#1 sport science school in the world
#13 worldwide for education
Teaching placements arranged for you by Deakin
Why choose health and physical education at Deakin
Want to create safe, inclusive and engaging learning environments? Study Deakin's Bachelor of Health and Physical Education to develop the critical skills, specialised knowledge and practical classroom experience you’ll need as a secondary health and physical education teacher.
Access industry-standard equipment and state-of-the-art facilities, including our Elite Sports Precinct at the world’s #1 sport science school. Explore the art of movement, learn specialist teaching methods and delve into applied sports science, biomechanics, and motor learning and development at Australia’s #3 university for education and educational research.
We are also the only university in Australia to embed the Berry Street Education Model with trauma informed strategies into all initial teaching education courses preparing you for the modern classroom. With minimum 80 days of professional placements built in, you’ll graduate classroom confident.
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Internationally leading
Study at a university ranked number 13 worldwide for education and educational research.
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World-leading sport science
Learn health and physical education through biomechanics and exercise physiology at the world’s #1 sport science school.
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Work experience built-in
At least 80 days guaranteed placement and one-on-one mentorship arranged by Deakin in our network of 1400 schools.
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Ready for registration
Graduate with a Victorian Institute of Teaching-approved qualification and a recognised Berry Street Education Model certificate.
Connected to industry
Deakin’s strong industry connections help shape your learning. Build practical experience in real workplace contexts through work-integrated learning, mentoring and networking opportunities. Industry advisory boards also help shape our degrees, which means what you study is current, relevant and aligned to what your future employers need.
Deakin puts employability first
Career outcomes
Qualify to teach health and physical education in secondary schools and build skills for careers across sport, community and advisory settings. You could also work in coaching, sport management or government.
Physical education teacher
Develop and deliver instructional plans that encourage physical activity through organised games and sports for students aged 5 to 18. You will also help develop students’ self-esteem, healthy lifestyle habits and interpersonal skills.
- $103k
Typical annual salary in Australia
- 9.4%
Projected job growth in 5 years
Coach
Develop athletes’ and teams’ skills through structured training, performance analysis and motivation. You may plan drills, guide game strategies and work with sporting clubs, schools or community programs.
- $80k
Typical annual salary in Australia
- 4.3/5
Job satisfaction
Areas you may work in
- Advisory roles
- Community programs
- Government agencies
- Private academies
- Sport management
- Teaching
FAQs
Deakin's campuses in Melbourne, Geelong and Warrnambool are set in vibrant, multicultural communities where it is easy to connect and feel at home. As the #1 university in Australia for international student happiness and student satisfaction, you will be supported at every step of your journey. You can join clubs and societies through the Deakin University Student Association (DUSA), attend social events, go on trips and live on campus to meet people from around the world. Each campus has fitness centres, cafes and 24-hour security, as well as prayer rooms and multifaith chaplains.
Deakin offers a range of merit-based scholarships that can reduce your tuition fees by 20%, 25%, 50% or 100% for the duration of your degree. Eligibility varies by scholarship and the degree you choose, but you will automatically be considered for most scholarships when you apply to Deakin. Use the Find a scholarship tool and filter by 'citizenship' to see what is available to you, or explore Australia Awards scholarships if you are from an eligible country.
As an international student at Deakin, you can work part time according to the conditions of your visa. On a Student Visa (Subclass 500), you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight during trimesters. When you are on a trimester break you can work as much as you want. Compulsory work experience that forms part of your degree does not count toward this limit. Find part-time roles and internships through DeakinTALENT and learn more about working in Australia.
Most students studying full time at Deakin need a Student Visa (Subclass 500). You can apply for this visa after you accept your offer and receive your electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE). To apply, you will need a valid passport, your CoE, proof of Overseas Student Health Cover and any other documents required by the Department of Home Affairs. Apply as early as possible, but do not book travel until your visa has been granted. Find out more about student visas.
