Lectures and courses in this Master's programme will be held in English.
EU applicants: 15 July for the following winter semester
Non-EU applicants: https://www.dshs-koeln.de/english/studying-structure/full-time-studies/application-process/application-master/
The Master's programme enables the graduates to link interdisciplinary content from politics, history, sociology, economics, law, and sports.
The learning outcomes of the MA International Sport Development and Politics are reflected in five categories: academic orientation, career orientation, international outlook, diversity, and key competences.
Academic orientation: The course of study combines approaches and concepts from social sciences and humanities to ensure the underpinning for an academic analysis of sport and physical culture. Based on this, the course aims to provide basic knowledge and tools for the analysis of central subject areas such as Sport Politics: Values, Frameworks, and Institutions; Sport Politics: Comparative and International Sport Structures and Processes; and Sport Politics: Past, Present, and Future Fields of Challenges for Sport Development. In addition, the understanding of qualitative and quantitative methods is a key learning outcome.
Career orientation: During the first two semesters, the acquisition of knowledge in lectures and seminars takes centre stage. The third and fourth semesters aim at specialisation of the acquired skills as well as their testing and application in the current research and professional world, both at home and abroad. The goal is to enable students to integrate their newly acquired skills and perspectives in order to solve real-world problems both in the field and in academics.
International outlook: When comparing sport and physical activity cultures around the world, it is clear that an increasingly complex, comprehensive system of complementary and overlapping structures has arisen in sport. Against this background, basic knowledge of sport systems, sport structures, and sport development are taught in the programme.
Diversity is another learning outcome of the programme. Students enrolled come from diverse and varied backgrounds. And subjects range across a variety of topics and take into account various factors, including issues such as nationality, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, and disability.
Key competences: Through dialogue and interaction in the programme, the following key competences are acquired:
Broken down into 12 modules, the curriculum features basic, advanced, and specialised courses that enable a progressive learning process.
Module 1 is primarily aimed at acquiring a general expertise in the field. Since the students will bring different expertise from their BA degree programmes, Module 1 primarily aims to bring everyone up to the same knowledge level.
Module 2 presents methodological skills, thus marking an intersection between disciplinary background and expertise on content.
With strong integration of approaches based on the humanities and social sciences, the degree programme supports both broad and specialised academic development. Modules 3 and 4 focus on European sports and on Olympic policy, both of which are key topics in international sports development.
The teaching of core knowledge will be deepened in the second half of the programme. Module 5 focuses on sociological and legal aspects. Module 6 delves into economics. Module 7 offers students the chance to conduct a concrete research project.
The third semester then bundles the previously acquired qualifications in light of the instrumental and systemic competences. Modules 8 to 11 focus on sport for development, sport policy, and sport systems, and focus on both current research questions and professional examples.
Finally, in the fourth semester, these combined skills lead to self-guided research as reflected in the Master's thesis, which represents Module 12.
Teaching is carried out by the Institute of European Sport Development and Leisure Studies as well as the Institute of Sport History and other institutes at the German Sport University Cologne. External teaching staff from Europe and overseas also strengthen the international perspective of the degree programme.
Amongst others, the following researchers and practitioners have given a guest lecture or a complete seminar:
Approx. 310 EUR per semester
The admission requirements include the completion of a relevant Bachelor's degree with at least 180 credit points according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
The programme should have predominantly focused on (at least 90 credits) sports science, social sciences, humanities, culture, or economics. In terms of methodology, the major of the Bachelor's programme should reveal foundations of empirical social research and hermeneutics (at least > 10 CP) and in terms of content, historical or current socio-political sport or academic developments (must include at least > 25 CP).
All students must have a certification of sufficient English language proficiency. This must be provided by one of the following language test certificates:
There are exceptions, e.g. for native speakers and graduates holding a Bachelor's degree from a programme conducted in English and obtained at a university within the European Union or in a country where the official language is English.
Basic German language proficiency is recommended.
EU applicants: 15 July for the following winter semester
Non-EU applicants: https://www.dshs-koeln.de/english/studying-structure/full-time-studies/application-process/application-master/
The housing situation in student residences in Cologne is quite difficult. There are 5,000 spaces, and 10,000 students apply for these spaces each year. The German Sport University has a limited number of dormitory places on its campus. As competition for these places is very stiff, students should apply well in advance. For information and application, see: https://www.dshs-koeln.de/english/studying-structure/full-time-studies/accomodation/.
Rent for a single room in a student residence is approx. 250 EUR.
The average rent for a private room amounts to 355 EUR a month.
Further information can be obtained at https://www.dshs-koeln.de/english/studying-structure/full-time-studies/living-in-cologne/.
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