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MScStrength and Conditioning

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Starting in2025
Campus: Southampton City CentreView on Google Maps

Why study a strength and conditioning master's degree at Solent University

Boost your employability and gain the knowledge and experience to graduate as an effective strength and conditioning coach.

  • £0m
    invested in our campus estate and facilities in the last five years
  • 0th
    UK uni for sustained employment (Longitudinal Educational Outcomes, 2022)
  • Develop your practical skills via placements within our High Performance Academy assisting the training of University sports teams, scholarship student athletes and talented athletes (TASS) on world-class or Olympic National Governing Body pathway programmes.
  • Students have access to the University’s professional sport and exercise science facilities, including a range of innovative equipment such as the isokinetic dynamometer (e.g. for Hamstring: Quadriceps ratio profiling), muscle activity (wireless surface EMG) and more.
  • Benefit from our extensive industry links and external sports club relationships, such as Solent’s partnership agreement with Southampton Football Club and a number of governing bodies.
  • The course was designed and developed in conjunction with an assessor and tutor from the UKSCA to ensure that it meets the needs of the UKs leading professional body. As a result, graduates will be in a strong position to successfully complete UKSCA Accreditation.
  • The content of the course has been mapped to the CIMSPA professional standards in order to meet the demands of industry and produce highly employable graduates.

Course overview

Strength and Conditioning is an exciting topic examining the science behind athletic physical preparation. A strength and conditioning coach helps to meet the individual needs of their clients and the specific needs of sports competition. They help people increasing their physical activity, prepare for the demands of sport, and bridge the gap returning to play when recovering from injury. Strength and conditioning coaches are also skilled practitioners in the research and application of knowledge into practice. A specialist support service in its own right, strength and conditioning coaches typically operate and provide expertise as part of multi-disciplinary team.

This course is ideal for students progressing on from relevant sports undergraduate courses such as Sport and Exercise Science, Sports Coaching, Sports Therapy or Football Studies. In addition, this course would suit practitioners returning to education to update and develop their knowledge and skills, for example, sports coaches, PE teachers, sports therapists and physiotherapists.

The course is taught one day a week for full-time students. This is designed to provide enough time to read extensively, research topics and work on assignments. It will also provide ample time for gaining coaching experiences and apply knowledge into practice. As you progress through the course you will embed technical competency of resistance training and energy systems development within principles and physiology of strength and conditioning.

You will generate a critical understanding of periodisation and programming to plan and progress your client’s goals over the short-term, medium-term and long-term. You will improve your session effectiveness utilising modern coaching science concepts and psychosocial elements. You will also develop an understanding of the analysis of movement patterns, particularly those related to injury prevention and recovery. 

This course has been developed in collaboration with governing bodies and professional bodies to ensure it meets the demands of industry. As part of the course you will benefit from practical hands-on lessons and multiple placement opportunities, both within the University and with external links to facilitate your experiential development.

Any questions?

Contact UK admissions

Email: admissions@solent.ac.ukCall: 023 8201 5066

Contact international admissions

Email: admissions.international@solent.ac.ukCall: +44 (0)23 8201 5066

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Course features

  • Apply direct

    You can apply direct to Solent University for this course

  • Specialist facilities

    This course has access to specialist facilities

  • Part-time option

    You can study this course part-time

This course is for

This course is ideally suited to students graduating from an undergraduate degree in sport who want to specialise in the physical preparation of athletes.

You may want to apply the knowledge to a team or sport you already work with, or use the skills and experience gained to align to job descriptions as strength and conditioning coaches at professional sports clubs. Applicants without a suitable undergraduate degree but with considerable industry experience will be considered through interview process. 

What this course leads to

Graduates from this course are well prepared for employment as a Strength and Conditioning Coach, for example in professional sports clubs, university sports, private schools and colleges, gym and health clubs or even self-employed.

You may also choose to progress further academically by developing your research interests into a PhD in your chosen specialist subject.

  • Strength and Conditioning Coach
  • Youth Sports Coach
  • Sports Scientist
  • Personal Trainer
  • Lecturer
  • Researcher

Meet the team

The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.

Facilities

This course benefits from the state-of-the-art sports facilities at Solent University. This includes the £28m sports complex, comprising of multi-use sports halls, multiple gymnasiums, and BASES accredited physiology laboratory and and state-of-the-art biomechanics lab.

Students will have access to, and will be taught how to use, a range of innovative equipment in the form of the isokinetic dynamometer (e.g. for Hamstring: Quadriceps ratio profiling), muscle activity (wireless surface EMG), force measuring devices (e.g. Kistler and Vald ForceDecks force platforms, NordBord, ForceRig, etc), load-velocity profiling and velocity-based training (e.g. GymAware LPT and PushBand accelerometers), as well as 2D and 3D motion capture analysis, speed, agility, plyometric and power testing and training devices. In addition, students will be taught a range of contemporary topics using equipment such as blood flow restriction garments, wearable technology, GPS and much more.

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