Updating Results

Australian Catholic University (ACU)

  • 12% international / 88% domestic

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

  • Masters (Coursework)

This double degree empowers physiotherapists to work with athletes and people of all ages, abilities and cultural contexts, in community, elite or high performance sport and exercise settings. It provides advanced knowledge of human movement, injury management, and performance enhancement, emphasizing ethical application of skills.

Key details

Degree Type
Masters (Coursework)
Duration
2 years full-time
Intake Months
Jan, Jun
Domestic Fees
$25,568 per year

About this course

Overview

This double degree empowers physiotherapists to work with athletes and people of all ages, abilities and cultural contexts, in community, elite or high performance sport and exercise settings, in both the private and public sectors.

You will acquire advanced knowledge of normal and pathological human movement relating to sports, exercise, performance, injuries, pathology and disease. You will also better understand how wellbeing relates to performance, and critically analyse, synthesise and apply knowledge using an evidence-informed, person-centred approach to manage sports injuries or other health conditions.

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. This course emphasises the application of knowledge and skills in an ethical manner that promotes the dignity of the individual, athlete or performer.

Read about Jasmine Collier's rationale to pursue a Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy/Master of High Performance Sport in order to gain a better understanding of human movement as she transitioned from luge into skeleton.

This double degree is suitable for graduate physiotherapists eligible for registration in their own country, with a minimum two years' experience post-graduation.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

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:

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

Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2026 Admission.

Academic IELTS; or IELTS indicator online test

Overall score: 7.0. Individual score of 6.5 in all tests

PTE Academic

65 with a minimum of 58 in all four communicative skills

TOEFL

Internet based total of 94: minimum 24 writing, 20 speaking and listening and 19 in reading

C1 Advanced

Overall score 185, Minimum score of 176 in all tests

ACU English Language test; or ACU EAP

A (75-100%)

Or

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.

What you will learn

Overview

This double degree empowers physiotherapists to work with athletes and people of all ages, abilities and cultural contexts, in community, elite or high performance sport and exercise settings, in both the private and public sectors.

You will acquire advanced knowledge of normal and pathological human movement relating to sports, exercise, performance, injuries, pathology and disease. You will also better understand how wellbeing relates to performance, and critically analyse, synthesise and apply knowledge using an evidence-informed, person-centred approach to manage sports injuries or other health conditions.

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. This course emphasises the application of knowledge and skills in an ethical manner that promotes the dignity of the individual, athlete or performer.

Career pathways

You will be able to apply the theory and practice you've learned to 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

Course structure

Course details

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, consisting of:

  1. 60 cp from Specified Physiotherapy Units (Part A);
  2. 40 cp from Specified High Performance Sport Units (Part B);
  3. 20 cp from Elective High Performance Sport Units (Part C);
  4. 40 cp from Research Units (Part D)

View course rules

Commencing ACU Term 1 - 2 year optionYear 1ACU Term 1
  • Specified Physiotherapy UnitsPHTY614Advanced Principles of Human Movement for Exercise and Sports Performance10 cp
  • Specified High Performance Sport UnitsEXSC510Strength and Conditioning for Performance and Rehabilitation10 cp
Year 1ACU Term 2
  • Specified High Performance Sport UnitsEXSC651Sports Injury Prevention10 cp
  • Research UnitsHLSC640 Interpreting Health Research ORResearch UnitsHLSC641 Introduction to Health Sciences Research 10 cp
Year 1ACU Term 3
  • Specified Physiotherapy UnitsPHTY616Sports Medicine and Musculoskeletal Clinical Practice for Physiotherapists10 cp
  • Specified Physiotherapy UnitsPHTY617Physiotherapists Working in Sport10 cp
Year 1ACU Term 4
  • Specified Physiotherapy UnitsPHTY615Clinical Exercise for Health and Performance Across the Lifespan10 cp
  • Research UnitsHLSC642 Biostatistics for Health Sciences _Also offered in ACU Term 2_ ORHLSC646 Qualitative Research Methods
Year 2ACU Term 1
  • Specified Physiotherapy UnitsPHTY618Leadership, Management and Advocacy for Sports and Exercise Physiotherapists10 cp
Year 2Semester 1
  • Research UnitsPHTY606Physiotherapy Research Project A
Year 2ACU Term 2
  • Specified Physiotherapy UnitsEXSC669Exercise Rehabilitation for Return to Sports Performance10 cp
  • Elective High Performance Sport Units Elective
Year 2ACU Term 3
  • Specified High Performance Sport UnitsEXSC674Contemporary Practice in Strength and Conditioning
  • Elective High Performance Sport Units Elective
Year 2Semester 2
  • Research UnitsPHTY607Physiotherapy Research Project B
Year 2ACU Term 4
  • Specified High Performance Sport UnitsEXSC650Fatigue, Recovery, Adaptation and Performance10 cp

Credit for prior study or work

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.

How to apply

Apply now

Graduate outcomes

Graduate satisfaction and employment outcomes for Health Services & Support courses at Australian Catholic University (ACU).
86.4%
Overall satisfaction
92.6%
Skill scale
86.4%
Teaching scale
82.7%
Employed full-time
$73.1k
Average salary