Key facts
English language requirements
Overall IELTS score of 6.5, with 6.0 in all bands. More information is available at www.ielts.org
Duration
1 year over 3 consecutive trimesters. This applies to students commencing in all trimesters
Campuses
Current Deakin Students
To access your official course details for the year you started your degree, please visit the handbook
Course information
The Graduate Certificate of Strength and Conditioning trains you to improve the strength, power and endurance of your athletes and peak them for competition. Upskill in key areas of sport science that allow you to solve more complex challenges. You will gain the expertise to develop customised strength and conditioning programs that are grounded in science and backed by evidence.
Want the career benefits of postgraduate study without having to commit to a longer degree?
The Graduate Certificate of Strength and Conditioning is designed for busy professionals looking to progress their career in the sport science industry. You can study while you work and complete your degree online in one year part time. You’ll also benefit from two short intensives on campus.
Develop the complex knowledge and skills to solve multi-faceted challenges. Your athlete might need muscular hypertrophy to improve their performance in a contact sport; or they may need a long-term training program that sees their endurance peaking for a tournament two years from now. No matter their goal, you will be able to create a program that gives them their best shot at success. Become an expert in leading methods across a range of areas, including:
- strength and hypertrophy
- plyometrics, speed, and muscular power
- aerobic and anaerobic power
- periodisation and tapering methods
- high-intensity interval training
- recovery methods
- integrity, ethics and legal considerations
- communication with athletes and coaches
Complement these technical skills by boosting your management capabilities through studies in leadership, culture development and continuous improvement. These management skills don’t just make you more employable, they give you a recipe for team success and allow you to develop your support staff, as well as your athletes.
The curriculum is underpinned by science and research, some of which is produced by expert Deakin academics who research training methods to optimise their use – just one of the reasons why Deakin has been the number one sport science school in Australia for four years running*. You will graduate with the ability to critically evaluate and apply research to make confident, evidence-based decisions in your role. Better still, you will have direct access to academics with expertise in a broad range of sport science fields. This includes specialist researchers within Deakin’s multidisciplinary Centre for Sport Research (CSR) and Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN). Draw on their professional experiences in your everyday work and leverage their industry connections to start forming your own.
The course is made up of four of the ten units from Deakin’s Master of Applied Sport Science.
After completing this course, you may wish to enhance your credentials further by articulating into the Master of Applied Sport Science.
* Shanghai Ranking's Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments 2020
Read MoreCourse structure
To complete the Graduate Certificate of Strength and Conditioning students must attain 4 credit points comprising 4 one credit point core units. There are no elective units.
All commencing Faculty of Health Undergraduate and Postgraduate course work students are required to complete HAI010 Academic Integrity in their first trimester of study (0 credit point compulsory unit).
Please refer to the Course Map page for course map information. The course maps will guide the units you need to enrol in each trimester.
Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements. Click here for more information.
Trimester 1
Trimester 2
Trimester 3
^ Units have an on campus intensive requirement.
Key information
2022 course information
This course is approved by the University under the Higher Education Standards Framework.
The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8
Campuses by intake
Campus availability varies per trimester. This means that a course offered in Trimester 1 may not be offered in the same location for Trimester 2 or 3. Read more to learn where this course will be offered throughout the year.
Trimester 1 - March
- Start date: March
- Available at:
- Cloud campus
Trimester 2 - July
- Start date: July
- Available at:
- Cloud campus
Trimester 3 - November
- Start date: November
- Available at:
- Cloud campus
International students are strongly encouraged to undertake HSE724 Strength and Conditioning Methods for Athletes in Trimester 3 to align the intensive components with HSE721 High Performance Management in Sport and HSE725 Factors Influencing Training Design for Sport. This means you can complete all the course’s intensive requirements within the intensive in Trimester 3.
International students who commence in Trimester 1 - you can either attend HSE724 Strength and Conditioning Methods for Athletes intensives in Trimester 1 and then attend the Trimester 3 intensive for HSE721 High Performance Management in Sport and HSE725 Factors Influencing Training Design for Sport OR defer the Trimester 1 intensives and complete them in Trimester 3, with the other 2 intensives for HSE721 High Performance Management in Sport and HSE725 Factors Influencing Training Design for Sport units.
