Australian residents
International students
Intakes: 

2024: February, April, July

Duration: 
3 years
Location: 
Footscray Park
Fees: 

2024: A$17,900*
* fee per semester

Application due dates:
We are currently accepting applications for this course.
Apply

Overview

Kick off your career in sports and exercise at Victoria University by studying our Bachelor of Exercise Science (Sport Practice).

Work with new ideas and new technologies, and gain knowledge and skills for a professional career in an area that matches your interests and passions:

  • exercise science
  • sport science
  • sports practice
  • community fitness and health
  • high-performance sport
  • rehabilitation.

Learn from world-leading experts in sport studies, and enjoy access to our state-of-the-art facilities. You'll benefit from our hundreds of sports industry connections, with professional placements and industry networking opportunities.

The Bachelor of Exercise Science (Sport Practice) covers biological and social sciences, with a focus on sports physiology and biomechanics. You will build a solid understanding of the science that underpins sports and exercise. Join a group of VU graduates known to be strong performers in the sports industry due to their practical experience.

Victoria University has been ranked number 7 in the world for sport science.

Our ground-breaking research, world-class facilities and partnerships with some of the world’s top sporting clubs have rocketed us to this position.

Studying with us means you benefit from all of the opportunities that come with our elite status – learning from academics who are connected with top organisations, researching with national sporting bodies and accessing our cutting-edge sport-science equipment.

VU has strong, unique partnerships with more than 350 local, national and global organisations across the sport, exercise and recreation industries. These partnerships inform the content of our courses and provide joint research opportunities. Our partnerships also give you access to industry contacts and work placements.

Our partners include:

  • Western Bulldogs Football Club
  • Australian Institute of Sport
  • Victorian Racing Club
  • Australian Sports Commission
  • Real Madrid Football Club Foundation
  • Beijing and German Sports Universities
  • Sport Australia Hall of Fame
  • National Heart Foundation
  • VicHealth
  • National Ageing Research Institute
  • Football Federation Victoria
  • Tennis Australia
  • Western Health
  • Australian Football League (AFL).

Everything you learn with VU has direct links to the real world. We place a strong emphasis on clinical and practical learning.

A key part of your studies will be experiencing the true nature of working in a professional sports environment in your industry placements. With mentoring and support along the way, you will gain direct practical experience by taking what you learn in the classroom and applying it in the real world. These placements will provide you with confidence and a competitive advantage in the workforce.

Placements and cadetships take place with VU partner organisations such as Western Bulldogs Football Club, Melbourne Storm or Maribyrnong College.

You will have access to the amazing sport and exercise infrastructure and facilities at Victoria University’s Footscray Park Campus. Our facilities are the most comprehensive range of sport and exercise science facilities in the southern hemisphere.

The Institute for Health & Sport (IHES) is part of the world-class sport and learning precinct at the Footscray Park Campus. The facility features the most advanced sport and exercise technology available and is used by students, researchers, professional sports teams and community organisations.

At the Victoria University Community Sports Stadium you will learn alongside sport and recreation professionals. This stadium is a joint initiative with the Western Bulldogs.

Our facilities include:

  • exercise physiology labs
  • altitude hotel
  • biomechanics labs
  • motor learning and skilled performance labs
  • heat chambers
  • motor control and biofeedback labs
  • integrated teaching and learning facilities.

Victoria University is one of Australia's most recognisable sport universities. We have an outstanding reputation in sport, exercise science and health and fitness.

We have gained this name through our extensive offering of sport-related courses and our world-class facilities. Also unique to VU is our significant research and partnerships, as well as our leading academic staff.

We have the largest number of students enrolled in sport courses, and more sports industry partners than any other university. We also have the most graduates working in the sport industry.

VU received the highest possible ranking for human movement and sports science in the 2015 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) assessment.

VU’s Learning Hubs are welcoming spaces where you can improve your study and employability skills.

Our students can attend Learning Hubs at one of five VU campuses.

We offer maths, writing, careers and English-language advice and can show you effective ways to study and manage your time.

Our programs include:

  • workshops
  • drop-in sessions
  • peer mentoring
  • maths and writing resources
  • resume and career guidance.

We also have accessibility support services and counselling services available to all students.

At VU you can spend part of your degree studying overseas all while gaining credits towards your course.

Immerse yourself in a new culture and learn from a new perspective, while building experiences that will help you to stand out in the competitive job market.

Careers in sports and exercise science

This course provides you with a broad range of skills and knowledge that will allow you to gain employment in the rapidly growing sports and exercise industry.

Graduates have gained employment at elite sport organisations, leisure centres and community service organisations. Some graduates have started their own businesses in health, fitness and personal training.

Aim for a career in:

  • sports science
  • strength and conditioning
  • fitness/skills coaching
  • personal training
  • exercise rehabilitation
  • community fitness and health services
  • sports performance
  • special populations training (elderly, disability, youth).

Example job titles include:

  • exercise physiologist
  • personal fitness trainer
  • strength and conditioning coach
  • exercise and sport scientist in professional sporting group
  • sport nutritionist
  • exercise rehabilitation
  • special populations training - elderly, people with a disability, young
  • community fitness and health services.

Salaries & job growth

See average salary & employment info for exercise physiologists in Australia, via Labour Market Insights.

Accreditation

Successful completion of this course will make you eligible to apply for membership of Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) as an Exercise Scientist.

Course structure

To attain the Bachelor of Exercise Science (Sport Practice), students will be required to complete 288 credit points consisting of:
-
96 credit points of First Year Core units
- 192 credit points of Professional Core units

First Year Core Units

Professional Core Units

We are the first Australian university to use a 'block' model of learning, where you study one unit at a time rather than juggling several at once.

