Recommended Study Sequence

This unit provides students with experiences in the Science of Exercise & Sport helping them to determine a career direction. Students meet people from a variety of jobs in the sport, exercise and fitness industries, visit workplaces, and receive career counselling. This helps students identify preferences for professional practice placement. As there is strong competition for sport and exercise science-based employment, it is important to choose the placement agency carefully

The unit studies the basic concepts of biochemistry and histology, general anatomy, and physiology of the major body systems. This unit is designed to provide students especially applied health science students with an overview of body systems and their functions to ensure a suitable basis for their future studies of regional anatomy, clinical neurosciences, microbiology, pharmacology, pathology and other clinical sciences.

This unit will explore in greater depth those topics fundamental to the practice of health sciences. This unit is intended to equip students studying health sciences with a detailed knowledge of the regional anatomy of the entire body. Knowledge of embryology will complement studies in anatomy and physiology and help students to understand the correlation of structure in relation to function.

This unit will explore essential elements of quantitative research methods as used in health sciences. It will prepare students for the planning, designing, conducting, evaluating and reporting of a research project. The most common research designs will be examined for their relative strengths and weaknesses, with particular emphasis on how these will have an impact on interpretation and conclusion of the study. It will also introduce basic concepts in epidemiology and biostatistics as well as in using SPSS to analyse and interpret data. The overall aim is to provide skills in designing and evaluating research studies in health sciences.

This unit is intended to provide students with an in depth and clinical study of those human medical sciences which underpin specific intervention principles and procedures to be taught in the professional units. Primary contact health care providers have professional requirements that cover a broad spectrum of diagnostic, medical and physical practices. In order to ensure a suitable basis for later practice of osteopathy, podiatry, and occupational therapy, students require a detailed knowledge and understanding of anatomy and physiology with emphasis on musculoskeletal system, innervation and blood supply of relevant body structures.

The field of Sport Psychology is primarily concerned with the study of psychological factors and skills that impact on sport performance which include: personality, motivation, confidence, attention, anxiety and arousal, self-regulation of arousal, performance enhancement strategies, group dynamics, leadership, causal attributions; as well as the study of youth in sport and psychology of exercise.

The sports and the exercise industries have developed a highly sophisticated place within modern society and culture. This unit will examine sport and exercise from a sociological perspective and study the development, organisation and functioning of sport and exercise in our society. Contemporary issues in the sociology of sport and exercise will be examined within an Australian and international context.

This unit is an introduction to basic sports medicine with an emphasis on the management and prevention of sports injuries.

This unit investigates energy production for exercise in an integrated fashion. It covers energy pathways and their control; determining pathway contributions to exercise of various types; energy, performance, nutrition, exercise, body composition, weight control and obesity links plus metabolic limitations to exercise.

The study of biomechanics (the science that examines forces acting upon a structure) and kinesiology (the study of human movement) is essential to understanding how the human body functions in daily activities, exercise and sport. It is also important when considering where problems may arise with human movement, such as with disease processes (such as rheumatoid arthritis), over exercising and postural pathology. This unit is designed to introduce the student to the principles of biomechanics and kinesiology, by studying the principles of human movement, balance and equilibrium, mechanical and kinesiological factors involved in tissue type and motion and the analysis of human movement.

Two foundation areas of exercise prescription are treated in this unit. Students will be introduced to: the science of body measurement (anthropometry) which includes the correct measurement of skinfolds, girths and bone widths that make up the Restricted Profile, the calculation and interpretation of measures such as percentage body fat and body density; AND the principles of training, types of training, exercise analysis leading to the design of basic exercise programs and exercise prescription.

This unit is designed to provide the student with an understanding of the physiological basis of physical activity. Physiological factors influence and limit our exercise ability while participation in exercise and training influences physiological factors. This unit will explore the responses of the Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Muscular, Hormonal and Nervous systems responses to exercise and training; Environment and exercise interactions, Physiological factors that may limit exercise performance; Gender and lifespan differences in exercise responses; Physiological basis for fitness tests and Working safely within the exercise physiology laboratory environment.

