Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy
Course handbook
On this page you will find:
General information
Overview
Ready to take your physio career to the next level? Help elite athletes recover from injury and support their peak performance. Developed with leading Australian sports physiotherapists, this industry-focused program integrates manual therapy, strength training principles and cutting-edge technology.
You'll gain advanced clinical skills through hands-on learning aligned to global best practice, delivered in a flexible teaching mode designed to suit any lifestyle. Learn the skills required to work with elite teams, such as Olympic, AFL and AFLW athletes, or in advanced sports private practice.
Study structure
Successful completion of the Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy requires students to complete units of study to the value of 100 credit points. All units of study are valued at 12.5 credit points unless otherwise stated.
Part-time study: 50 credit points/four standard units of study per year
One credit point is equivalent to one hour of study per week per semester (including contact hours and private study)
See the course planner for an example degree structure.
| Units of study | Unit code |
|---|---|
| Core units | |
|
Advanced Anatomy and Pathophysiology
Core unit, 12.5 credit points |
PHT70006 |
|
Strength and Conditioning for Physiotherapists
Core unit, 12.5 credit points |
PHT70007 |
|
Professional Practice
Core unit, 12.5 credit points |
PHT80006 |
|
Advanced Physiotherapy Practice 1
Core unit, 12.5 credit points |
PHT80007 |
|
Advanced Physiotherapy Practice 2
Core unit, 12.5 credit points |
PHT80008 |
|
Integrated Care
Core unit, 12.5 credit points |
PHT80009 |
|
Clinical Reasoning
Core unit, 12.5 credit points |
PHT80010 |
|
Technology in Advanced Practice
Core unit, 12.5 credit points |
PHT80011 |
Outcomes and course rules
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- critique, synthesise and integrate contemporary biomedical, clinical and research evidence knowledge with advanced critical thinking and practical skills to deliver advanced practice in sports and exercise physiotherapy
- develop, adapt and apply different communication strategies with clients, their families, professional colleagues and members of multidisciplinary teams to ensure safe return to sport, enhanced athletic performance, and promote injury prevention
- critically evaluate and integrate emerging technologies with advanced clinical reasoning to address diverse clinical presentations and deliver client-centred advanced practice in the area of sports and exercise physiotherapy
- design and implement initiatives to empower clients, families and communities to promote and optimise health and wellbeing across the lifespan
- critically evaluate their own and peers' knowledge , skills and practice to foster a culture of continuous professional development as reflective physiotherapists prepared to adapt within emerging local, national and global healthcare environments
- apply advanced research knowledge and skills to identify gaps and actively contribute to evidence-based practice in advanced physiotherapy practice
- exhibit autonomy, adaptability and specialised skills in sports and exercise physiotherapy through clinical, administrative, scholarly and educational contributions
- articulate and apply knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural perspectives and cultural safety capabilities to deliver quality sports and exercise healthcare through respectful communication, reflection, advocacy and the sensitive adaptation of professional skills to culture, gender, religion and other contextual factors.
Career opportunities
The Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy will help students take their clinical practice to the next level, whether they work in clinical practice, an advanced physiotherapy role, or with elite sports teams.
Course rules
To qualify for the award of the Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy, students must complete 100 credit points comprising of eight core units.
Volume of learning
The Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy consists of 100 credit points. Units carry 12.5 credit points. The course is offered part-time over two years. A standard annual part-time load comprises 50 credit points. The volume of learning of the Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy is typically two years.
Maximum Academic Credit
Informed choices
Reasonable adjustments
Swinburne supports students to make informed choices when applying for and enrolling in courses. In the Physiotherapy discipline, there are inherent requirements to successfully undertake and complete teaching and learning associated tasks as well as professional training. These inherent requirements are described on this page to assist prospective students when assessing their suitability for undertaking the Master of Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy course.
Swinburne upholds inclusive academic practices, ensuring that students with disabilities and other conditions can undertake courses and participate in study. Reasonable adjustments can be implemented to support students through viable arrangements to enable students with a disability or a chronic health condition to undertake the studies while maintaining the academic integrity of core course requirements.
Students considering whether they may be eligible for reasonable adjustments should contact Swinburne’s AccessAbility Services.
Some tasks in physiotherapy courses require certain sensory abilities, including: visual ability, tactile ability and auditory ability.
Will reasonable adjustments be considered?
Yes. Please contact AccessAbility Services to consider reasonable adjustments suitable for your situation
| Sensory ability | What is it? | How is this relevant to physiotherapy? |
|---|---|---|
| Visual ability | The extent to which a person can see or interpret visual information. This may also include colour vision. | Physiotherapy practice requires sufficient visual acuity to learn and demonstrate a range of skills, tasks with accuracy to maintain safety. This includes the ability to conduct visual observations and examinations (e.g. analysis of movement; rehabilitation of low back pain). |
| Tactile ability | The sense of touch, and the extent to which a person can distinguish tactile differences and detect tactile changes | Physiotherapy practice requires tactile ability to gather and interpret information from the findings of a physical assessment and deliver an intervention (e.g. joint mobilisation; operating electrotherapy equipment; detecting changes in temperature; palpation of joints and muscles). |
| Auditory ability | The sense of hearing, and the extent to which a person can be responsive to aural cues, and differentiate vocal sounds and tone. | Physiotherapy practice requires sufficient auditory ability to monitor, assess and manage an individual's health needs consistently and accurately with safety (e.g. cardiopulmonary assessment by auscultation). |
Some tasks in Physiotherapy require effective verbal, non-verbal, reflective and non-verbal communication skills
Will reasonable adjustments be considered?
