Strength and Conditioning with Nutrition
Qualifications
Overview
The Strength and Conditioning with Nutrition major is one of five majors of the Bachelor of Sport Coaching (BSpC) degree, which is a unique blend of practical application and theory that will immerse you in the sociology, science, theory, and practice of sport and sport coaching. It is a popular degree choice for students seeking to move into education.
The Strength and Conditioning with Nutrition specialisation is targeted at those who wish to train and motivate individuals and teams to help them meet performance and body composition goals. The major focuses on nutrition, strength and condition, and offers optional courses in psychological skills training. Students will have the opportunity to work with individuals and teams to set and meet training goals, rehabilitate and recondition injured or under-performing athletes, and analyse and prescribe programmes for strength and conditioning training.
Courses will challenge students to critically assess various contemporary nutritional and recovery techniques and research their effectiveness. They will study the multi-disciplinary relationship between the sports nutritionist and the strength and conditioning coach to gain an appreciation of when it is appropriate to recommend a particular supplement or recovery intervention.
Minors
Strength and Conditioning, as well as Nutrition, may also be taken separately as minor subjects. These will enable students wishing to study towards a different major to gain expertise and recognition in the area of strength and conditioning, or explore the challenges of applied nutrition and exercise prescription practice for sport and health.
- UC is investing heavily in strength and conditioning education in Aotearoa New Zealand. The programme is delivered in a new Performance Education and Training Centre, providing you with the opportunity to practice your skills in a strength and conditioning facility with state-of-the-art equipment.
- Classes are taught by experts who are highly trained in their fields and who bring their own professional sports industry experience to help provide context to theoretical and practical subjects.
- The Strength and Conditioning with Nutrition major will develop the theoretical knowledge and technical competencies required to deliver evidence-based strength and conditioning programmes for a range of individuals, including the general population, those with specific needs, and athletic communities.
- There are many specific strength and conditioning or nutrition courses in the Bachelor of Sport Coaching degree, which address the skills and knowledge required to pass the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) accreditation.
- This major will prepare you for completion of the NSCA’s Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) or Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator (TSAC-F) certifications.
- The CSCS offers professional accreditation for strength and conditioning training of athletic teams.
- The TSAC-F prepares you for a career in tactical strength and conditioning training for emergency and protective services personnel, including fire, search and rescue, law enforcement, and the military.
- Developing coaching experience alongside your studies is crucial. The programme has excellent links with clubs and organisations from a variety of sports, and these links enable you to obtain the necessary coaching experience needed to secure employment upon graduating.
The Bachelor of Sport Coaching requires 360 points of courses in total, including compulsory Sport Coaching courses and 120 points towards the Strength and Conditioning with Nutrition major. For up-to-date course information, see the Regulations to the Bachelor of Sport Coaching.
100-level courses
The following compulsory courses are taken by all Sport Coaching students:
- SPCO 101 Introduction to Sport Coaching
- SPCO 102 Theoretical Foundations of Teaching and Coaching
- SPCO 104 Anatomy and Physiology
- SPCO 105 Social History of Sport and Physical Education
- SPCO 110 Practicum 1
Plus these courses specific to Strength and Conditioning with Nutrition:
200-level courses
The following compulsory courses are taken by all Sport Coaching students:
- SPCO 201 Athlete-Centered Coaching 1 OR (300 level) SPCO 302 Athlete Centered Coaching 2
- SPCO 208 Sport and Culture in NZ
- SPCO 209 Exercise Physiology
Plus these courses specific to Strength and Conditioning with Nutrition:
300-level courses
The following compulsory courses are taken by all Sport Coaching students:
Plus these courses specific to Strength and Conditioning with Nutrition:
Double majors
Double majors may be completed in any combination of the Majors of the BSpC. For any double major combination, SPCO 320 Internship must be in one or more of the subject areas.
The BSpC degree gives students a strong grounding in transferable career skills which are highly valued in the workforce, including leadership, communication, motivation, and teamwork.
Rewarding careers can involve working as a strength and conditioning advisor or coach, at an amateur or elite level, or a personal trainer, where you would help optimise performance and enhance nutrition for athletes or individual clients.
Graduates of the Strength and Conditioning with Nutrition major will be eligible for further professional certifications, which offer career opportunities in athletic team training or coaching, or training for emergency and protective services such as the military and police.
Recent UC Sport Coaching graduates have become health advisors, sports coaches, performance analysts, personal trainers, policy analysts, teachers, managers in community sports coaching organisations, outdoor recreation guides, school sports directors, and community development officers.
Find out more about what you can do with a degree in Sport Coaching.
Contact us
College of Education, Health and Human Development | Te Rāngai Ako me te Hauora
Phone +64 3 369 3333
Email educationadvice@canterbury.ac.nz
Location
Ōrakipaoa Building, Dovedale campus - see campus maps
Postal address
College of Education, Health and Human Development | Te Rāngai Ako me te Hauora
University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand
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