Australia is widely regarded as one of the safest and most welcoming countries in the world for students, with strong legal protections, reliable public services and a multicultural community. In fact, Melbourne is ranked the #4 student city in the world! At Deakin, you will be part of a supportive community, with 24/7 help, dedicated campus security and practical tools to help you feel safe, confident and connected. Deakin’s SafeZone app also connects you directly to campus security and support services if you ever need help. Find out more about studying in Australia.
Deakin offers a wide range of support to help you settle in and succeed throughout your studies – we are ranked the #1 university in Melbourne for student support. You can access 1:1 study support, English language support, career planning help, disability services and free counselling, as well as financial assistance if you need it. On campus, the SafeZone app and 24/7 security services mean help is always within reach. You can explore the full range of support services for international students or start an online chat with a student ambassador before you arrive.
To enrol in an undergraduate degree at Deakin, many degrees require a minimum IELTS score of 6.0 (or equivalent). Some degrees require higher scores so check the entry requirements tab on the degree page for details. You may also meet the requirement through recent secondary or university study completed in English, or by demonstrating five or more years of living and working in an English-speaking country. Eligibility is assessed on a case-by-case basis. If you do not yet meet the requirement, the Deakin University English Language Institute (DUELI) offers pathway programs to help develop your English reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Completion of DUELI’s English for Academic Purposes can give you the minimum English language requirements for most Deakin degrees.
Deakin is the #1 university in Melbourne for international student graduate employment. Our degrees are developed with industry insight, so you will gain career-ready skills from the beginning. Each Deakin student can access work-integrated learning through opportunities including placements, internships and projects with well-known industry partners. Our dedicated international student career support program helps you learn about the Australian workforce, make connections and build your network through placements. You will get support with your resume, help looking for an internship or a job after graduation and even advice about your career options overseas.
There is more than one way to study at Deakin. If you do not meet the academic requirements, Deakin College offers a guaranteed pathway to Deakin with small, supportive classes on campus. If you meet the academic requirements but not the English requirements, you can enrol in a Deakin University English Language Institute (DUELI) English pathway program and progress to your chosen Deakin degree upon successful completion. Deakin also has formal pathway agreements with partner institutions in countries like China, India, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and the United States, so you can start your studies locally before transferring to Australia to complete your degree.
*Deakin references data from a range of government, higher education and reputable media sources. Learn more about our achievements on our University rankings page, or explore our sources page for supporting references.
What will I study in the Bachelor of Health and Physical Education?
Build health and physical education expertise, classroom practice and a third teaching area, with 80+ days of professional experience woven through the course.
Build your foundations
Build health and physical education knowledge
Begin with the science and practice behind health and physical education, including movement, sport pedagogy and how the body works.
Start thinking like a teacher
Begin shaping your teacher identity and get early insight into school life through the first five days of professional experience.
Start a third teaching area
Gain broader subject knowledge and more flexibility for future classrooms.
Grow your science and practice knowledge
Study performance science
Build on your foundations through exercise physiology, biomechanics and motor development to understand movement.
Understand learners
Explore youth health, student wellbeing and how the brain learns.
Apply learning in schools
Complete a 20-day placement and keep developing your third teaching area, turning theory into more confident classroom practice.
Shift into curriculum design
Plan for real classrooms
Learn how to design, teach and assess health and physical education in ways that align with secondary and senior secondary contexts.
Tackle contemporary health topics
Study areas such as nutrition, growth, development, and sexuality and relationships education in a teaching context.
Strengthen your teaching method
The third teaching area becomes more curriculum-focused, and a further 15 days in schools help you refine your practice.
Finish career-ready
Teach with greater confidence
Focus on inclusion, diversity, family and community health.
Prepare for the classroom career
Transition-to-profession studies help you move from student to graduate teacher with clearer professional confidence.
Complete your final placement
Finish with 40 days of placement and the Deakin Teaching Performance Assessment, required before graduation and registration.
