Aims and Outcomes

Aims of the program

To provide students with detailed knowledge of the scientific underpinning of the practice of Strength and Conditioning.

To promote understanding of current best practice in Strength and Conditioning.
To make students aware of the practical issues involved in the implementation of Strength and Conditioning programs.
To train students in research methods relevant to the study of Strength and Conditioning.
To develop skills in written communication of original scientific material.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this program, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

The training and competition practices adopted by athletes in various sports and at different levels of competition
Biological Principles of strength and conditioning programs
Factors predisposing to acute and chronic injury and illness in athletes, cause of injury and consequences of injury, implementation of strength and conditioning programs in injured athletes
How to individualise training programs
Appropriate methodologies, approaches and data intepretation to assess the effectiveness of Strength and Conditioning programs
The medical, moral, ethical and legal issues governing the care of the elite athlete
Research procedures applied to the acquisition of knowledge and solution of problems in Strength and Conditioning in particular and in medical science in general, including the moral, ethical and legal issues that underpin best practice in dealing with human participants in research studies and in the sporting context
The principles of development and execution of injury prevention programs
Nutritional considerations to support Strength and Conditioning programs

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

All Modules use lectures (in electronic format) and online tutorial/seminars to establish knowledge and understanding of the subject. Students are also provided with an extensive program of directed reading. Formal coursework and examinations are used to assess the acquisition of knowledge and understanding and to encourage students to link theory with professional practice.