To educate integrally, in the field of human body movement, in its relation to human functioning and disability, through the application, appropriation, transformation and generation of knowledge, the use of new pedagogical methodologies and appropriate technologies, training in ethical and moral values and the development of a critical, creative, democratic and solidarity attitude, to produce an impact on the community and thus contribute to its social transformation.

• To train comprehensively the Physiotherapy student, promoting critical, intellectual and autonomous developments in a perspective of permanent education, from the construction of the relationship subject - movement - disability, allowing an approach to the subject in relation to the normality and abnormality of the Human Body Movement, in the light of social projection and research.
• To develop knowledge, skills and abilities that enable the student to contribute to the transformation of the reality of people with motor impairment or at risk of acquiring it, through the development of actions, framed in the promotion, prevention of disability, habilitation / rehabilitation and equalization of opportunities.
• To develop an attitude towards teamwork with an interdisciplinary approach, in order to respond to the health needs of the population, in the specific field of human body movement.
• To foster critical thinking in the student, which allows him/her to approach the health condition, in the field of human body movement, from a research perspective and to generate solution alternatives, in the different fields of action.
• To develop in the student the capacity to formulate, implement and evaluate health care programs and projects in the field of physical therapy.
• To favor the investigative spirit allowing a greater capacity to reason and relate concepts, contexts and problems and to be able to interact with the individual and his environment.
• To propitiate and develop through research an adequate means for disciplinary, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary academic work and thus contribute to the formation of an investigative and creative attitude and culture of the students.
• To provide students with the means, techniques and procedures that allow them to address the problems that disability represents in the field of body movement in the communities in an integral manner.

Professional Profile

The Physiotherapist graduated from the Universidad del Valle must be an integral professional: Leader, creative, ethical, democratic, democratic, supportive, with an investigative spirit, capable of integrating biological, psychological, social and technological aspects to contribute to the maintenance and enhancement of normal human body movement of people and the population, to the prevention and detection of risks that affect the movement and the diagnosis and improvement of motor conditions of people with this type of alteration, as well as the modification of environmental conditions in order to prevent situations of disability and contribute to their quality of life.

Occupational Profile

The Physiotherapist graduated from Universidad del Valle frames his professional action in the area of human services, in the field of health, from the particular aspect of human movement. He/she directs his/her actions to individuals and groups of the population throughout the life cycle. It develops its intervention through health promotion actions and provision of services within the framework of disability prevention, habilitation / rehabilitation and equalization of opportunities. In addition, inherent to his role, he performs counseling, advisory, research and management functions. The Physiotherapist works in different fields of professional action, both in the public and private sectors and in the community. He/she works in the following areas: Health, Education, Industry, Sports, Community and others.

The following document contains the curricular structure of the Academic Program of Physical Therapy.

 See Curriculum Structure (Spanish)

See New Curriculum (Spanish)

The program was born in 1967 as a technology that sought to meet the rehabilitation needs of the region. It was founded by Jaime Villaquirán Sarasti, a physician specializing in physical medicine, who was part of the Physiotherapy Department at the Hospital Universitario del Valle.

Its creation also brought with it in 1973, the emergence of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the Universidad del Valle, which initially only included the Physiotherapy program and the Specialization in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, which later integrated the Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy programs".

In 1976, with the enactment of Law 9, in which the Ministry of National Education regulated the profession of physical therapy, the curriculum was restructured to become a professional career and the Bachelor's Degree Program in Physical Therapy was established by Resolution 090 of April 6, 1976 of the Board of Directors, with training at the professional level and a duration of four (4) years.

As of Decree Law 80 of 1980, the degree of Bachelor in Physiotherapy is restricted to professionals in the area of education, and the degree of Physiotherapist is conferred to professionals in this area of health. In 1994 the curricular organization of the undergraduate programs of the Universidad del Valle was restructured by Resolution 114 of the Academic Council. And the curricular structure of the Physical Therapy Program is distributed in 10 semesters.

Currently, the curricular structure of the Academic Program of Physical Therapy is governed by Resolution 047 of February 19, 2004 of the Academic Council.