Graduate Diploma in High Performance Sport
Course information for - 2026 entry
- Duration
- 1 year full-time or equivalent part-time
- Fees (first year)*
- Start dates
- ACU Term 1 , ACU Term 2 , ACU Term 3, ACU Term 4
- Available to international students not seeking to study on a Student Visa.
- This course is available to offshore international students.
Overview
The Graduate Diploma in High Performance Sport develops your knowledge, understanding and skills needed to enhance the conditioning of high performance athletes. You'll build strategies to optimise individual and team performances, within the context of a multidisciplinary environment and its culture and leadership structures, and to do so in an ethical manner characterised by a concern for respect, equity and social justice.
The high performance sport industry is a global, multi-billion dollar entity that provides employment opportunities for a range of professions, including sport scientists, coaches and managers. In Australia, there are employment opportunities in professional and semi-professional sporting teams, Australian and state institutes of sport, academies of sport, and other sporting organisations. These opportunities extend to the international market.
Professional experience
The Graduate Diploma in High Performance Sport is designed as a program of structured learning that includes relevant professional practice-related learning.
Careers
Examples of the types of work settings the course prepares you for:
- sports scientist
- high performance manager
- strength and conditioning coach
- professional coach
- fitness coach
- rehabilitation coach
- performance analyst
- fitness advisor
- sports science manager
- football or other sport manager
- team manager
Course details
Course structure
To complete the Graduate Diploma in High Performance Sport, a student must complete 80 credit points (cp).
Course map
Graduate statement
AQF framework
Exit Points
- A student who has completed 40 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings, including EXSC510 and EXSC513, may exit with the Graduate Certificate in High Performance Sport.
Additional course information
The course is designed to suit a postgraduate clientele that is already in the workforce, as well as graduating students. The course provides flexible learning pathways that can accommodate:
- professional employment commitments;
- national and international students;
- full-time or part-time enrolments;
- exit point with a qualification (Graduate Certificate in High Performance Sport); and
- a pathway into the Master of High Performance Sport.
To meet these objectives, the primary design feature is that the majority of the course is delivered in the online mode.
A suite of coursework subjects focus on the preparation and performance of high performance athletes, including technological advances for athlete monitoring, strength and conditioning, fatigue, recovery and adaptation, and injury prevention and management.
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary foci built into the curriculum will bring together current and new knowledge from allied health professions within the industry, for example, sports psychology, skill acquisition, nutrition and dietetics, exercise physiology, physiotherapy, sports medicine and rehabilitation, including a specialist seminar series of guest speakers from sports science and related fields.
Issues of leadership, culture, and communication in high performance sport setting area addressed, and a foundation of project design and research skills is incorporated into the program with direct application to high performance sporting contexts.
Overseas study available
- Available to international students not seeking to study on a Student Visa.
- This course is available to offshore international students.
Entry requirements
An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.
To be eligible for admission to the course, an applicant must:
a. hold a Bachelor degree or higher in Exercise Science, Sports Science, Human Movement or a related discipline AND have evidence of relevant industry experience; AND
submit a supporting professional referee’s report regarding suitability for this postgraduate program and/or experience in the industry;
OR
b. hold a Bachelor degree in Exercise Science, Sports Science, Human Movement or a related discipline, with a grade point average of at least 4.8 on the ACU 7 point scale; AND
submit a supporting professional referee's report regarding suitability for this postgraduate program and/or experience in the industry;
OR
c. have completed one of the following ACU degrees:
- Graduate Certificate in High Performance Sport
- Graduate Certificate in High Performance Sport Leadership
- Graduate Certificate in Performance Analysis
- Graduate Certificate in Exercise Rehabilitation for Sports Injuries
- Graduate Certificate in Sports Analytics
NOTE: Applicants having completed a Bachelor degree (or higher) in a related allied health discipline will be considered, dependent on specific qualifications and evidence of industry experience.
NOTE: Applicants having completed the following ACU Graduate Certificates will be eligible for recognition of prior learning (RPL):
- Graduate Certificate in High Performance Sport (40 cp RPL);
- Graduate Certificate in Performance Analysis (20 cp RPL);
- Graduate Certificate in High Performance Sport Leadership (30 cp RPL);
- Graduate Certificate in Exercise Rehabilitation for Sports Injuries (40 cp RPL);
- Graduate Certificate in Sports Analytics (30 cp RPL).
Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2026 Admission.
Applicants with higher education study
You will need to meet the minimum entry requirements and subject prerequisites for your chosen course.
If you have completed at least two units of AQF-recognised study at bachelor level or above, we’ll assign you with a new selection rank that reflects your study level, duration, and grade point average.
If your prior study or relevant work experience has provided you with knowledge, skills or experience aligned with the learning outcomes of units in your new course, you may be eligible to gain credit for study or have your prior learning recognised. This means you may be able to complete your ACU course in a shorter timeframe.
You can use our credit search tool to see what you might be eligible for. For more information about credit and recognition of prior learning at ACU, follow the link below.
English language requirements
Applicants require an academic IELTS minimum overall score of 6.5 (with a minimum score of 6.0 in all bands), or an equivalent acceptable test score as outlined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy (see English Language Proficiency).
Inherent requirement
There are essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the capabilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of that course or unit. You will need to be able to meet these inherent requirements to complete your course.
Learn more about inherent requirements for your course and how they affect you
Pathways
Further study
The degree is designed as a pathway into the Master of High Performance Sport.
Fees
Course costs
Payment options
You should be able to concentrate on getting good marks instead of worrying about how you’ll pay your fees. We have a number of options that can help you ease the financial burden, including government assistance, scholarships and income support.
Scholarships
You could be eligible for one of the hundreds of scholarships we award each year to help students from across the university with the cost of studying, accommodation or overseas study opportunities. Some of our scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, but these aren’t just for the academically gifted; ACU also recognises excellence in community engagement and leadership. We also offer a range of scholarships for those who may be struggling financially or who have faced other barriers to accessing education.