Certificate Higher Education Applied Sports Conditioning and Exercise

The Conservation and Education Centre at the former Bristol Zoo Gardens site remains open to students.

You will have private access to the zoo grounds during lectures, to carry out your observations and data collection, but as more animals are moved, this will gradually be carried out at the Bristol Zoo Project. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

If you’re ready to turn your passion for sport, leisure and fitness into a rewarding career, our Certificate of Higher Education Applied Sports Conditioning and Exercise could be the perfect place to start.

This dynamic one-year, degree-level qualification is designed to launch you into the world of sports performance and fitness. Blending hands-on practical experience with strong scientific foundations, the course equips you with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to thrive as a sports and fitness practitioner.

Throughout the year, you’ll explore the science that underpins effective training, from nutrition and human anatomy to sport psychology. You’ll develop the adaptability to apply your expertise across a wide range of environments, whether that’s in gyms, sports clubs, rehabilitation settings, schools, or elite performance contexts. Just as importantly, you’ll cultivate a reflective and innovative mindset, learning how to think critically, solve problems creatively, and continuously evolve your professional practice.

You’ll gain a solid understanding of sports conditioning principles and training methods, learning not just how they work, but why they work. From analysing training programmes and injury prevention strategies to exploring rehabilitation techniques and tailoring exercise plans to individual needs, you’ll apply your knowledge to real-world scenarios that mirror industry practice. Along the way, you’ll build highly transferable skills that enhance your employability across the sports, fitness, and leisure sectors.

Confidence grows through experience and this course ensures you get plenty of it. With no traditional exams, assessment methods are varied and engaging, including presentations, portfolios, practical assessments, debates, posters, essays, and reflective logs. This inclusive approach allows you to showcase your strengths and develop a broad range of professional skills. Integrated work placements and industry experiences provide invaluable real-world exposure, helping you graduate career-ready and connected to the sector.

After completing the one-year course, you can choose to progress to Level 5 and complete the Foundation Degree. From there, you’ll have the opportunity to advance to the one-year BSc (Hons) Applied Sports Conditioning and Exercise (Level 6), achieving a full Honours degree.

Alternatively, you may decide to step directly into employment with a respected and recognised qualification that opens doors across the industry.

Your future in sports conditioning and exercise starts here. Take the first step, challenge yourself, and apply today.

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Study Modules

CE4100

Knowledge of Training: Principles of Sports Conditioning and Exercise

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Setting the foundations for your sports conditioning, training and exercise journey, and future success within the industry, this module will develop your knowledge and understanding of fundamentals related to the client experience and principles for developing effective training programmes. Recognising the interdisciplinary approach to the industry, you will link the theory underpinning programme design and development with applied practice. You will also develop an understanding of components of fitness, including principles of training, programme design, implementation, monitoring and review. Your professional development starts here!

40% Individual, Practical

60% Individual, Portfolio

CE4200

Fuel for Performance: An Introduction to Nutrition

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Developing your knowledge of nutrition, you will consider its impact on everyday health, and in response to physical activity and sporting demands. Exploring the role of macronutrients and micronutrients, you will develop understanding of varying dietary requirements, with further consideration for fluid intake, relevant to a variety of scenarios. Additionally, you will study how nutrition can impact performance, e.g. pre-, inter- and post-exercise, together with supporting individuals to lead a healthy and nutritional lifestyle.

100% Individual, Assignment

CE4300

Potential in Action: Fundamentals of Physiology and Performance

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The human body is a network of physiological, neurological and biological processes, which responds to the environment and demands placed upon it. Building on your anatomical understanding, you will explore the short-term and long-term responses to sport and physical activity, considering energy systems and the impact of fatigue and recovery. Enhancing your skills as a practitioner, you will apply your knowledge to create training programmes which are tailored and promote positive physiological adaptations to enhance performance. You will record and monitor specific physiological responses, taking into account ethics relating to personal data management and storage, and develop awareness of how the data can be interpreted to inform future planning.

100% Individual, Assignment

SC4001

Foundations of the Knowledge: Professional Practice

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The Foundations of Knowledge module focuses on three key areas in the development of professional practice in sporting contexts: employability, academic skills and reflective practice. The module enables you to develop your academic skills as-well as enhancing your growth and development as you move through professional environments. You will develop your professional profile through C.V writing, self-analysis and goal setting as well as developing awareness of reflective practice and related theory which will allow you to develop your interpersonal skills and reflect on your development over the year.

50% Individual, Portfolio

SC4002

The Human Body: Explore the Fundamentals and Application of Anatomy

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Understanding and drawing upon anatomical knowledge is important for professional practitioners, enabling a holistic approach to coaching, teaching and instructing. Introducing and developing knowledge related to the structures and functions of the human body, the module will focus on the skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. You will explore the complex nature related to how these systems work together, with application to fundamental movements and sports performance. This module provides the foundations in order for more complex topics to be discovered including, creative coaching; integration into Physical Education; sports conditioning; training and exercise.

100% Group, Presentation

SC4003

Power of the Mind: Sport and Exercise Psychology

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This module draws on the foundations of sport psychology and looks to explore how these theories can be best applied in context. Learning is, itself, a cognitive process and understanding our minds has a significant influence on our thoughts, feelings behaviours and therefore our performance. Psychological knowledge is important for professional practitioners, enabling a holistic approach to coaching, teaching and instructing. Individuals are in a unique position to apply their knowledge, together with educating others as to the amazing and complex processes of the mind. Students are encouraged to engage with the fundamentals of psychology, together with taking this knowledge to the broader context of the course and practical application.

100% Individual, Portfolio

Course Video

Fiona Ware

Subject Area Lead for Academic Sport / Programme Lead for FdSc and BSc (Hons) Applied Sports Conditioning and Exercise

*This programme is subject to validation and delivery approval by the University of Gloucestershire.

APPLICATIONS FOR SEPT 2025 ENTRY ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS COURSE.APPLY VIA UCAS FOR FULL-TIME STUDY_(FULL-TIME)APPLY ONLINE FOR FULL-TIME STUDY_(FULL-TIME)APPLY ONLINE FOR PART-TIME STUDY_{(PART-TIME ONLY)}SGS Level 3 Guarantee Offer Scheme

Campus:

University Centre WISE

Level:

Certificate of Higher Education

Full-time Duration:

1 year

Full-time Fee (Per Year):

£8,500

Part-time Duration:

2 year

Part-time Fee (Per Year):

£4,250

UCAS Application Code:

CHE2

UCAS Entry Tariff:

Entry Requirements

Level 3 qualifications and GCSE English and Maths grade C or 4. SGS recognises the individual nature of each application and our typical offer should be viewed as a guide. SGS welcomes interest from mature applicants who may not have the standard entry requirements. We will consider evidence of your relevant personal, professional or educational experience where it demonstrates an ability and potential to succeed on the course. Please include details of any relevant experience in your application. If English isn't your first language you will need to undertake an IELTS qualification achieving an overall grade of 6 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent)

CONTACT ADMISSIONS

Awarded by the University of Gloucestershire Awarded by the University of Arts London

Course info last updated:

February 24, 2026

Full-Time

Part-Time

Delivery Format

The delivery format for your degree-level programs is primarily face-to-face and in-person sessions. However, there may be some hybrid sessions offered occasionally, mainly for flexibility purposes, such as tutorials or for larger events like visiting lecturers. Additionally, it's mentioned that all degree programs are well-supported by Virtual Learning Environments, which include Teams or Google Classroom.

Additional Cost Information

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