomy, neuroanatomy, physiology, microbiology, histology and pathology. As the culmination of their chiropractic studies, student practitioners in the final years of their training also undertake the practical treatment and care of patients under the supervision of a registered practitioner.
A further essential focus of chiropractic training is that practitioners are taught to assess and manage patients from a wellness perspective, meaning that chiropractic training also focuses on understanding the ways in which patient lifestyle (e.g. exercise, posture, diet, etc.) can have an effect on well-being.
An Australian chiropractor will have completed five years of training at a university on an approved and accredited degree course. This five years may consist of a five-year Bachelor of Chiropractic, or it may consist of a three-year Bachelor degree followed by a two-year post-graduate Masters degree. It is also possible to practise in Australia if a chiropractor has completed an programme of study overseas that has been accredited by the Council of Chiropractic Education Australasia (CCEA), whose role it is to assess the quality of chiropractic education and training in this country, as well as to evaluate the knowledge and skills of chiropractors trained outside of Australia and New Zealand who apply to practice here.
