Want to create safe, inclusive and engaging learning environments? Study Deakin's Bachelor of Health and Physical Education to develop the critical skills, specialised knowledge and practical classroom experience you’ll need as a secondary health and physical education teacher.
Access industry-standard equipment and state-of-the-art facilities, including our Elite Sports Precinct at the world’s #1 sport science school. Explore the art of movement, learn specialist teaching methods and delve into applied sports science, biomechanics, and motor learning and development at Australia’s #3 university for education and educational research.
We are also the only university in Australia to embed the Berry Street Education Model with trauma informed strategies into all initial teaching education courses preparing you for the modern classroom. With minimum 80 days of professional placements built in, you’ll graduate classroom confident.
Professional recognition
This course is accredited by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) as a nationally accredited course and students are eligible to apply for registration with VIT upon graduation. If you intend to apply for registration in Victoria or interstate you may be required to provide further information.
Applicants are advised to check the registration requirements in their state or territory, carefully.
Career opportunities
Employment in education and training is projected to grow by 12.4% or 150,100 new jobs by 2034 according to Australia Government employment projections.^ Graduate ready to take your career into teaching within the private, independent or public education sectors or advisory roles. You can even work closely with sporting organisations in advisory roles.
As well as working as an educator, you may find yourself working in fields including:
^2024 Jobs and Skills Australia, Employment Projections May 2024 to May 2034.
Participation requirements
Placement can occur at any time, including during standard holiday breaks. Learn about key dates at Deakin.
This course includes 80-days of supervised professional experience and requires students to successfully complete the Deakin Teaching Performance Assessment (DTPA) in their final year. If a student does not pass the DTPA, they must seek guidance from the Course Director.
Graduation from the course confirms that students have met the Graduate Teacher Standards and achieved all Core Content learning outcomes outlined in Schedule 2.
Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.
Mandatory student checks
Teacher Education Graduation requirements
Students undertaking an initial teacher education course must pass an approved literacy and numeracy test in order to be eligible to graduate and apply for teacher registration. Learn more about the literacy and numeracy test.
Working with Children Check
Students will be required to hold a valid Working with Children (WWC) Check prior to undertaking professional placements as part of this course. Learn more about Working with Children Checks.
Interstate applicants must check the requirements and meet all conditions for undertaking professional experience in schools for their state or territory before undertaking professional experience placements as part of this course.
Immunisation and/or vaccination requirements will be communicated by the Professional Experience Office in line with the Department of Education and Training's directions at the time of placement.
Applicants will be required to hold a valid National Police Record Check for professional placements as part of this course. Learn more about the National Police Record Check.
Course learning outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
Apply coherent discipline-specific theoretical knowledge and capabilities in health, physical education and one other teaching area to contemporary curriculum design, pedagogy and assessment for teaching and learning in ways that align with the Australian Professional Standards for Graduate Teachers.
Use a range of communication skills and technologies to plan an teach for learning (including knowledge and skills) in the classroom and the broader school community.
Employ a range of technologies to collect, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information for the purposes of teaching and learning in a rapidly-changing global environment.
Use critical and analytical skills to determine solutions to unpredictable and sometimes complex problems in teaching, learning and assessment practices and to adapt these solutions to diverse contexts.
Demonstrate the capacity to know students and how they learn (including identifying their prior knowledge, learning strengths and weaknesses) to develop a creative solution to teaching and learning using a range of effective strategies.
Engage in reflective practice to plan an deliver coherent teaching and learning experiences for students in Health, Physical Education and one other teaching area. Make well-developed responsible judgements in professional practice in Health and Physical Education teaching contexts.
Work and learn collaboratively with colleagues and other professionals and members of the wider community in ways that align with the codes of conduct and ethics of the profession.
Apply culturally responsive, critically reflective and embodied self-knowledge of decolonial praxis in the design, delivery and evaluation of teaching and learning that honours and respects the educational expectations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and diverse learners, families and communities.
Approved at Faculty Board 2025
Note – From 2026, Deakin commenced introducing Graduate Attributes (GAs), which define the distinctive characteristics of a Deakin graduate. You may notice some courses still refer to Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) during this transition period.
Course rules
To complete the Bachelor of Health and Physical Education you must pass 32 credit points. This includes:
DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first study period
ETI010 Trauma Informed Practice (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first year of study
ELN010 Australian Literacy Test (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first year of study
ELN011 Australian Numeracy Test (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first year of study
HSE010 Exercise and Sport Laboratory Safety (0-credit-point compulsory unit which must be completed before classes commence)
26 credit points of core units
4 credit points of discipline study units in a third teaching method area
2 credit points of curriculum study units in the third teaching method area
a maximum of 10 credit points at level 1
a minimum of 10 credit points at level 3 or above
Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.
Students will satisfactorily complete 80-days of professional experience placement in secondary education settings, as outlined below:
Year 1: 5-days in secondary school settings
Year 2: 20-days in secondary school settings
Year 3: 15-days in secondary school settings
Year 4: 2 x 20-days (40-days in total) in secondary school settings
The School of Education Professional Experience Office makes all arrangements for preservice teacher placements. The number of professional experience days align with requirements of external regulatory authorities (Victorian Institute of Teaching VIT).
Course duration
You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.
International student requirements
International students are required to study full-time to complete their course within the duration registered on CRICOS.
Fees and charges
Tuition fees will vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, your study load and/or unit discipline.
Your tuition fees will increase annually at the start of each calendar year. All fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD) and do not include additional costs such as textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment, mandatory checks, travel, consumables and other costs.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.
Commonwealth Prac Payment - Domestic students only
If you're eligible, the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) can help with the costs of completing a mandatory placement as part of your course. To find out if you're eligible and learn how to apply, visit Deakin’s Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) website.
Further information
Contact Student Central for assistance in course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements. Student Central can also provide information for a wide range of services at Deakin. To help you understand the University vocabulary, please refer to our Enrolment codes and terminology page.
