About the Department of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
The Department of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences is home to the disciplines of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics; and Sport and Exercise Science.
Our Department is part of the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport.
Our education programs prepare students for a range of careers in health and nutrition, the food industry, clinical environments, public health, corporate and community wellness, fitness and recreation, sport and human performance, and injury prevention and recovery.
Our courses offer the right combination of theory and practice. Our students learn from experienced academic staff, skilled practitioners and leading industry partners. Our world class facilities provide them with the practical experience they need to graduate workplace ready.
We value lifelong learning and the opportunity to support our graduates through ongoing education and training. Our postgraduate, graduate research and continuing professional development programs give health professionals the opportunity to upskill, reskill, advance into leadership roles or pursue research.
Our courses are highly sought after. We are constantly adapting our educational offerings to align with industry needs, which opens the door to amazing career opportunities for our students.
Career ready
Whether you are wanting to become a dietitian, nutritionist, exercise scientist, strength and conditioning coach, sport data analyst, allied health practitioner or researcher, a La Trobe degree is the gateway to a rewarding career.
Our undergraduate courses equip graduates with the competencies and skills for safe and effective entry-level practice, and registration to the relevant professional accreditation body.
Our postgraduate programs offer extended learning in advanced practice skills and set students on the path to specialisation.
Our placement programs give students vital workplace experience in the health sector. They also benefit from our industry connections and official partners, including the Melbourne Rebels, the Matlidas and the Carlton Football Club.
Our partnership with Open Universities Australia provides further opportunities for students to access our courses online – giving them the flexibility they need to balance life’s many commitments with a first-class education.
Find out more about our courses, our distinctive student experience and our facilities.
Leaders in research
Our research in Nutrition and Dietetics, and Human Movement and Sport Science, is considered well above world standard by the Australian Research Council’s Excellence in Research for Australia.
We specialise in sport and performance nutrition, obesity prevention and management, metabolic health, microbiome and functional food, decision-making and cognitive fatigue, exercise prescription, skilled performance and coaching, sleep, monitoring and recovery, demanding occupations and environments, sport technology and analytics, wearable sensors and computer vision.
We pride ourselves on our interdisciplinary approach to research. Our discoveries are also translational. Our Sport Performance Hub, for example, is applied research helping athletes to take their performance to the next level.
For those returning to higher degree studies, we have the experts that will help you to excel in research. We have a dynamic body of postgraduate students who are working on game-changing projects with industry.
Our research supports La Trobe’s research themes: Sustainable food and agriculture; Resilient environments and communities; Healthy people, families and communities; Understanding and preventing disease; and Social change and equity.
We have expertise and collaborations across a range of research areas:
Our discipline uses food to promote health, manage nutrition-related health conditions and optimise performance. Our researchers specialise in metabolic health, dietary supplementation, novel functional foods, gastro-intestinal health, and sport and performance nutrition.
Our discipline leads applied research to optimise human performance and health, helping our communities to reach their potential. Our research is multidisciplinary and relevant to individuals, teams and organisations across the performance-participation pathway – in sport, national services such as defence, and for those using physical activity to enhance health and wellbeing.
Allied Health, Human Services and Sport research groups
Our staff play key roles in the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport’s Sport, Performance and Nutrition research group.
The Sport, Performance and Nutrition research group is committed to advancing knowledge in sport and nutrition science, with a focus on human performance. The group has impact in sport, physically demanding occupations, and health and wellbeing across the lifespan. It translates research findings into practice through close collaboration with industry, including national and international sporting organisations, sports technology companies, the Defence sector, professional bodies and clinical partners.
Research centres
Our staff play key roles in the La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre.
The La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre is a world-leading, collaborative centre for sport and exercise medicine research. The Centre’s research impacts on policy, clinical practice, activity participation, health, wellbeing and performance, in Australia and internationally. It translates research findings to key stakeholders including the international research community, health practitioners, and the general public.
Find out more about the Centre.
ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH COLLABORATIVE IN HEALTH
Several of our academic staff are also members of La Trobe’s Academic and Research Collaborative in Health, which brings together academics, clinicians, consumers, healthcare professionals, health and social care agencies and policy makers skilled in the translation of interdisciplinary research.
The Academic and Research Collaborative in Health aims to improve the patient experience, patient outcomes, healthcare quality and safety, and to achieve best practice in service provision. Partners include Alfred Health, Austin Health, Eastern Health, Healthscope, Mercy Health, Northern Health, the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Women’s.
Find out more about the Collaborative.