Master Strength and Conditioning - Máster en Fuerza y Acondicionamiento Físico

Strength and conditioning coaches are critical contributors to athletic training. You will develop industry standard practical skills whilst applying cutting edge scientific knowledge, to optimise performance and mitigate the risk of injury.

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 (or equivalent) is required in a relevant subject.

International entry requirements:
If English is not your first language you´ll need IELTS 6.0 (Academic) with a minimum of 5.5 in each component.

150 hours work placement to build your professional networks and enhance your career prospects
The course is aligned to the UK Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) professional standards to allow progression onto industry accreditation
Learning is based in our state-of-the-art Strength and Conditioning Suite and Human Performance Laboratories
Be part of our vibrant community of postgraduate students studying Sport and Exercise
Opportunities to apply your learning with Sport Scholars to develop your coaching and communication skills
Develop advanced professional skills crucial for careers within Strength and Conditioning, that are transferable to other career paths.
SportBU membership for MSc Strength and Conditioning students

Advanced Physiological Responses to Exercise - You will be empowered to cultivate a systematic understanding of advanced principles governing acute and long-term physiological responses to exercise in diverse environments. You will critically apply established physiological assessment techniques to a professional standard, autonomously collecting and analysing physiological data for decision-making that stands up to rigorous scrutiny.

Neuromuscular Adaption - The aim of this unit is to systematically equip you with a comprehensive and critical understanding of neuromuscular function and applied biomechanics applied to strength and conditioning training and injury prevention. You will develop practical, autonomous skills in systematically assessing human function, emphasising the complex interplay between the skeletal, nervous and muscular systems controlling movement.

Periodisation and Programme Design - You will critically evaluate the challenges associated with designing and monitoring strength and conditioning training programs, demonstrating creative decision-making and complex problem-solving associated with the individualised training requirements and needs of the individual, to achieve the performance goal within a series of time frames (i.e. periodisation).

Practical Strength and Conditioning - You will demonstrate and coach the principal techniques in strength and conditioning, including weightlifting, plyometrics, linear and multi-directional speed, acceleration, aerobic, anaerobic endurance, and flexibility. You will professionally apply knowledge of advanced training techniques and strength and conditioning theory, integrating critical technical evaluation with effective practical coaching delivery to develop learning and performance environments.

Independent Project - You will be empowered with the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities required to undertake a self-directed research project. Through a blend of theoretical understanding and practical application of research methods, you will explore and contribute to your field of expertise.

Professional Practice and Placement - The aim of this unit is to assist you in critically reflecting upon and enhancing your intrapersonal, interpersonal, and analytical skills essential for navigating the challenges and dilemmas inherent in the contemporary sports industry as part of a multidisciplinary team (including coaches, performance analysts, sports scientists, and others).

Optional Units (choose one)

Insights through Data Visualisation - The aim of the unit is to provide you with the understanding and technical skills required to provide actionable insights through data visualisation. Data visualisation involves the representation of information in graphical or visual formats, allowing for the effective communication of complex datasets.

Data Science for Sport - The aim of the unit is to introduce data science within a sporting context. Data science is a multidisciplinary field that involves the systematic analysis, interpretation, and extraction of valuable insights from complex and large-scale datasets, employing a combination of statistical, mathematical, and programming techniques to inform decision-making and solve real-world problems across various domains.

Nutrition, Health and Psychology - This unit aims to provide an advanced understanding of recent evidence and current thinking on the control of appetite, food intake and the regulation of energy balance. You will develop a detailed understanding of the interplay between the physiological and psychological (behavioural) regulatory processes underpinning the control of feeding and energy intake with a view to improve health and quality of life among individuals and groups in the community.

Understanding Safe Sport - This unit is designed to provide a critical insight into contemporary themes and key issues within the current safe sport, safeguarding and welfare agenda. In doing so, it will cover core definitions of interpersonal violence in sport as well as an understanding of the cultures that enable it to occur.

Inclusive Practices in Sport - Fostering an environment of inclusivity is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic necessity in sport. This unit explores inclusion through a welfare lens, focusing on the roles of key stakeholders, such as coaches, officials, managers, and support staff and highlights their interconnected roles in creating safe and inclusive sports environments.

Strength and Conditioning Coach
Health and Fitness Practitioner
Personal Trainer / Athletic Trainer
Lecturer/Teacher
Data Scientist