Yes. Please contact AccessAbility Services to consider reasonable adjustments suitable for your situation.
| Communication | What is it? | How is this relevant to physiotherapy? |
|---|---|---|
| Cultural sensitivity | The sensitivity to individual and/or cultural differences and diversity. | Physiotherapists engage with individuals from diverse backgrounds in a variety of settings and this requires skills and competencies in cultural capability (e.g. management of individuals of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background; care of patients following trauma; LGBTIQ). |
| Engages effectively | Effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication, in English, is an essential requirement to provide safe delivery of care. | Physiotherapy requires effective communication with individuals for effective and safe practice. This includes establishing trust and rapport through verbal, non-verbal communication; engaging health professionals and carers to deliver coordinated clinical management. |
| Reflective practice | The ability of an individual to engage in reflective practice that prompts an individual to review and adapt action according to feedback. | Students participate in reflective practice in order act on constructive feedback and build their professional skills (e.g. reflective practice journals for self- reflection; clinical placements). |
Some tasks in Physiotherapy require strength and mobility, including: gross motor skills and fine motor skills.
Will reasonable adjustments be considered?
Yes. Please contact AccessAbility Services to consider reasonable adjustments suitable for your situation.
| Strength and mobility | What is it? | How is this relevant to physiotherapy? |
|---|---|---|
| Gross motor skills | The use of large muscle groups that coordinate body movements and provide strength for activities such as lifting, pushing, pulling, walking and maintaining balance. | Physiotherapy is a profession that involves physical demands and requires gross motor function to assess and treat patients and clients in a variety of health settings. Students are assessed with respect to physical competency skills that are within the scope of physiotherapy practice (e.g. mobilising and transferring individuals; cardiopulmonary physiotherapy). Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to self and others. |
| Fine motor skills | The ability to undertake precise coordinated movements of the hands for activities such as writing and manipulating small objects. | Physiotherapy is a profession that requires manual dexterity and fine motor skills to perform the required level of care and to function within the scope of practice (e.g. joint mobilisation; suctioning; massage). Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to self and others. |
Physiotherapy practice requires ethical and professional conduct.
Will reasonable adjustments be considered?
Yes. Please contact AccessAbility Services to consider reasonable adjustments suitable for your situation.
| Behaviours | What is it? | How is this relevant to physiotherapy? |
|---|---|---|
| Ethical behaviour | Ability to comply with and be governed by quality and professional standards. Acting in ways consistent with the recognised Swinburne University of Technology Student Charter; Physiotherapy Profession Code of Conduct; values of society and avoiding activities that do harm. | Swinburne University of Technology require all students to understand and comply with the Student Charter that outlines appropriate student behaviours. Physiotherapy is a profession that is governed by a professional code of conduct, registration standards (Physiotherapy Board Aphra), guidelines and policies, in which physiotherapists are both accountable and responsible for ensuring safe and professional behaviour in all contexts (e.g. observing patient confidentiality; obtaining informed consent and the ability to reflect on ethical dilemmas ethically and with responsibility). This supports the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of the Swinburne community and the physiotherapy profession. |
| Mental wellness and behavioural stability | A state of well-being in which an individual can cope with the normal stresses of life and can work productively, maintaining consistent behaviour that is ethical e and appropriate. | Physiotherapy practice requires behavioural stability to work individually and in teams in diverse and changing environments. Physiotherapy students will be exposed to diverse situations that are sometimes challenging and unpredictable requiring adaptability, stability, maturity and agility for safe and effective functioning within healthcare environments (e.g. reflecting on practice and responding appropriately to constructive feedback during assessment, training and clinical practice; coping with peers, carers patents/clients). |
Physiotherapy and practice requires both physical and cognitive performance at a consistent and sustained level.
| Sustainable performance | What is it? | How is this relevant to physiotherapy? |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive skills and consistency | The capacity and discipline to maintain a high level of cognitive and physical skills consistently performance over time. | Physiotherapy practice requires critical cognitive reasoning and problem solving skills; and performance of physical intervention tasks (e.g. clinical reasoning to develop management plans; manual therapy). |
| Adaptability and time management | The ability to perform with focus and rigour in line in a timely manner that is responsive to the demands of the healthcare setting and patients/ clients. | Physiotherapy practice requires time management and prioritisation skills when navigating clinical management in a variety of health settings (e.g. critical illness; chronic conditions). |
Physiotherapy practice is mandated by legislation (Ahpra Health Practitioner Regulation National Law) to enable the safe delivery of care.
| Legal | What is it? | How is this relevant to physiotherapy? |
|---|---|---|
| Professional registration requirements | Physiotherapy practice is mandated by legislation to enable the safe delivery of care. | Within physiotherapy all students are required to demonstrate knowledge and compliance with Australian Law and professional regulations (e.g. student registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)). |
Admission requirements
Meeting the minimum entry requirements for the course does not guarantee an offer of a place. See admission requirements for general information about the admission process.
Admission criteria
Information about Swinburne's general admission criteria can be found at Admissions at Swinburne - Higher Education webpage.
Interested in the Master of Exercise and Sports Physiotherapy?
From state-of-the-art facilities to opportunities to engage with industry – this course is designed with your future in mind. Let's get started.