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ESPS3501 – PACE: Exercise Science Placement II

2026 – Session 1, In person-placement, On location

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Emily Hill
Robbie McCullagh
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to BExerSpSc and ESPS2200
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit will help you to develop professional practice skills relevant to working as an exercise scientist. You will learn how to present your experience and knowledge in a way that potential employers and clients can make sense of to help improve your employability. You will continue to develop skills to work in a multidisciplinary team to understand the scope of practice of an exercise scientist. During this unit you will explore specific areas of interest across a range of employment areas and undertake exercise assessment, prescription, and delivery with various populations.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Operate within the ESSA Code of Professional Conduct and Ethical Practice (Professional)
  • ULO2: Integrate knowledge and demonstrate competency in a chosen area of interest relevant to an ESSA exercise scientist within client / practitioner framework (Exercise Science Practitioner)
  • ULO3: Demonstrate competency in exercise assessment, prescription, and delivery in a population specific to your placement (Exercise Science Practitioner)
  • ULO4: Practice in a safe, respectful and inclusive way that is responsive to the needs of diverse and/or vulnerable populations. (Engaged Global Citizen)

General Assessment Information

Grade descriptors and other information concerning grading are contained in the Macquarie University Assessment Policy. 

All final grades are determined by a grading committee, in accordance with the Macquarie University Assessment Policy, and are not the sole responsibility of the Unit Convenor. 

Students will be awarded a final grade and a mark which must correspond to the grade descriptors specified in the Assessment Procedure (clause 128). 

To pass this unit, you must demonstrate sufficient evidence of achievement of the learning outcomes, meet any ungraded requirements, and achieve a final mark of 50 or better. You must also make a serious attempt at all assessment items. 

Further details for each assessment task will be available on iLearn. 

Late Submissions 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (OF THE TOTAL POSSIBLE MARK) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern.   

 For example: 

Number of days (hours) late 

Total Possible Marks 

Deduction 

Raw mark 

Final mark 

1 day (1-24 hours) 

100 

75 

70 

2 days (24-48 hours) 

100 

10 

75 

65 

3 days (48-72 hours) 

100 

15 

75 

60 

7 days (144-168 hours)  

100 

35 

75 

40 

>7 days (>168 hours) 

100 

75 

 

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.  

* Please note changes to 10 and 11 in the special consideration procedure

(10) In the event of illness or significant disruptions during an examination or timed assessment, students must promptly cease their work. If the incident occurs in a classroom setting, they must inform the supervisor or invigilator immediately. If the disruption takes place outside the classroom, it should be reported immediately to the appropriate course authority. Subsequently, students are required to submit an application for special consideration.

(11) Students who have already submitted an assessment or participated in an examination or timed assessment without reporting any issues during the assessment process will only be considered for a second opportunity to undertake that assessment only under exceptional circumstances. The decision to grant a second opportunity will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, with careful consideration given to the nature and validity of the exceptional circumstances that significantly affected their performance in the initial assessment. A statement of fact cannot suffice as evidence in such cases.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI assisted?
Placement performance review 10% No At 40 hours of placement or no later than Friday 1st May Individual No Observed
Placement performance review 60% No Week 13 Individual No Observed
Placement Logbook 10% No Week 13 Individual No Open AI
Placement Presentation 20% No 19/05/2026 Individual No Observed

Placement performance review

Assessment Type 1: Experiential task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 5 hours
Due: At 40 hours of placement or no later than Friday 1st May
Weighting: 10%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Observed

At the mid point of placement your supervisor will assess your performance and behaviour in the workplace setting, assessed against the unit learning outcomes.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Operate within the ESSA Code of Professional Conduct and Ethical Practice (Professional)
  • Integrate knowledge and demonstrate competency in a chosen area of interest relevant to an ESSA exercise scientist within client / practitioner framework (Exercise Science Practitioner)
  • Demonstrate competency in exercise assessment, prescription, and delivery in a population specific to your placement (Exercise Science Practitioner)
  • Practice in a safe, respectful and inclusive way that is responsive to the needs of diverse and/or vulnerable populations. (Engaged Global Citizen)

Placement performance review

Assessment Type 1: Experiential task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 5 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 60%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Observed

At the end of placement your supervisor will assess your performance and behaviour in the workplace setting, assessed against the unit learning outcomes.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Operate within the ESSA Code of Professional Conduct and Ethical Practice (Professional)
  • Integrate knowledge and demonstrate competency in a chosen area of interest relevant to an ESSA exercise scientist within client / practitioner framework (Exercise Science Practitioner)
  • Demonstrate competency in exercise assessment, prescription, and delivery in a population specific to your placement (Exercise Science Practitioner)
  • Practice in a safe, respectful and inclusive way that is responsive to the needs of diverse and/or vulnerable populations. (Engaged Global Citizen)

Placement Logbook

Assessment Type 1: Experiential task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 10%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Open AI

Logbook detailing activities and experiences whilst on placement in a professional work setting.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Operate within the ESSA Code of Professional Conduct and Ethical Practice (Professional)
  • Integrate knowledge and demonstrate competency in a chosen area of interest relevant to an ESSA exercise scientist within client / practitioner framework (Exercise Science Practitioner)
  • Demonstrate competency in exercise assessment, prescription, and delivery in a population specific to your placement (Exercise Science Practitioner)
  • Practice in a safe, respectful and inclusive way that is responsive to the needs of diverse and/or vulnerable populations. (Engaged Global Citizen)

