Master of Strength and Conditioning inherent requirements

Please note: This program is only offered to continuing students. No new admission will be accepted. Students who are interested in this study area should contact us.

To support prospective and current students’ decision making, a series of inherent requirement statements have been developed. These statements specify the essential skills, knowledge and abilities required for the Master of Strength and Conditioning and are relevant to academic, practical, and professional settings. The statements are clustered under eight domains consisting of ethical behaviour, behavioural stability, legal, communication, cognition, sensory abilities, strength and mobility and sustainable performance.

Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in the Master of Strength and Conditioning program both in an academic and professional setting.

The student demonstrates:

Behavioural stability to work constructively in diverse and changing academic and professional settings.

Justification of inherent requirement:

Behavioural stability is required to work individually and in teams in changing and unpredictable environments. Strength and conditioning students may be exposed to emergency situations that are challenging and unpredictable and will be required to have behavioural stability to manage these events both objectively and professionally.

Adjustments must support stable, effective, and professional behaviour in both academic and clinical settings. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Support Equity Officers.

Examples:

Reflecting on practice and responding appropriately to constructive feedback.
Coping with own emotions and behaviour effectively when dealing with individuals or unfamiliar situations in the professional setting.

Consistent knowledge and effective cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide advanced professional practice.

The student demonstrates:

Capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information.
Ability to process information relevant to practice.
Ability to integrate and implement knowledge in practice.
Capacity to solve problems and think laterally.

Justification of inherent requirement:

Safe and effective practice is based on comprehensive knowledge that must be sourced, understood and applied appropriately.

Adjustments must ensure that a clear demonstration of knowledge and cognitive skills is not compromised or impeded. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Student Equity Officers.

Examples:

Ability to conceptualise and use appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items.
Appropriately applying knowledge of theory, research evidence, policies and procedures in the workplace setting.

Competent literacy skills are essential to ensure the provision of sound and effective advanced professional practice.

The student demonstrates:

Ability to acquire information and convey appropriate, effective messages

Ability to read and comprehend a range of literature and information in English.

Justification of inherent requirement:

The ability to acquire information and to accurately convey messages is fundamental to ensure safe and effective professional practice.
The ability to read, decode, interpret, and comprehend multiple sources of information in English is fundamental for safe and effective professional practice in Australia.

Adjustments must demonstrate a capacity to effectively acquire, comprehend, apply and communicate accurate information. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Student Equity Officers.

Competent and accurate numeracy skills are essential for to ensure the provision of sound and effective advanced professional practice.

The student demonstrates:

Ability to interpret and correctly apply data, measurements and numerical criteria.

Justification of inherent requirement:

Competent application of numeracy skills is essential to analyse and synthesise complex information, problems and concepts that relate to effective professional practice.

Adjustments must demonstrate a capacity to interpret and apply concepts and processes appropriately in a timely, accurate and effective manner. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Student Equity Officers.

Examples:

Interpreting and analysin data related athlete performance.

Effective non-verbal communication is fundamental to advanced strength and conditioning practice and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic, and non-judgmental.

The student demonstrates:

The capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues and gestures.
Consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviour.
Sensitivity to individual differences and/or cultural differences.

Justification of inherent requirement:

The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues assists with building rapport with people and gaining their trust and respect in academic and professional relationships.
Displaying consistent and appropriate awareness of behaviours and gestures (e.g., facial expressions, eye contact, being mindful of space, time boundaries and body movements and gestures) promotes trust and respect in academic and professional relationships.
Being sensitive to individual and/or cultural differences displays respect and empathy to others and develops trusting relationships.
The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues is essential for safe and effective observation of athlete performance and to initiate effective interventions where required.

Adjustments must address effectiveness, timeliness, clarity, and accuracy issues to ensure safety and appropriate care. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Student Equity Officers.

Examples:

Recognising and responding appropriately to non-verbal cues and activities in classroom situations.
Recognising and responding appropriately to non-verbal cues in the work placement setting.

Effective verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement to provide safe delivery of instruction and care.

The student demonstrates:

Sensitivity to individual and/or cultural differences.
Ability to understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately, and in a timely manner.
Ability to provide clear instructions in the context of the situation.
Timely clear feedback and reporting.

Justification of inherent requirement:

Communicating in a way that displays respect and empathy to others helps develop trusting relationships
Communication may be restricted to verbal because of limitations of the individual (e.g., injury, disease, or congenital conditions)
Speed and interactivity of communication may be critical for individual safety or treatment
Timely, accurate and effective delivery of instructions is critical to individual safety, treatment, and management

Examples:

Participating in tutorial discussions and practising verbal communication skills during practical classes.
Establishing rapport with “clients” required for student assessment in the work placement setting.
Giving clear instructions to athletes or team members in a high-performance setting.

Effective written communication, in English, is a fundamental advanced practitioner’s responsibility with professional and legal ramifications.

The student demonstrates:

The capacity to construct coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstances.

Justification of inherent requirement:

Construction of written text-based assessment tasks to reflect the required academic standards are necessary to convey knowledge and understanding of relevant subject matter for advanced professional practice

Adjustments must meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy, and accessibility to ensure effective recording and transmission of information in both academic and clinical settings. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Student Equity Officers.

