Bachelor
Push the boundaries of traditional practice with an extensive education in exercise science, physiotherapy and exercise physiology. This unique degree combination will prepare you to provide more comprehensive care for patients across three areas of practice.
Push the boundaries of traditional practice with an extensive education in exercise science, physiotherapy and exercise physiology. This unique degree combination will prepare you to provide more comprehensive care for patients across three areas of practice. Prepare yourself for an exciting career in clinical settings such as hospitals or private practices, as well as non-clinical roles such as working with sporting teams or leading advocacy in healthcare management and policy.
Exercise scientists are specialists in the human body both at rest and in response to exercise. Exercise scientists gain knowledge in a broad array of subdisciplines such as biomechanics, motor control and exercise prescription - they use this knowledge to better prescribe exercise for the maintenance of health and improvement of performance.
Physiotherapists are experts in the structure and movement of the human body. Physiotherapists use hands-on physical therapy, tailored exercises, rehabilitation technologies and lifestyle modifications to help people affected by injuries, musculoskeletal conditions, and neurological and cardiovascular disorders. Along with improving mobility and function, physiotherapists provide health education to prevent further injury or illness.
Exercise physiologists use physical activity as a rehabilitative and preventative therapy. Exercise prescriptions are used to manage a wide range of conditions including cancers, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, metabolic, renal, respiratory, neurologic and mental health conditions.
In just five years, you'll gain both a bachelor's and a master's degree, which will accelerate your career in health. When studied separately, this set of qualifications would normally take a minimum of six to seven years to complete. This degree has an embedded professional practice stream, where you'll learn alongside students from our dietetics and food innovation, clinical exercise physiology and pharmacy programs. You'll develop key interprofessional skills such as effective communication, cultural safety and competence, leadership, advocacy, entrepreneurship and business management. The stream provides an opportunity to start building connections with your future health colleagues and mirrors real-world practice, where professionals work in integrated healthcare teams. You'll gain an understanding of how different teams work together to improve patient outcomes, such as how and when to refer a client to another health professional.
This degree will prepare you to work as an exercise scientist, physiotherapist, exercise physiologist, workplace rehabilitation consultant, wellness coordinator or clinical research assistant.
If you're passionate about helping people improve their quality of life, this degree will set you on the path to a fulfilling career.
This five-year program provides unmatched hands-on learning opportunities with scope to learn, explore and develop as a healthcare professional. Your hands-on training starts in year one, giving you time to build confidence in your ability to practice by applying what you learn to real-world scenarios. When you graduate, you'll be highly skilled, adaptable and well-prepared for a wide spectrum of healthcare settings.
This structure allows for a broad range of clinical placements including musculoskeletal (e.g., sports injuries), hospital-based (e.g., cardiorespiratory and intensive care), rehabilitation (e.g., neurological and orthopaedic) and more specialised categories (e.g., paediatrics, women's health, men's health). This breadth of practical training across a range of clinical environments will ensure you become a well-rounded, competent practitioner. This broad experience also gives you the opportunity to try out different areas to discover what you're interested in and what career path you'd like to pursue.
Best practice healthcare requires a high degree of collaboration among professionals from different disciplines. This degree has an embedded professional practice stream, where you'll learn alongside students from our dietetics and food innovation, clinical exercise physiology and pharmacy programs. Our professional practice stream includes seven courses, which will teach you critical interprofessional skills in:
We have connections with some of Australia's best hospitals, private practices and health organisations. You'll have contact with industry professionals throughout your degree, giving you the opportunity to grow your professional network while you study and gain a head start in your career.
Our staff have extensive industry experience with many still actively working in the sector. This means our teaching is informed by the latest industry trends and developments. You'll also benefit from UNSW's numerous sporting partnerships with high profile clubs including the Sydney Swans, NSW Waratahs and Sydney FC.
As one of the world's top medical schools*, we're creating the health leaders of tomorrow. Our diverse community of students, educators, clinicians and researchers are working together to tackle the world's most pressing health challenges.
Our internationally recognised research centres and institutes are translating ground-breaking research into cures, treatment strategies and therapies. This degree offers research opportunities to develop your investigative skills and provide a pathway if you want to pursue a career in research. You'll gain a strong understanding of research methods and the application of research to practice. You'll learn how to apply the principles of evidence-based practice and value-based care to inform your clinical decisions.
*Ranked 54th globally according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024
The combination of three complementary disciplines enhances and diversifies your career prospects. You'll be able to care for healthy as well as chronic disease populations across three areas of practice.
For the client, this leads to improved continuity of care. As the practitioner, you'll benefit from being able to provide multiple services, generate an extended income stream and have more time to build rapport with your clients. For example, a client may present to a physiotherapist with an injury that requires diagnosis and treatment. Following this initial treatment, the client may then work with an exercise physiologist to continue their ongoing rehabilitation. Exercise physiologists develop exercise prescriptions that may then be delivered by an exercise scientist. This example demonstrates how your breadth of skills will enable you to care for clients across all phases of the injury cycle, rather than referring to another practitioner.
This unique degree provides you with the breadth of knowledge, skills and experience that employers are looking for.
Significant industry consultation was undertaken to ensure our programs align with industry needs, both in contemporary and future practice. This degree has a strong focus on evidence-based and reflective practice, interprofessional education and healthcare ethics. It also supports the development of high-level clinical reasoning and professional communication skills.
The professional practice stream supports the development of management and entrepreneurial skills, which provides a pathway to leadership positions in health. These skills build resilience and provide you with career security as you'll be able to draw upon your interdisciplinary skills to adapt to changes in the industry.
