Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy/Master of High Performance Sport

The overall aim of this course is to provide Physiotherapists with knowledge and skills to work with athletes and people of all ages, abilities and cultural contexts, in community, elite or high performance sport and exercise, in the private and public sectors. This double degree also provides specific development in students of knowledge, understanding and skills for enhancing the conditioning of high performance athletes, with the aim of optimising individual and team performance, in a way that is characterised by a concern for respect, equity and social justice.

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy, graduates should be able to:

1. acquire advanced theoretical, scientific and clinical principles of normal and pathological human movement as it relates to sports, exercise, performance and complex sports injuries or conditions;
2. explain the relationship between wellbeing and performance for athletes and people of all ages and abilities, cultural context and Indigenous peoples;
3. critically analyse and synthesise advanced knowledge, using an evidence-informed approach, for the prevention and physiotherapy management of sports injuries in different sports and health contexts and to optimise health, fitness outcomes or sports performance in athletes of all ages, abilities, cultural contexts and in Indigenous peoples;
4. critically analyse and synthesise knowledge, using an evidence-informed approach, for the prevention and physiotherapy management of chronic disease and to facilitate an active healthy lifestyle in people of all ages, abilities, cultural contexts and in Indigenous peoples;
5. apply advanced knowledge and skills in the design, implementation and evaluation of physiotherapy management of complex sports and exercise related injuries and conditions and optimise sports or exercise performance and wellbeing in athletes and people of diverse populations, within cultural, ethical and legal frameworks
6. apply person-centred, culturally responsive and professional physiotherapy management when working in sport and exercise with an individual, group or with a team, effectively and efficiently managing ethical issues and competing professional demands;
7. apply principles of leadership, management, advocacy and reflection integral to effective professional interaction to meet the diverse needs of individuals, the multidisciplinary team or the community and for athletes and people of all ages and abilities, cultural context and Indigenous peoples.

On successful completion of the Master of High Performance Sport course, graduates should be able to:

1. integrate specialised technical skills with advanced principles and strategies of strength and conditioning, fatigue management and recovery to enhance athlete and team performance and reduce the likelihood (and/or duration) of injury and illness;
2. design, deliver, evaluate and refine meaningful interventions to athletes that enhance performance and reduce the likelihood (and/or duration) of injury and illness;
3. work in an ethical manner that promotes the dignity of the athlete, and communicate effectively in high performance sports settings that are multidisciplinary and collaborative;
4. conduct research, evaluation and/or evidence-based practice in high performance sport settings in ways that result in outcomes that enhance performance and reduce the likelihood (and/or duration) of injury and illness.

Graduatesof the Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy / Master of High Performance Sport will be able to apply theory and practice learned in a range of health provider settings including but not limited to:

• professional and semi-professional sporting organisations
• community sport settings
• national and state institutes of sport
• academies of sport
• government and non-government funded sporting programs (e.g. University, School or post-School sporting clubs)
• Government prevention and management of chronic disease through exercise programs
• international high performance sport organisations
• sport, health and disease-based research

Examples of potential employment roles include:

• Sports and exercise physiotherapist for a club, a team or a sports event at National or International levels for visiting or host nation programs
  • E.g. Australian Olympic Team, Olympic and Commonwealth Games, Australian University Games
• Sports medicine manager for a team, an event
• Venue medical manager for major Games
• Performance analyst
• High performance manager
• Fitness coach
• Government advisor on exercise
• Sports science manager

Professional recognition

Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy / Master of High Performance Sport Graduates who are Australian registered physiotherapists and members of the Australian Physiotherapy Association are eligible to apply for Australian Physiotherapy Association Titled membership in the relevant stream.

Higher education

An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.

International applicants must also meet the English Language Proficiency requirements as defined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.

