CQUniversity Unit Profile
CHIR13013 Foundations of Chiropractic Practice 5
Foundations of Chiropractic Practice 5
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All details in this unit profile for CHIR13013 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

This unit will introduce you to the aetiology, incidence, pathophysiology and clinical presentation of conditions commonly encountered in chiropractic practice. You will integrate this theoretical understanding with appropriate orthopaedic, neurologic and physical examination skills and continue to build on your clinical management skills.

Details

Career Level: Undergraduate
Unit Level: Level 3
Credit Points: 12
Student Contribution Band: 8
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.25

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

CHIR12006 Foundations of Chiropractic Practice 4  AND MPAT12001 Medical Pathophysiology

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 1 - 2026

Brisbane

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Website

This unit has a website, within the Moodle system, which is available two weeks before the start of term. It is important that you visit your Moodle site throughout the term. Please visit Moodle for more information.

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 12-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 25 hours of study per week, making a total of 300 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Regional Campuses
Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Metropolitan Campuses
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. On-campus Activity
Weighting: Pass/Fail
2. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs)
Weighting: 50%
3. In-class Test(s)
Weighting: 50%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

CQUniversity Policies

All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.

You may wish to view these policies:


This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from SUTE

Feedback

Students appreciated the clear unit requirements and assessment guides.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the unit coordinator continue to provide clear unit requirements and assessment guides.

Feedback from SUTE

Feedback

Students expressed that they would like to receive OSCE feedback sooner.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the discipline explore digital means to provide marked OSCE rubrics in a timely manner.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Describe the clinical presentation including etiology, incidence and pathophysiology of commonly encountered conditions of the spine and extremities.
  2. Apply clinical reasoning skills in relation to the selection and application of assessment and management procedures relevant to commonly encountered conditions seen to determine introductory diagnoses.
  3. Demonstrate commonly used clinical assessment skills including neurological and orthopedic procedures.
  4. Demonstrate management procedures including chiropractic techniques.
  5. Communicate and demonstrate appropriate professional and culturally inclusive behaviours to the standard expected of a registered healthcare professional.

LO1 - Competency 3 (3.4)

LO2 - Competency 1 (1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4), 2 (2.2), 3 (3.3, 3.4 and 3.5), 4 (4.1 and 4.2)

LO 3 - Competency 1 (1.1, 1.2 and 1.3), 2 (2.1), 3 (3.1, 3.2 and 3.4)

LO4 - Competency 1 (1.1, 1.2 and 1.3), 2 (2.1 and 2.3), 4 (4.1 and 4.2), 5 (5.1 and 5.2)

LO5 - Competency 2 (2.1), 3 (3.1, 3.2 and 3.4)

Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - On-campus Activity - 0%
2 - Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) - 50%
3 - In-class Test(s) - 50%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Communication
2 - Problem Solving
3 - Critical Thinking
4 - Information Literacy
5 - Team Work
6 - Information Technology Competence
7 - Cross Cultural Competence
8 - Ethical practice
9 - Social Innovation
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures
Textbooks and Resources

Information for Textbooks and Resources has not been released yet.

This information will be available on Monday 16 February 2026
Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?