Our MSc Strength and Conditioning course provides you with the practical set of skills and theoretical knowledge needed to excel as a coach to physically develop athletes of all levels. With research-informed teaching and an applied focus, this course is ideal for you if you aspire to work in sport or further develop the practice of individuals already in applied environments.
This course adopts a blended learning approach, teaching you through a combination of face-to-face teaching and distance online learning. You gain practical hands-on experience in our specialist strength and conditioning facilities, as well as learning the theoretical approaches through online lectures. Our seminar-based teaching gives you a virtual platform to participate in small group discussions and share expertise and knowledge.
By studying this course, you will learn to:
This course is available to study on a full-time and part-time basis.
You will not be able to acquire sponsorship for a student visa to study in the UK for this course, in accordance with Home Office regulations. You should be able to enter the UK for the short periods required using entry clearance as a Standard Visitor, due to the mostly-distance-learning nature of the course. Further guidance to seeking entry clearance to the UK as a Standard Visitor is available on our international webpages.
Approved and recognised program through the NSCA Education Recognition Program (ERP). Program approval through the NSCA ERP does not constitute nor imply accreditation through the CASCE.
This course offers research-led study and high-quality teaching from lecturers with experience working as strength and conditioning coaches in elite sport. We are 23rd in the UK for research power in sport and exercise sciences (Times Higher Education research power measure. Research Excellence Framework 2021). As part of our vibrant sports science community, you will learn from and work alongside internationally recognised academic researchers with industry links to professional organisations such as The Royal Ballet School, England and Wales Cricket Board, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, and Leicester City Football Club.
Key academic staff for this course include:
Our specialist facilities include our Sport Arena, strength and conditioning facility, specialist sport and physiology laboratories, dedicated physiotherapy and sports therapy laboratories, and on-campus sports therapy clinic.
You will also:
Upon graduation, you'll be well equipped for a career as a Strength and Conditioning Coach and to be able to work with athletes at any level. Typical career destinations include:
We have great industry links and work with our University's Student Development Team to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.
Sport scholarship applications for October 2025 entry are now closed.
Our Performance Sport Scholarship programme has been created for talented athletes playing at regional, national or international level, and offers a range of benefits. We want students competing in our focus sports - basketball, volleyball, tennis and football - as well as other team sports and as individual athletes to contribute to our performance sport programme.
Our scholarships can include fee discounts of up to 100%, offered to athletes who demonstrate sporting excellence. Athletes who are awarded the scholarship may also receive a host of other benefits, including:
These benefits are designed to help athletes focus on their training and development, and to enable you to reach your full potential alongside your studies.
We will consider applicants with a 2:2 degree in a similar relevant discipline.
Do I need a Student Visa?
Please note that students will not be able to acquire sponsorship for a Student visa to study in the UK for this course, in accordance with Home Office regulations. They should be able to enter the UK for the short periods required using entry clearance as a Standard Visitor. This is due to the mostly distance learning nature of the course. Further guidance in relation to seeking entry clearance to the UK as a Standard Visitor is available on our international webpages.
We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.
Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please contact our Graduate Admissions team at pgquery@essex.ac.uk to request the entry requirements for this country.
If English is not your first language, we require IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum component score of 5.5 in all components.
If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.
The University uses academic selection criteria to determine an applicant’s ability to successfully complete a course at the University of Essex. Where appropriate, we may ask for specific information relating to previous modules studied or work experience.
Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The following modules are based on the current course structure and may change in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.
Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose.
Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.
Status | What this means |
Core |
You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted. |
Core with Options |
You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted. |
Compulsory |
You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail. |
Compulsory with Options |
You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail. |
Optional |
You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail. |
The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.
Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits.
In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available.
Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code. For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:
HR | 100 | 4 | FY |
---|---|---|---|
The department or school the module will be taught by. In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History. |
The module number. |
The UK academic level of the module. A standard undergraduate course will comprise of level 4, 5 and 6 modules - increasing as you progress through the course. A standard postgraduate taught course will comprise of level 7 modules. A postgraduate research degree is a level 8 qualification. |
The term the module will be taught in.
|
COMPONENT 01: CORE
The research project module is an opportunity for you to carry out an individual scientific investigation on a topic relating to your degree specialisation. It will help develop your skills in reviewing synthesising and critically appraising academic literature. You will also be expected to design, analyse and interpret data and present findings in a scientific paper format.
COMPONENT 02: COMPULSORY
This module will present to students, through a wide range of theoretical, empirical and practical evidence, methods that can be used to design, monitor and implement techniques to optimally structure athletes' training activities. The module will outline a variety of programming approaches related to such issues as athletes' needs analyses, training periodisation and the application of a multitude of different training types. Students will develop their ability to critically analyse the wide range of techniques that they can apply to athletes operating in a variety of different contexts.
