Strength and Conditioning MSc
1 Year Full-Time | September Start

Combining practical and theoretical knowledge you’ll increase your skills through informed debate with your peers and independent study.

You will learn through small group lectures that will help direct you towards subjects for further study and research and through sessions mainly involving laboratory or practical skills. These sessions will help you develop your hands-on experience alongside analytical, data handling and scientific reporting expertise.

You will be assessed through practical assessments, case studies, viva voce exams, presentations, written coursework, and laboratory reports. In these assessments you will be challenged to demonstrate key skills of a master of science, including the ability to critically think, evaluate, analyse, articulate, and self-reflect, in varying contexts relating to the discipline of strength and conditioning.

You will be able to demonstrate transferable and practical professional skills as well as ensuring you can present information to different audiences, for example scientific research conferences and peer groups.

You will be allocated a personal tutor for the duration of the course and encouraged to seek support from both peers and members of the academic team. The course team has a wealth of experience in terms of supporting students from a variety of backgrounds, both personal and professional.

We know that embarking on a masters course is a big decision and knowing whether you will have enough time to balance all of life’s other demands is important.

During this course your on-campus lectures, workshops and seminars will all be timetabled on a Monday and Tuesdays. For a masters programme like this we expect a commitment of around 35 hours per week - how you do your self-directed study is completely up to you. We want you to be able to fit your studies in with your life, whether that be at our City Campus Library, the University Library Digital Commons, open 24/7 during term time, or at home with access to e-books and journals - make it work for you.  

You’ll be learning and training in some of the best campus sport facilities in the country

You’ll have access to facilities including Sport Central, a £30 million purpose-built sports building that offers a strength and conditioning suite, sprint track, nutrition laboratory, nutrition kitchen, body composition laboratory, biomechanics and gait laboratory, exercise physiology laboratory and an integrated performance laboratory. 

Not only this, but the department also has links with strength and conditioning coaches in Team Northumbria which complement our excellent facilities, staff and resources. With links to local, elite, professional, and semi-professional sporting environments and their coaching staff.

The state-of-the-art sport and exercise science labs have been accredited by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), providing the perfect environment to develop your knowledge and hands-on research skills.

Northumbria has an unrivalled reputation for sport and exercise science research power in the North East.

The department has a high number of renowned research active members of staff researching topics pertinent to the field of study. Many of whom are accredited strength and conditioning coaches (with the UKSCA and NSCA) and accredited sport scientists (with the British Association of Sport Sciences).

You’ll have the opportunity to take part in their research projects and benefit from their expert knowledge as part of the course and through your final dissertation.

You’ll be encouraged to develop a critical approach with a focus on problem solving, while expanding key areas of knowledge and practical experience as you progress on to more complex research projects.

Students will carry out an empirical piece of research (the dissertation) that requires a synthesis of knowledge and critical understanding of topics covered on the programme.

The course is focused on delivering industry specific knowledge, whereby the teaching and assessment strategies have been designed to align with the competencies required by the NSCA, and the UKSCA accreditation pathway, putting you in good standing for future employment.

During your studies you will complete a module titled “Sport Professional Practice” where you will be challenged to implement plans to enhance your employability through a range of professional development activities, which will include volunteer and internship roles, other informal learning opportunities, and non-formal and formal continued professional development (CPD) opportunities.

Modules are to be delivered in a format that will make the programme accessible for part time students who may wish to seek employment to complement their studies.

Graduating from this course, you’ll be well qualified to work as a strength and conditioning coach or go on to study for a PhD.