Diploma of Sport Development (Elite) in Partnership with Simon Black Academy

What is the Diploma of Sport Development (Elite)?

The Diploma of Sport Development (Elite) provides learners with a solid foundation in the theoretical and practical skills necessary to work effectively in the sport and leisure sector. Taught by experienced industry professionals, who are leaders in the field, the course provides young athletes with a unique opportunity to combine practical training with a university qualification to help develop the next generation of leaders in sport.

Designed to fit in with you
With all your learning materials online, you can tailor a schedule to fit your personal needs. 

Learn from specialists in their field 
Our academics understand where the industry is heading and will guide you on your learning journey.

A dedicated Success Coach
An ally to encourage, inspire and guide, your Success Coach will help you achieve your goals and create the right trajectory for your career.

Course overview

In partnership with Torrens University Australia, the Simon Black Academy (SBA) provides a full time program of flexible, online learning, combined with athletic development. SBA provides students with the opportunity to gain university qualification while immersing themselves in an elite academy environment. This course delivers key information on coaching practices, high performance training, injury management and developing sport participation. Coached by industry experts, students will complete sport specific practical sessions each day, training in a high performance academy environment, combined with online study. Students attend the Simon Black Academy four days per week, and follow a program dedicated to athletic and academic excellence. The course provides credit and pathway opportunities into a range of undergraduate courses.

Career opportunities

Course outcomes enable students to develop the essential skills and training required to gain employment, secure career progression or continue studies at the bachelor level.
The Diploma of Sport Development (Elite) will equip you with a solid foundation of knowledge and ability to progress towards a successful and rewarding career within the sporting and leisure industry. Occupational outcomes for this qualification can vary from working in community sport through to identifying and developing athletes.Work at this level would be undertaken with a degree of autonomy.

Studying sport development course in Australia

Career paths

As an outcome of this course students may engage in some of the following roles:

Sports development officer
Competition manager
Program developer
Sports Coach
Talent development officer
Sports program co-coordinator
Sports / recreation facility roles
Events, and small business management

Future careers
Sports development officer

Competition manager

Program developer

Sports Coach

Talent development officer

Sports program co-coordinator

Sports / recreation facility roles

Events, and small business management

Learn more about careers in Sport Development

Subjects and units

Each subject involves 10 hours of study per week, comprising 3 hours of facilitated study and 7 hours self-directed study.

8 Core subjects

Body Systems and Disease | HWEL2001

This subject introduces the basic concepts and terminologies required to understand the fundamental structure and function of the human body. The interaction between the structural anatomy of the human body and key body systems, including the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive and endocrine systems that maintain homeostasis is explored. In addition, this subject covers the common disease process that commonly effect the major systems of the body.
Sports Marketing | SPO102

Marketing of sports and recreation is more than simply about the product; it is about broader health and wellness, entertainment, community and generating team or brand loyalty. This unit applies the marketing principles and mix to the field of sports and recreation, to take a broader view on how marketing can support health promotion and advocacy through sport.
Coaching Practices | CPT103

This subject will assist students in developing the necessary skills to source and develop knowledge of general principles of coaching and group facilitation, including National Sporting Organisation (NSO) sport specific requirements. Building on these principles, students will explore the identification, design, implementation and evaluation of a coaching program suitable for a chosen sport.
Foundations of Human Nutrition | FHN201

This subject provides students with fundamental nutrition knowledge through examining the relationship between food, nutrition and human health. Students will learn about macro and micro-nutrition, dietary guidelines, role of nutrition in metabolism, health maintenance and disease, nutrient rich food sources, and the specific nutritional requirements throughout the lifespan. Students will also learn how to identify and construct a healthy diet according to specific dietary guidelines, and know the impact of nutritional deficiency and excess as they relate to health and disease.
Social and Emotional Wellbeing | HWEL2006

The subject covers the principles of social, emotional and psychological health as they relate to health behaviours. Students will analyse the role of capacity building and the promotion of wellbeing through mindfulness, positive behavioural change and resilience.
Introduction to Sports Management | SPO101

In this subject students will be introduced to the field of Sport Management. Students will investigate the historical foundations of sport, management principles, socio-cultural influences of sport and the role of governance in sport. Students will investigate the role sport plays in building communities and analyse the importance that professional sport plays in contemporary society.
High Performance Training and Injury Management (Elite) | HPT106

This subject will engage students in identifying, designing and implementing training and recovery programs to meet the demands of athlete populations. Students will build upon their anatomy and physiology knowledge to explore training methods and periodisation in the design and implementing of training, injury and recovery programs. For the dedicated coach, this subject will further enable students to identify current injury and illness trends in sport, formulate action plans and injury prevention strategies to reduce incidence and learn how to monitor the success of these initiatives.
Developing Sports Participation (Elite) | DSE108

This subject covers the strategic planning necessary for improving the service provision and needs of target groups in sports and leisure activity. Developing and utilising excellent communication skills to improve key stakeholder relations, students will design and implement participation strategies and evaluate success of the program. This subject draws on many aspects of this course and will assist students to develop essential skills to enhance pathways for emerging talent, increase access and inclusion, and to promote diverse community participation in schools, clubs and community environments.

