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If you're passionate about enhancing human performance, reducing injury risk, and applying science-backed training strategies, ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç’s M.S. in Kinesiology with a concentration in Strength and Conditioning equips you with the tools to lead in this specialized and growing field.

Earn your Master of Science in Kinesiology (MS-KIN) with a concentration in Strength and Conditioning through ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç’s accelerated program in just one year. The program offers a flexible course load suited to your professional and academic goals, giving you the tools you need to pursue your calling in helping individuals improve their health and athletic performance.

This program equips you for impactful careers across a wide range of fields — including high school, collegiate, professional, and private high-performance, and tactical strength and conditioning.

Strength and Conditioning Concentration Outcomes:

• Understand the scientific principles that support  acute and chronic adaptations to strength training and conditioning, with a multidisciplinary approach that spans from sports biomechanics to exercise physiology
• Apply evidence-based practice in program design, including periodization strategies for resistance training, endurance training, plyometric training, speed, power, and agility
• Develop an interdisciplinary,  structured, and well-integrated approach for athlete testing and monitoring to manage fatigue, reducing injury risk, and optimize performance

The program will prepare students for careers in the fields of strength and conditioning working with collegiate and professional athletes, as well as practitioners in tactical strength and conditioning.

The Strength and Conditioning curriculum is designed to meet the standard for accreditation under the Council on Accreditation of Strength and Conditioning Education as approved by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç Kinesiology Graduate Assistant and Teaching Assistant Positions

Each year, the program selects a number of highly motivated students for various graduate assistant and teaching assistant positions. The positions range from 5-20 hours per week and compensate students with a benefit comparable to 25%-50% of their tuition.  

Relevant Experience

Take courses that pair a hands-on, applied learning approach with the latest industry research and trends, giving you the real-world experience today to fulfill your potential tomorrow.

Professional Preparedness

Foster relationships with industry leaders, gain exposure to internship and job opportunities, and learn from faculty and professional colleagues through a robust, flexible, and customizable curriculum.

Pursue Your Purpose

Develop your coaching craft through an evidence-based approach to holistic athlete development.

Through a robust curriculum, collaborative group work, and direct professional experiences, you’ll be equipped to integrate current training innovations, technology, and research with your professional practice to solve relevant problems for sport and tactical athletes at every level.

¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç’s 12-month MS-KIN program offers flexibility, speed, and quality, making it ideal for working professionals and recent graduates with a four-year baccalaureate degree looking to advance quickly in their career. Graduates of undergraduate kinesiology programs such as exercise science, strength and conditioning, athletic training, physical education, sport management, exercise physiology, and pre-allied health are well-situated to pursue this master’s program.

The curriculum of the MS-KIN includes 30 total units. All students in the program will complete 18 units of core courses. Upon completion, students choose a 12-unit concentration in Strength and Conditioning, Clinical Exercise Physiology, Biomechanics, or Sport Science.

Program Start Date(s):

• Fall 2025 — September 2, 2025

Application Deadline(s):

• Fall 2025 — August 15, 2025

If you are interested in applying to any of our Graduate Assistant (GA) or Teaching Assistant (TA) positions, please scroll to the Financial Aid & Student Support section for more information.

The Selection Process

The educational context at ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç will challenge you to live a full life that integrates the pursuit of knowledge with beliefs, values, and actions. While honoring diverse perspectives and beliefs, Christian values and principles are woven into the educational experience. We understand your application is not only a reflection of you as a student; it reflects you as a person. At ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç, we holistically evaluate your academic history, work and life experience, background, and circumstances to determine admission into a graduate program. Your undergraduate GPA is an important piece of your application, but if you do not meet the minimum GPA requirement of a 3.0, you may still be eligible for admission based on your application package as well as the exceptions policy per your particular program.* Therefore, we strongly encourage you to contact your enrollment counselor, who will advise you regarding your qualifications and provide specific information about the admission-under-exceptions process.

To be admitted into ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç's MS-KIN, you must have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution, as evidenced by an official transcript from that institution indicating the completion of an undergraduate degree.

If you have any questions about your qualifications or the program in general, we encourage you to contact your enrollment counselor.

*Exceptions Policy: If you have a GPA below 3.0 in your baccalaureate degree, you will need to speak with your enrollment counselor for more information on the exceptions materials needed for your particular program.

Program Prerequisites

Please refer to the program’s prerequisite course descriptions below for any concentration within the MS-KIN program that you’re considering. All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of B- or better. 

Application Checklist

Note: The application is completed entirely online with the exception of transcripts, which can be submitted electronically or directly to ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç, and test scores, which should be submitted electronically.

1. Submit online application for admissions (including $50 non-refundable application fee, which is waived for ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç alums, current or former military and their dependents, and ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç employees).
2. Submit official transcripts with proof of earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution.* (If you are a ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç alumnus, please notify your counselor to have your transcripts retrieved. You do not need to request transcripts from the ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç Office of Records.)
   