The exercise prescription area is designed to give students an understanding of and experience in exercise prescription and fitness program construction for the general population of all ages and both genders, including pre exercise screening and fitness testing. It will focus on the development of general health related fitness programs which improve aerobic and anaerobic fitness, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance, including resistance training. Students will design, implement and evaluate exercise programs with individual clients.

Exercise psychology is a topic of particular relevance to those working in health and fitness industries. Although it is the aim of the Australian Sports Commission to increase participation in physical activity amongst the general population, there remains only a small percentage that actually does exercise on a regular basis. As a result, there is a growing interest in exercise adherence, and the related development of the discipline of Exercise Psychology in its own right. Exercise Psychology involves the study of psychological processes and behaviours related to exercise participation. This unit will cover the range of age groups and special populations to which the study of Exercise Psychology pertains.

Motor Control and Learning is an investigation of the physiological and psychological processes involved in both the control and the learning of movement. As such, it considers the control mechanisms which are innate to the learner, how these mechanisms change by virtue of both maturation and experience, and how the latter type of changes may be facilitated by manipulation of the learning environment.

Experience in the field of study is an essential ingredient in marketing an individual for employment either during the period of study or after graduation. Some professional associations require an applicant to have achieved a set number of hours in the workplace before membership can be conferred. Professional Practice provides students with an opportunity to observe practitioners in action and to learn in a practical "hands on" setting. Students will have the opportunity to see how knowledge and skills acquired in lectures and tutorials/laboratories can be applied and also relate theoretical concepts and skills to situations in sport/exercise-related settings. This unit is the first of two Professional Practice units which require a placement which is usually off campus.

This unit considers the role of exercise in the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries including work and sporting injuries. Including: injury and reinjury prevention strategies; mechanisms of injury; pathophysiology of injury and repair process; design and evaluation of rehabilitation exercise programs; how the exercise program functions in concert with other methods of injury treatment and management; important pharmacological, communication, psychosocial and cultural considerations; the role of the Sport and Exercise Scientist in the Sports Medicine Team and Workers Compensation Team.

Exercise Prescription for Special Populations is concerned with teaching students how to develop exercise programs for special populations (High risk). Emphasis will be placed on: understanding the underlying condition(s), its impact on quality of life as well as exercise and how exercise can be used for prevention and management of the condition(s). Students will be involved in the design and implementation of these exercise programs, for such special populations, with emphasis on using a scientific manner that allows participants to achieve optimum results whilst maintaining a high regard for safety, adherence and motivation.

This unit builds on the basic principles of Biomechanics that is presented in 400139 - Biomechanics and Kinesiology, applying this knowledge to the detailed biomechanical principles of human exercise performance. Biomechanics draws on many of the techniques and principles developed in other disciplines such as applied engineering and neuromuscular physiology. To fully understand the science underlying the optimisation of human movement, students require a comprehensive working knowledge of Biomechanics. This unit represents a theoretical and applied study of selected topics in Biomechanics. It will examine advanced methods and concepts in the biomechanical analysis.

This unit is aimed to introduce the student to the management issues in establishing and working in a clinical practice. While the unit will cover issues related to health professionals and public sector management, the focus of the unit will be on issues in private practice. The aim of the unit is to introduce the student to a wide range of topics, including an over view of health care funding in Australia, private and public health system, developing a business plan, different business structures, financial management, managing staff and occupational health and safety issues.

The unit Sport and Exercise Science in Practice focuses participation and observation of Sport and Exercise Science activities in the real practice setting. Students will add to their knowledge of important issues in Sport and Exercise Science practice and further develop their ability to use the knowledge and skills developed during their previous Sport and Exercise Science course work and practical experiences. Students will be in placements where they can develop and demonstrate an ability to design, implement and evaluate exercise testing and training programs for a variety of clients in sports, community and clinical settings.