School of Therapeutic Sciences

The School of Therapeutic Sciences comprises the disciplines Exercise Science, Sports Medicine, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Physiotherapy.

The School provides high quality professional education for pharmacists, nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists who continue to make significant contributions to the national health sector by rendering professional services. With a focus on health and wellness, and exercise rehabilitation the School also prepares individuals for careers in biokinetics, exercise science and sports medicine.

As a significant contributor to research excellence and output at the University, the School continues to produce meaningful research that serves communities, such as through its involvement with the Wits Research Institute for Malaria which provides an environment to enhance groundbreaking research into one of Africa’s deadliest diseases, and the Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP) Research Unit which conducts and delivers innovative drug delivery research solutions such as RapiDiss Wafer Technology. Other research initiatives have contributed to our understanding of human movement, sports medicine and sports education. The School also boasts a number of staff members who received NRF ratings, which further attests to the quality of research being conducted.

The academic departments in the School have a rich history steeped in the traditions of professional education. This year will see the Nursing Department celebrate its 79th anniversary and the Physiotherapy Department its 76th Anniversary. The Department of Occupational Therapy opened its doors in 1943 and, although there were only four students in that first year, they went on to have a resounding influence on the profession locally and internationally.

The School’s undergraduate curricula are regularly reviewed to ensure local and international standards. As part of their curriculum, our students at undergraduate level are required to participate in research projects and contribute to health promotion programmes. The School’s e-learning platform offers a blended learning environment that used novel learning techniques such as Webquests and Google Hangout.

The School is also making great strides with inter-professional education (IPE) in its undergraduate programmes, building on its existing multidisciplinary learning groups. This approach requires that students from two or more healthcare professions learn together their professional training and in this way cultivate collaborative partnerships for providing patient-centred health care.

The School has forged strategic links with other universities and institutions from South Africa, the rest of Africa and internationally. These collaborations take on different forms, ranging from student exchange, teaching and learning partnerships to joint research on various health issues.

The School continues to attract high calibre academics and students who are dedicated to their professions.