   Official transcripts must be sent to:
   ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç
   Office of Graduate Admissions
   3900 Lomaland Dr.
   San Diego, CA 92106
   
   Official electronic transcripts must be emailed to:
   gradprocessing@pointloma.edu
   
   *Please note, official transcripts must be sent directly from the regionally accredited institution.
3. Submit personal essay. Specifically state how you would like to use your master’s degree from ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç to further your career. Make sure you clearly touch on these three points:
   • Clarify what job setting you see yourself pursuing upon completing the MS-KIN and specify how this degree program will help you in that setting.
   • Describe how you will appraise, use, and integrate current evidence in kinesiology into your professional practice.
   • State how your previous education and work experiences have uniquely prepared you for success in this program.
4. Submit a resume/vita.
5. Three professional references.
6. Ensure undergraduate course prerequisites are met:
   • Clinical Exercise Physiology Concentration: Human Anatomy and Physiology, Exercise Physiology
   • Strength and Conditioning Concentration: Human Anatomy and Physiology, Structural Kinesiology, Exercise Physiology
   • Sport Science Concentration:
   • Biomechanics Concentration: Human Anatomy and Physiology, Statistics, Physics
   • Sport Management Concentration: No prerequisite other than those required for courses offered in the Fermanian School of Business

Graduate Assistantships and Teaching Assistant Positions:

We offer a variety of paid Graduate Assistant and Teaching Assistant positions within our Kinesiology programs.

View Available Positions

You can indicate your interest in any of the positions during the application. If you have any questions, please contact your enrollment counselor.

This degree provides knowledge and hands-on experience in strength and conditioning coaching, athlete testing and monitoring, program design, injury risk and performance evaluation, and advanced periodization strategies. Strength and conditioning professionals and sport performance specialists work closely with individuals and teams to help them optimize performance and maximize their genetic potential. Strength and conditioning is a dynamic and rewarding field, offering the chance to impact performance and health across athletic and tactical populations. Earning the CSCS and a Master’s degree opens doors to careers in collegiate and professional sports, private training, and tactical S&C. As demand grows for evidence-based training, graduate credentials help candidates stand out for high-impact, higher-paying roles in coaching, sport science, and performance leadership.

¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç’s MS-KIN, Strength and Conditioning is designed to prepare you for careers in education, athletics, healthcare, sports administration, business, and many other specialized fields.

Strength and Conditioning Career Routes:

Director of Strength and Conditioning

Oversees the design, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive training programs for athletic departments. Responsible for staff supervision, program periodization, return-to-play integration, and alignment with sport coaches and medical personnel. This is a senior leadership role typically within NCAA Division I or professional organizations.

Estimated Salary: $80,000–$120,000+

Job Outlook: Competitive; growth driven by increased emphasis on performance optimization and injury prevention.

Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coach

Designs and delivers sport-specific training programs for collegiate athletes. Collaborates with sport coaches, athletic trainers, and sport scientists to monitor performance and reduce injury risk. Positions are most commonly found within NCAA Division I, II, and III institutions.

Estimated Salary: $50,000–$90,000 (varies by division and experience)

Job Outlook: Steady growth with increased demand for evidence-based, data-informed programming.

High School Strength and Conditioning Coach

Implements training programs across multiple sports to develop foundational athleticism, reduce injury risk, and support long-term athlete development. Often embedded in athletic departments or employed through partnerships with private training companies.

Estimated Salary: $45,000–$70,000 (may be higher with teaching responsibilities)

Job Outlook: Growing due to rising interest in year-round athletic development and injury prevention at the high school level.

Tactical Strength and Conditioning Coach

Develops and oversees training programs for military, law enforcement, and fire personnel to enhance occupational readiness and reduce injury risk. Requires understanding of job-specific performance demands and resilience-based training models.

Estimated Salary: $70,000–$90,000+

Job Outlook: Strong growth; supported by federal initiatives and institutional investment in tactical readiness.

Private Industry Strength and Conditioning

Works in high-performance facilities, private training companies, or as an independent contractor. May train youth, collegiate, professional, or general population clients with performance-oriented goals. Entrepreneurial roles may include facility ownership or specialized consulting.

Estimated Salary: $60,000–$100,000+ (high variability based on clientele and business model)

Job Outlook: Expanding rapidly as demand grows for individualized, sport-specific training outside of institutional settings.

Kinesiology Graduate Assistant and Teaching Assistant Positions are available.

Each year the M.S. Kinesiology program seeks highly motivated students for various graduate assistant (GA) and teaching assistant (TA) positions. Compensation for these positions is based on experience, work hours, and hourly rates. The positions range from 5-20 hours per week at a benefit comparable to 25% - 50% of tuition. 

Learn More

Questions ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç Financial Aid? Meet Your Advisor

If you have any questions about your student account balance, payments, financial aid, or just need to talk about all of your options, please feel free to contact your assigned student financial services advisor:

Office of Student Financial Services

For information about the courses required for the Kinesiology M.S., Strength and Conditioning program, view the ¹ú²ú¾çÂ鶹¾ç Catalog.