Strength & Conditioning, MSc

​​Welcome Week is an important opportunity to help you settle into university life and prepare for the exciting year ahead. During the week, you will meet fellow students, academic staff, and support teams, as well as receive key information regarding your timetable, assessments, facilities, and expectations for postgraduate study.

Attendance is strongly encouraged, as the activities and inductions provided during this week will help you feel confident and prepared before teaching begins.

​You will also be introduced to your Personal Academic Tutor (PAT), who will support you throughout your studies. Your PAT will provide academic guidance, support your professional development, and help direct you towards additional university services where required.

​The MSc Strength and Conditioning course is designed to provide an applied and evidence-based learning experience, combining scientific theory with practical coaching and industry-focused activities. Throughout the course, you will engage with topics including performance enhancement, injury prevention, athlete monitoring, biomechanics, physiology, coaching science, and advanced strength and conditioning practice.

Your Course

​​When students begin this course, they will engage with the following Trimester 1 modules immediately, Advancing Strength and Conditioning Practice and The Science of Human Performance and Injury Prevention.

​These modules will involve a combination of lectures, seminars, laboratory sessions, practical workshops, coaching activities, and independent study. Teaching will primarily take place on campus within our specialist strength and conditioning facilities, performance laboratories, and teaching spaces.

​Resources, teaching materials, assessment guidance, and module information will be available through Blackboard Learn, which is the university’s virtual learning environment. Students may also be introduced to additional performance analysis and athlete monitoring software throughout the course.

​During the first few weeks of teaching, students will begin developing advanced practical coaching skills alongside critical scientific and research knowledge relevant to strength and conditioning practice. Practical sessions may include movement analysis, resistance training techniques, Olympic lifting progressions, speed and agility development, athlete assessment, and performance testing.

To help your prepare

​Students may also find it useful to engage with resources available through the university Learning Skills Hub before starting the course, particularly materials relating to:

• ​Academic writing and critical thinking

• ​Referencing and research skills

• ​Literature searching

• ​Time management and postgraduate study skills

​Prior to starting the course, students may benefit from refreshing their knowledge of training science and principles, anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics. Familiarity with current strength and conditioning practices, as well as confidence using Microsoft Office software (particularly Word, PowerPoint, and Excel), would also be advantageous.

​Students should ensure they have suitable sports clothing and appropriate footwear for practical sessions within the gym and laboratory environments. Access to a laptop or personal device for coursework, data analysis, and independent study is strongly recommended.

​​There are no mandatory textbooks required prior to starting the course; however, students wishing to prepare in advance may benefit from familiarising themselves with key concepts in strength and conditioning, physiology, biomechanics, coaching pedagogy, and athlete development. Useful introductory texts include:

• ​Haff, G.G., and Triplett, N. T. (2016). Essentials of strength training and conditioning. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

• ​Comfort, Paul (2019). Performance assessment in strength and conditioning. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

• ​Moody, Jeremy, and Jeffreys, Ian (2021). Strength and conditioning for sports performance: Edition: Second edition. New York, New York State; London, England: Routledge.

​Students may also find it useful to explore current research and applied practice within the following journals:

• ​Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

• ​International Journal of Strength and Conditioning

• ​British Journal of Sports Medicine

• ​European Journal of Sport Science

• ​Journal of Sports Sciences

• ​International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching

​These resources will help students begin engaging with the evidence-based and applied nature of contemporary strength and conditioning practice prior to the start of the course.

​​Students are also encouraged to familiarise themselves with the UK Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA), the professional governing body for strength and conditioning within the UK. Exploring the UKSCA competency framework, professional standards, and accreditation pathways will help students better understand the expectations of professional practice within the industry.