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Exercise and sport science

Discipline

Transform the industry, redefine the future. Study with the world’s #1 sport science school. Learn how to apply knowledge and skills in exercise and sport science to improve the performance, health and participation of individuals, athletes and teams.

Get work-ready

Develop the skills to become a professional leader in exercise and sport science and allied fields, with a focus on the biological, sociological and behavioural bases of exercise and sport science. At Deakin, you’ll learn in world-class facilities and gain extensive practical experience while you study, ensuring you graduate job ready and able to hit the ground running in the workforce.

Undergraduate

Undergraduate (your first degree)

An undergraduate degree is generally completed between two to four years, depending on the pattern of study and any recognition of prior learning you may have. Associate degrees, bachelor and bachelor with honours are all undergraduate degrees.

Postgraduate

Postgraduate (further study)

A postgraduate qualification can be undertaken by students who have already completed an undergraduate degree or possess significant, demonstrable work experience. Postgraduate courses include graduate certificates, graduate diplomas, masters and PhDs, as well as specialist programs for industry professionals.

Research

Higher Degrees by Research (supervised research)

Research degrees are research based master’s or PhD programs that focus on a single area of expertise. They provide students the opportunity to carry out highly specialised research under expert supervision.

Elite facilities across campuses

Benefit from our world-class facilities, which match those you’ll encounter in high-performance exercise and sport science settings.

In our state-of-the-art Specialised Indoor Exercise and Sport Science Building at our Burwood Campus you can use the 40-metre running track to measure the impact of running, work with accredited exercise physiologists to treat clients in the Deakin Clinical Exercise Centre, and train for different environments in the climate chamber. All that and much more is available to help you get the most out of your studies.

Our Elite Regional Sports Precinct, located at our Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, is second-to-none. It features an MCG-sized AFL oval, FIFA-grade soccer pitch and eight-lane 400-metre athletics track, which meets World Athletics standards.

Find out more about our sports facilities

Study a field-leading degree

Study a field-leading degree

Thanks to world-class facilities and industry-leading academics, our exercise and sport science sequence is nationally accredited by Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA). This means you'll graduate eligible to apply for membership as an Accredited Exercise Scientist (AES) or, with postgraduate study, an Accredited Sport Scientist (ASpS) or Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP).

Study sport with a world #1

Our School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences is a world leader in sport science. We are ranked #1 in the world in the prestigious ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments.*

I chose to study at Deakin because they promote practical and independent learning and get you job-ready skills. The hands-on learning approach is great because you get a taste of what the workplace will feel like.

Georgia Middleton

Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science

Career opportunities

Deakin exercise and sport science graduates are set apart from the competition. Upon graduating, you may find employment opportunities in:

  • applied sport science
  • biomechanics
  • clinical exercise physiology
  • fitness
  • health promotion
  • performance analysis
  • personal training
  • physical activity and education
  • sport coaching
  • sports nutrition
  • strength and conditioning.

Discover exercise and sport science at Deakin

Why Sport | Inspiring the next generation with Lauren Skopal

From performing around the world as an acrobat, to founding Limber Sports Performance, Lauren is committed to developing the next generation of athletes. Discover how studying sport science at Deakin helped her turn her passion into a career.

Why Sport | The power of performance with Alessia Del Tito

Alessia has always loved sport. As a participant, fan and spectator. During Alessia’s double degree in sport science and sport management, she learnt about the power of performance analysis and now puts her skills to use with the AFL’s umpire division.

Staying ahead of the game with Nina Morrison

Learn how studying a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science at Deakin has helped #1 AFLW draft pick Nina Morrison transform her future.

Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science – Noni's story

Hear from Noni Taylor about her experiences working with the North Melbourne Football Club and studying Deakin's Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science and honours program. In our course, you can gain up to 320 hours of practical experience, making you ready for a career in the sport industry.

Regional and Remote Entry Scheme

If you’re based in a regional or remote area, you may be eligible for a bonus to help you gain entry to our field-leading Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science and our combined courses; Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science/Bachelor of Nutrition Science and Bachelor of Sport Science/Bachelor of Business (Sport Management).

Find out more about the scheme

Postgraduate sport science

Our postgraduate applied sport science courses, from graduate certificates to a masters degree, are designed to meet the exacting standards of the elite sporting industry. At the graduate certificate level, you can specialise in strength and conditioning or sport performance analysis, and can choose to continue to a graduate diploma or masters in applied sport science.

Soon, working in elite sport will require professional accreditation and 360 hours of work experience. The Master of Applied Sport Science involves a minimum of 220 hours. Plus, our close ties to professional sporting organisations, state-of-the-art facilities and world-class teaching staff will help you step up your career game.

Created with flexibility in mind, many of our postgraduate units can be taken online, as well as intensives offered at our Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus. These intensives give you the opportunity to study an entire unit over a shorter timeframe, rather than throughout a whole trimester.

Find out more about the Master of Applied Sport Science

Latest articles

Increasing women’s representation in sport science research

Monica Kelly studied sport at Deakin and now works with athletes. She’s seen first-hand the lack of women’s representation in sport science research.

Read more

Promoting opportunity and visibility for women in sport

Deakin’s Dr Samantha Hoffmann supervises sport and exercise physiology students, and supports the next generation of sport professionals.

Read more

Who we work with

We work with a diverse range of partners, including:

  • Geelong Football Club
  • Melbourne Boomers
  • Victorian Institute of Sport
  • Disability Sports Australia
  • Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute
  • VicHealth
  • YMCA Australia.

Leading the way in sport research

Ideas can change the world. If you’ve got an innovative mind, take on a higher degree by research with us in the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), which also includes the Centre for Sport Research. IPAN brings together researchers from a variety of disciplines within the exercise and sport science area.

Learn more about researching with us