Sport Studies

Year 2: Planning and Projectmanagement

Year 2 focuses on 4 themes: Research and Advise, Project Management, Organisation and Management and Sports. These themes help you to develop your organisational skills and to learn more about the various business aspects related to sport.

You’ll get the chance to put these new skills into practice with a 10-week international internship and will continue to gain exposure to a variety of sports.

Sports subjects

• Team sports
• Racket sports
• Gymnastics
• Fitness

Theoretical Subjects

• Project Management
• Marketing and Communication
• Sales
• World of Sport Theory
• World of Sports Challenge
• Trend Watching
• Research Consultancy 
• Teaching in Sport
• Sport and Life Skills
• Sport and Health
• Sport and Society
• Sport injuries and First Aid
• Intercultural Communications
• Personal Professional Development

10-week international internship

In the second year, you also complete a 10-week, full-time internship abroad, focusing on a project management assignment within the sports industry. The organisation and location are completely up to you! Of course, you have access to a broad database with organisations in the sports industry.

Personal Profiling Credits: building your CV

The Sport Studies - track ISMB programme offers plenty of opportunity to tailor the study to your individual interests and ambitions. For example, in year 2 and 3, you can earn Personal Profiling credits by participating in a course or activity that builds your CV, such as volunteering at a sports event.

Year 3: Entrepreneurship, World of Sports Strategy, and minor

Year 3 focuses on your development as a future professional in the world of sport. During the first semester you will complete a minor (specialisation). During the second semester you become an entrepreneur by creating and launching your own company.

Within the theme World of Sports Strategy you study the subjects: Strategic Management, Human Resources, Marketing and Information and Finance. Throughout the year, you continue to study a range of business-related subjects. In year 3 you also do a Professional Specialisation and you get one-on-one coaching to help with your Personal Professional Development.

Choosing a minor

Minors are half-year (1 semester) programmes in which you deepen or broaden your knowledge. You can choose one of the Sport Studies minors mentioned below or select a programme at one of our partner universities which span the entire globe. You must earn 30 credits to complete your minor.

• Sport Development: addresses social challenges through sport in a national and international context. The minor focuses on inclusion, empowering people and building communities through sustainable sport programmes.
• High Performance Sport: focuses on management aspects within the world of High Performance Sport. You’ll gain an understanding of how (inter)national sport federations and commercial organisations are governed and managed, and gain insight into the lives of elite athletes.
• Sport Commerce: focuses on the dynamic industry of global sporting goods. You will learn about e-retail, management theory, digital marketing, and merchandising. You will visit and work with international brands.
• Future of E-sports: focuses on the different aspects of E-sports. For example, how to lead an esports team and the relationship between esports and physical health.

Year 4: internship and graduation project

Internship

In the first semester of year 4 you’ complete a 20-week, full-time internship abroad, at an international sport organisation of your choosing.

Graduation project

The final half of year 4 is dedicated to your graduation project. During a 20-week international internship, you devise a strategic research project to uncover the reasons behind and solutions to a company, industry, or country-specific problem. The topic, location and organisation are completely up to you.

Examples graduation projects

• A research project for FISA (International Rowing Federation based in Switzerland) about how to get more female coaches into the sport of rowing and creating a formula for keeping these female coaches in the sport for a longer period.
• A marketing strategy plan on consumer behaviour for Nike.
• A practical project working for TIG Sports (a Dutch sport marketing agency). Being responsible for one of the venues at the World Beach Volleyball Championships in the Netherlands and researching how to make venues more sustainable in the future.