Tactical Strength and Conditioning

Military service members, law enforcement professionals, emergency responders and other front-line personnel face physical challenges as extreme as any sport.

Graduates of PennWest California’s tactical strength and conditioning program are at their side, helping these men and women build strength, improve physical performance and decrease the risk of injuries.

The advanced tactical strength and conditioning program at PennWest California combines theory and practical application. Students learn to use evidence-based practice to physically train and educate military, fire and rescue, law enforcement, protective services, and other emergency personnel.

Prepare to sit for NSCA TSAC-F certification

PennWest California is the first 100% online degree program to offer the tactical strength and conditioning (TSAC) program as a concentration in PennWest California’s M.S. in Exercise Science and Health Promotion curriculum.

Graduates who complete the master’s degree program and meet NSCA criteria will be eligible to sit for the certification exam for NSCA Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitators.

New safety guidelines in emergency fields require all coaching personnel to have certifications and advanced education. The prestigious NSCA TSAC-F certification addresses those standards and will meet certification requirements for coaches once the NSCA’s quality initiative takes effect in 2030.

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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: TACTICAL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

Create a Custom Program: Personalize your exercise science master’s degree by choosing areas of focus that give you a competitive edge or enhance your career. Select the rehabilitation science concentration alone, or add one of these programs to create a 48-credit dual concentration:

Certificate Option: Students seeking a professional credential instead of a master’s degree can select the 12-credit post-bachelor’s Tactical Strength and Conditioning Certificate as a stand-alone credential. In fact, PennWest California offers certificates in all of the program areas listed above.

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1^st

First university to create a tactical strength and conditioning degree program offered entirely online.

12

Complete the exercise science master’s degree and prepare for NSCA certification in just 12 months – faster than most other graduate programs.

Degree Benefits

Gain the knowledge and skills to consult, physically train and create safe and effective strength and conditioning programs for men and women in the military and service fields including emergency response, fire and rescue, law enforcement and protective services. Your expertise can help these front-line individuals improve performance, maintain wellness and decrease the risk of injury.

Graduate Outcomes

Strength and conditioning jobs exist with service providers including EMS units, law enforcement agencies, fire and rescue operations, protective services and private training facilities, as well as the U.S. military. In the civilian sector, graduates may hold job titles such as police officer, firefighter, wellness coach, collegiate strength and conditioning coach, personal trainer, emergency responder, presenter/educator or performance enhancement coach.

Curriculum, Admission Requirements and Related Programs

Curriculum

Course	Credits
PRF 700 Orientation to Exercise Science and Wellness	3
PRF 701 Advanced Topics in Speed, Agility, and Quickness and Endurance Training	3
PRF 705 Industrial, Clinical and Corporate Wellness	3
PRF 715 Business and Entrepreneurship in the Fitness Industry	3
PRF 719 Advanced Techniques in Tactical Strength and Conditioning	3
PRF 720 Essentials of Human Movement Science	3
PRF 759 Tactical Strength and Conditioning Program Design	3
PRF 760 Leadership and Professional Development	3
PRF 765 Nutrition for Peak Performance	3
PRF 770 Exercise Physiology: Assessment and Exercise Prescription	3
PRF 789 Current Topics in Tactical Strength and Conditioning	3
PRF 810 Research in Performance Enhancement	3
Total	36

VIEW COURSE SEQUENCE

Admission Requirements

Regular Admission Requirements

Regionally Accredited Bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
Official transcripts from a regionally accredited undergraduate institution

Conditional Admission Requirements

Conditional Admission may be granted with the following modifications of the Regular Admissions Requirements:
- Regionally accredited Bachelor’s degree with a GPA of a 2.99-2.50 will be conditionally admitted with the stipulation of earning a 3.0 GPA in the first term
- Regionally accredited bachelor's degree with a GPA of 2.49 and below will be reviewed for a decision once the following documentation has been received:

Resume
Two professional letters of recommendation

An interview may be required by the Program Coordinator to determine potential success in the program.

Provisional Admission:
Applicants who have provided unofficial documentation of test scores, prerequisite courses, transcripts or lack of letter(s) of recommendation may be admitted provisionally.

This policy also applies to undergraduate students who apply for graduate admission pending bachelor degree completion. Upon receipt of all official documents, a student will be changed from Provisional Admission to either Regular Admission or Conditional Admission. Provisional Admission students may take classes for one term but will not be eligible for Federal Financial Aid.

How to Apply:

Complete the Graduate School Application
Submit the nonrefundable $35 Application Fee

Submit official transcripts by mail or email to:

School of Graduate Studies and Research
PennWest California
Box 91
250 University Ave.
California, PA 15419
Email: GRADadmissions@pennwest.edu
Phone: 724-938-4187

For additional information:
Email: calugo@pennwest.edu
Phone: 1.866.595.6348

Concentrations

Concentrations
Select a single concentration as the focus of your degree or add a second approved area of focus to create a dual concentration. Post-bachelor’s certificates are available in these areas as well.

Tactical Strength and Conditioning Certifications

NSCA Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitators
Certified Specialist in Speed and Explosion

Other Exercise Science Certifications

Certified Personal Trainer
Performance Enhancement Specialist
Corrective Exercise Specialist
Certified Specialist in Speed and Explosion
Certified Wellcoach
Fusionetics®
Les Mills^TM

Tactical Strength and Conditioing wall climb.

Real-Life Learning

Students in the tactical strength and conditioning program put theory into practice. They assess and analyze job demands from biomechanical and metabolic perspectives, then apply that knowledge to guide front-line personnel and develop safe and effective physical training programs.

Military Tuition Discount

PennWest California's exercise science degree programs attract students from every state and more than 20 countries. Active-duty service members and veterans of all U.S. military branches, as well as their spouses and eligible dependents, receive a military tuition discount when they enroll through PennWest California’s Global Online division.

Expert Faculty

Faculty in the tactical strength and conditioning program excel at teaching in an online environment and are recognized experts in the field of exercise science. In fact, three faculty members – Dr. Barry McGlumphy, Dr. Linda Platt Meyer and Professor Julie Ramsey Emrhein – are in the Hall of Fame for the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers' Society.