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The Professional Doctorate in Strength and Conditioning provides a high-level, vocationally-focused pathway to a doctorate qualification.
- Distance learning approach to teaching means you can study around your current work commitments
- State-of-the-art strength and conditioning facilities
Why study Professional Doctorate in Strength and Conditioning?
The Professional Doctorate in Strength and Conditioning is the first of its kind in the UK to offer doctoral-level study in a vocationally-based discipline. You can study for a doctoral award whilst continuing with your current employment.
The aim of the course is to provide support to experienced strength and conditioning coaches as they develop skills and knowledge to enable them to take a more active role in leading and developing the profession.
The main learning outcomes are:
- To develop an advanced knowledge base in a sub-discipline related to strength and conditioning;
- To develop the skills and confidence to create examples of evidence-based best practice in strength and conditioning, and to disseminate this to a wider audience
- To develop independent research skills which will allow the student to contribute to the scientific evidence base related to strength and conditioning
Why St Mary's?
We're widely recognised as an international leader in strength and conditioning education. We were the first UK institution to offer an undergraduate degree in strength and conditioning and our MSc programme was the first part-time, distance-learning strength and conditioning course in the UK.
In recent years the University has invested £250,000 in a state-of-the-art Performance Education Centre, which is unrivalled as a facility for strength and conditioning education.
Our staff includes both highly experienced coaches and expert sport scientists. All of the course material is designed specifically for the strength and conditioning degree, ensuring that the practical relevance of the scientific evidence to the strength and conditioning coach is always fully explored.
The distance learning nature of this course has several advantages for professionals. Principal among these is the opportunity to combine study with practical work experience, allowing the translation of science into practice. In addition, you can organise your study around your own personal schedule, allowing you to obtain a doctoral level award whilst continuing with your current employment.
Please note: Professional Doctorate in Strength and Conditioning is subject to validation.
Course lead
Dr Stephen Patterson
Professor in Applied Exercise Physiology & Performance