This is Scotland’s only undergraduate degree to be formally recognised by the USA's National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) – the industry’s largest governing body worldwide.
Please note: This is one of the specialist routes within the sports portfolio at Abertay. You’ll make your choice of specialist route at the end of stage two of the BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise programme.
Strength and Conditioning (S&C) is an integral component for sport organisations across a wide range of amateur and professional sports, although the role of the S&C practitioner extends beyond the traditional provision of strength training – it’s not simply confined to sport organisations.
The deep understanding of the sciences behind training and performance required to be a successful S&C specialist are equally applicable to work with young people, the elderly and those either suffering from, or at risk of, developing a number of disease states.
You’ll work in our Human Performance Laboratory, with running, rowing, fitness testing and weights machines. You’ll also have opportunities to meet the numerous professional sportsmen and sportswomen who draw on the expertise of our lecturing staff within this facility.
This course scored an impressive 100% for Overall Student Satisfaction and 97% for Teaching Quality in the 2022 National Student Survey (NSS). Plus, Abertay is widely regarded as THE place to come for high quality teaching. But don't take our word for it:
All modules shown are indicative and reflect course content for the current academic year. Modules are reviewed annually and may be subject to change. If you receive an offer to study with us we will send you a Programme document that sets out exactly which modules you can expect to take as part of your Abertay University degree programme. Please see Terms and Conditions for more information.
You’ll learn through a mixture of lectures, practical laboratory classes, seminars/tutorials and independent study. The practical lab classes offer the chance to learn relevant scientific techniques first hand, and provide an opportunity to engage in research by designing experiments and collecting and analysing data.
The assessment strategy is aimed at developing a variety of skills that are valued by employers. The majority of assessment is by innovative coursework-related submissions, such as lab reports, essays, oral and poster presentations, portfolios, reflective logs, practical tests.
Exams form only a small percentage (approximately 15%) of the overall assessment.
National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
This degree programme is recognised by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), which identifies university courses designed to prepare students for the NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer® (NSCA-CPT®) and NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) qualifications.
International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association
This degree programme is also accredited by the International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association (IUSCA), an acknowledgement that the programme supports the advancement of education in Strength and Conditioning and has established a profile of skills that employers value in university graduates. This is the only degree programme in Scotland to hold the approval of both of these external and independent organisations.
Please note: All new entrants are required to undertake a criminal records check (PVG) at the point of entry to the programme.
Please visit our Entry from College pages for suitable College courses. You should look for those courses suitable for entry onto our BSc (Hons) Sport & Exercise.
Republic of Ireland applicants, click on the UK tabs and scroll down to find your Entry Requirements.
See information about studying and applying to Abertay for International students.
Years 1 or 2 Entry to year 1 or 2 of this programme is through the BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise programme, which will allow you to progress to this programme at the end of Year 2.
Qualification | Grade Requirements | Essential Subjects |
Advanced entry is available to applicants with a suitable HND. Please refer to the articulation routes to BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise on our Entry from College pages. | - | - |