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SPOCMA Degree Programme in Sports Coaching and Management
Bachelor of Sport and Leisure, 210 ECTS


Bachelor of Sport Studies

  • Programme
  • Curricula
  • Implementations

Name and level of education

Bachelor of Sports Studies, Bachelor's degree

Admission requirements and applications

Admission requirements and application information is available at Studyinfo.fi pages.

Scope and duration

Scope of the degree is 210 ECTS credits and duration 3-3.5 years.

Recognition of learning

Read more of recognition of learning from Haaga-Helia webpages.

Mode of study

Full-time programme.

Language of tuition

The degree programme is conducted in English.

Requirements and decrees

Two academic years intensive studies, work placement, thesis and maturity test.

Study attainments and assessment

Study assessment criteria's can be found from course descriptions and from Haaga-Helia's Degree Regulations.

Targets and structure

The Degree Programme in Sports Coaching and Management prepares students with the knowledge and skills needed in today’s demanding sports and leisure industry. With the innovative educational concept of process oriented working-methods the students work independently on real-life projects for clients.

The students are taken step by step from the orientation stage towards their individually chosen specialization area. The programme prepares students along four main development streams with the focus on:
- Personal development and professional growth,
- Coach development,
- Event and organizational management and
- RDI competences

The first two years of the studies include intensive studying at the Haaga-Helia UAS Vierumäki Campus, after which the student has a chance to obtain information and knowledge in a real-life working environment during the 1 - 1,5 years of work placement.

The programme offers unique opportunities for the students to be actively involved in the sport of their choice on local, national and international level. Through close cooperation of the Degree Programme with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the Ice Hockey Centre of Excellence (IIHCE) and the Finnish Ice Hockey Association (FIHA) the students are constantly involved in the development of ice-hockey on a world-wide scale.

The key-learning outcomes and learning objectives of the Degree Programme are to equip the students with all the necessary knowledge and competences to successfully persist in demanding working life situations.The students´ knowledge will develop from concrete and factual knowledge towards more abstract metacognitive knowledge.

The project-based studies demand from the students a high degree of independent working skills and self-motivation as well as already pre-existing knowledge on literature research, critical and transfer thinking. Creative thinking and application of innovative methods are important in finding solutions for projects. The existing knowledge and the competences of the students will be assessed at the beginning of the studies and are under a constant evaluation process throughout the studies.

Depending on their individual interests and pre-existing knowledge, the students have possibility to specialize in either

Athlete-centered coaching or
Customer-oriented sports services.

This pre-existing knowledge is assessed at the beginning of the studies and individualized study plans are created depending on the students developmental acquirements. On a regular basis the students together with the facilitators are updating the personalized study plan and adjusting it to the current needs of the students. The developmental plan also gives the students the possibility for continuous self-check.

Internationalisation

The Degree Programme is truly international. Every year several students come from different countries, e.g. Canada, USA, Japan, Slovenia, South Africa, England, Germany, Austria and many more. These international students bring different cultures, coaching cultures, traditions, behaviors, and working strategies to the programme, which leads to a real exchange in terms of knowledge and practices.

Guest lecturers, project-work abroad in cooperation with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and on-campus exchange students add another level of internationalization to the studies. The students are encouraged to attend and organize international events, seminars and conferences, which create the possibility for networking with other coaches and sport managers and to establish connections to associations and clubs in numerous countries.

Work placement and cooperation with the business community

During the work placement students can implement, and further develop skills which were acquired during the intensive studies. Engaging in real-life working environments provides the student with the chance to develop the expertise and professionalism from the theoretical context of a classroom to skills needed in various positions in the field of sports and leisure and especially in coaching. Close co-operation with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) provides opportunities for students to do their work placement in one of its’ member associations and to take part in international educational seminars, camps and tournaments.

Career opportunities

At the end of the studies the student has a firm knowledge in sport event organization and coordination, as well as in sport event and club management and in developing coaching methods. Besides firm knowledge of organizational management the student has a wide knowledge base in planning and executing athlete development plans and in developing innovative coaching methods. Many employment opportunities for the graduate open up while the student is completing the required work-placement in e.g. a sport club or a national sport organization.

In the past graduates have found employment e.g. in the fields of:

- Sport coaching (with emphasize on ice-hockey and on athlete-centered coaching) on club and national team level
- Managing and organizing sports events and activities
- Teaching sport to special target groups
- Instructing and coaching in sports associations and federations, as well as in clubs and gyms
- Work in the administration and management of sports clubs, gyms, associations and federations.

Postgraduate studies

Postgraduate study opportunities: Master of sport sciences (University and UAS).

Contact information

Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences
DP in Sports Coaching and Management
Vierumäki campus
Kaskelantie 10
19120 Vierumäki
FINLAND

studentservices.vierumaki@haaga-helia.fi
tel. +358 29 447 0104 (not translated)