Strength and Conditioning (Taught)

Advance your expertise and prepare to thrive in the fast-paced world of performance sport with MSc Strength and Conditioning from Canterbury Christ Church University.

This course will equip you with the scientific knowledge, coaching practice, and expertise to excel as a strength and conditioning specialist in a range of areas, from grassroots clubs to elite sports.

What you'll learn

• Delve into topics such as athletic development, effective coaching practice, and advanced training programming.

• Build a professional portfolio that demonstrates your knowledge, skills, and research experience, helping you stand out to future employers.

• Develop your practical coaching and assessment skills through laboratory and field-based learning.

• Collaborate with expert practitioners and researchers to refine your professional approach.

• Undertake independent research to enhance your expertise and support career progression.

Led by accredited coaches, sport scientists, and internationally recognised researchers, this evidence-based programme combines cutting-edge theory with real-world application.

You’ll develop a deep understanding of athletic performance as you study physiology, biomechanics, injury prevention, and performance lifestyle management, all delivered in our specialist strength and conditioning laboratories.

What's more, embedded within the curriculum is a suite of University Challenge modules. You'll explore themes relevant to industry, careers, and enterprise as you work in multi-disciplinary teams. Through interdisciplinary study, you'll enrich both your learning and networking opportunities.

Whether your goal is to work with elite athletes, in educational settings, or in health and rehabilitation, you’ll graduate as a confident, reflective, and industry-ready practitioner.

Specialist facilities

You will have access to our high tech SportsLab which includes equipment and facilities enabling analysis and physical performance tests, enhancing your learning and developing your knowledge and skills.

Career prospects

This course is designed to enhance the employment prospects of those that want to work in sport and fitness sectors by developing both academic knowledge and an advanced practical skill set for varied roles within this industry.
Our recent graduates have secured roles such as lead physical performance specialists, facility managers, international athletes, strength and conditioning coaches for professional sports clubs, youth strength and conditioning coaches, sports analyst for professional sports clubs, advanced personal trainers and business owners.

20% Alumni Discount
We offer alumni discounts on CCCU Postgraduate Taught, PGCE Primary and Secondary, and Master's by Research courses for eligible students.

https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/study-here/courses/postgraduate/strength-conditioning?year=september-2026&modeRef=0#courseModules

The methods of assessment will 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 tasks or requirements. In order 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.

Summative assessments across the course will comprise of practical assessments, group performance, scientific report, laboratory report, critical review, oral presentations, essay, portfolio and dissertation. There is a maximum of two assessments on each of the modules, to ensure a focused assessment timetable.

You will also be able to select a Challenge module from a list on innovative industry led modules.

The dissertation module will offer the opportunity for you to co-construct your curriculum and enhance your own professional practice, hands-on experience and industry exposure. You will individually specialise 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.