Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology
2027 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2027 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology |
| Deakin course code | H743 |
| Course credit points | 12 |
| Course version | 1 |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health |
| Course information | For students who commenced from 2011 onwards |
| Campus | Offered at Burwood (Melbourne) |
| Online | No |
| Duration | 1.5 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
| Course map - enrolment planning tool | These course maps are for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2027: Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central. |
| CRICOS code | 072823J Burwood (Melbourne) |
| Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition | The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9 |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Indicative student workload
- Professional recognition
- Career opportunities
- Participation requirements
- Mandatory student checks
- Pathways
- Course learning outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Work experience
- Third party arrangements
- Research and research-related study
- Fees and charges
Course overview
Study with the world's #1 sport science school and prepare for a career supporting people with chronic conditions through evidence-based exercise. Deakin's Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology is recognised for teaching excellence, graduate employability and hands-on clinical learning. From your first trimester, you will gain experience working with real clients in a community-facing clinical environment, building practical skills under professional supervision. Across the course, you will complete 300+ hours of clinical placement in diverse health settings.
This ESSA-approved pathway supports your progression towards becoming an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. Grounded in science and research, you will develop the clinical reasoning skills to assess, prescribe and evaluate exercise interventions for a wide range of conditions, injuries and disabilities.
Indicative student workload
As a student in the Faculty of Health you can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include lectures, seminars, practicals, placements and online interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time. Teaching, placements and assessment tasks may take place outside of Deakin University teaching periods.
Professional recognition
Deakin’s Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology is the first exercise physiology course in Victoria to be accredited by Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA). Students can apply to become an Accredited Exercise Physiologist upon completion of the course, and are then eligible for provider numbers with Medicare Australia, WorkSafe Victoria, DVA, TAC and other compensable funds and schemes.
Note: This course is accredited at the date of publishing. Eligibility for students seeking accreditation is subject to meeting the requirements of ESSA. Deakin University makes no representation that students will meet those requirements.
ESSA has implemented a new English language requirement if you’re seeking initial accreditation to show English language competence. Find out if you need to take an English language test. If you have any questions about this new requirement, please contact ESSA on 07 3171 3335 or info@essa.org.au.
Career opportunities
Individuals with chronic conditions can now have treatments from an Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) covered by Medicare and many private health insurers. This has increased the career opportunities for those with an AEP-recognised qualification, and puts graduates of this course in a strong position for career progression.
Your practical experience, technical knowledge and problem-solving skills will allow you to thrive in a variety of settings including:
- hospital and clinic rehabilitation
- occupational, community and sports rehabilitation
- private practice
- case management through compensable schemes such as Medicare, Worksafe and the TAC.
When you are on clinical placement, it’s always a good idea to put your best foot forward. Some of these placements lead directly to future employment.
Explore more careers information for this course
Participation requirements
The course involves compulsory clinical placements of 360 clinical hours across the course. These hours are completed in 3 blocks, one internal practicum experience and two external practicum experiences. These practicums may require travel to regional or rural areas. Placement can occur at any time, including during standard holiday breaks. Learn about key dates at Deakin.
Students are required to complete units in Trimester 3.
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
Working with Children Check
Applicants will be required to hold a valid Working with Children Check (WWCC) for the relevant state prior to undertaking placements as part of this course. Further information and guidance will be provided to students when they enrol into their placement units. Learn more about the Working with Children Check.
Police record check
Applicants will be required to hold a valid National Police Record Check for placements as part of this course. Further information and guidance will be provided to students when they enrol into their placement units.
Pathways
This course can be a pathway to the Graduate Certificate of Health Research Practice (H541)
Course learning outcomes
| Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|
| Apply knowledge of clinical exercise physiology to provide appropriate exercise prescription. |
| Communicate clinical exercise physiology theory and practice effectively to a range of audiences. |
| Utilise various forms of information and apply them to authentic problems in clinical exercise physiology. |
| Utilise research to inform appropriate clinical exercise physiology decision making. |
| Apply evidence based practice clinical exercise physiology solutions to chronic and complex clinical conditions. |
| Reflect on practice and become an adaptable and responsible clinical exercise physiology practitioner. |
| Work effectively within clinical exercise physiology and interdisciplinary teams. |
| Be professional and ethical in clinical exercise physiology practice. |
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 Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology you must pass 12 credit points. This includes:
- DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first study period
- HSE070 Exercise and Sport Laboratory Safety (0-credit-point compulsory unit)
- 12 credit points of core units
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 are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.