Industry partners and work placements

Work placements and Work-Integrated Learning programs provide a valuable resource for you to develop hands-on practical experience to ensure you graduate confident and job-ready.

Learning outcomes

Explore the principles of physical activity and its role in maintaining health and preventing disease
Understand a variety of health solutions in fitness and human nutrition
Develop coaching skills to foster a love of sport in others, for healthier outcomes
Analyse the role of psychological health within the broader sporting context

Hear from our current Health lecturers and industry professionals on how we deliver our career focused approach to your education.

Domestic entry requirements, fees and scholarships

Admissions criteria and pathways: Domestic students

Before you begin your course application, check you meet the requirements listed below.

OR work life experience demonstrating the ability to undertake study at the required level.

Guaranteed pathway and Recognition of Prior Learning

If you have already completed a qualification you may be able to credit this against your degree with us, even if it’s from another institution. This is called Recognition of Prior Learning. We also offer pathway opportunities to further your learning.

Learn more about study pathways

View full course admission information

Fees: Domestic students

Scholarships: Domestic students

If you are truly passionate about health, we want to hear from you. We have a variety of health scholarships on offer to assist you in becoming a key part of the health industry:

How to apply: Domestic students

Apply online now Make an enquiry

Frequently asked questions

What does admissions criteria mean?

Admissions criteria is a set of criteria that must be met to be eligible to apply for a chosen course.

To gain entry to an accredited undergraduate course at Torrens University Australia, applicants must both satisfy general admissions criteria and meet any additional course requirements where specified.

All admissions criteria and course-specific requirements apply consistently across campus locations and study modes. To find out more, visit admissions criteria.
What are course credits?

Course credits are credits that can be applied to your course based on your prior experience or qualifications. To find out more, visit course credits

.
What are Torrens University Australia’s courses’ ATAR requirements?

Torrens University Australia no longer considers ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) as our primary entry requirement. We have removed ATAR as the key admissions criteria for applicants aiming to study at Torrens University Australia. We strongly believed an alternative to the ATAR system should be found, which more broadly assesses students, especially when soft skills are emerging as important employability attributes. So, students with a recent secondary school education are now considered for admission if they have a Year 12 (Australian secondary school) certificate.
Am I a domestic or an international student?

Domestic students are Australian and Permanent Residents. International students are those who hold citizenship or Permanent Resident status of all other countries.

International students from countries whose first official language is one other than English need to provide evidence of English Language Proficiency.
How do Torrens University Australia fees charge?

Torrens University Australia is a full-fee paying institution. To find out more, visit Tuition Fees.

Domestic students may be eligible for FEE-HELP. For more information on FEE-HELP, please visit: https://www.studyassist.gov.au/.

Please note we do not currently offer any full fee waivers for international students. We do not offer stipends or living allowances.
What is the Early Entry Program?

The Torrens University Australia Early Entry Program has been created to allow you to apply and secure your place for your chosen course before you finish your Year 12 exams.

To find out more, visit Early Entry Program or email enquiries@tua.edu.au or phone 1300 575 803.
How do I apply?

Applying is easy and can be done online by filling out the apply form. If you have any difficulty, please contact a Course and Careers Advisor, who can talk you through the process.

ALL SA/SACE and Victorian high school students must apply through SATAC and/or VTAC. Search for Torrens University Australia, Billy Blue College of Design or Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School. International applicants may also need to demonstrate compliance with relevant legislative requirements, for example, requirements for student visas (this does not apply for online study outside of Australia).
What are pathways?

All Torrens University Australia courses have specific entry requirements, but we also offer multiple pathways into courses when you don’t meet those entry requirements.

There are different pathways for different courses. For example, we offer a range of diploma courses which pathway into bachelor degrees in Business, Design and Creative Technology, Health and Hospitality. We also have graduate certificate and graduate diploma courses which pathway into masters courses in Business, Global Project Management, Sports Management, Health, Education, Design and Hospitality. 

For more information on different types of pathways available, visit study pathways.
How can I pay for my course?
Payment information will be outlined in your offer letter but there are a couple of different options:

Upfront payment via credit card, BPAY, cheque or overseas bank account transfer

Full or partial payment via FEE-HELP Government Assistance (domestic students only)
What are the key dates?

To find out more, visit Key Dates.

View all FAQs

Partnership with Simon Black Academy: Diploma of Sport Development (Elite)