BSc (Hons) Strength and Conditioning with Foundation Year

Why study this subject?

Our BSc (Hons) Strength and Conditioning with Foundation Year course is closely mapped to the new United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA), Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMPSA), and the Graduate Strength and Conditioning Coach (GSCC) professional standard.

This degree combines underlying scientific principles from the sports science disciplines of physiology, biomechanics, sports psychology and sports coaching with practical strength and conditioning training.

By studying this course at BNU, you’ll develop the knowledge and skills you need to become a confident and effective strength and conditioning practitioner.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

All of our Sports course students will have the opportunity to look at athlete development and analysis, spending time in our Human Performance Laboratory.

At BNU, we always encourage our students to get as much industry experience as possible. Our strong links with industry partners will enable you to seek volunteering and paid work opportunities, giving you first-hand knowledge of the professional environment that awaits you beyond graduation.

We also pride ourselves on the amazing opportunities we offer our students to start forming their own networks within industry. This means not only will you have access to first-hand accounts from those on the ‘front-line’ while you study, but you’ll also make valuable connections for when the time comes to jump into your first job.

We work with the National Sports Centre at Bisham Abbey which is the home of several governing bodies in sport, Leap (County Sports Partnership), Stoke Mandeville Hospital which is famously the birthplace of the Paralympics, Reading Ladies Football Club plus the National League basketball team, London United.

You’ll graduate being confident in working with all levels and abilities, from the recreational exerciser to the elite athlete. You’ll also have the chance to work in a range of applied settings, including local sports clubs, schools and in the wider community.

What facilities can I use?

You’ll have the opportunity to blend academic study with a professional sports environment. At our Human Performance, Exercise and Wellbeing Centre, the Human Performance Laboratory features an indoor three-lane running track which incorporates 3D motion-capture technology.

Our incredible facilities help to enhance athletes’ performance through improved technique and assists with injury prevention and rehabilitation. The Human Performance Laboratory is equipped for assessing a range of physiological, biomechanical and psychological parameters.

What will I study?

Over the four years you’ll spend on this course, you’ll develop a critical understanding of the fundamental principles that underpin strength and conditioning practice.

You’ll learn a wide range of strength and conditioning training approaches including movement skills, weightlifting, resistance, plyometric, speed, agility, aerobic and anaerobic training methods.

We’ll show you how to analyse and evaluate performance needs, design and deliver training programmes with the goals of improving health and wellbeing, optimising performance and minimising the likelihood of injury.

In year one, you’ll study modules that introduce you to the various sports science sub-disciplines and lay the academic knowledge and practical skill foundations that will underpin your future learning. You’ll look at areas like exercise and health physiology, biomechanics and human anatomy.

Year two will further build on these foundational principles with more applied modules that will advance your knowledge and understanding across broad areas like coaching and athlete development, sports nutrition and performance psychology. You’ll also learn about the practical application of strength and conditioning training methods.

In your final year, you’ll develop more in-depth strength and conditioning knowledge and will cover subjects like training programme design, sports injury rehabilitation, exercise referrals as well as looking at contemporary and topical issues facing the industry.

You’ll also work closely with your personal tutor to dive into an area you’re particularly passionate about through your final dissertation project. This will give you an opportunity to develop real expertise that will inspire you for your future career.

How will I be taught and assessed?

This course is offered as a four-year programme, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate degree.

By studying our BSc (Hons) Strength and Conditioning course, you’ll always learn through a combination of theoretical and practical methods.

Our expert academic staff will teach you through lectures, seminars, practical/lab sessions and tutorials, and importantly you’ll also participate in work placements and independent study.

We also offer all our students the opportunity to visit or be visited by external industry partners so you can hear from the professionals currently working on the ‘front line’ of sports therapy.

Each module will have its own assessment criteria, but you’ll largely be working on presentations, vivas, reports and essays, case studies, work-related and practical assessments.

Placements Plus

BNU is a Placements Plus university. So, whatever degree you do, you can be sure there’ll be plenty of industry-relevant opportunities on offer, to help you get into your chosen field.

We’ll also prepare you for work beforehand, with special skills for work training, further boosting your CV, and building skills employers will value. In recognition of the value we place on these skills we have incorporated this experience into your study time.

Placements Plus is all about helping you get some valuable experience under your belt while you’re a student, to increase your choices later, and help you get the graduate-level job you want.