Course structure
All students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements
Units
Compulsory 0-credit point units
To be completed prior to study commencing:
To be completed in the first trimester of study:
To be completed in the first year of study:
Year 1
2 credit points of discipline study units in third teaching method area
Year 2
2 credit points of discipline study units in third teaching method area
Year 3
2 credit points of curriculum study units in third teaching method area
Year 4
Students must complete 4 credit points of discipline study units in a third teaching method area from the following:
Dance* (Burwood only)
Complete four credit points from:
Theatre* (Burwood only)
Complete four credit points from:
English - Children's Literature OR English - Literature
English - Children's Literature *
Select four credit points from:
OR
English - Literature*
History
Select four credit points from:
Food Studies (Available to Burwood students only)
Complete five units from:
Mathematics*
Complete one credit point from:
Plus three credit points from:
Assumed knowledge required: completion of VCE Mathematical Methods units 3 and 4 (or equivalent) is required for this method.
Science (Senior Secondary) in specialist science area Biology
Animal Biology*
Human Biology*
Plant Biology*
Complete two units from:
Plus three credit points from:
Science (Senior Secondary) in specialist science area Chemistry
Chemistry*
Complete three units from:
Plus two credit points from:
*Refer to E377 discipline studies units for available options.
A maximum of two credit points at level one may be taken under any listed method.
Students must complete 2 credit points of curriculum study units in a third teaching method area from the following:
Dance (Burwood only)
Theatre (Burwood only)
English
History
Food Studies (Burwood only)
Mathematics
Science (Senior Secondary) in specialist science area Biology
Science (Senior Secondary) in specialist science area Chemistry
Professional recognition
This course is accredited by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) as a nationally accredited course and students are eligible to apply for registration with VIT upon graduation. If you intend to apply for registration in Victoria or interstate you may be required to provide further information.
Applicants are advised to check the registration requirements in their state or territory, carefully.
What to expect while studying
You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.
International students are required to study full-time to complete their course within the duration registered on CRICOS.
Teacher Education Graduation requirements
Students undertaking an initial teacher education course must pass an approved literacy and numeracy test in order to be eligible to graduate and apply for teacher registration. Learn more about the literacy and numeracy test.
Working with Children Check
Students will be required to hold a valid Working with Children (WWC) Check prior to undertaking professional placements as part of this course. Learn more about Working with Children Checks.
Interstate applicants must check the requirements and meet all conditions for undertaking professional experience in schools for their state or territory before undertaking professional experience placements as part of this course.
Inherent requirements
It is expected that all students will be able to abide by, and ensure their behaviour is in accordance with the Deakin University initial teacher education inherent requirements.
Immunisations
Immunisation and/or vaccination requirements will be communicated by the Professional Experience Office in line with the Department of Education and Training's directions at the time of placement.
For further information contact the School of Education, Professional Experience Office.
Police record check
Applicants will be required to hold a valid National Police Record Check for professional placements as part of this course. Learn more about the National Police Record Check.
Placement can occur at any time, including during standard holiday breaks. Learn about key dates at Deakin.
This course includes 80-days of supervised professional experience and requires students to successfully complete the Deakin Teaching Performance Assessment (DTPA) in their final year. If a student does not pass the DTPA, they must seek guidance from the Course Director.
Delays in completing the placement could mean that the course will take longer to complete than the stated duration. International students are required to study full-time to complete their course within the duration registered on CRICOS.
Graduation from the course confirms that students have met the Graduate Teacher Standards and achieved all Core Content learning outcomes outlined in Schedule 2.
Students will satisfactorily complete 80-days of professional experience placement in secondary education settings, as outlined below:
Year 1: 5-days in secondary school settings
Year 2: 20-days in secondary school settings
Year 3: 15-days in secondary school settings
Year 4: 2 x 20-days (40-days in total) in secondary school settings
The School of Education Professional Experience Office makes all arrangements for preservice teacher placements. The number of professional experience days align with requirements of external regulatory authorities (Victorian Institute of Teaching VIT).
Deakin offers many courses which can be studied by distance education overseas.
