Woman on a treadmill whose data is being measured

Sport Science: Performance & Health

Study information: German-taught master's programme
Woman on a treadmill whose data is being measured
Image: Adobe Stock/Gorodenkoff Productions
Key facts
Degree
Master of Science
Admission restriction
without admission restriction (without NC)
Duration
4 Semesters
Credits/ECTS
120
Teaching language
German
Tuition fee
None
Semester contribution
€ 272,65
Start of studies
Winter semester, Summer semester
Part-time possible
Yes
Institutions
Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Institute of Sport Science
Application & Deadlines

Programme summary

Focus

The Master of Science “Sport Science - Performance and Health” stands out due to its strong research focus. This includes an emphasis on advanced methodological knowledge and an orientation towards the international scientific state of the art.

Goal

The goal of this master’s programme is to impart relevant knowledge about scientific theories, models, methods and concepts that prepare the students for the work in research-focused occupational areas.

Qualifications

In alignment with the goals and principles of good scientific practice, students are encouraged to develop their own professional profile that allows them to

tap into current and future research-oriented occupational fields. In recent years it has become apparent that the national and international labour market is not anymore exclusively focussed on specific professions but is also searching for overarching skills and competencies. Therefore, in this master programme, students do not only acquire subject-specific knowledge but also profession-specific competencies that are paramount in research-oriented occupational fields.

Special features - why Jena?

The graduate programme Master of Science “Sport Science - Performance and Health” provides the opportunity to develop an individual research-oriented profile in the fields of performance and health and to obtain relevant professional competencies

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Holger Gabriel
Chair of Sports Medicine and Health Promotion, Dr. Christian Puta, Spokesperson of the programme

  • Postgraduate studies: The Master of Science is a postgraduate programme directed at students that have successfully obtained a bachelor's degree in social, natural or behavioural science or other related scientific fields.
  • Orientation towards empirical methods: Graduates are able to elaborate theories, generate evidence-based knowledge and to contextualize scientific data and models in the context of sports science.
  • Performance and Health: All lecturers involved in the programme are acknowledged experts within the fields of “Performance and Health”.
  • Varied working concepts: Graduates are able to generate scientific knowledge on their own and within a research team.
  • Science put into practice: Theoretical and methodological fundamentals are taught with relevance to practical application.
  • Evidence-based creativity: The close proximity to other disciplines and research areas fosters the ability to think and act creatively within a scientific context.

Programme structure

The Master of Science “Sport Science - Performance and Health” is a consecutive research-oriented study programme. The course consists of four semesters (120 ECTS) and eleven mandatory modules in which different teaching forms are offered (e.g. seminars, lectures and subject-specific practices). The modules are structured in such way that the workload is evenly distributed across the four semesters.

The study programme is further characterized by its interdisciplinarity. All chairs and departments of the Institute for Sports Science are represented in teaching, with the main emphasis being placed on modules given by the chairs for the Psychology of Human Movement and Sport, Sports Medicine and Health Promotion, Sports and Health Economics and Movement and Exercise Science.

The illustration Download (German)pdf, 35 kb · de shows the structure of the study programme and to what extent the central concepts (Performance, health, empirical methods and theory) are represented in each module. The figure shows a potential distribution of the modules throughout the four semesters, with the master thesis as the final module in the fourth semester.                                                                                              

Employability and career orientation

Professional competencies

The study programme is characterized by its strong research orientation. Students are able to develop both subject-specific and profession-specific competencies that are essential for the work in interdisciplinary scientific occupational fields. After their graduation they can independently concept research projects in their individual field of interest and implement evidence-based knowledge into practice. Instead of sport-specific practices, the programme focuses on imparting soft skills that qualify for the scientific labour market.

Occupational fields

With its Bachelor of Science and Master of Science programmes the University of Jena offers multiple opportunities to specialize in different scientific branches and to develop a professional profile.

In the following some potential occupational fields are outlined:

 Public sector

  • University affiliated (e.g. research, university administration, university hospitals)
  • Non-university affiliated (e.g. Max-Planck-Society, non-university research centers, academic support of professional sports, health insurance companies)
  • Further scientific qualification (PhD-Position)

Private commercial sector

  • IT-sector in the fields of performance and health (e.g. app development, data processing, database management, self-employment)
  • Development of measuring systems (e.g. collection, documentation and validation of health data
  • Sport administration (e.g. sport associations, olympic sports confederation)

10 reasons why to choose the Master of Science “Sport Science - Performance and Health” in Jena

There are many reasons that make the city of Jena and the Master of Science “Sport Science - Performance and Health” an attractive option for the next step in your educational journey. Do not forget, however, to check the German language requirements before considering an application.

