Strength and Conditioning (With Foundation Year)

*Immerse yourself in a performance sports environment, using dedicated gyms and human performance laboratories to understand how to enhance sports performance and perfect your coaching style. Work alongside our student athletes as you develop the knowledge and practical skills to improve the physical preparation of sports men and women. *

This foundation year pathway provides an alternative route into a degree-level study. It’s ideal for those who need to gain subject-specific knowledge and skills in order to progress onto the full BSc Strength and Conditioning qualification.

You’ll have opportunities for placements and work experience through our performance sports academies, as well as our close industry connections locally and nationally. You could work with the likes of Gloucester Rugby and West Bromwich Albion Football Club, as well as a host of local schools and clubs.

Work alongside industry experts and practitioners, covering specialist strength and conditioning modules giving you the knowledge to prepare athletes for performance in various sporting contexts. You’ll also have access to coaches, nutritionists, and therapists, enabling you to gain knowledge and develop a skillset readying you to work in a professional, multidisciplinary environment when you graduate.

The programme follows the UK Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) quality standards. You'll develop essential strength and conditioning knowledge, as well as learning about the other fundamental sports science disciplines including physiology, anatomy, sport psychology and biomechanics.

Make the most of our biomechanics and exercise physiology laboratories to get hands-on experience, developing your skills by undertaking analysis and assessing performance of different athletes. They contain some kit that you won’t find at any other educational institution in the UK.

*CIMSPA-endorsement
*This course is endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA). On successful completion of the course you’ll hold the professional position of ‘Graduate Strength and Conditioning Coach’. Student CIMSPA membership fees are funded by us throughout your studies, providing you with career advice and further learning opportunities. Once you obtain the ‘Graduate Strength and Conditioning Coach’ title you’ll then need to enter into a professional membership with CIMSPA in order to maintain the qualification.

*NSCA –endorsement
*This programme is endorsed by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, ensuring that everything you're taught is industry-aligned, while providing you with a good platform to take the CSCS exam and adding to your overall employability.

Course Modules

Our modules are developed regularly to reflect student and industry demands, ensuring you’re well prepared to enter skilled employment on graduation. The majority of courses are comprised of both compulsory and optional modules, the latter of which you'll be able to choose from to suit your interests and career goals. Most courses also include work placement learning, to help you gain essential experience for your future.

Compulsory modules include: Principles of Strength and Conditioning, Fundamentals of Strength and Conditioning, Introduction to Exercise Physiology, Introduction to Functional Anatomy, Fundamentals of Sport and Exercise Biomechanics, Introduction to Sport and Exercise Psychology, Academic Skills for Sport and Exercise Scientists, Research and Data Skills in Sport, Applied Strength and Conditioning, Exercise Physiology, The Sport and Exercise Scientist, The Sport and Exercise Researcher, Health Related Exercise, Applied Biomechanics in Sport, Sports and Exercise Nutrition, Applied Sport and Exercise Physiology, Professional Practice for Applied Sport Scientists, Recovery and Monitoring for Sport Performance, Sport Research Project, Developing the Youth Athlete.

Modules are sometimes subject to change.

Optional modules change each year - you can attend introductory sessions before deciding which ones to study. For more information, please visit https://www.hartpury.ac.uk/university/courses/undergraduate/bsc-hons-strength-and-conditioning-with-foundation-year/

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
• The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity