Accreditation

The Podiatry Board of Australia (the National Board) has established the Podiatry Accreditation Committee (the Accreditation Committee) to exercise a number of accreditation functions under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law as in force in each state and territory (the National Law).

The role of the Accreditation Committee is to develop and recommend accreditation standards to the National Board for approval. It then assesses whether programs of study and education providers are meeting the accreditation standards and decides whether or not to accredit the provider and program. The National Board considers the Accreditation Committee’s decision and decides whether or not to approve an accredited program as a qualification for registration as a podiatrist or podiatric surgeon.

Accreditation standards

Accreditation standards help to ensure that education providers give students the knowledge, skills and professional attributes to competently practise in the profession.

From 1 January 2022, all education providers wishing to seek accreditation of podiatry programs of study are being assessed against the 2021 accreditation standards and professional capabilities.

In developing the accreditation standards, the Accreditation Committee undertook wide-ranging stakeholder consultation. More information about the consultation is available on the Past Accreditation consultations page.

Accreditation standards for entry-level podiatry programs

The National Board approved revised accreditation standards for entry-level podiatry programs on 28 July 2021. These standards came into effect on 1 January 2022.

Accreditation standards for podiatry surgery

The National Board approved revised accreditation standards for podiatric surgery programs on 28 July 2021. These accreditation standards came into effect on 1 January 2022.

Accreditation standards for endorsement for scheduled medicines

On 28 July 2021, the National Board approved accreditation standards for:

• programs addressing the requirements for endorsement of registration for scheduled medicines (ESM programs), and 
• podiatric therapeutics programs for registered podiatrists and podiatric surgeons. 

These standards came into effect on 1 January 2022.

Accredited programs of study

For information on accredited podiatry programs of study, visit the Podiatry Accreditation Committee’s accredited programs page.

Approved programs of study

The lists below provide the details of accredited programs of study approved by the National Board for registration.

• Approved Programs of Study for general registration
• Approved Programs of Study for specialist registration
• Approved Programs of Study for endorsement

Programs of study classified as 'inactive' are not included in this list. An online search is available for inactive programs of study that are no longer delivered by an education provider or no longer approved by the Board.

An online search is available for all approved programs of study.

Substantially equivalent qualifications

General registration

If you hold a qualification that the Board considers to be substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies to an Australian approved qualification for general registration, you are qualified for general registration as a podiatrist.

The Board has determined the following qualifications are substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies, to an approved qualification for general registration.

Qualifications issued in New Zealand

Qualifications issued in the United Kingdom since 1 September 2013

The Podiatry Board of Australia considers the following list of qualifications, issued after 1 September 2013 to be substantially equivalent to an approved qualification for general registration as a podiatrist.

These qualifications are considered to be substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies to an approved qualification in podiatry as they meet the Board’s policy position to recognise qualifications that meet all of the following criteria:

1. Qualification in podiatry was issued in the United Kingdom after 1 September 2013
2. Minimum qualification level is Bachelor degree with Honours
3. The program of study was accredited by the HCPC on the date the qualification was issued.

International podiatrists who hold a qualification listed above, may apply for general registration as a podiatrist, subject to meeting the other requirements for registration.

Other qualifications issued in the United Kingdom

The following qualifications, only for the years specified, have also previously been assessed by the Podiatry Board as being substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies to an approved qualification in podiatry

International podiatrists who hold a qualification listed above, issued in the specified year(s), may apply for general registration as a podiatrist, subject to meeting the other requirements for registration.

Qualifications in podiatry issued by institutions in the United Kingdom in other years (i.e. prior to 2013 and not listed above) may also meet the requirement of being substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies to an approved qualification in podiatry, however the qualification will need to be assessed as part of an application for registration. 

Recognised qualifications from other countries

The following qualifications from countries other than the New Zealand or the United Kingdom, and only for the years specified, have also been previously assessed by the Podiatry Board as being substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies to an approved qualification in podiatry.

International podiatrists who hold a qualification listed above, issued in the specified year, may apply for general registration as a podiatrist, subject to meeting the other requirements for registration.

Qualifications in podiatry issued by these institutions in other years, and qualifications in podiatry issued by other international institutions may also meet the requirement of being substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies to an approved qualification in podiatry, however the qualification will need to be assessed as part of an application for registration.