To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must have completed the following prerequisites: 

a. Bachelor degree or higher in Physiotherapy and:

i) hold current registration with the required Authority in Australia, or Registration Authority in country of current practice; and

ii) have a minimum of 2 years clinical experience as a physiotherapist post-graduation (including minimum 1 year in musculoskeletal or sports areas);

OR

b. ACU’s Graduate Certificate in Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy

NOTE: Applicants having completed ACU’s Graduate Certificate in Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy will be eligible for recognition of prior learning of up to 40 credit points.

NOTE: Applicants having completed ACU’s Graduate Diploma in Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy will be eligible for recognition of prior learning of up to 80 credit points

English Proficiency Requirements

English Proficiency Entry RequirementsStudents must meet English Language requirements as follows:

• IELTS: Overall score 7.0, Individual score of 6.5 in all test
• PTE: 65 with a minimum of 58 in all four communicative skills
• TOEFL: Internet based total of 94: minimum 24 in writing, 20 in speaking, 10 in listening and 19 in reading and 12 in listening
• ACU English Language Test: A (75-100%)
• OTHER: Demonstrated current registration with an accredited body that has an English language requirement equivalent to, or higher than, the standards required by the University. Recognised registrations include:
  • Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registration other than Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Health Practice registration;
  • Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) Teacher registration;
  • Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) Teacher registration; and
  • NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Teacher registration.

Or

• At least one full-time year of study of an Australian secondary or tertiary qualification at AQF Diploma level or higher, and completed no earlier than five years prior to the commencement of the course of study to which the student seeks admission;

Or

• Demonstrated successful completion of at least one full-time year of study of an overseas qualification equivalent to an Australian secondary or tertiary qualification at AQF Diploma level or higher, where the medium of study was English, and completed no earlier than five years prior to the commencement of the course of study to which the student seeks admission.

Special requirements

Students participating in practicums will require:

• Police Checks
• Immunisation records
• Health checks
• First Aid certificate
• CPR Certificate

Or international equivalent

On campus requirements

The Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy/Master of High Performance Sport double degree can be completed in 2 years (full-time), or part-time equivalent. It is delivered predominantly online with short, intensive on-campus block/s. The course is suitable for graduate physiotherapists eligible for registration in their own country, with a minimum two years’ experience post-graduation.

February intake will be offered. Units will be delivered in online mode for Semesters 1, 3 and 4 and mixed mode in Semester 2, incorporating online, intensive residential workshops, practicums and a research project. All residential workshops and assessments will be scheduled for 1-2 weeks in Semester 2.

Practicum placement

The Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy/Master of High Performance Sport is designed as a program of relevant professional practice-related learning that includes a minimum 190 hours of clinical practice, including supervised practice, mentoring, case reflections, and self-directed field-of-play and side-line practice. The course also includes a program of independent research, as well as the opportunity for an industry-based internship in high performance sport.

Students are required to be working or be in a volunteer position in the sports environment for a minimum of 80 hours as part of a Semester 2 unit.

Students participating in practicums will require:

• Police Checks
• Immunisation records
• Health checks
• First Aid certificate
• CPR Certificate

Or international equivalent

Applicants having completed ACU’s Graduate Diploma in Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy will be eligible for recognition of prior learning of 80 credit points.

Applicants having completed ACU’s Graduate Certificate in Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy will be eligible for recognition of prior learning of 40 credit points.

If you have already studied at university level, you can apply for credit towards your ACU course. Credited units replace units you would otherwise study, so you can finish your course earlier.

Physiotherapists already enjoy the professional challenge and personal satisfaction of working in the sports and exercise environment. The benefits of sports and exercise are widely known with people of all ages and abilities being encouraged by governments and health professionals worldwide to increase their participation and become more physically active. Athlete wellbeing and performance is an integral part of sports participation at the community, elite and professional levels. Being able to optimise their wellbeing and performance and prevent or manage injuries will give athletes that competitive edge that leads to success, particularly at the high performance sports and performing arts level. Sports and Exercise Physiotherapists are well placed to provide advice, education, guidance and intervention for prevention, assessment and optimal management of sports injuries and other health conditions, to maintain or improve athlete wellbeing and performance. Sports and Exercise Physiotherapists are also well placed to provide leadership and advocacy to meet individual needs of the multidisciplinary team, the community and for athletes and people of all ages and abilities, and cultural contexts. With increasing demand for healthy active lifestyles, the demand for Physiotherapists with specialised knowledge and skills in Sports and Exercise will also increase.

The Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy/Master of High Performance Sport double degree aims to provide Physiotherapists with knowledge and skills to work with athletes and people of all ages, abilities and cultural contexts, in community, elite or high performance sport and exercise settings, in the private and public sectors.

The course will provide physiotherapists with the opportunity to acquire advanced theoretical, scientific and clinical knowledge of normal and pathological human movement as it relates to sports, exercise, performance, injuries, pathology and disease. Graduates will develop an understanding of how wellbeing relates to performance and be able to critically analyse, synthesise and apply knowledge, using an evidence-informed person-centred approach, for the physiotherapy management of sports injuries or other health conditions and to enhance sports or exercise performance and wellbeing in athletes and people of all ages, abilities and cultural contexts within the relevant ethical and legal frameworks.

Students will learn to integrate specialised technical skills with advanced principles and strategies of strength and conditioning, fatigue management and recovery to design, deliver and evaluate meaningful interventions to enhance athlete and team performance and reduce the likelihood (and/or duration) of injury and illness. The course emphasises the application of these knowledge and skills in an ethical manner that promotes the dignity of the individual, athlete or performer.

The Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy/Master of High Performance Sport double degree can be completed in 2 years (full-time), or part-time equivalent. It is delivered predominantly online with short, intensive on-campus block/s. The course is suitable for graduate physiotherapists eligible for registration in their own country, with a minimum two years’ experience post-graduation.

The need for specialization within physiotherapy has been acknowledged with the formation of the career pathway which consists of Titled membership at a Master AQF 9 Level by the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA). This course will provide the foundation for specialty recognition for physiotherapists to apply for APA Titled Membership in Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy and become members of the Australian College of Physiotherapists. Qualifications such as the proposed Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy could lead directly to Titled Membership by the APA. Graduates of a Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy should meet the Highly Developed competencies of the Competence Framework of the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) (https://australian.physio/pd/career-pathway) and be eligible to apply for the Title of the APA Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist. Further, graduates should demonstrate the competencies of an International Registered Sports Physical Therapist recognised and awarded by the International Federation of Sports Physical Therapy (IFSPT) for those who are titled APA Sports and Exercise Physiotherapists (www.ifspt.org).

Recommended Study Pattern

To qualify for the Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy/Master of High Performance Sport, a student must complete 160 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings, consisting of:

1. 60 cp from Specified Physiotherapy Units;
   1. 40 cp from Specified High Performance Sport Units;
   2. 20 cp from Elective High Performance Sport Units;
   3. 40 cp from Research Units.

Award Requirements

To qualify for the Master of Sport and Exercise Physiotherapy / Master of High Performance Sport, a student must complete 160 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings

Exit Points

Students may exit with either of the following relevant awards provided they have completed the required units specified within the degree:

Graduate Diploma in Sport and Exercise Physiotherapy

• A student who has completed 80 cp from the Schedule of Specified Unit Offerings, including a minimum 40 cp from Specified Physiotherapy Units, may exit with the Graduate Diploma in Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy.

Graduate Certificate in Sport and Exercise Physiotherapy

• A student who has completed 40 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings, including a minimum 30 cp from Specified Physiotherapy Units, may exit with the Graduate Certificate in Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy.

Graduate Certificate in High Performance Sport

• A student who has completed 40 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings, including a minimum 30 cp from Specified Physiotherapy Units, may exit with the Graduate Certificate in High Performance Sport.