Sport and leisure
What to expect
The success of Australian athletes and Australians’ intense love of sport and recreation have, in recent years, driven the sport and leisure field into the mainstream of career choices.
If you’re interested in courses in this field you probably also have an inherent interest in sport. However, you might not be sure what the industry involves and where you want to fit into it.
Study in this field will not lead you to a career in professional sport. Sport and leisure courses are more likely to lead into a variety of fields that focus around supporting people and events in the sports industries, whether at a professional or community level. These fall into several categories. There are fields concerned with:
- Science and health issues relating to sport
- Sporting event and personnel management
- Coaching and fitness facilitation
- Recreation and outdoor recreation.
Getting a degree in sport and leisure
Visit the University Ratings section for sport and leisure course ratings.
Courses and specialisations
|
Biomechanics |
Community and commercial leisure |
Community fitness |
Exercise science |
Fitness management |
|
Golf management |
Health centre management |
Human movement |
Leisure management |
Leisure studies |
|
Outdoor recreation |
Recreation studies |
Recreation leadership |
Sports coaching |
Sports development |
|
Sports field management |
Sports management |
Sports medicine |
Sports science and Sports studies |
Therapeutic recreation |
Over the last decade universities and some private higher education providers have created a host of new programs that service emerging industries and career niches in sport and leisure.
Courses in fields like sports medicine, sports management, leisure studies and outdoor recreation that not so long ago were very much on the periphery of any list of course favourites are now rivalling some of the more traditional popular courses.
Degrees in sport and leisure will vary in type, depending on the specialisation you choose. For example, if you want to study recreation, you will probably look for a degree of that name. However, other areas that are more closely related to business or science, like sport and event management, or sports medicine might be studied within specialist business or science degrees.
According to the annual Course Experience Questionnaire surveys, graduates of this field of study are very satisfied with their course experience.
Getting in
Getting into degree courses is not too tough in the sport and leisure field, although cut-offs for courses with a health or science side to them, such as biomechanics, exercise science or sports medicine, are high.
Where to study
Degrees in this field are offered by many universities around the country, and even by selected private higher education providers and TAFE institutes. However, because there are distinct areas of specialisation in sport and leisure, depending on your interests, you might need to be flexible about where you study.
What to look for
Depending on the nature of the course and the level of practical work, the facilities each institution offers may be an important factor to consider. Courses in capital cities like Melbourne and Sydney, for example, may be close and have access to Olympic facilities or other major sporting centres. Also ensure that you will have the opportunity to gain practical experience in the industry.
Careers for sport and leisure degree graduates
The sports industry is broad and varied and, as such, graduates of studies in sport and leisure could find themselves working in any branch of the industry including but not limited to national and state sporting organisations; sporting clubs and competitions; facilities management; event management; sport media; sport marketing and promotion; sports medicine; health promotion; leisure and recreation centre management; and government sport policy and funding.
While jobs were predicted to multiply faster in the sports and leisure industries than in any other sector of the economy a short while ago, it seems that at the moment the supply of graduates may have out-run the demand.
According to the annual Course Experience Questionnaire surveys, graduates of this field of study are reasonably happy with their course experience and give their teachers good ratings. Many graduates do have some difficulty gaining employment, with a 42 per cent unemployment rate among 2008 graduates. Around 35 per cent of 2008 graduates went on to further study. The starting salary for recent graduates ($43,828 in 2009) is also
well below average compared to those of graduates in other fields.
For more information
If you are interested in this field, you should also consider courses in tourism and hospitality , or some specialisations in business and management . If your interests are on the health side, look in the field of study profiles for health services and support , rehabilitation , and perhaps medicine .
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