Australian Catholic University
Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy
- Delivery: Online
- Study Level: Postgraduate
- Duration: 18 months
Acquire expert, evidence-based skills to manage injuries, improve performance and promote well-being among diverse populations, which are offered flexibly online with intensive in-person workshops.
Course overview
The Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy will allow you, as a physiotherapist, 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. Using an evidence-informed person-centred approach, you will develop an understanding of how well-being refers to performance and be able to critically analyse, synthesise and apply knowledge for the physiotherapy management of sports injuries or other health conditions and to enhance sports or exercise performance and well-being in athletes and people of all ages, abilities and cultural contexts within the relevant ethical and legal frameworks. The course will be delivered online with short, intensive face-to-face blocks, over 1.5 years full-time equivalent. The course suits graduate physiotherapists eligible for registration in their own country, with at least two years of post-graduation experience. Most of the units will be delivered online, with some units delivered in multi-mode, incorporating online, intensive residential workshops, practicums and a research project. All residential workshops and assessments will be scheduled for 1-2 weeks in the same ACU Online Term.
Key facts
July, 2026
What you will study
To complete the Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy, you must complete 120 credit points.
- 80 credit points from Specified Units (Part A)
- 40 credit points from Research Units (Part B)
Part A
- Advanced Principles of Human Movement for Exercise and Sports Performance
- Strength and Conditioning for Performance and Rehabilitation
- Sports Injury Prevention
- Sports Medicine and Musculoskeletal Clinical Practice for Physiotherapists
- Physiotherapists Working in Sport
- Clinical Exercise for Health and Performance Across the Lifespan
- Leadership, Management and Advocacy for Sports and Exercise Physiotherapists
- Exercise Rehabilitation for Return to Sports Performance
Part B
- Physiotherapy Research Project A
- Interpreting Health Research
- Physiotherapy Research Project B
OR
- Introduction to Health Sciences Research
- Biostatistics for Health Sciences
OR
- Qualitative Research Methods
Entry requirements
An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
International applicants must also meet the English Language Proficiency requirements 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's degree or higher in Physiotherapy:
- Hold a current registration with the required authority in Australia or the registration authority in the country where the current practice is based.
- Have a minimum of 2 years clinical experience as a physiotherapist post-graduation (including a minimum of 1 year in musculoskeletal or sports areas).
B. ACU’s Graduate Certificate in Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy.
NOTE: Applicants who have 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 who have completed ACU’s Graduate Diploma in Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy will be eligible for recognition of prior learning of up to 80 credit points.
Recognition of Prior Learning
You may be able to get credit for your course based on prior formal, non-formal or informal learning. To apply, you will need to provide supporting documentation outlined by the university. Contact the university for more information.
Outcomes
Career outcomes
You 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.
- Emergency Departments in hospitals.
- 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.
Fees and FEE-HELP
The average first-year fee in 2025 is $25,568 (domestic full-fee paying place).
The estimated per units fees are calculated based on the annual average first year fee. It applies to a study load of 80 credit points (eight units) per year.
A student’s annual fee may vary in accordance with:
- The number of units studied per semester.
- The choice of major or specialisation.
- Elective units.
Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.
FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee-paying domestic students with the cost of a university course.