We're building a community of effective and empathetic healthcare practitioners. Our professional practice stream provides training in mental health, cultural safety and advocacy to ensure you can provide all people with the care they need.
UNSW Medicine & Health offers a diverse range of facilities across our Kensington campus, rural and metropolitan teaching hospitals and our world-class research centres and institutes. You'll be learning in our exercise physiology laboratories and purpose-built research spaces. Once complete, our transformed Village Green, opens in a new window
The UNSW Health Translation Hub, opens in a new window
Our UNSW Lifestyle Clinic, opens in a new window brings together some of Australia's most innovative teams of healthcare professionals and researchers. The Clinic provides a practical learning environment where you can gain hands-on training, complete clinical placements and engage with the community.
Chemistry, Mathematics Advanced
As an accredited program, there are certain professional requirements that students are expected to meet. The following document outlines some of the professional expectations to help prospective students make informed choices about future study and professional requirements. UNSW welcomes and encourages applications from students with disabilities and from diverse backgrounds. A range of support measures are available through our Equitable Learning Services so that students are able to undertake their course requirements.
We offer a range of adjustment factor schemes that reward students for academic performance and extra-curricular achievements. These schemes also take into account a range of personal and educational disadvantages that may have affected your studies.
Elite Athletes, Performers and Leaders (EAPL)
This program recognises achievements in the areas of sport, academia, leadership and music at an elite level. You may be eligible for up to five points.
Educational Access Scheme (EAS)
Factors such as illness, financial hardship, language difficulties or attending a particular school can mean you don't always get the best possible marks in Years 11 and 12. If one of these situations applies to you, submit an application for the Educational Access Scheme (EAS) via UAC. Eligible students can receive between 1 and 10 points towards their chosen UNSW degree.
Your ATAR is not the only measure of your potential to succeed, which is why we offer a range of pathways into university. Explore your options below and get in touch with our future student advisors to discuss your path to UNSW.
Gateway Admission Pathway
This scheme is open to students in Years 11 and 12 who attend Gateway schools. It significantly adjusts the ATAR requirements for your preferred UNSW degree and provides you with an early conditional offer to UNSW.
Entry programs for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
We offer entry programs for Indigenous Australians, including the Indigenous Preparatory Programs and the Indigenous Admission Scheme (IAS). The entry pathway program you apply for will depend on the degree you want to study.
You may be asked to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study at UNSW depending on your educational background and citizenship. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments and examinations - this is why UNSW requires a minimum English language competency for enrolment.
If you're completing an Australian Year 12 qualification (e.g. NSW HSC or equivalent), you do not need to provide anything extra to prove your proficiency. Your qualification will be used as evidence of your English proficiency.
If you do need to provide evidence of your English proficiency, this will be indicated in your application. You can prove this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:
If you need to improve your English skills before you start your degree, UNSW College's Academic English Programs are for you. The programs are suitable for various English levels and help you prepare for university studies and life in Australia.
| Qualifications | Direct entry requirement |
|---|---|
|
International ATAR
|
96.0
|
| UNSW Foundation Studies GPA |
9.0
|
|
Great Britain General Certificate of Education (GCE A levels)
|
17.0
All applicants must present a minimum of two Advanced Level (A2) subjects. Entry Scores are calculated from the best two, three, or four A2 Level subjects (excluding repeated subjects) using the following values: A*=6, A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2 and E=1. |
|
International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)
|
39.0
Results based on scores required for entry into UNSW in 2019 and are only applicable if the Diploma has been completed. Students currently attempting the IB can apply directly to UNSW or through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). For more details, visit www.uac.edu.au |
|
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) (after 2016)
|
1310
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) based on the total of evidence-based reading and writing and mathematical test scores. Must be provided in conjunction with evidence of successful completion of senior secondary studies. |
We do not accept secondary qualifications from this country. We may accept tertiary study results, please contact us for more information.
Please contact us for direct entry requirements.
If you do not meet the requirements for direct entry into your chosen degree, you may be eligible for a pathway program with UNSW College. UNSW College provides alternative entry options using university-approved content so that you can start your UNSW journey with confidence.
You may be asked to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study at UNSW depending on whether you are from an English-speaking background or non-English speaking background. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments and examinations - this is why UNSW requires a minimum English language competency for enrolment.
If English is not your first language, you'll need to provide proof of your English proficiency before you can be given an offer to study at UNSW. You can do this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:
If you need to improve your English skills before you start your degree, UNSW College's Academic English Programs are for you. The programs are suitable for various English levels and help you prepare for university studies and life in Australia.
Physiotherapists and exercise physiologists are in high demand in Australia and overseas and find employment in a variety of clinical and non-clinical settings. The Bachelor of Exercise Science/Master of Physiotherapy and Exercise Physiology opens up a wide range of career opportunities. This degree will prepare you to work as an accredited exercise scientist, exercise physiologist and physiotherapist, and pursue a diverse range of roles such as workplace rehabilitation consultant, wellness coordinator or clinical research assistant.
You'll have the skills to work with healthy and chronic disease populations across a range of settings, including:
The exercise physiology and physiotherapy professions are growing, with Medicare, Work Cover, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Department of Veteran Affairs and most private health insurers covering services.
This unique degree provides you with the breadth of knowledge, skills and experience that employers are looking for.
This program is accredited for 2 years with conditions by the Australian Physiotherapy Council (APC) and has qualifying accreditation from Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) at the level of Exercise Science and Exercise Physiology. The program will be submitted for consideration of full accreditation at the required stage.