Course overview

Join one of a select few CIMSPA (Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity)-endorsed strength and conditioning courses in the UK. You’ll develop industry-relevant competences to the highest level.

Upon graduation, you’ll be recognised as a CIMSPA Graduate Strength and Conditioning Coach, highly skilled and able to stand out from the crowd in the employment market.

This is the ideal course for passionate and committed individuals who want to advance their strength and conditioning practice. Many of our module assessments have been designed with industry to provide an experience that develops your subject-specific knowledge that is relevant to your applied practice.

This provides you with the opportunity to critically evaluate, reflect and receive feedback on your current practices that you can act upon to enhance your career prospects.

Designed in collaboration with our key industry partners, the course has a proven track record of helping practitioners progress into the field, via both practice and academic routes.

Focus is on developing your performance as an evidence-based coach, with a strong scientific background. You’ll be challenged and supported to develop your existing expertise to the high standards required by employers, as well as UKSCA and NSCA professional standards.

MSc degree

The full master’s degree will provide the tools you need to become a well-rounded strength and conditioning coach, able to bridge the gap between theory and practice, as well as helping support the development of the ‘softer’ coaching skills needed to become an effective practitioner.

You’ll gain a thorough grounding in the role of strength and conditioning as part of the wider sports network through modules covering strength and conditioning practices, coaching science and research methods – these will allow you to develop advanced critical skills necessary to work within the field.

You’ll benefit from lectures, workshops and practical sessions, working individually and collaborating with peers from different professional backgrounds, to share and evaluate best practice, and develop your professional network. You’ll also have the opportunity to complete a self-funded British Weightlifting qualification to enhance your development.

It is key that you put what you learn into practice, so we strongly encourage you to fulfil a strength and conditioning practitioner role outside your learning. Roles may be available with our performance Sports Academy teams or through our extensive professional network – please speak to a staff member prior to application.

Graduate destinations

As a graduate strength and conditioning coach, you’ll have many potential career opportunities. During the course, you can make the most of our sports and careers teams for advice about your future. Recent graduate destinations for our students have included:

• Professional sport
• Head of athletic development in schools or clubs
• PE school coach
• Academic researcher (PhD)
• Higher education lecturer
• Business owner

Students can also exit with PGcert and PGdip awards.