Objectives of the Degree Programme
The objective of the Sports and Leisure Management Degree Programme is to provide both Finnish and international students with a high quality, practical yet academic training in the field of sports. The programme emphasises the development of sports and exercise skills and competence particularly required in health-promoting physical exercise, business and activity tourism. Students professional competence will be built upon a multidisciplinary knowledge base, as well as practical and interpersonal skills. They will also be able to operate within different kinds of working groups and networks.
Graduates will be qualified to seek employment in sports and leisure organisations, associations, clubs, businesses and in a field of tourism and they will possess the know how to run their own sports and leisure enterprises. Upon completion of the required 210 credits within three and a half years, graduates are awarded a Bachelor of Sports Studies and are entitled to use the professional title of Sports Instructor.
The degree programme consists of basic studies, professional studies and free choice studies. An essential part of the studies are also two periods of practical training. Part of the studies can be completed abroad.
Learning Environment
The learning environment at Kajaani University of Applied Sciences actively encourages the achievement of the stated objective by providing:
-A programme that is both responsive and flexible to the needs of students
-A programme that is both challenging yet supportive
-An international atmosphere.
Learning Strategies
Because of the nature of the programme, the learning strategies employed to achieve its objectives are varied; depending on the subject they may include: lectures, PE demonstrations, seminars, individual tutorials, workshops, case study, group work, project work and research.
The language of instruction is English and the courses are taught by Kajaani University of Applied Sciences’ own academic staff and a resource of guest lecturers from partner institutions. Interactive learning, team-based course work and small group sessions form an important element of the learning process of the Degree Programme in Sports and Leisure Management.
1st year. Orientation.
Students will gain an overall understanding of physical education and their own attitude towards their selected professional field as well as of the demands of physical exercise and coaching.
2nd year. Action.
Students will plan, implement and assess supervised exercise for different target groups taking into account the skills based, knowledge based and educational goals of exercise.
3rd year. Health Enhancing, Tourism, Business awareness and Depth.
Students will be able to plan goal and customer oriented coaching and exercise programs, with the ability to justify their actions in their capacity of sports instructors and coaches.
4th year. Competent and Capable of Development.
Students will develop the field of physical exercise independently by networking with different
operators in the field and other cooperation bodies.
The universities of applied sciences together with representatives from working life have determined the skills, i.e. competences that a university of applied sciences graduate is expected to have.
Competences are comprehensive areas of knowledge and skill that describe the graduate’s level of qualification, achievement potential and their ability to accomplish the work associated with their selected profession. Competences are divided into degree-programme specific (professional) and generic competences. Generic competences are common to the degree programmes offered by all fields; however their special features and significance may vary in different professions and professional tasks. The generic competences create the foundations for working as a professional, cooperating and the ability to develop one’s own expertise.
Learning Competence
• is able to evaluate and develop one’s competence and learning methods
• is able to retrieve and analyze information and evaluate it critically
•is capable of taking responsibility for collaborative learning and sharing knowledge in teams
Ethical Competence
• is able to take responsibility for one’s own actions and for the consequences of these actions
• is able to work according to the ethical principles of the subject field
• is able to take other people into account
• is able to apply the principles of equality
• is able to apply the principles of sustainable development
• is able to wield influence in society using acquired skills and basing all activity on ethical values
Working Community Competence
• is able to operate as a member of a work community
• is able to operate in communicative and interactive situations in working life
• is able to utilize information and communications technology in one’s subject field
•knows the working life in one’s subject field and is able to create personal contacts in working life and to operate in professional networks
•is capable of decision making in unpredicted situations
•is able to apply the principles of organizational management and leadership in working life and has abilities for managerial tasks
•possesses entrepreneurial skills
Innovation Competence
•is able to conduct research, development and innovation projects applying the existing knowledge and methods of the field
•is able to work in projects
•is capable of creative problem solving and development of working methods
•is able to find customer-oriented, sustainable and profitable solutions
Internationalization Competence
•possesses communicative competence necessary for one's work and for professional development in the subject field
•is able to collaborate in a multicultural environment
•understands the effects of and opportunities for internationalization development in one's own field
COMPETENCE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
-Ability to manage the fundamental knowledge and skills required in the most common physical activities and to apply them when instructing different target groups
-Demonstration of the possession of fundamental knowledge required in special needs education
-Understanding of the value of various physical activities as a tool for developing motor skills, physical qualities, and self-expression
COMPETENCE IN HEALTH PROMOTING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND COACHING
-Demonstration of a fundamental knowledge of anatomy and physiology and the ability to apply when teaching different types of target group
-Competence in the mechanisms of physical activity, the fundamentals of testing and training planning / coaching programs
-Proficient knowledge of the factors affecting human growth, development, and social behaviour as well as the ability to take them into consideration during physical activity
-Demonstration of the ability to plan and instruct health promoting physical activities
-Demonstration of expertise in health enhancing physical activity
COMPETENCE IN PEDAGOGY AND DIDACTICS
-Demonstration of ability to use a variety of different instruction and teaching methods as well as goal setting with different target groups
-Management of planning, execution, and evaluation of extensive modes and modules of teaching
-Demonstration of ability to use physical education for the benefit of supporting and providing education in human growth and development
-Instruction expertise and the ability to utilise learning concepts based on personal values and level of knowledge in physical education
COMPETENCE IN AREAS OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE INVOLVING LEADERSHIP AND ENTERPRISE
-Ability to manage developmental visions in physical activity culture and services as well as to improve the status of physical education in society
-Demonstration of the ability to work in a variety of different expert and executive tasks in physical education
-Proficiency in the different enterprise opportunities in physical education and in starting a small business
COMPETENCE IN ACTIVITY TOURISM
-Ability to plan, implement and commercialise healthy, safe and profitable activity tourism services to promote customer well-being
-Ability to develop leisure or occupational recreation related activity tourism service environments and networks
-Ability to develop regional strengths and improve regional impact on activity tourism
-Ability to produce genuine, tailor-made experiences of adventure for customers.
-Ability to recognise the main learning concepts and methods and can plan, implement and assess exercise instruction situations
-Ability to describe the effects of exercise on health
-Ability to understand the significance of the contents of activity tourism (e.g. nature, culture, exercise and food) as a source of well-being.
