Study Overseas

One of the phenomenal growth areas of course development in Australian universities over the past 20 years has been in the area now universally known as Human Movement. Many schools of Human Movement (or equivalent) in Higher Education began as Departments of Physical Education that had the singular function of professionally preparing teachers of Physical Education for Primary and Secondary teaching careers.

The past couple of decades have seen the increasing professionalisation of sport, recreation and leisure and the growth of the exercise and fitness industry, increasing the need to provide tertiary training to meet the demands of these emerging fields. Australia, probably because of its well-documented history of sporting involvement and physical activity orientation, has reacted quickly and thoroughly to this global trend, and now over half of the universities in this country offer Human Movement programs in one form or another. The academic discipline of Human Movement now encompasses the professional and allied fields of physical education, sport science, exercise science, sports coaching, sport and leisure management and health promotion. Despite the increasing degree of specialisation which has occurred within these professional applications, the field continues to be one which relies on a platform of knowledge, skills and values that are multidisciplinary in nature.

Recent times have seen the ever-increasing alignment of Human Movement with medical and paramedical courses to provide exercise rehabilitation, sports medicine and health science programs. Another recent development has seen the bringing together of 'complementary' academic areas to more fully address emerging professional opportunities, such as Human Movement and Management, and Human Movement and Information Technology.

Many tertiary institutions in Australia illustrate the growth and development of programs in Physical Education and Human Movement. For example, students can take a four-year Bachelor of Education in Physical Education, with concurrent studies in P.E., Education and a 'secondary teaching method' spread over the 4 years. Such courses remain popular in the preparation of 'post-primary' specialist teachers. The emerging situation for Australia for the Year 2000 and beyond is that there will be again a strong need for teachers of Physical Education, and the viability of such core programs is assured. It was particularly in the mid-eighties that Australia witnessed the growth of courses in the non-teaching areas of Sport Science and Human Movement. The three-year Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement) program was developed in response to the emerging career opportunities in Sports Management and Exercise and Sport Science. Since then such programs have developed, and most institutions offer five distinct streams to reflect the professional call for appropriately qualified personnel:

1. Exercise and Sport Science

This stream prepares students for employment in a range of areas such as sport sciences, work place health promotion, rehabilitation programming and exercise programming. Graduates find employment in health and fitness centres, Regional, State and National Sports Institutes, in rehabilitation and hydrotherapy centres and within the corporate health and fitness sector.

2. Sport and Leisure Management

Here, a wide variety of employment opportunities await graduates, particularly in sport, recreation and leisure management. Graduates also seek employment either in sports marketing or as regional, state or national sports development officers. Positions in sport and recreation management, sports marketing, sports development and facility management are now being offered throughout Australia to those with both experience and formal qualifications.

3. Sports Coaching

Students who complete this stream look forward to a variety of employment opportunities. These include coaching (particularly when aligned with the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme operating through the Australian Sports Commission), coaching development officer positions in state and national sporting associations and in combined teaching/coaching positions after obtaining a Graduate Diploma of Education.

4. Sport Psychology

This lays the foundation for a career in Psychology and/or Sport Psychology by providing the first three years of the process towards accreditation as a practising psychologist. Further study and practical experience is required beyond the three years of the Human Movement degree, but these three years combine well the Psychology and the Sport Science underpinnings for the rapidly emerging professional field of Sport Psychology. There is an increasing acknowledgement and acceptance of the 'mental' side to involvement and performance in all forms of physical activity.

5. Health Promotion

This stream equips students with the core competencies and skills needed to promote health in a range of settings, which include community fitness programs, community health centres, health advancement organisations, work place settings, health promotion foundations, health care centres and health promoting schools. Over the last four years, the advent of 'double degrees' has meant the stronger academic and professional preparation for undergraduates in perceived areas of national development. The offering of a combined Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement) degree with a Bachelor of Management degree is a strong and versatile qualification, and students who successfully complete the requirements for the combined degree are granted both degrees. There is demand in the area of sport and leisure management for graduates with a knowledge of both the sport and leisure industry, and training in management - specifically in areas such as organisation, administration, human resources management and marketing.

The completion of a combined degree develops graduates with a broader spectrum of expertise and skills than graduates of a single degree, and may be completed over four years (equivalent to four-and-a-half years of full-time study). For similar reasons, and in a similar way, this year has seen the offering for the first time of a combined Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement) degree with a Bachelor of Information Technology (Multimedia and Internet) program. It is perceived that there is an increased merging of these two fields, particularly in the elite sport arena, that will call for expertise in the very near future. Furthermore, there is the added benefit of allowing graduates the development of a broad spectrum of expertise and skills that provides the platform for a variety of future career options in two different fields. These programs illustrate what is happening throughout Australia.

There is no doubt that the impetus with which the Sydney 2000 Olympics has provided this country with has significant impact in the areas that such courses provide. However, the sport and leisure patterns of Australians - indeed, people around the globe - have been such that the infrastructure for professional development was in place well before that. Human Movement, Sport Science and Physical Education as professional endeavours are looking towards the next millennium in the structure of both undergraduate and graduate programs.

What is ESSA?

Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) is a professional organisation which is committed to establishing, promoting and defending the career paths of tertiary trained exercise and sports science practitioners. ESSA was officially founded in 1991 to meet the professional needs of exercise and sports scientists in Australia.

The objects of ESSA are to:

• further the professions of exercise and sports science;
• to develop and promote career opportunities for members;
• promote professional and honourable practice amongst exercise and sports scientists;
• promote uniformity in the principles, methods and practices of exercise and sports science;
• promote, progress and improve education and communication in the professions of exercise and sports science;
• sponsor seminars, workshops and educational activities to benefit the professions of exercise and sports science;
• co-operate with and make submissions to government, regulatory and funding agencies to further the professions of exercise and sports science;
• act as an advocate for increased exercise and sports science research funding;
• provide a forum for the exchange of information, ideas and strategies relevant to exercise and sports science;
• liaise with bodies interested in exercise and sports science both within and outside Australia;
• formulate, implement and manage procedures for the registration of personnel within the area of exercise and sports science;
• promote and advance scientific studies in exercise and sports science;
  develop position statements in exercise and sports science; and
• promote and advance the standard of tertiary educational offerings in exercise and sports science.

The ESSA Membership

ESSA accredited members work under a code of ethics in a diversity of settings such as fitness centres, hospitals, rehabilitation and aged care centres, workplaces, sports medicine centres, academies of sport, universities and health promotion agencies. They also work with individuals on a personalised basis through referral from medical and allied health practitioners, and through direct public contact.

Services provided by members include assessment and evaluation for health or performance, exercise counselling, general exercise management and prescription, movement rehabilitation, analysis and design of specific training programs and applied and clinical research. The work of ESSA members may however be categorised as being in the area of either preventative health, post-acute exercise, or sports performance enhancement.

Membership Benefits

• Publications and products including a quarterly newsletter
• Discounted access to seminars, workshops and other educational activities
• Secured web site access
• Information and assistance with career development
• Promotion of member services to potential employers

Membership criteria are as follows:

• Full Member - completion of an approved sequence of tertiary study leading to a three or four year degree in the field of exercise and sports science.
• Student Member - in the process of completing a three or four year degree or equivalent in the field of exercise and sport science.

For more information on ESSA then visit: http://www.essa.org.au/

Author
Ian J. Anderson
School of Human Movement
& Sport Science
University of Ballarat