Extend your knowledge on how exercise can prevent, manage, and treat complex health conditions through advanced clinical practice and graduate eligible for professional registration
Why study postgraduate Clinical Exercise Physiology?
Clinical Exercise Physiology is an expanding allied health profession that uses personalised, evidence-based exercise to help prevent, manage, and treat a wide range of acute and long-term health conditions. As populations age and chronic disease becomes more common, Clinical Exercise Physiologists are playing an increasingly important role in multidisciplinary healthcare teams, helping improve health outcomes, enhance quality of life, and reduce pressure on health services.
At Otago, you will explore how exercise science can be translated into evidence-based clinical practice through advanced assessment, exercise prescription, clinical reasoning, and behaviour change. You’ll learn from researchers and clinicians working at the forefront of the field, while studying towards a pathway to professional registration as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist.
Career opportunities
Postgraduate study in Clinical Exercise Physiology prepares you for work across healthcare, rehabilitation, research, and community settings. The knowledge and clinical reasoning you build can support professional practice, interdisciplinary healthcare, research, and leadership roles focused on improving health through exercise.
- Clinical rehabilitation – Supporting exercise-based care within rehabilitation and allied health services.
- Community health – Designing programmes that improve health and wellbeing across diverse populations.
- Healthcare services – Working alongside multidisciplinary teams to support people with complex health conditions.
- Health promotion – Applying exercise science and physical activity to prevent disease and encourage lifelong health.
- Research – Investigating how exercise improves health outcomes and informs clinical practice.
What it’s like to study at this level
Postgraduate study in Clinical Exercise Physiology combines advanced scientific learning with extensive supervised practical experience. Through case-based learning, clinical placements, and hands‑on experience, you will apply evidence-based exercise to real clinical situations while developing the confidence and capability to assess clients, prescribe exercise, and manage complex health conditions.
Learning is practical, collaborative, and closely connected to professional practice. You will gain supervised experience through the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Science’s in‑house, student‑led clinic, the Connection Through Movement Studio. Approved external placements also provide opportunities to learn in a range of healthcare settings, working alongside other health professionals to support co‑ordinated, patient-centred care.
This is for you if ...
You want to build on previous study in exercise science or a related discipline and apply your knowledge in clinical and healthcare settings, with the goal of becoming a Clinical Exercise Physiologist. You are interested in how exercise can improve the lives of people at risk of, or living with chronic disease, injury, disability, or other complex health conditions.
Whether you are preparing for clinical practice, developing your professional expertise, or interested in research that shapes healthcare, postgraduate study in Clinical Exercise Physiology offers opportunities to deepen your understanding of evidence-based exercise and its role in improving health outcomes.
Join a globally-recognised community of sport and health researchers
Clinical Exercise Physiology is taught within the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences, internationally recognised for excellence in sports-related research and teaching. You will study alongside researchers and clinicians whose work is helping shape the future of sport, exercise, and health. Strong relationships with healthcare providers help ensure your learning reflects contemporary practice and the needs of the communities you will serve.
Choose a study option
Whether you are advancing your career with our specialised graduate qualifications or pursuing in-depth research and expertise through our postgraduate programmes, Otago is here to support your aspirations.
Postgraduate qualifications
Honours, masters’, PhDs, and other advanced degrees for graduates. Just one additional year of study will earn you a valuable postgraduate degree. Or perhaps you want the depth of a full year of research-only time during a master’s or to step up to a PhD.
Ready to apply?
Take your expertise to the next level with advanced study.
Programme details
Compare programmes for this subject.
| Papers | Points |
|---|---|
| SPEX 480 Independent Project | 40 |
| SPEX 401 Research Methods in Sport, Exercise and Health | 20 |
| SPEX 440 Advanced Topics in Physical Activity and Health | 20 |
| SPEX 441 Advanced Topics in Physical Activity and Health | 20 |
| SCNC 598 Workplace-Based Project | 40 |
At least 40
*
further points at 400-level or above from:
* Note: Points values differ between papers at postgraduate level. Students are advised to check points values when selecting optional papers. | 40 |
| Total | 180 |
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