Course structure
Core units
Teaching, placements and assessment tasks may take place outside of Deakin University teaching periods.
Year 1 - Trimester 1
| DAI001 | Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0 credit points) |
| HSE070 | Exercise and Sport Laboratory Safety (0 credit points) |
| HSE703 | Mental Health and Exercise Behaviour |
| HSE705 | Exercise Physiology for Cardiopulmonary Disease |
| HSE707 | Exercise Physiology for Musculoskeletal Injury and Disease |
| HSE711 | Pre Clinical Practice 1 |
Year 1 - Trimester 2
| HSE702 | Exercise Physiology for Neurological and Neuromuscular Disease |
| HSE704 | Exercise Physiology for Metabolic Disease |
| HSE712 | Pre Clinical Practice 2 |
| HSE714 | Clinical Practicum 1 |
Year 1 - Trimester 3
| HSE715 | Clinical Practicum 2 |
Year 2 - Trimester 1
| HSE709 | Exercise Physiology Across the Lifespan |
| HSE717 | Clinical Practicum 3 |
| HSE706 | Research in Clinical Exercise Physiology |
Work experience
Work-Integrated Learning
This course provides you with the required knowledge and necessary skills, developed through theoretical and pre-clinical units to enable you to take full advantage of the three clinical placements on offer. The clinical placement program consists of a fully integrated internal and external placement system. The internal placements occur in the award winning Deakin Clinical Exercise Learning Centre (CELC) and Baker IDI Clinical Exercise Service, with supervision provided by expert AEPs. The external placements are in a wide variety of settings aligned to the scope of practice for clinical exercise physiologists and sometimes lead directly to future employment. All placements are organised by MCEP staff who will provide you with professional industry links, reinforce your understanding of the role of an AEP and give you extensive opportunities to gain practical knowledge, skills and competencies that will enable you to practise confidently in this field.
Additional costs incurred for clinical placement may include:
- Police check, up to $46, however a lesser rate is available when signed by the University Placement Officer
- Vaccinations: Students are expected to show evidence of vaccinations as per external placement requirements. Costs incurred will depend on the student’s vaccination status.
- Current First Aid and CPR certificate
- Deakin Clinical Exercise Polo shirt, approximately $25
In addition, students may be required to complete a placement in a setting away from their current residence, i.e. a regional or rural placement. Any costs associated with this placement will be at the expense to the student. Further information for student financial support can be found at General Student Loans.
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.
Third party arrangements
Cross Faculty placement sites are organised at the Faculty level. School specific agreements are signed by the Head of School-Exercise and Nutrition Science and Dean for Faculty wide agreements.
This involves 30+ Clinical Partners. Partners provide a pivotal role in 360 clinical practicum hours required for accreditation of course and graduates. Clinical Supervisors offered Deakin sponsored clinical supervision training biannually and professional development annually, MCEP course accredited with Exercise and Sport Science Australia which includes audit of clinical practicum.
Nature of third party arrangements
Clinical partners complement our internally supervised practicum placements where all supervisors are Accredited Exercise Physiologists or equivalent. Supervisors mentor and assess competency in MCEP students. Supervisors provided with supervisor manual containing all requirements and receive site visits from practicum coordinator and teleconference contact annually.
Quality assurance arrangements
All MCEP students undertake one out of three practicum unit placements at Deakin and each practicum unit has assessment requirements independent of nature of external placement. External supervisor assesses competency but overall assessment provided via practicum unit chair. Assessment follows best practices guidelines with respect to learning design, marking rubric, second assessors etc.
Research and research-related study
1 credit point equivalent, HSE706 Research in Clinical Exercise Physiology
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.
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.