  1. Attractiveness of the city

The close proximity of university facilities, sports facilities and the university hospital is what makes Jena an attractive city to study and live in. The short distances give students the chance to develop their individual interdisciplinary profile early on.

  1. Duration

Despite the high number of enrolled students (1.100 students), the Institute for Sports Science provides the opportunity for a timely graduation. The Institute for Sports Science achieved a leading place in the 2021 CHE-ranking with 92.2% of the bachelor’s students and 83.3% of the master’s students saying that the time they needed for graduation was appropriate.

  1. Consultation opportunities

The quantitatively balanced and close relationship of students and lecturers gives the students the opportunity to make use of competent advisory services throughout the course of their studies.

Advisory ServicesExternal link

  1. Participation in decision-making processes

The students’ opinions are represented in all important committees and boards of the university. Through the students’ council the students at the institute are able to participate in processes and to democratically contribute to decisions that concern aspects of their experience at university.

  1. High-quality teaching

The Institute for Sports Science and their study programmes undergo a regular quality control. Lectures are continuously monitored and regularly evaluated to improve learning outcomes and make sure that teaching goals are met.

  1. High-quality research

Multiple research projects in cooperation with interdisciplinary partners from other universities and non-university institutions prove the exceptional research orientation of the Institute for Sports Science. This is for instance demonstrated by the leading position in the category “publications per professor” the institute has taken in the 2018 CHE-rating.

  1. Settling-in period

First-year students receive optimal support to ease the process of settling in in their new environment. The university offers freshman days and special online services directed at students that are new at the university, which is why it took a leading position in the category “support at the beginning of the studies” in the 2021 CHE-rating.

  1. Alumni club

Staying in contact after graduation and providing support for each other beyond the time as a student is an important principle at the Institute for Sports Science. For this purpose, the Alumni-ClubExternal link organizes reunions, finds jobs and maintains the connection to the institute. 

  1. Sports Science in a modern city

The Institute for Sports Science combines expertise from all relevant scientific fields that offer the students the opportunity to pursue their own scientific career: natural-scientific, medical, pedagogic and socio-economic.

YoutubeExternal link

  1. Studying and living in Jena

Thomas Röhler, olympic gold medalist, describes his experiences living and training in Jena (German):

YoutubeExternal link

Admission requirements

  • University degree

    For this master's programme you need a subject-specific undergraduate degree (minimum 6 semesters/180 ECTS-Credits, final grade at least 1.9) or an equivalent degree with knowledge in Sports Science of at least 120 ECTS.

    Additional requirements:

    • At least 15 ECTS in methods of empirical social science and statistics
    • Exceptions for particularly qualified applicants (especially from foreign countries) are possible. In these cases admission is done under certain conditions.
  • Language requirements

    This master's programme requires the following language proficiencies:

    • All applicants: proficiency in English at level B1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
    • International applicants and Germans with international university entrance qualification certificates have to prove sufficient German language proficiency at minimum level DSH-2 (or a recognised equivalent [CEFR C1/C2], see below])

Application documents

  • CV

    Your CV should have a tabular form, containing key information on your school record and academic career.

  • University entrance qualification certificate

    Please upload at the online application system your university entrance certificate/school leaving certificate. Usually, this means the school graduation diploma (German "Abitur"), i.e. the diploma that makes you eligible for studies at an University or other institution for higher education. Be mindful of the fact that here, we do not need any University diploma but a High School diploma! 

  • Previous university degrees earned

    All previous University degrees (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, etc.) if available before the application deadline - if not, please make a note of the anticipated date of issue of your degree certificate. Please upload your University degree or the most actual, detailed transcript of records/ mark sheet of all semesters available to you, should you not hold your degree certificate at the time of application. The main document is the degree/ transcript based on which you apply for the master programme.

  • Corresponding transcripts

    Detailed transcript of records/ mark sheet of your first, subject-specific University degree, with which you apply for the master's programme (minimum requirement is the transcript/mark sheet up to the semester before the last). This transcript MUST contain an overall cumulative grade point average or average mark. If that is not the case, please ask your university to issue proof of a provisional average mark (should be at least 2.5).

    You need at least 140 credits (ECTS) by the time you apply. If possible, please mark all modules relevant to the admission requirements (see above).

  • Optional: supporting documents

    Should you have obtained subject-specific practical experience (e.g. by work, internships etc.), you can upload corresponding certificates in order to support your application.

Additional application documents for international students

  • Proof of German language proficiency

    For German taught master's programmes, i.e. programmes with (predominantly) German as language of instruction, a sufficient German language proficiency proof is mandatory. Please see the information on the language requirements for the master's programme of your interest on the corresponding website.

