Overview

    Our MSc Strength, Conditioning & Performance Science is set in the context of the current strength and conditioning climate, where there is an emphasis on the need to develop quality strength and conditioning support services for all ages across the performance sport sector in what is a rapidly growing and evolving industry.

    This Master’s incorporates specialised teaching from practicing accredited coaches, sport scientists and internationally recognised researchers in the field of sport performance, and provides a curriculum that is underpinned by research and evidence-based practice.

    During the course you will cover physiology, strength and conditioning science, coaching and pedagogy, performance lifestyle and biomechanics, and examine theories and concepts, including athletic development, training and programming theory and methods, and training monitoring strategies.

    You will have access to specialist strength and conditioning and sport and exercise laboratories where you can carry out high level performance assessments, such as dynamic and isometric strength and power testing, movement screening and analysis, and aerobic performance assessment.

    Our course offers unique opportunities to engage in and reflect on work-based learning as part of a practitioner placement module. Through a portfolio you will capture and evidence your experience to highlight your skills and attributes to prospective employers.

    Why study Strength, Conditioning and Performance Science at CCCU?

    • You will be supported by our enthusiastic and highly qualified team who are experienced practitioners in high performance and elite sport and bring their expertise into their teaching.
    • We have been offering sport and exercise science courses for over 35 years, making us one of the longest standing providers of sports courses in the UK.
    • Guest lectures take place from experts such as sport performance physiotherapists, elite sport performance managers and skilled representatives from sport performance organisations and governing bodies.

    Having the chance to study this MSc has given me access to some of the best facilities in the country - use of the labs and training facilities, as well as the excellent teaching on the course, allows for a hands on experience of techniques and methods, which prepare you well for work in the industry.

    Sam - Strength, Conditioning & Performance student

    Entry requirements

    An undergraduate honours degree (normally a high 2:2 or above) in strength and conditioning, sport and exercise science or other relevant subject (e.g., sport performance, management, education) will be considered.

    OR

    Professional qualification relevant to strength and conditioning with a minimum of 3 years relevant experience in a high-performance sport setting.

    For more information on the IELTS (International English language Testing System) requirements for this course, please click here to visit our dedicated IELTS web page.

    A current satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be required. Where you do not already have this you can apply for this check through the University. For more information please see CCCU DBS requirements.

    It is a condition of registration on any course requiring a satisfactory check from DBS that the student maintains good standing in relation to their behaviour and, where required, subscribes to the criminal record status check service.

    2:2
    Hons Degree

    Module information

    Core/optional modules

    *Modules subject to approval

    How you’ll learn

    You will be taught using a range of different learning events. These will include group lectures, seminars, practical workshops, and laboratory classes. Lectures may consist of tutor led sessions, and internal and external speakers who are research or practice active. The learning schedule and methods of delivery are designed to build a learning community around the topics of discussion, embed student experience into teaching to incorporate you as a partner in the learning and teaching process, and provide significant support for the transition to this level of study. The variety should allow you to maximise your potential in an environment stimulated by researcher and practitioner enhanced delivery.

    Materials for sessions will include university produced electronic material designed to enhance your experience, which will allow you to consider different perspectives and approaches in varied virtual and physical environments. As a partner in the process of learning, in seminars you will address topics and aspects of discussions in a critical and rigorous manner alongside staff. These learning events will focus on reading, dissemination of key ideas, theory, and critical reflection and will require significant interaction and debate. This will allow you to enhance your understanding, give you the opportunity to explore and reflect, and develop academic resilience in an arena of support and challenge. In this context relevant staff and external expertise will be a feature of these learning events to ensure relevant research and industry related currency, thus integrating themes aligned with your graduate employability.

     

    Laboratory classes and practical work will be used to plan, demonstrate, measure and evaluate various key aspects of your study. These physical environments could represent the future workplace for some individuals; the laboratory work will be flexible and responsive enough to consider your individual and class interests. Work based learning is an explicit route of delivery of material for this programme, the utilisation of staff active in practitioner roles will allow you to engage with industry driven policy and process and you will engage in applied work under industry staff supervision.

    The term ‘laboratory’ in the context of this programme will reflect the environment in which you can collect robust data for analysis, this will include the context of data collection in the social environment and explicitly in our specialist facilities. In both academic learning and practical classes, you will experience approaches from measurement of physiological and physical parameters to a more holistic learning environment.

    Industry relevant technology and IT packages will also be utilised in the teaching process to ensure currency for future employment. Indeed, technological support will be a key feature of your programme from the use of the University’s virtual learning environment (VLE) for e lecture notes and video material, key reading and both programme and module information.

    It is anticipated that other study support mechanisms may also be found on the VLE such as interactive lectures, relevant online data sources, and online discussion boards, alongside institutional regulatory documents, and programme management processes to support your wider learning needs and professional and academic skills development throughout your programme. Beyond the use of the VLE to enhance learning, the offsite availability of this resource will enable some flexibility in engagement with key materials for this programme.

