The SFISM Bachelor of Science in Sport provides a solid foundation for a professional or academic career in sport. As the only university-level degree in sport, it covers both the theoretical and practical aspects of the subject.

Course structure

During broad-based foundation-level studies, students acquire a knowledge of sports science and develop a range of practical core competencies. From the third semester onwards, students go on to more advanced studies (specialization) in the field of sports management or sports teaching. This is underpinned by an extended work placement in the fifth semester, before going on to write a Bachelor's dissertation and further honing of the student's specialization in the sixth semester.

The curriculum of the Bachelor's degree programme is a predominantly directed educational pathway in which the subjects studied are prescribed. This is consonant with our teaching philosophy which places the emphasis on students learning a set of exit competencies. As a consequence, specializations can only be completed as a whole. However, students may elect to study selected elements from the other specialization to enhance their own specialist profile.

Course content

The central focus of the Bachelor's degree programme is to build students' sport-specific core knowledge and abilities. In addition, they should also be equipped to advance to a Master's degree programme (in sports science), develop their own field of specialization within sports management or sports teaching, and further develop key competencies. A wide range of topics is therefore covered in a number of modules.

Practice-centered

The practical aspects of the course are found in the application-oriented focus of teaching, the development of students' practical sports know-how and skills, plus work experience to put the competencies acquired into practice.

• Application-oriented focus of teaching
  The course modules are structured in such a way that the initial options cover the necessary foundational knowledge while the advanced options build on and deepen this knowledge on the basis of real-world applications.
• Practical know-how and skills
  Great importance is attached to practical know-how and skills. 26 ECTS credits for the course are allocated to compulsory practical sports modules complemented by compulsory and optional elective modules. In addition, focusing on the practice of sport is the underlying principle for all courses offered, so that students can further develop their practical know-how and skills in other thematic blocks as well.
• Working experience
  As part of the compulsory modules for the Bachelor's degree programme, sporting events held around Magglingen are incorporated as «course exercises». Students are involved in the planning, execution and evaluation of the events under the close supervision of their lecturers. In the fifth semester, all students take part in a work placement of up to five months' duration. In terms of focusing on practice, this placement constitutes a "state of the art" study element within the Bachelor's course. It enables students to gather valuable experience which would not otherwise be possible in lectures, courses and seminars alone.

Full-time and part-time study

The Bachelor's degree programme is equivalent to 180 ECTS credits and takes six semesters for full-time students. The course may also be taken on a part-time basis over a maximum of 12 semesters. On application, this may be extended by a maximum of four semesters (cf. SFISM Ordinance, Art. 25).

Teaching languages

The course is taught in German and in French. Students are expected to be sufficiently competent in both languages, As a guide, students should be competent to the following language course levels:

• Goethe Zertifikat B2 for German
• DALF B2 for French