Graduate Certificate of Strength and Conditioning

The Graduate Certificate of Strength and Conditioning trains you to improve the strength, power and endurance of your athletes and have them in peak condition 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 #1 sport science school in the world 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 2021, 2022, 2023

• Begin the application process

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• Check entry requirements

  Entry requirements differ depending on your degree or country of residence. Before starting your application, read through the entry requirements on the course page entry requirement tab.

  Need to improve your English language skills?

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• Certify supporting documents

  Most documents need to be certified. For example, award certificates, academic transcripts and your identity papers (passport). Documents in languages other than English will also need to be translated. Take the original document and a photocopy to an authorised person (for example, justice of the peace, public notary, member of the police force or Australian lawyer), to sign.

  Be sure to attach all requested supporting documentation, otherwise your application could be delayed. If you get your application in early, this gives us more time to arrange visas and accommodation if you need them.

• Submit your application

  Depending on your nationality and country of residence, you can submit your application directly to Deakin through our online international student application service StudyLink Connect or through a Deakin authorised agent.