Advance your career in football with an online one-year MSc that blends applied workshops, research and industry engagement to prepare you for roles such as performance scientist and rehabilitation practitioner
MSc Football Science and Rehabilitation (Online) — University of Central Lancashire
Overview
This one‑year, practice-led MSc is built for people working in or aiming to work in the football world — coaches, physios, performance staff and aspiring specialists. Delivered entirely online from September 2026, the programme combines practical skills, contemporary evidence and workplace-aligned learning so you can apply new approaches immediately while keeping your existing role or placements.
What sets this programme apart
– Hands-on and applied: weekly workshops and live seminars focus on real-world models — from conditioning plans and load management to return-to-play pathways. – Industry-integrated: seasoned practitioners from clubs and high-performance units shape the curriculum and supervise applied placements.
– Portfolio-focused outcomes: assessments are designed to produce tangible workplace evidence and a substantial applied dissertation you can showcase to employers or use for accreditation.
What you’ll learn
The course targets the core skills that football professionals need today:
– Designing conditioning programmes and periodisation for squads and individuals – Monitoring workload and managing athlete readiness across a season – Creating and implementing rehabilitation protocols, with clear return-to-play criteria – Interpreting performance data, basic statistics and applied research methods
Teaching approach and course format
Learning balances short, focused lectures with curated reading, case-based practical tasks and regular formative feedback.
Key delivery features include:
– Weekly online workshops for skill practice and immediate feedback – Live seminars dedicated to collaborative problem-solving and clinical reasoning – Supervised applied practice through placements, case studies and mentor-led projects – An independent applied dissertation that tackles a real problem in elite or community football
Assessment and the independent project
You will be assessed through a mixture of workplace evidence, practical tasks and project-based assignments. The capstone is an applied dissertation that uses experimental design, data collection and basic analysis to deliver clear, usable outcomes. The aim is a concise report and presentation you can bring to stakeholders, submit for conferences, or include in procurement or accreditation dossiers.
Sustainability and athlete welfare
The curriculum links athlete welfare with sustainable performance — not as a buzzword but as a pragmatic strategy. Better load management and injury prevention reduce lost playing time, lower replacement and healthcare costs, and preserve squad value. Students are encouraged to measure both sporting and operational impacts in their projects.
Turning your dissertation into a career asset
Maximise the value of your project by:
– Framing a focused research question tied to a performance or cost metric – Using standardised outcome measures and transparent methods – Producing a short report and an elevator-style presentation for stakeholders – Acknowledging limitations and suggesting realistic next steps for practice
Career pathways
Graduates move into multidisciplinary roles across professional clubs, academies and private practice, such as:
– Strength and conditioning coach – Performance scientist – Rehabilitation practitioner or physiotherapist
Employers increasingly expect a blend of clinical competence and data literacy — this MSc helps you develop both.
Overview
This one‑year, practice-led MSc is built for people working in or aiming to work in the football world — coaches, physios, performance staff and aspiring specialists. Delivered entirely online from September 2026, the programme combines practical skills, contemporary evidence and workplace-aligned learning so you can apply new approaches immediately while keeping your existing role or placements.0
Overview
This one‑year, practice-led MSc is built for people working in or aiming to work in the football world — coaches, physios, performance staff and aspiring specialists. Delivered entirely online from September 2026, the programme combines practical skills, contemporary evidence and workplace-aligned learning so you can apply new approaches immediately while keeping your existing role or placements.1