However, international students living in Australia on a student visa, in each compulsory trimester (that is, Trimesters 1 and 2), must enrol in at least one unit that is offered as a Campus located unit and can, in addition enrol in units offered online. International students may undertake a maximum of up to one third (or equivalent) of their study as online study. Please note enrolment in one face to face unit in compulsory study periods is only allowed if the student is completing their final unit of study and will not exceed maximum one third (or equivalent) online requirement.
At Deakin, we're committed to ensuring an inclusive environment that supports all students to belong, thrive and succeed. We work closely with students, where needed, to identify potential barriers to participation and where possible, provide tailored support so students can engage with learning and assessment activities.
If you are neurodivergent, have a disability, health condition or mental health condition that may impact your study or participation in university life, and want to know how Deakin could support you, contact our Domestic students (opens in a new window) or International students (opens in a new window) or Disability Resource Centre (opens email client) teams for a collaborative and confidential discussion. This discussion is to support you to make plans for your studies and future career and will not have any bearing on your application to the course.
When can I start?
When you study depends on your course, location and available intakes. Check the table to see when you can start and how study is offered throughout the year.
Your course learning outcomes describe the knowledge, skills and capabilities you’ll develop and be able to demonstrate by the time you graduate. Built into your course through your units and assessments, they provide a clear picture of what you’ll be equipped to know, understand and do – preparing you to apply your learning with confidence beyond university.
| Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|
| Apply coherent discipline-specific theoretical knowledge and capabilities in health, physical education and one other teaching area to contemporary curriculum design, pedagogy and assessment for teaching and learning in ways that align with the Australian Professional Standards for Graduate Teachers. |
| Use a range of communication skills and technologies to plan and teach for learning (including knowledge and skills) in the classroom and the broader school community. |
| Employ a range of technologies to collect, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information for the purposes of teaching and learning in a rapidly-changing global environment. |
| Use critical and analytical skills to determine solutions to unpredictable and sometimes complex problems in teaching, learning and assessment practices and to adapt these solutions to diverse contexts. |
| Demonstrate the capacity to know students and how they learn (including identifying their prior knowledge, learning strengths and weaknesses) to develop a creative solution to teaching and learning using a range of effective strategies. |
| Engage in reflective practice to plan an deliver coherent teaching and learning experiences for students in Health, Physical Education and one other teaching area. Make well-developed responsible judgements in professional practice in Health and Physical Education teaching contexts. |
| Work and learn collaboratively with colleagues and other professionals and members of the wider community in ways that align with the codes of conduct and ethics of the profession. |
| Apply culturally responsive, critically reflective and embodied self-knowledge of decolonial praxis in the design, delivery and evaluation of teaching and learning that honours and respects the educational expectations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and diverse learners, families and communities. |
Approved at Faculty Board 2025
- Award granted
- Bachelor of Health and Physical Education
- Year
2027 course information
- VTAC code
- 1400314283 - Waurn Ponds (Geelong), International full-fee paying place
1400514283 - Burwood (Melbourne), International full-fee paying place - Deakin code
- E377
- CRICOS code?Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students
- 089295M Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong)
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition
The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 7
Apply now
Apply directly to Deakin
Applications can be made directly to the University through StudyLink Connect - Deakin University's International Student Application Service.
We recommend engaging with a Deakin Authorised Agent who can assist you with the process and submit the application.
Apply through VTAC
If you are an international student completing an Australian Year 12 in Australia or overseas, you must submit an application through the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC). In addition, you may also apply directly to Deakin through StudyLink Connect - Deakin University's international student application service.
Recognition of prior learning
We value your previous study and experience. Recognition of prior learning enables you to get credit for what you've already achieved. When you apply, we'll consider your previous study and experience for recognition of prior learning.
From 2026, all accredited Initial Teacher Education programs in Australia must deliver mandated Core Content requirements aligned with the AITSL Graduate Teacher Standards, which must be demonstrated within an accredited program for teacher registration eligibility. As the Bachelor of Health and Physical Education has been redesigned to meet these national requirements, Recognition of Prior Learning is not available for the units within this course. You can also refer to the recognition of prior learning (RPL) system which outlines the credit that may be granted towards a Deakin University degree.