Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology

The Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology at Southern Cross University is a four-year professional degree that trains you to use exercise as medicine. You study how the body responds to physical activity, how disease and injury change that response, and how to build exercise programmes that treat or manage chronic conditions. This is the clinical end of exercise science: you are learning to work with patients, not just athletes.

The degree runs on the standard Australian bachelor structure, usually over two semesters a year across four years. You accumulate units of study and credit points each session, building from foundational subjects in anatomy, physiology and biomechanics into clinical subjects such as exercise prescription for chronic disease, musculoskeletal rehabilitation and cardiopulmonary testing. The later years include supervised clinical practicum hours, because exercise physiology is a hands-on health profession. You practise taking patient histories, running fitness and functional assessments, and writing and adjusting exercise programmes under supervision. The final year typically includes a capstone or professional placement component where you work in a clinical setting, such as a hospital, private practice, or community health service, before you graduate.

Graduates apply for accreditation with Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) and registration as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. That registration is what lets you provide services under Medicare, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, workers compensation and private health insurance in Australia. The course is listed on CRICOS as 112797D, which is the code international students use to check the course is registered for overseas students.

This degree suits people who want a health career that is active and practical, who like working with people one-on-one, and who are comfortable with science subjects. It is a good fit if you are interested in chronic disease management, rehabilitation or preventive health, and you want to work in hospitals, private clinics or community settings rather than a lab. International applicants need to meet English requirements, commonly IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall for undergraduate study, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the university's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa. While studying, a student visa generally allows work of up to 48 hours per fortnight, and graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Confirm all entry requirements and course details on the official Southern Cross University page and the CRICOS register.

• Accredited Exercise Physiologist in private practice, hospitals and community health services
• Chronic disease management roles in diabetes, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation
• Musculoskeletal rehabilitation and injury management in clinics and occupational health
• Workers compensation and return-to-work programmes with insurers and employers
• National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) service providers
• Exercise prescription for older adults, falls prevention and aged care
• Health promotion and preventive health roles in government and non-government organisations
• Further study in clinical exercise physiology, research or allied health