View Planning and Implementation of the Training Process on our Module Directory
COMPONENT 03: COMPULSORY
Strength and conditioning coaches deal primarily with movement problems – problems that ultimately impede the expression of force. The primary task of a strength and conditioning coach is to optimise an athlete's movement performance whilst minimising the risk of injury/pain. The art of coaching, which you will learn in other modules, must be informed by the scientific basis underpinning movement and its control. The aim of this module is to equip you with the theoretical and practical movement-based skills that will optimise your ability to assess, plan, and implement strength training programs to improve athletic performance.
View Neuromechanical basis of strength and conditioning on our Module Directory
COMPONENT 04: COMPULSORY
Skill acquisition is commonly described as the voluntary control over movements in an attempt to solve motor skill problems and achieve a task goal. These may vary from catching a ball or riding a bike, to slalom skiing or rhythmic gymnastics. Regardless of the domain, the interaction between the practitioner (e.g., coach) and athlete when learning these skills is absolutely fundamental to successful performance. Specifically, how can the practitioner create optimal practice conditions to facilitate skill acquisition? The module will firstly enhance your understanding of contemporary theory and research in skill learning and motor expertise. From this, the module takes on a more applied focus, where evidence-based approaches are synthesised to critically evaluate their effect on coaching practice.
View Skill Acquisition: Theory and Application on our Module Directory
COMPONENT 05: COMPULSORY
The Physiology of Training module aims to give students an understanding of the physiological mechanism that underpin human performance. The module will develop the student's critical knowledge around the physiological demands of short explosive, long sustained and intermittent activities from the perspective of different energy systems. Students will also gain and understanding of performing laboratory and field-based tests to physiologically profile athletes.
COMPONENT 06: COMPULSORY
This module will give students the opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of the complexities in critically evaluating study design, analysis and interpretation of research studies. The module will cover the practical usage and critical analysis of different research methodologies in traditional research setting and within an applied environment.
View Critical Enquiry and Evidence-Based Practice on our Module Directory
COMPONENT 07: COMPULSORY
This module will introduce students to the underpinning practical skills required for the delivery of Strength and Conditioning services to athletes. The module will focus on developing students' awareness and understanding of a variety of exercise technical models that will support their ability to improve an athlete's performance. This will include developing students reasoning skills around why elements of performance for each exercise are vital. Students will also gain experience with a wide range of exercise equipment to further their practice as a Strength and Conditioning professional.
View Techniques in Strength and Conditioning on our Module Directory
COMPONENT 08: COMPULSORY
This module provides the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working as a coach or practitioner to develop students underpinning knowledge of key applied practice in strength and conditioning. This module centres on professional development through mentorship, where students will be supported by professionals working in strength and conditioning to develop specialised skills. The module will shine a light on various aspects of strength and conditioning to better equip students with insider knowledge of various aspects and contexts within sport. Students are encouraged to adopt a reflective approach to develop their expertise and practice.
View Professional Development in Strength and Conditioning on our Module Directory
Through a combination of face-to-face teaching and distance learning, this course offers you the opportunity to graduate with a Masters degree.
Across this course, you will learn through:The course starts with a four-day on-site period, where you will be introduced to the course and taught the practical elements from relevant modules. For the first and second terms, weekly pre-recorded online lectures will be complemented with live online seminars.
At the end of the second term, a second on-site visit of approximately seven days will take place, where you will be taught practical content and assessed on relevant modules through a range of evaluation techniques from presentations to practical coaching demonstrations. You will have the opportunity to meet your dissertation supervisor face-to-face, before submitting your thesis at the end of the third and final term.
The course starts with a four-day on-site period, where you will be introduced to the course and taught the practical elements from relevant modules. For the first and second terms for both Year One and Two, weekly pre-recorded online lectures will be complemented with live online seminars.
At the end of the second term in Year One, a second on-site visit of approximately seven days will take place, where you will be taught practical content and assessed on relevant modules through a range of evaluation techniques from presentations to practical coaching demonstrations.
Year Two consists of two terms of online distance learning, during which time you will be responsible for developing your professional development portfolio and your dissertation for submission at the end of the Summer term.
£10,500
£22,750
We hold Open Days for all our applicants throughout the year. Our Colchester Campus events are a great way to find out more about studying at Essex, and give you the chance to:
If the dates of our organised events aren’t suitable for you, feel free to get in touch by emailing tours@essex.ac.uk and we’ll arrange an individual campus tour for you.
You can apply for this postgraduate course online. Before you apply, please check our information about necessary documents that we'll ask you to provide as part of your application.
We aim to respond to applications within two weeks. If we are able to offer you a place, you will be contacted via email.
For information on our deadline to apply for this course, please see our ‘how to apply' information.
Set within 200 acres of award-winning parkland - Wivenhoe Park and located two miles from the historic city centre of Colchester – England's oldest recorded development. Our Colchester Campus is also easily reached from London and Stansted Airport in under one hour.
If you live too far away to come to Essex (or have a busy lifestyle), no problem. Our 360 degree virtual tour allows you to explore the Colchester Campus from the comfort of your home. Check out our accommodation options, facilities and social spaces.
At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.
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