Additional course information
Course duration - additional information
Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as accessing or completing work placements.
Workload
As a student in the Faculty of Health you can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include classes, seminars, practicals and online interaction. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.
Participation requirements
HSE724 and HSE725 require on campus attendance.
International students can choose to attend HSE721 intensive via on campus or cloud mode (video conferencing). We would recommend international students attend the HSE721 intensive on campus alongside the HSE725 intensive.
Entry requirements
Entry information
The minimum entry requirements for this course are:
- Bachelor Degree or higher
OR - Two years relevant work experience
OR - Evidence of academic capability judged to be equivalent
Deakin University offers admission to postgraduate courses through a number of Admission categories.
All applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements.
Please note that meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee selection, which is based on merit, likelihood of success and availability of places in the course.
For more information on the Admission Criteria and Selection (Higher Education Courses) Policy visit the Deakin Policy Library
Recognition of prior learning
The University aims to provide students with as much credit as possible for approved prior study or informal learning which exceeds the normal entrance requirements for the course and is within the constraints of the course regulations. Students are required to complete a minimum of one-third of the course at Deakin University, or four credit points, whichever is the greater. In the case of certificates, including graduate certificates, a minimum of two credit points within the course must be completed at Deakin.
You can also refer to the Recognition of Prior Learning System which outlines the credit that may be granted towards a Deakin University degree and how to apply for credit.
Fees and scholarships
Fee information
Fees and charges vary depending on your course, your fee category and the year you started. To find out about the fees and charges that apply to you, visit www.deakin.edu.au/fees.
Scholarship options
A Deakin scholarship might change your life. If you've got something special to offer Deakin – or you just need the financial help to get you here – we may have a scholarship opportunity for you.
Postgraduate bursary
If you’re a Deakin alumnus commencing a postgraduate award course, you may be eligible to receive a 10% reduction per unit on your enrolment fees.
Apply now
How to apply
Applications can be made directly to the University through StudyLink Connect - Deakin University's International Student Application Service. For information on the application process and closing dates, see the How to apply web page.
Fill out the application form and submit to a Deakin International office or take your application form to a Deakin representative for assistance
For information on the application process and closing dates, see the How to apply webpage.
If you’re still having problems, please contact Deakin International for assistance.
Careers
Career outcomes
The course prepares you for career growth in the industry. Graduate with a sought-after combination of sport science and managerial skills that set you up for success in roles such as:
- high performance manager
- strength and conditioning coach (sports clubs, performance training centres, sports and private schools)
If you are looking to pursue further study, you may wish to articulate into the Master of Applied Sport Science after completing this course.
Professional recognition
While this course is not accredited by a professional body, graduates may be eligible to apply for individual accreditation with relevant industry bodies including but not limited to:
Course learning outcomes
Deakin's graduate learning outcomes describe the knowledge and capabilities graduates can demonstrate at the completion of their course. These outcomes mean that regardless of the Deakin course you undertake, you can rest assured your degree will teach you the skills and professional attributes that employers value. They'll set you up to learn and work effectively in the future.
| Graduate Learning Outcomes | Course Learning Outcomes |
| Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities | Apply advanced knowledge of selected aspects of sport science to sport performance related problems including some key principles and concepts |
| Communication | Select and use appropriate modes of communication to transmit evidence based sport science knowledge to specialist and non-specialist audiences with a view to inform, motivate and effect change at the individual and organisational level. |
| Digital Literacy | Use digital technologies to locate and disseminate information, ideas and resources related to sport science to specialist and non- specialist audiences |
| Critical thinking | Critically analyse complex theoretical and technical information related to a specialised sport science context. |
| Problem Solving | Apply advanced cognitive and technical skills to autonomously analyse, generate and transmit solutions to complex sport science problems in a specialised sport science context. |
| Self-management | Employ high-level personal responsibility, accountability and autonomy to demonstrate expert judgement and adaptability to familiar and emerging challenges confronting sport scientists. |
| Teamwork | Contribute to an interdisciplinary team and establish constructive relationships, with a range of stakeholders to achieve successful outcomes and to advance sport science in a specialised sport science context. |
| Global Citizenship | Engage in professional and ethical practice that demonstrates personal autonomy, awareness of, and adaptability to, diverse social, cultural and environmental contexts in sport sciences. |