Admission and Unit Information - Bachelor of Health Science (Sport and Exercise Science)

This unit is designed to provide fundamental basic science and sport and exercise science content, with the intent to prepare the students for the more advanced scientific applications to the study and research of the sport and exercise sciences. Students will be exposed to computer software applications to aid data processing used in the sport and exercise sciences, with special applications to fields such as biomechanics, exercise physiology, motor learning, skill acquisition and sport psychology. In addition, students will be exposed at the introductory level to principles of cycle ergometry, treadmill exercise, and resistance training.

This is the first of two units covering systematic anatomy and physiology at an introductory level. This unit is designed to provide students especially those in applied health science programs with an overview of body systems and their functions to ensure a suitable basis for their future studies. The unit studies the basic concepts of biochemistry and histology, general anatomy and physiology of the major body systems such as central and peripheral nervous systems, integumentary system, musculoskeletal system (bones, muscles and joints), special senses and endocrine system. Emphasis will be placed on the interconnection and relationship between structure and function at every level of organisation.

This unit introduces skills for understanding and engaging effectively with the culturally and socially diverse world in which we live and work. Indigenous Australia is a major theme and students will gain an appreciation of the achievements and needs of Indigenous Australians. The unit examines cultural awareness more broadly and puts these issues in the context of health professionals working in multi-cultural settings and handling culturally different health philosophies and practices. Cultural diversity is increasingly recognised as a major issue in the delivery of health care and a major determinant of Indigenous health.

This unit introduces skills for studying and working in health science. Students will gain an understanding of the interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary nature of health science practice in the 21st century, and how this interacts with the specialty health professions, client and community expectations of health care and employment opportunities in health science. Students will learn foundation competencies that will underpin their academic development and their safe, responsible and ethical practice in health science service environments.

This unit covers in depth the functional anatomy of the musculoskeletal system. Special attention is given to the relationship between form and function, the terminology used to describe human movement and thorough knowledge of the bony landmarks, joints, muscle attachments, innervation, blood supply along with detailed actions of specific muscles and muscle groups. Emphasis is on a practical functional context with the relevance to clinical applications such as surface and imaging anatomy, and the anatomical basis of common injuries. Learning experience intends to stimulate proactive deep approach in learning anatomy motivated by the outcomes driven from specialist work within the Health professions.

This is the second of two units covering systematic anatomy and physiology at an introductory level. This unit is designed to provide students especially those in applied health science programs with an overview of body systems and their functions to ensure a suitable basis for their future studies. The unit studies the general anatomy and physiology of the major body systems such as cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, reproductive and lymphatic system/immunity, body fluids & acid-base balance and metabolism. Emphasis will be placed on the interconnection and relationship between structure and function at every level of organisation.

This unit will consider the reasons and roles of evidence-based practice and research, and introduce students to their language and core concepts. Skills will be developed for asking clinical or professional healthcare questions and to translate these into search strategies for finding evidence. To make sense of that evidence, students will be introduced to quantitative and qualitative research methods, types of data, how data is described and how biostatistics is used to provide meaning to research data.

This unit provides an introduction to the psychology of health and behaviour as relevant to the health sciences. Students will be introduced to the principles and applications of psychology and health behaviour using a developmental framework. This will be followed by an examination of the psychological aspects of injury and illness and an introduction to psychological interventions for health concerns. Emphasis is upon to understanding health status and behaviour in light of relevant theory and research.

The study of biomechanics, the science that examines the forces acting upon a structure and the effects of these forces, is essential for understanding how the human body moves during daily activities, exercise and sport. It is also important when considering where problems may arise with human movement, such as with disease processes, over exercising and injury and postural pathology. This unit is designed to introduce the student to biomechanics by studying: the mechanical principles of human movement: balance and equilibrium: mechanical factors involved in tissue type and motion; and the analysis of human movement.

Sport and Exercise Physiology introduces students to the essential physiological knowledge required to understand how human beings move and exercise. Students will explore how the nervous system controls muscle force and movement during exercise, how the cardiovascular and respiratory systems adjust to exercise and support the increased muscular work, and how body temperature is regulated during exercise. Students will need to apply this knowledge in an attempt to understand signs and symptoms of heat stress during exercise. Students will also learn how to record analyse and interpret physiological data recorded during exercise, and to collate and organise this information in a clear and useful manner.

Sport and Exercise Psychology is a topic of particular relevance to those working in the sport, health and fitness, and performance industry. The field of Sport and Exercise Psychology is primarily concerned with the study of the psychological factors which impact on the adoption of physical activity, the maintenance of physical activity, and the quality of sporting performance. This unit examines pertinent theory, research, and application in the field of Sport and Exercise Psychology.

This unit provides students with an understanding of the interdependent areas of nutrition, body composition and body weight control within the context of sport, physical activity, and exercise. Nutritional needs and recommendations for all levels and types of physical activity are covered along with the links between nutrition and health, body composition, control of body weight and composition. Students will develop skills in nutritional analysis, body composition assessment and the development of exercise programmes for weight control. Students will use these skills and knowledge in the individualisation of advice on exercise nutrition and body composition control.

The exercise prescription area is designed to give students an understanding of and experience in exercise prescription and fitness program construction for the general population of all ages and both genders, including pre exercise screening and fitness testing. It will focus on the development of general health related fitness programs which improve aerobic and anaerobic fitness, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance, including resistance training. Students will design, implement and evaluate a self-prescribed exercise program.

Experience in the field of study is an essential ingredient in marketing an individual for employment and often for professional memberships. Professional Practice provides students with an opportunity to observe and assist Sport & Exercise Science practitioners in action and to learn in a practical hands on setting. Students will have the opportunity to see how knowledge and skills acquired in lectures and tutorials/laboratories can be applied and also relate theoretical concepts and skills to situations in exercise-related settings. This unit is the first of two units which require a work placement which is usually off campus.

This unit investigates exercise metabolism in an integrated fashion. Covering: energy pathways; metabolic control; metabolism, oxygen consumption and respiratory quotient relationships; metabolic responses to acute and chronic exercise; pathway contributions to exercise; metabolic limitations to exercise; metabolic contributions to fatigue; metabolic acidosis, cellular and systemic implications of metabolic thresholds, conditions that can alter cellular metabolism (eg. altitude, heat stress, anaemia, ischemia, ergogenic aids). Skeletal muscle metabolism is the primary focus, liver and adipose tissue metabolism are also considered as are anabolic pathways. Students will be exposed to basic biochemical assays of interest to the exercise physiologist.

Motor Control and Skill Acquisition is an investigation of the physiological and psychological processes involved in both the control and the learning of movement. As such, it considers the control mechanisms which are innate to the learner, how these mechanisms change by virtue of both maturation and experience, and how the latter type of changes may be facilitated by manipulation of the learning environment.

This unit focuses on the role of exercise in the functional rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries including work and sporting injuries. It covers injury and re-injury prevention strategies; mechanisms of injury; patho-physiology of injury and repair process; design and evaluation of rehabilitation exercise programs; how the exercise program functions in concert with other methods of injury treatment and management; important pharmacological, communication, psychosocial and cultural considerations; the role of the exercise physiologist in the rehabilitation team; the effects of nervous system disorders and injury on skeletal muscle control, injury and rehabilitation are also considered.

Clinical Exercise Physiology 1 is primarily concerned with teaching students how to design and implement exercise assessments and exercise prescriptions for clinical populations (high-risk). Emphasis is placed on cardiovascular, metabolic, pulmonary and immunological diseases. Unit content relates to how exercise can be applied to prevent, manage and/or treat chronic diseases, informed by an understanding of the pathophysiology and its impact on health status. Students will be involved in designing exercise programs using an evidence-based approach, which will enable a client to achieve optimum results whilst maintaining a high regard for safety, adherence and motivation. Students will be involved in practical sessions aimed at developing the skills necessary for exercise screening, testing and prescription in clinical populations.

This unit presents the knowledge and laboratory skills essential to understanding the physiological demands on the sports participant, as well as to develop, implement and evaluate sports-specific training programs. Students will develop the knowledge and skills necessary to perform and interpret results for a number of standard laboratory and field-based physiological tests used in talent identification and the assessment of high performance athletes. Prescription focuses on the development and implementation of sport specific fitness programs. Also covered are the physiology of ergogenic aids, overtraining, muscle fatigue and soreness; physiological factors limiting performance; and physiological responses to exercise in challenging environments.

This unit further explores research methods used to acquire knowledge in healthcare. This includes research designs, international standards, key statistics, and interpretation of results. The range of health research methods will be presented, and studies about treatment effectiveness (clinical trials and systematic reviews), diagnostic effectiveness and qualitative approaches will be explored in detail. The pathways and resources for conducting beginner research will also be introduced in this unit.

To fully understand the science underlying the optimisation of human movement, students require a comprehensive working knowledge of Biomechanics. This unit represents a theoretical and applied study of selected topics in Biomechanics. It builds on the basic principles of Biomechanics that are presented in the unit Introduction to Biomechanics and applies this knowledge to the analysis of sporting and human exercise performance. To achieve this, advanced methods and concepts in the biomechanical analysis of human performance are identified and explored.

This unit is aimed to introduce the student to the management issues in establishing and working in a clinical practice. While the unit will cover issues related to health professionals and public sector management, the focus of the unit will be on issues in private practice. The aim of the unit is to introduce the student to a wide range of topics, including an over view of health care funding in Australia, private and public health system, developing a business plan, different business structures, financial management, managing staff and occupational health and safety issues.

The unit Work Experience in Sport and Exercise Science focuses on observation and participation in Sport and Exercise Science activities in the industry setting. Students will develop professionally in Sport and Exercise Science by applying their knowledge and skills developed during previous Sport and Exercise Science course work and practical experiences through supervised practice placements. During these placements students are expected to develop and demonstrate an ability to design, implement and evaluate testing and training programs for a variety of clients in sports, community and clinical settings.

Resistance Training and Physiology presents the growing body of research evidence supporting specific methods of resistance exercise and training, as well as the role of resistance exercise in disease prevention and health promotion. Students gain an increased understanding of the energetics and physiology of resistance exercise by also completing laboratories focussed on the research of important applied concepts in resistance exercise and training. Students also experience resistance training.