Examples:

Constructing coursework or research project to required academic standards.
Constructing client notes, reports and data in a timely manner that meets legal and professional standards

Strength and conditioning professional practices are informed by professional standards, codes, and guidelines where practitioners are both accountable and responsible for ensuring professional behaviour in all contexts.

The student demonstrates:

Knowledge of and engages in ethical behaviour in practice.

Justification of inherent requirement:

Compliance with professional standards, codes of conduct, policies, and guidelines facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and/or the people with whom they engage. This supports the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of all.

Adjustments must not compromise standards, codes and guidelines or result in unethical behaviour. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Support Equity Officers.

Examples:

Demonstrate ability to reflect on ethical dilemmas and issues and take responsibility for ensuring awareness of ethical behaviour.
Comply with requirements relating to informed consent, privacy and confidentiality with client information in academic and professional settings.

Strength and conditioning practices are mandated by legislation and regulatory requirements to enable the safe delivery of services in relevant high-performance settings related to the national scope of practice.

The student demonstrates:

Knowledge and compliance with Australian Law, professional regulations, and scope of practice.

Justification of inherent requirement:

Knowledge, understanding, and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements and standards are necessary pre-requisites to work integrated learning placements to reduce the risk of harm to self and others.
Compliance with Australian Law and professional regulatory requirements ensures that students are both responsible and accountable for their practice.

Adjustments must be consistent with legislative and regulatory requirements. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Student Equity Officers.

Examples:

Complying with the policies of work integrated learning facilities e.g., Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Queensland)

Adequate auditory ability is required to provide safe and effective health management.

The student demonstrates:

Sufficient aural function to undertake the required range of skills.

Justification of inherent requirement:

Sufficient auditory ability is necessary to monitor, assess and manage individual health needs consistently and accurately.
Auditory assessments and observations are fundamental to safe and effective professional practice.

Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in clinical practice. Any strategies to address the effects of the hearing loss must be effective, consistent, and not compromise treatment or safety. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Student Equity Officers.

Examples:

Detecting care requests by calls for help

Strength and conditioning professional practice often require manual dexterity and fine motor skills. Sufficient tactile ability is required to perform competent and safe care and management of athletes.

The student demonstrates:

Adequate tactile function sufficient to undertake the required range of skills and assessments.

Justification of inherent requirement:

Sufficient tactile ability is necessary to monitor, assess and detect patients' physical characteristics and act on any abnormalities detected.
Tactile assessments and observations are fundamental to safe and effective professional practice

Adjustments must have the capacity to make effective assessments of physical characteristics and abnormalities within safe time frames. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Student Equity Officers.

Examples:

Palpating joints, muscles, and soft tissues to detect anatomical or movement abnormalities

Adequate visual acuity is required to provide safe and effective health management.

The student demonstrates:

Sufficient visual acuity to perform the required range of skills.

Justification of inherent requirement:

Sufficient visual acuity is necessary to demonstrate the required range of skills, tasks and assessments to maintain consistent, accurate and safe care to self and others.
Visual observations, examination and assessment are fundamental to safe and effective strength and conditioning practice.

Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in clinical practice. Any strategies to address the effects of the vision impairment must be effective, consistent, and not compromise treatment or safety. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Student Equity Officer.

Examples:

Safely operating equipment.
Visually assess quality of athlete performance.
Identify a safe working environment.

Strength and conditioning professional practice requires manual dexterity and fine motor skills.

The student demonstrates:

The ability to use fine motor skills to function within scope of practice

Justification of inherent requirement:

Sufficient fine motor skills are necessary to perform the required level of support and care. Tasks that involve fine motor skills include being able to grasp, press, push, turn, squeeze and manipulate various objects and individuals.
Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to self and others.

Adjustments should facilitate functional effectiveness, safety to self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate care. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Student Equity Officers.

Examples:

Evaluating athletes in a safe and effective manner.
Effective and safe use of technology and equipment (e.g., monitors).
Demonstration of advanced techniques.

Strength and conditioning professional practice often involve high physical demand that requires gross motor function.

The student demonstrates:

The ability to perform gross motor skills to function within scope of practice.

Justification of inherent requirement:

Sufficient gross motor skills are necessary to perform the required level of support and care.
Tasks that involve gross motor skills include lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, standing, twisting, and bending. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to self and others.

Adjustments should facilitate functional effectiveness, safety of self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate care. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Student Equity Officers.

Examples:

Evaluating athletes in a safe and effective manner.
Effective and safe use equipment (e.g., weights, laboratory equipment).

Demonstration of advanced techniques.

Strength and conditioning professional practice requires physical, mental performance at a consistent and sustained level.

The student demonstrates:

Consistent and sustained level of physical energy to complete a specific task in a timely manner and over time.
The ability to perform repetitive activities with a level of concentration that ensures a capacity to focus on the activity until it is completed appropriately.
The capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period.

Justification of inherent requirement:

Sufficient physical and mental endurance is an essential requirement needed to perform multiple tasks in an assigned period to provide safe and effective support and care.

Adjustments must ensure that performance is consistent and sustained over a given period. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the Student Equity Officers.

Examples:

Participating in learning/research activities (e.g., tutorials, residential schools, research project).
Providing consistent strength and conditioning support, management, or leadership over a negotiated time frame while on practicum.

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