Placement Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 28 hours
Due: 19/05/2026
Weighting: 20%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Observed

A presentation outlining your Placement experience and reflections on your Exercise Science experiences during the course.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Operate within the ESSA Code of Professional Conduct and Ethical Practice (Professional)
  • Integrate knowledge and demonstrate competency in a chosen area of interest relevant to an ESSA exercise scientist within client / practitioner framework (Exercise Science Practitioner)
  • Demonstrate competency in exercise assessment, prescription, and delivery in a population specific to your placement (Exercise Science Practitioner)
  • Practice in a safe, respectful and inclusive way that is responsive to the needs of diverse and/or vulnerable populations. (Engaged Global Citizen)

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

As a student enrolled in this unit, you will engage in a range of multi-modal delivery of content. Seminars will consist of a range of industry professionals presenting on career pathways, experiences in the health professional field and how to be a successful graduating exercise scientist. Details can be found on the iLearn site for this unit.

Students will spend 80 Hours on placement. 

Technology Used

Active participation in the learning activities throughout the unit will require students to have access to a tablet, laptop or similar device. Students who do not own their own laptop computer may borrow one from the university library.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Artificial Intelligence Tools

Macquarie University recognises that artificial intelligence (AI), especially generative AI, is rapidly reshaping education and the modern workplace. As AI becomes increasingly accessible, the University and your teaching staff are committed to preparing you to use these tools effectively, ethically, and with strong professional judgment. Rather than restricting technology, the emphasis is on helping you understand when and how AI can be used to enhance productivity, support learning, and reflect real-world professional practice. Across your degree, we will support you to develop the critical thinking, adaptability, and values-based decision-making skills required to navigate evolving AI tools responsibly, including acknowledging their use appropriately. You should always appropriately acknowledge when you have used AI tools within assessment tasks, including which AI tools you have used and how you have used them.

To provide clarity, Macquarie University uses a simple, two-tiered approach to AI in assessment:

AI Open assessments allow you to fully incorporate AI, reflecting authentic tasks where AI would normally be used in professional settings.

Observed with AI Optional assessments involve tasks where you either demonstrate essential knowledge without technology or show how you apply AI under supervision.

Across both categories, the goal is to ensure you build foundational knowledge, exercise sound judgment, and engage with AI in ways that uphold ethical, cultural, and university values.

Diversity and Inclusion

Social inclusion at Macquarie University is about giving everyone who has the potential to benefit from higher education the opportunity to study at university, participate in campus life and flourish in their chosen field. The University has made significant moves to promote an equitable, diverse and exciting campus community for the benefit of staff and students. It is your responsibility to contribute towards the development of an inclusive culture and practice in the areas of learning and teaching, research, and service orientation and delivery. As a member of the Macquarie University community and when on external/clinical placement representing Macquarie University, you must not discriminate against or harass others based on their sex, gender, race, marital status, carers' responsibilities, disability, sexual orientation, age, political conviction or religious belief. All staff and students are expected to display appropriate behaviour that is conducive to a healthy learning environment for everyone including when on external/clinical placement activities.

Professionalism

Fitness to Practice (FTP) is the demonstration of professional competence, acceptable professional behaviour, freedom from impairment and compliance with course-specific requirements needed for a student to practice properly and safely throughout their course and to appropriately practice within a professional environment as a future Exercise Scientist. 

Students undertaking the Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science are required to demonstrate they meet requirements of the four attributes of FTP – Conduct, Performance, Health and Compliance throughout their entire program of study so that they can meet the requirements of the exercise science profession. 

Full participation in practical classes which involve observation, manual handling, undertaking exercise for the purposes of instruction and demonstration is expected. 

In the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, professionalism is a key capability embedded in all our courses.  

As part of developing professionalism, students are expected to attend all small group interactive sessions including clinical, practical, laboratory, work-integrated learning (e.g., PACE placements), and team-based learning activities. Some learning activities are recorded (e.g., face-to-face lectures), however you are encouraged to avoid relying upon such material as they do not recreate the whole learning experience and technical issues can and do occur. As an adult learner, we respect your decision to choose how you engage with your learning, but we would remind you that the learning opportunities we create for you have been done so to enable your success, and that by not engaging you may impact your ability to successfully complete this unit. We equally expect that you show respect for the academic staff and external clinicial educators who have worked hard to develop meaningful activities and prioritise your learning by communicating with them in advance if you are unable to attend a small group interactive session. When on placement, please contribute to the healthcare/workplace team appropriately, treat all patients, other members of the healthcare/workplace team, and your fellow students with the utmost respect.

Another dimension of professionalism is having respect for your peers. It is the right of every student to learn in an environment that is free of disruption and distraction. Please arrive to all learning activities on time, and if you are unavoidably detained, please join activity as quietly as possible to minimise disruption. Phones and other electronic devices that produce noise and other distractions must be turned off prior to entering class. Where your own device (e.g., laptop) is being used for class-related activities, you are asked to close down all other applications to avoid distraction to you and others. Please treat your fellow students with the utmost respect. If you are uncomfortable participating in any specific activity, please let the relevant academic know. 


Unit information based on version 2026.03 of the Handbook