    On the part-time pathway students will take fewer modules per year but in a two-year period you will complete the same modules and credits as the full-time pathway students. In the first year of study part-time students will take the ‘Practical Techniques and Skills in Strength and Conditioning’ and ‘Research Methods’ in trimester 1. In the second trimester of the first year ‘Advanced Laboratory Techniques’ and the ‘Science of Performance, Planning and Programming’ will be studied.

    During the second year of study the ‘Biomechanics, Skill Acquisition and Technology in Strength and Conditioning’ module and the Advanced Practical Techniques and Skills in Strength and Conditioning’ will be studied in trimesters 1 and 2 respectively. Trimester 3 in the final year of study will be focused on the ‘Applied Practice and Research in Strength and Conditioning’ module, delivering a placement experience and research aligned with the strength and conditioning field.

    To summarise, part-time students will complete 180 credits for the MSc qualification, and this is weighted as 80 credits in the first year of study and 100 credits in the second and final year of the degree.

    The Applied Practice and Research in Strength and Conditioning module is unique in our sector at MSc level. It combines a placement element to allow you to engage in a substantive industry work-based learning experience where your journey will be documented through an evidence-based portfolio with an aligned purpose to showcase your skills and attributes to prospective employers and a dissertation assessment.

    The curriculum is informed by research and involves the student in the creation of research. With a placement supervisor to facilitate ongoing development within a professional context, you will be encouraged to use your work-related experiences to inform your dissertation to connect learning from the workplace to research resulting in a connected curriculum.

    How you’ll be assessed

    The methods of assessment will also be varied to support the potential for learning. This variety will ensure that you have experience of different forms of assessment, most of which are linked to industry relevant tasks and competencies. Summative methods of assessment include written coursework and essays, evidence-based portfolio, practical viva examinations, scientific report, oral case study presentations and research project. There is a maximum of two assessments on each of the modules, to ensure a focused assessment timetable.

    To support different approaches to learning, there will be opportunity for formative feedback on tasks, enhancing opportunities to create, test and communicate ideas, which will enhance clarity, quality, and confidence in your summative assessment submissions. This is considered a key aspect of the programme assessment design and scheduling to provide an outstanding student experience of learning, teaching and assessment.

    The placement module will ensure a wide variety of ethical issues, professional and work-based factors are considered in the proposal and planning phase and throughout the entirety of the placement. The assessment requires the submission of both an evidence-based portfolio and a thesis which can be completed in the style of an appropriate academic journal. Expertise of the employer are integrated into the assessment strategy and you will use your work-related experiences to inform your assessments and employability prospects.

    The placement module will offer the opportunity for you to co-construct your curriculum and align your work-based learning experiences. You will individually specialise part of your assessment for this module in a negotiated area, and consider future employment opportunity with the topic, content, and presentation of this work. All students will receive detailed feedback on summative work.

    Your future career

    This course is designed to enhance the employment prospects of those that want to work in applied sport science by developing both academic knowledge and an advanced practical skill set for varied roles within this industry.

    The course is designed for those who wish to work or undertake further study in the sport performance industry. Specifically, the course offers you the opportunity to study a breadth of topic areas, but also an element of self-direction in the topics and practical skills that you would wish to enhance and be assessed on.

    The course is of particular relevance, though not exclusive, to recent graduates of sport and exercise science, strength and conditioning, or related disciplines.

    The course is suited for those interested in careers such as accredited strength and conditioning coaches, sport rehabilitators, sport and exercise physiologists, sport performance specialists, or various roles in the sport and fitness industry or further study.

    Graduates of the programme will have the potential to pursue careers as professional strength and conditioning coaches working for sports institutes, professional sports teams and national sport governing bodies, technical coaches, work within the health and fitness industry as advanced physical trainers, specialist consultants and teachers (secondary and tertiary education). Graduates may pursue specialist roles in education institutions where the focus is on athletic development or a role related to rehabilitation and conditioning.

    The structure of the course allows me to explore many different aspects of strength and conditioning that I wouldn’t have considered without it.

    Christian Sport and Exercise student

    Fees

    Government loans are available for some postgraduate Master’s courses. Loans are subject to both personal and course eligibility criteria.

    The rules around course eligibility mean that in some cases it may depend on how you are studying (full-time or part-time) as to whether you can apply for a postgraduate loan. To check whether your course is eligible, you can email the Student Fees Team or call 01227 923 456.

    Tuition fees for this course

      UK Overseas
    Full-time £9,545 £15,500

    20% Alumni Discount

    We offer alumni discounts on CCCU Postgraduate Taught, PGCE Primary and Secondary, and Master's by Research courses for eligible students.

    Find out if you're eligible for the discount.

    Important Information on Tuition Fees

    Tuition fees for all courses which last more than one academic year are payable on an annual basis, except where stated.

    There will be an annual inflationary increase in tuition fees for this course where the course lasts more than one academic year. For further information read the Tuition fee statements and continuing fee information.

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    Duration:

    1 year

    Location(s):

    Canterbury
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