Introduced in 2018, the VU Block Model has improved our student results and achievements, and has won awards for innovation and excellence. Initially for first-year students, it now applies to all students studying at our Melbourne campuses.

You'll study in short bursts, called blocks, of three 2-3 hour face-to-face teaching sessions per week.

Each block focuses on one unit (subject) and is only four weeks long, with up to four days between. Our two semesters have four blocks each, and there are optional blocks over winter and summer where you can catch up on a missed unit.

Some courses have labs and pracs too, and these are generally scheduled on the same days as teaching sessions. There are also workshops where you'll develop your study skills and prepare for your future career.

Find out more about the VU Block Model.

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Provide exercise interventions for apparently healthy populations, including high performance and recreational athletes;  
  2. Integrate the biological and social scientific knowledge and professional skills that underpin professional practice in the fields of exercise and sport science;  
  3. Critically analyse and synthesise knowledge gathered from exercise and sport science research;  
  4. Exercise judgement to solve routine exercise science problems using social, ethical, economic, regulatory and global perspectives;  
  5. Operate as an independent and collaborative professional who can communicate knowledge and ideas clearly and coherently;  
  6. Critically apply exercise and sport science knowledge and skills to solve routine problems in sport practice settings;  
  7. Adapt legal and ethical frameworks in order to work effectively in socially and culturally diverse communities and contexts; and  
  8. Continue to develop a broad and coherent body of professional sport practice so as to undertake postgraduate studies and research in exercise rehabilitation and related fields.  

What's a unit?

A unit or 'subject' is the actual class you'll attend in the process of completing a course.

Most courses have a mixture of compulsory 'core' units that you need to take and optional elective units that you can choose to take based on your area of interest, expertise or experience.

Credits

Each unit is worth a set amount of study credits based on the amount of time you study. Generally, 1 credit is equal to 1 hour of study per week.

Admissions

Victoria University is committed to providing a transparent admissions process. Find out more about how to apply for our courses, and our commitment to admissions transparency.

Applicants for this course will need to have met the academic requirements and prerequisites for this course outlined below.

Meeting the minimum admission criteria does not guarantee entry into this course. Past academic performance may be considered.

Inherent Requirements

'Inherent requirements' are the abilities, attributes, skills and behaviours needed to meet the learning outcomes of a course. These should be met while preserving the academic integrity of the university’s learning, assessment and accreditation processes.

You need to be able to demonstrate that you hold, or can acquire, the inherent requirements for this degree.

We may be able to make reasonable adjustments to help you manage circumstances that impact your studies – provided these don't fundamentally change the academic integrity of the degree.

Read more about inherent requirements.

Entry requirements

Completion of an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate (VCE or equivalent) including Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or 20 in any other English (or equivalent).
OR:
Completion of an Australian Advanced Diploma or Diploma (or equivalent).
PLUS:
IELTS (or equivalent): Overall score or 6.0 (with no band less than 6.0 in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking).
OR:
Completion of a Foundation course or equivalent.

Find out if you meet the entry requirements, including English language and academic requirements.

Additional information

Students will require a Working with Children Check and National Police Check to be eligible to undertake and participate in workplace visits, placements or projects. Use the following site links to obtain additional information:
http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/
http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?Document_ID=274.

SUPERVISED PLACEMENT
Changes relating to the number of supervision hours required for accreditation has been introduced by the accreditation body, Exercise and Sport Science Australia (ESSA), in recognition of challenges in the current COVID-19 climate. The change in required hours impacts on the level of accreditation students are eligible for at the end of the course. A minimum of 80 hours of supervision is required for provisional accreditation in which students then have 2 years to obtain the remaining hours to get the 140.

Pathways & credits

There are many ways you can start your education journey at VU. Pathways offer an easy transition between courses at different levels, so that you can start with a certificate and progress right through to postgraduate study.

If you have completed any of the following course(s), you will be guaranteed a place in this course. In some cases you may receive credit for your previous study, reducing the time it takes to complete your course.

Foundations at VU JYAC

You will be guaranteed entry only.

International Foundations at VU JQAG

You will be guaranteed entry only.

Find out more about pathways and credits.

If you have completed any of the following course(s), you will be guaranteed a place in this course. In some cases you may receive credit for your previous study, reducing the time it takes to complete your course.

Diploma of Sport

SEDA Group, Australia

You will be guaranteed entry only.

Find out more about pathways and credits.

Use our credit calculator to find out how much credit you could get towards your course, based on your previous study.

If you have completed study with another university or institution and believe you are eligible to receive credit for skills and past study, you can apply for advanced standing.

Applications for advanced standing can be made after a discussion with your course chair or academic adviser.

Credit Calculator

Find out how much credit you could get towards your course, based on your previous study.

CALCULATE YOUR CREDIT

How to apply

We are currently accepting international applications, and we welcome you to apply for this course.

Click 'apply' to begin, and we will guide you through the application process.

Apply

If you have questions, please get in touch:

Information and fees listed above are for non-resident students. Fees are accurate at the time of viewing and will be subject to annual increases. Some courses require students to purchase equipment or clothing that they will need in the course. These equipment or clothing costs are not included in the course fees listed above – check your Letter of Offer for an estimate on non-tuition-fee-related expenses.

VU takes care to ensure the accuracy of this course information, but reserves the right to change or withdraw courses offered at any time. Please check that course information is current with the Student Contact Centre.