UMS Master of Physiotherapy Achieves Excellent Accreditation, Sets Sights on Global Recognition

As a pioneer of master's-level physiotherapy education in Indonesia, the UMS Master of Physiotherapy program has achieved excellent accreditation from LAM-PTKes.

The Master of Physiotherapy program at the Faculty of Health Sciences (FIK), Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), has achieved a proud milestone by receiving excellent accreditation from the Independent Accreditation Agency for Health Higher Education (LAM-PTKes).

Dwi Rosella Komalasari, S.Fis., Ftr., M.Fis., Sp.Vest., Ph.D., Head of the UMS Master of Physiotherapy program, said this achievement reflects UMS's commitment as the pioneer of the first master's-level physiotherapy program in Indonesia.

Since its establishment in 2024, the UMS Master of Physiotherapy program has attracted students from various universities across Indonesia.

"Alhamdulillah, in our first cohort we accepted 11 students—not only from UMS, but also from various other universities, both from Java and beyond," said Rosella, as she is commonly known, in an interview on Monday (6/4/2026).

Despite being a new program, the UMS Master of Physiotherapy submitted its accreditation application within two years and successfully achieved excellent status. This accomplishment is closely tied to the program's curriculum, which integrates basic science, biomolecular approaches, and movement science related to the human body, particularly the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems.

Rosella explained that the program's vision is to become a center of excellence and innovation in physiotherapy science and technology grounded in Islamic values. This vision is realized through a curriculum, research, and community service based on biomolecular science.

"Students don't just learn physiotherapy as a basic science—they also study biomolecular aspects. This is what sets us apart from other institutions," she explained.

Rosella acknowledged that the UMS Master of Physiotherapy program still faces various challenges, particularly due to the absence of a national reference to serve as a benchmark. To address this, the management team actively collaborates and consults with international institutions, including Mahidol University in Thailand.

"We truly started from scratch because there was no precedent in Indonesia. I learned a great deal from abroad, especially from Mahidol University, which is one of the best in Asia," she added.

Another challenge arose during the accreditation process, which used a qualitative approach—different from the previous quantitative-based system. Within one and a half years, the program had to meet all the assessment indicators.

"This was a major challenge for us, especially in preparing the qualitative-based self-evaluation report. But alhamdulillah, we managed to get through it," she said.

Looking ahead, the UMS Master of Physiotherapy program aims to strengthen its reputation at the international level. One strategic step already taken is sending students to participate in international scientific forums, such as the International Physical Therapy Research and Symposium on April 25, 2026, at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.

"We have begun bringing students to present at international forums as an effort to introduce the UMS Master of Physiotherapy program on the global stage. This is the first step toward internationalization," Rosella explained.

Writer: Fika Annisa’ Sholihah

Editor: Maysali Sudarwati

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid