Master’s degree in Science and Technique in Sport (LM-68)

Master’s Degree in Sport Science and Techniques – the Course in Brief

The master’s degree program in Sport Science and Techniques (Class LM 68) offers academic and professional training in the fields of professional and amateur sports activities that builds on the basic preparation and methodological-scientific, technical and didactic content of the first-cycle degree programs in the motor sciences.

The course is structured on the basis of extensive consultation with entities and organizations, including those already consulted as stakeholders for the bachelor’s degree in exercise science, that operate in sports and intend to make use of specialized workers with advanced training in exercise science. The objective of the course is not only to train new coaches, managers or technicians, but also to retrain and update those individuals already active in the sports sectors who, in the absence of adequate training, intend to align their professional careers with academic careers.

Therefore, the educational pathway aims to provide in-depth bio-medical, psychological, pedagogical, socio-legal knowledge and the most advanced knowledge of training theories, techniques and methodologies within the main categories of sports and according to specific classifications. Particular attention is then paid to nutritional aspects, the effects of exercise quality and intensity on health, knowledge of measuring instruments and methods of functional and sports performance assessment, the risks of overtraining, and the health risks produced by the use of performance-enhancing substances. Also addressed are the most relevant issues of sports organization, regulation and justice, both national and European, through the study of the set of legal rules of the sports system.

Thus, it is intended to equip students with the cultural tools necessary for sports training based on advanced scientific foundations and on appropriate and innovative methodological processes that enable them to design, organize and periodize training programs for special sports populations, with regard to different categories of athletes and as a function of age, gender and sports and organizational contexts.

The Master’s Degree in Sport Science and Techniques also aims to provide students with the tools to: confront and interact with other sports professionals by integrating and enriching their knowledge with that of related disciplines and contiguous professional fields; use the various modes of periodic updating on issues relevant to the practice of the profession; and broaden their cultural background through consultation and critical analysis of the literature in the field.

So that it is possible to develop, and later verify, the ability to transfer the knowledge and skills acquired by students during the destruction course, particular importance is attached to the internships that are expected to be carried out at specific facilities suitable for the different profiles and sporting contexts. In this sense, the study and work programs are prepared and make use of the technical contribution and educational collaboration of professionals in the world of sports from the major national and European sports federations and organizations.

Finally, the final paper, as a moment of verification of the learning outcomes expected for the study program, is designed to ascertain the student’s ability to deal with a critical review of the literature, that is, to draft a work project also with an experimental approach, to analyse case studies with knowledge and judgment, in an autonomous, original and innovative way.

The master’s degree course, therefore, represents a high degree of training at the end of which it is possible to orient oneself both towards the practice of highly qualified sports professions and towards further academic development within the doctoral paths.

Admission to the Master’s Degree in Sport Science and Techniques is by programmed number and is subject to passing an interview and a test to ascertain possession of the prerequisites necessary to deal with a higher-level university preparation.

Master’s Degree in Sport Science Online.

Unicusano’s master’s degree program in Sport Sciences is designed for predominantly online delivery, perfect for worker-students or students unable to attend traditional universities due to distance from the university or incompatibility with their schedules.

On the e-learning platform you will have at your disposal 24 hours a day the entirety of the teaching materials as well as the possibility to follow the lectures whenever you want and wherever you are. In this way, it will be possible to reconcile the time you have to devote to study with your needs, so that you can finally earn your master’s degree in Sport Sciences. Thanks to Unicusano you can study online and take exams wherever you want, thanks to the many locations throughout the territory.

Niccolò Cusano University is the best choice for those who want to secure an absolute quality education by taking full advantage of the potential of digital.

Professional profile and expected employment and career outlets for Sports Science and Technology graduates

Instructors of non-competitive sports Disciplines-Coaches and sports technicians

Function in a work setting:

• technical direction in all sports organizations;
• technical-sports training and instruction in the areas of competitive sports;
• physical-athletic preparation in the areas of competitive sports;
• instruction of non-competitive sports disciplines for initiation into sports practice;
• analysis of sports performance.

Competencies associated with the function:

• plan, design, schedule, coordinate, and direct programs of technical-sport activities in consideration of the age, gender, psycho-physical state of the athlete, organizational and social context, and with special regard to ethical aspects and sports loyalty;
• confront, collaborate, and be able to work as a team with other professionals in sports-related fields;
• use methods of consultation and periodic updating on issues relevant to the practice of the profession through the analysis of industry literature;
• apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the course of education;
• properly convey techniques and methods of work using professional language appropriate and adequate to the context.

Employment outlets:

• technical director in all sports organizations;
• sports coach and technician in the areas of competitive sports;
• coach and technician of competitive sports activities for the disabled;
• physical and athletic trainer in the areas of competitive sports;
• physical and athletic trainer in competitive sports activities for the disabled;
• instructor of non-competitive sports disciplines for initiation into sports practice;
• competition and sports performance analyst in sports clubs and societies.

The master’s course in sport science prepares for the profession of (ISTAT codes):

• Non-competitive sports instructors – (3.4.2.4.0)
• Sports observers – (3.4.2.5.2)
• Sports coaches and technicians – (3.4.2.6.1)

Knowledge required for admission

Admission to the master’s degree program in Sport Sciences is subject to the possession of specific requirements ascertained through the evaluation of the study curriculum, educational activities carried out and credits acquired in previous courses of study. Possession of adequate preparation is also verified through an entrance test.

The fully recognized first-level curriculum is that of the degree in Classes: L22 ex DM 270/04; L33 ex DM 509/99 and ISEF Diploma, also obtained abroad and recognized as suitable on the basis of the minimum curricular requirements of the course.

Students who come from degree classes other than those fully recognized for access to the master’s course, at the time of selection must possess the basic knowledge necessary to acquire the more advanced notions transmitted within the training course. This knowledge constitutes the compulsory curricular requirements, is evaluated through the certification of the exams taken and the corresponding credits, and is quantified in 55 credits distributed as follows:

Motor-Sport Scope 30 credits:

• SSD M-EDF/01 -15 credits
• SSD M -EDF/02 – 15 credits

Bio-medical Scope 15 credits:

• SSD BIO/16 Human Anatomy 5 credits.
• SSD BIO/10 Biochemistry 5 credits
• SSD BIO/09 Physiology – 5 credits

Psychological Pedagogical Scope 10 credits:

• SSD M-PED/01 General Pedagogy – 5 credits
• SSD M-PSI/01 General Psychology 5 credits

Specific educational objectives of the Master’s Degree Course in Sport Science and Technology and description of the course of study

The objective of the master’s degree course in Sport Science is to create coaches, managers, sports technicians and, at the same time, retrain and update those individuals already active at various levels in the sports sectors who, in the absence of adequate training, intend to increase and improve their knowledge by aligning their professional career with the academic one.

The training objectives of the course, therefore, are identified in the training of professional figures involved in the planning, programming, coordination and direction of technical-sport activities in the various sectors of professional, amateur and amateur activities, in which there is a highly qualified competitive sports practice that requires a high degree of psycho-physical commitment.

Consistent with the contents of the degree courses of the first cycle of Motor Sciences, it is intended to equip students with the cultural tools necessary for a sports preparation based on advanced scientific, technical and didactic foundations and on adequate and innovative methodological processes that enable them to design, organize and periodize training programs for special sports populations, with regard to different categories of athletes and according to age, gender, disabilities and organizational contexts.

For these reasons, the educational pathway aims to provide the most advanced knowledge of the theories, techniques and methodologies of training in the main categories of sports disciplines, in-depth biomedical, psychological, pedagogical knowledge and elements of legal, economic and social knowledge to train, guide and coach the athlete, both individually and in groups at all stages of sports life, from youth to competitive maturity.

Considering the need to subdivide the course of study into the two years according to criteria of propaedeuticity, it is believed that in the first year of the master’s cycle it is necessary to recall, deepen and further develop the methodological and scientific foundations of motor sciences acquired in the first cycle of study while, in the second year, in addition to integrating the preparation with the other disciplinary knowledge and skills of the class, it is considered important to narrow the focus of training on more applied and professionalizing aspects.

In this perspective, the course of study in Sports Science and Techniques provides in the first year training activities aimed at deepening the knowledge of the biomedical area related to sports activity, the protection and recovery of the athlete’s health, the dissemination of correct behavior in the field of hygiene and health, with particular attention to nutritional aspects, the effects of the quality and intensity of exercise on health, the risks of overtraining, the health risks produced by the use of substances aimed at improving performance, while respecting sports loyalty. Therefore, knowledge of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Applied Sports Biology, Medicine and Endocrinology, and Sports Biomechanics and Traumatology are deepened.

Also in the first year, within the area of motor and sports disciplines, there will be an advanced study of performance models, according to the Theory and Methodology of Training of Sports Disciplines, and techniques for designing, conducting, prescribing and managing technical-tactical training and physical preparation in the main categories and according to the specific classifications of the different sports disciplines.

In the second year, again within the area of motor and sports disciplines, the specific teachings of Athletic Preparation are addressed, proceeding with the deepening of knowledge of methods, techniques and tools for measuring sports performance, for the functional assessment of the athlete, his or her aptitude and sporting talent, and for proper individualized design and programming of the training process. In support of these training activities, skills in the use of modern information technologies and tools of sporting interest, functional for the development of new strategies, techniques and tactics, are enhanced.

Psychological, educational and relational aspects, related to the themes of the psycho-pedagogical area and connected to the right of citizenship in sports and the more general processes of inclusion, are therefore covered in the teachings of Psychology and Sports Coaching, Special Pedagogy and Disability, respectively. These are complemented by the teachings of History and Sports Communication.

Through the teaching of the Law of Sports Order also, the most relevant issues of sports organization, regulation and justice, both national and European, are addressed through the study of the complex of legal rules of the sports system.

Additional skills are acquired through training activities dedicated to research methodology, which enable the master’s graduate to adopt a correct experimental approach to specific activities both technical-sporting and management and programming.

At the end of the course of study, the master’s degree graduate will be able to move toward the practice of highly qualified sports professions or toward further academic development within doctoral programs.

All knowledge will be acquired through in-person and distance learning lectures, laboratory activities, practical exercises, visits to high-preparation sports centres and corporate centres to observe and analyse state-of-the-art working methodologies, research and in-depth study activities on course-specific topics, individual study, and case studies. The training activities also include a share of credits allocated for participation in seminars, internships, workshops and moments of public discussion in which it will be possible to discuss the topics covered in the classroom to develop the capacity for critical processing of knowledge.

These activities will also be supplemented with moments of meetings and testimonies of personalities from the world of professional sports (presidents of clubs, representatives of the bodies of the National Sports Federations, athletes and sports professionals, sports journalists) that aim to enrich, in terms of experience, the reflections and scientific insights of the topics under consideration.

It is therefore intended to provide the student with the tools to: confront and interact with other sports professionals by integrating and enriching their knowledge with that of related disciplines and contiguous professional fields; use the various methods of periodic updating on issues relevant to the practice of the profession; and broaden their cultural background through consultation and critical analysis of the literature in the field.

In addition, in order to enable the development of the ability to apply and transfer the knowledge and skills acquired by students during the destruction course, a share of training is provided through internships, to be carried out at specific facilities suitable for the different profiles and sports contexts. In this sense, also thanks to conventional agreements, the study and work programs will be prepared and will make use of the technical and educational contribution of professionals from the world of sports from the major national and European sports federations and organizations.

The attainment of knowledge will be verified through written and/or oral tests, reports, outcomes of laboratory activities, exercises, intermediate evaluation tests, and final project work, all of which will be carried out within the framework of the different teaching modules and at the end of the training activities.

Ultimately, the final paper, as a moment of verification of the learning outcomes expected for the study program, is designed to ascertain the student’s ability to deal with a critical review of the literature, that is, to draft a project work also with an experimental approach, to analyse case studies with knowledge and judgment, in an autonomous, original and innovative way. Due to the relevance of the educational and evaluative value recognized to the final exam, a substantial number of credits is attributed.

The master’s degree course in Sport Sciences aims to achieve, as already highlighted, an educational pathway that will allow, on the one hand, to prepare, update and retrain fully competent and specialized professionals to operate at medium-high levels in the world of competitive and professional sports and, on the other hand, to allow further career development with access to subsequent PhD paths.

Expected Learning Outcomes.

Knowledge and understanding skills

Motor-Sports Area.

 

At the end of the course, the graduate will be able to know the theory of training, the different models of sports performance and the related means and methods of training, as well as the principles of programming and periodization of sports training and athletic preparation according to age and type of sports practice. He/she will also be able to know the tools for measuring sports performance and methods of functional assessment of the athlete, as well as the methods and tools for monitoring the training process.

 

The graduate will also be able to understand the relevant scientific literature with thematic insights into sports training theory. With knowledge integrated with the disciplinary field of special education, the graduate will also be able to understand the implications of competitive training under conditions of disability.

 

This knowledge and understanding skills will be achieved and verified essentially through the training activities carried out in the area of Motor and Sports Disciplines, SSD M-EDF/02. The attainment of this knowledge will be verified through written and/or oral tests, reports, outcomes of laboratory activities, intermediate assessment tests, and project work, all performed within the framework of the different teaching modules.

 

Biomedical Area

 

Biomedical area teachings related to SSDs BIO/10, BIO/14, BIO/13, MED/09, MED/13, MED/33, ING-INF/06, will provide an understanding of biological and biochemical processes related to sports practice and metabolic adaptations induced by high psychophysical commitment training; joint, muscular and functional anatomy of the major joints and the main methods of re-education and re-adaptation to sports practice following injuries and overload trauma; the physiological and biomechanical model of the different sports specialties and the responses to exercise of the cardiovascular, respiratory and neuromuscular systems during adaptation and recovery; the basics of human nutrition as applied to sports practice; the effects of training on the neuro-endocrine system and adaptive responses as a function of different types of sports discipline; health risks to the athlete and prevention factors in sports environments; health effects and risks produced by the use of performance-enhancing substances; and the characteristics and medical and health implications related to exercise and sports under conditions of disability.

 

Pedagogical and Psychological Area.

 

At the end of the course, knowledge will be acquired on the main educational and psychological issues, both individual and group, to understand their implications in the design and implementation of sports programs.

 

The pedagogical and didactic foundations of sports practice will be acquired and their implications in the transmission of ethical values understood, with particular reference to the prevention of behavior aimed at sports fraud; methodological and didactic knowledge for the development and promotion of integration processes in sports activities under conditions of disability will also be learned. The teachings of SSD M-PED/03 will be used to achieve this knowledge.

 

Psychological aspects, on the other hand, covered in the teachings of SSD M-PSI/05, will be necessary for the knowledge and understanding of the dynamic phenomena of the establishment and development of group life in team sports, psychological processes related to individual sports, psychological processes related to motivation and the drop out phenomenon, as well as for the understanding of the dynamic phenomena related to the coach-athlete relationship and the effects produced by different leadership styles.

 

Sociological and Legal Area

 

Thanks to the teachings of SSD IUS/09, it will be possible to learn the general principles and basics of the complex of legal regulations of the sports system, both at the national and European level, and the principles of organization, regulation, sports justice and health safety.

 

Knowledge will also be acquired regarding general and disciplinary sports regulations, the main rules on health safety in sports facilities and anti-doping regulations, also based on what has been learned, with regard to the doping issue, with the teachings of the sectors of the biomedical area.

 

At the end of the master’s course of study in Sport Sciences, the graduate will also have acquired knowledge of public and institutional, corporate and advertising communication processes related to sport and aimed at managing relations with institutions and associations (SSD SPS/08).

 

Additional knowledge will concern the use of information technologies and tools of sports interest, functional for the development of new strategies, techniques and tactics, thanks to the teachings of the ING-INF/06 and INF/01 sectors.

 

All knowledge and skills are acquired through in-person and distance classes, laboratory activities, practical exercises, research activities, and individual study.

 

Attainment of this knowledge is verified through written and/or oral tests, reports, outcomes.

 

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding

 

Motor-Sport Area

 

At the end of the course, the graduate will have acquired the ability to analyse and apply the most advanced training methodologies to program individual and/or group sports activities.

 

He/she will be able to adapt different models of sports training and prescribe exercise by appropriately grading programs and workloads according to the athlete’s gender, age, physical condition, abilities and other specific characteristics. He/she will also be able to: prevent and reduce the incidence of injuries related to motor and sports practice and promote the full recovery of the athlete; use the tools for measuring sports performance and functional evaluation of the athlete and to analyse competitions and sports performance at professional and amateur clubs and societies; and evaluate the quality and adequacy of sports facilities deputed to the conduct of competitive training activities.

 

In addition, he/she will have the necessary skills to conduct reviews and thematic insights into sports training theory.

 

Biomedical Area.

 

The graduate will have acquired the ability to apply the knowledge acquired in the biomedical area to design, conduct, and manage training programs by identifying the limits of individual performance based on the evaluation of physiological, biological, and anthropometric parameters. To this end, he/she will also be able to use the main tools of functional assessment of the athlete as well as to assess the quality and adequacy of sports facilities from a hygienic-sanitary point of view, with a view to preventing injuries and health risks for the athlete.

 

Pedagogical and Psychological Area

 

On the basis of the knowledge acquired, the graduate will be able to manage training programs with attention to individual and group cognitive, dynamic and relational aspects; he/she will be able to orient the athlete in individual choices related to the programming of sports life, respecting his/her levels of personal mental, relational and emotional-affective growth. With this in mind, he/she will be able to implement useful strategies to counter and prevent the phenomenon of dropping out, creating a favorable organizational climate and stimulating the athlete’s perception of self-competence.

 

He/she will be able to develop training programs and competitive sports activities for the disabled, fostering and promoting the right of citizenship and using sports as a vehicle for social inclusion.

 

Sociological and Legal Area

 

In order to stimulate the athlete’s self-regulation in sporting behavior, the master’s degree graduate will be able to transmit to the athlete knowledge of the rules governing sporting activity as well as anti-doping rules, illustrating the disciplinary sanctions resulting from misconduct related to the use of illicit substances. He/she will also be able to inform athletes about the risks consequent to misuse of sports equipment and facilities. The graduate will be able to lead and manage organizations operating in competitive sports and manage public communication processes.

 

The student’s ability to understand and apply the concepts and methods acquired will also be achieved through laboratory activities, practical exercises, visits to highly prepared sports centres and corporate centres to observe and analyse the most advanced working methodologies, research and in-depth activities on specific course topics, case studies, participation in seminars, internships, workshops and moments of public confrontation in which it will be possible to discuss the application in different contexts of the knowledge acquired. These activities will also be supplemented with moments of meeting with personalities from the world of professional sports (club presidents, representatives of the bodies of National Sports Federations, athletes and sports professionals, sports journalists) as testimonials of the practical experience inherent in the topics under consideration. On these occasions, discussion and confrontation will be useful to develop the ability to understand and critically process knowledge and to strengthen the ability to contextualize sports training programs by analysing and relating their characteristics and variables. These skills will be tested through written reports and practical tests, internships, simulations of training sessions, to be carried out with the help of tutors, during which the ability to plan and manage individual and group motor activities will be assessed.

 

Ultimately, the final paper, as a moment of verification of the learning outcomes expected for the program of study, is designed to contribute significantly to the student’s training process.

 

Making judgment

 

On the basis of the acquired knowledge, the graduate will have attained critical and interpretative skills to make observations and judgments that enable him/her to make educational and methodological choices with full autonomy.

 

In particular, he or she will be able to:

 

• analyse the quality, value and significance of training programs, educational strategies, materials and methodologies adopted, with the ability to discriminate according to age, type of sport discipline, sport objectives, periods and phases of training, psycho-physical condition and other specific characteristics of the athlete;
• recognize the characteristics of the sporting, organizational and social context, identify any critical situations, both from the technical and psychological point of view, and be able, on the basis of the acquired knowledge, to choose the most appropriate modes of intervention.

 

To achieve these objectives, during the laboratory activities and at the end of the internship, the student will be assigned the task of developing and drafting autonomously individual and/or group projects on specific issues, contextualized according to specific characteristics of the users, in which the objectives and methodology adopted are specified, the results elaborated and discussed, and the relevance of the study is exposed.

 

Autonomy of judgment will be assessed by considering the student’s ability to elaborate and propose personal and original solutions to the problems posed by the task.

 

Communication skills

 

The graduate student will be able to:

• adequately communicate the aims and methods of carrying out the work by adopting professional language appropriate to the educational and sports context;
• involve, motivate and reassure individual users or the group in all phases of the implementation of sports activities, trying to stimulate conscious adherence and active participation in the work project;
• manage the interpersonal relationships that characterize the different individual and team sports disciplines, finalizing them to the achievement of the sports result in an atmosphere of communication, collaboration and fair-play;
• adequately exhibit independently developed projects at conference communications, or as part of seminars, workshops, moments of public discussion;
• adequately exhibit their professional skills in order to facilitate their placement in the world of work.

 

These skills will be sought and acquired during the course of the training activities, assigning the student the task of developing, drafting and exhibiting individual and/or group projects on specific issues. The same skills will then be assessed mainly in the context of examination papers and in the exposition and discussion of the dissertation.

 

Learning skills

 

Upon completion of the coursework, the master’s degree graduate will be able to:

• conduct a critical review of scientific literature in the disciplinary fields of motor sciences to carry out methodological-scientific, technical and educational surveys, studies and research;
• use search engines specific to sports and biomedical and psycho-pedagogical fields for related topics;
• use the various ways of periodic updating on issues relevant to the practice of the profession, whether through participation in study conferences, seminars, specific courses and internships, or through the analysis of literature; and
• learn the latest and most advanced technical knowledge and working methods of the motor and sports field;
• to compare themselves with practitioners from other professional fields in order to update and integrate the knowledge developed in other scientific fields that present affinities with their own profession, in an interdisciplinary perspective;
• cultivate broader scientific and cultural interests to support and complement their professional profile and as personal enrichment.

 

To achieve these objectives, the student will be stimulated to participate in study meetings and moments of public discussion, to perform short reports and papers during the course of the training program, and to perform literature reviews on topics freely chosen or proposed by the lecturer.

 

The same skills will then be assessed in the examination papers and in the exposition and discussion of the dissertation.

 

– Final Examination

 

The final examination is one of the moments of verification of the learning outcomes expected for the study program and constitutes in itself a significant moment of the training process as it allows to ascertain:

 

• the knowledge acquired by the student in the context of the different learning units;
• the skills of understanding and reworking of knowledge;
• the autonomy of judgment and the critical and interpretative skills necessary to formulate judgments and reflections;
• the communication skills to expound their observations clearly, organically and fluently;
• the ability to conduct a literature search, critical review of scientific literature in the subject areas of motor sciences and discuss the results;
• the ability to use search engines specific to sports and biomedical and psycho-pedagogical fields for related topics;
• the ability to define a project based on observation, analysis and description of a problem and to formulate an experimental hypothesis by defining methods of detection and interpretation of results.

 

Optional subject