Because this degree course includes a lot of sport didactics, a basic level of fitness and athleticism is an advantage. You will need to demonstrate this by passing a sports aptitude test before you can be accepted to the degree course.

You should also enjoy movement, exercise, and physical activity in various sports and areas of life. An appreciation for reflecting on (your own) athletic performance and discussing it with others is also an advantage. In order to pursue your studies, you must be able to read and understand specialized academic literature in English and, if required, to participate in events in English.

Program structure

Your program of study will be comprised of both practical and theoretical parts, covering a broad spectrum of topics including  education and development, training and performance, health and prevention, society and culture, athletes and what they do, and movement and development. You will have the freedom of choice within the individual topic areas and will be able to specialize according to your personal interests:

The degree course relies on a combination of various teaching methods: Traditional lectures and seminars are supplemented by tutorials, project work, practical teaching exercises, and internships. Various courses in the degree program also deal with social engagement and ethical/moral issues relevant to sport, e.g., on inclusion and heterogeneity, fairness and equal opportunities, performance ideals, enhancement and doping. In addition to these content-related specializations, you will also attend lectures on professional practice and professional work experience in order to prepare you for a future job with a sports-related focus.

Stay abroad

Would you like to live abroad for a semester or a year? Do you want to learn another language and get to know a new culture? Or gain a different perspective on your particular subject? A stay abroad provides you with the perfect opportunity to achieve this and is possible with every degree program – either self-organized or by taking advantage of one of the popular exchange programs. This is made possible by various cooperation agreements and partnerships with foreign universities.

For more information on this topic, please visit our websites on studying abroad. Visit our student exchange platform for an overview of cooperating universities in your field.

This program of study does not require you to spend time abroad, but you nevertheless have the opportunity to do so.

The Institute of Sports has over 25 cooperating partner institutions you can study abroad at.

Internships

As part of your studies, you will complete a compulsory internship in a sports-related profession or field of activity, e.g., in health-oriented institutions (prevention and recovery, or occupational health management), sports associations/clubs, in the sports and leisure industry, or in sports journalism.

In our “professional work experience” courses, past students come and present their current careers.

Voluntary internships are another good opportunity to obtain more in-depth insight into a professional field.

An internship allows you to discover whether everyday life in a particular occupation suits your career expectations and interests. You can gain qualifications for a professional field and acquire important professional and personal skills to start a career. An internship helps you both shape your career path, and mold the remainder of your course sequence – in particular by selecting specializations that suit your practical experience.

You can find further information and relevant internships on the Career Service website.

Sport and Sports Science graduates typically work in the following fields:

• Health-oriented institutions (prevention, recovery, exercise for disabled persons, gyms)
• Institutes of higher education and universities (research and teaching)
• Sports clubs and associations as well as sports promotion
• Sports and leisure industry (sports schools, tourism, commercial providers, sports marketing/sports management, athletic sponsoring, etc.)
• Sports media, sports public relations, sports communication, journalism, PR, media analysis

Thanks to your training in natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities as well as the acquired social, presentation, and self-organizational skills, other fields of activity less closely related to your subject are also open to you, for instance in the following areas:

• Politics and social affairs (e.g., ministries, political parties, foundations, educational institutions, associations, and clubs)
• International relations (e.g., tourism, trade relations, associations, clubs, foreign service, international organizations)
• Public services and administrations (e.g. as a specialist consultant)
• Advertising and marketing
• Education and culture (e.g., theaters, museums, educational institutions, adult education, libraries, archives, documentaries)
• Business (e.g., business advisory services, consulting, materials management, human resources, corporate training)

Not sure what to do after graduation? Don’t worry!

A university degree generally does not prepare you for a single profession but qualifies you for a wide range of career paths – for example, in research, in a typical profession related to your field of study, or in one of many other academic fields.

This is why career orientation is also part of your studies. Gaining practical experience is key, and you can do so through internships, working student positions, part-time jobs or voluntary work, for example.

JGU’s Career Service will support you throughout the entire process with information, advice, workshops and numerous events – from career orientation and working on your profile and skills to finding your dream job and successfully applying for it.