    The Friedrich Schiller University Jena accepts the following certificates as German language proficiency proof exclusively:

    • the Goethe-Zertifikat C2 (GDS),
    • the Deutsche Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz (DSD II),
    • the TestDaF, minimum TDN 4 in all four parts of the examination,
    • Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang (DSH), min. level 2 (= DSH-2),
    • Certificate telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule (min. level "befriedigend"),
    • a German language examination in the framework of an assessment test at a preparatory college.


    Please note: If you do not have the required mandatory German language proficiency proof at the time of applying, you may only apply if you can provide a certificate attesting your German language skills at least at level B2 (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) as well as a confirmation that you have either registered for the DSH examination, the TestDaF or an equivalent examination or that you have sat it and are going to receive the results before the end of the current semester.

    There is also the possibility to apply for the (chargeable) "German Language Course Preparing for the German Language Examination (DSH)" at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. Please note: Prerequisites for the application for the preparatory course are language skills at least at the certificate level B1 / GER (e.g. Goethe-Zertifikat B1, TestDaF at least 4x3 and/or 800 teaching units from a recognized language school). For detailed information on the application and further information, please visit the website of the International Office or contact the International Office directly via Mail.

    Shortly before taking the DSH-2-Examination or after successfully passing it, you are welcome to apply for a German taught master's programme!

    The following applicants are exempted from providing proof of their German language skills:

    • Applicants, who have obtained a German taught bachelor's degree within one of the following countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. This applies only to degrees that were awarded by a university in the relevant country (no satellite campuses or international branch campuses in other countries, no correspondence course degrees, no joint- or double-degrees with institutions in other countries);
    • Holders of a German, Austrian or Swiss (from school where the language of instruction is German) university entrance qualification.
  • Translation of foreign/external application documents

    Every mandatory application document from foreign/external countries must also be available in either English OR German translation. Such a translation has to be conducted by officially acknowledged/ sworn translators or translation offices.

  • Proof of grading system

    External/foreign degree certificates/ transcripts of records must contain information on the grading system (= description of the maximum grade possible and the minimum passing grade) used at the respective University. 

  • Certificate APS

    Applicants with degrees from India, Vietnam or China must submit the original APS-certificate issued by the German Embassy.

  • University entrance exam

    Applicants from the following countries must submit a certificate of their university entrance examination/college entrance examination:

    • Iran (College entrance examination certificate or certificate of pre-university course/year)
    • Republic of Korea/South Korea: SAT (Scholastic Ability Test)
    • People's Republic of China: College entrance examination certificate ("Gaokao")
Study Advisor - apl. Prof. Dr. Christian Puta

Office hours:
As agreed upon via e-mail/phone.

Master Service Centre

Office hours:
Telephone consultation:
Tuesday - Thursday
10 am - 11 am

Personal consultation:
Tuesday - Thursday
2 pm - 3 pm

Live chat:
mondays
10 am - 12 noon

Ticket enquiries via Service Desk at: www.uni-jena.de/service-msz

Postal address:
Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Master Service Centre (MSZ)
Fürstengraben 1
07743 Jena

Video chat: To the video chat – Zoom Videochat ZeitenTuesday - Thursday
3:15 pm - 4 pm
Password Master Data protection informationpdf, 101 kb

Central Student Advisory Service

Office hours:
We offer consultations in person, by telephone, and via Zoom. You can make an appointment by calling us on +49 3641 9-411111 (Mondays to Fridays from 9:00 to 11:00) or outside these office hours on +49 3641 9-411200. You can also use our remote help desk.

Consultation hours:
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (9:00 to 12:20), Tuesdays (14:00 to 18:00), and Wednesdays and Thursdays (14:00 to 16:00).

Video chat: To the video chat – Zoom Videochat ZeitenMondays to Fridays (12:30 to 13:00) Password ZSB2020 Data protection informationpdf, 101 kb

Student Service Centre

Opening hours:
Mondays (10:00 – 12:00)
Tuesdays (13:00 – 15:00)
Wednesdays (10:00 – 12:00)
Thursdays (13:00 – 15:00)
Fridays (10:00 – 12:00)

You can also use our remote help desk at
www.uni-jena.de/service-ssz
or send us your enquiries by post.

Telephone hours:
Mondays to Fridays
(9:00 – 11:00)

Postal address:
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Studierenden-Service-Zentrum
07737 Jena

International Office - Stay abroad

University Main Building
Fürstengraben 1
07743 Jena Google Maps site planExternal link