Educational goals

The Bachelor's Course in Sport and Exercise Sciences sets out to train graduates that will possess a high degree of scientific and technical competences in this field. This objective is achieved by having a sound knowledge base, supplemented by the performance of basic, core and related/supplementary educational activities. The graduate is trained to work in public and private facilities. In these settings he/she may deal with the management and running of sport and exercise activities, performed for compensatory, educational, recreational and sports purposes. These activities are geared towards the development and maintenance of psycho-physical well-being, both individual and group, among different age groups, promoting active lifestyles. The graduate will be able to develop, maintain and recover movement capabilities, taking into account factors such as age, gender and individual abilities, and adapting to different sports and settings. He/she will also be qualified to plan and manage specific physical exercise programmes for the prevention of postural dysmorphisms and sedentary-related pathologies. In order to train graduates with the required competences, the Course has the following specific educational objectives: - to provide an in-depth understanding of morphological, functional and physical aspects fundamental for analysing and interpreting the functioning of the human body in movement, and the impact of these aspects on all forms of physical and sporting activities. - to foster the acquisition of technical, teaching and methodological skills applicable to sport and exercise activities, with a focus on the functional assessment of human movement, both at individual and group level, and the planning of programmes designed to improve psycho-physical well-being and physical performance. - to provide a basic knowledge of pedagogical and psychological sciences, with a focus on theoretical and methodological contributions applicable to sport and exercise activities, adapting them to socio-cultural needs, the individual's stages of development and related learning processes. - to ensure knowledge of legal principles applicable to the sector, the organisation of sporting events and the regulations and structures governing sports bodies. - To offer an interdisciplinary education, in the biomedical, psycho-pedagogical, legal-sociological and sport-exercise spheres, in order to provide the knowledge needed to move on to Master's degree courses for physical education teachers in schools. In order to achieve the above-mentioned specific educational objectives, the Course is structured in such a way as to guarantee progress over the three years, following an educational path that initially emphasises basic aspects before moving on to more specific, practical skills. In the first year, students acquire the basic notions of bio-medical, psycho-pedagogical-sociological and sport-exercise subjects; this knowledge is furthered over the following two years, supplementing it with legal, economic and managerial competences. The Course is divided into four main areas: - Biomedical subjects, focusing on the acquisition and application of competences in the areas of human physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology and anatomy, with particular emphasis on the impact of this knowledge on sport and exercise activities in all their forms. - Psychological, sociological and pedagogical subjects, aimed at understanding the theoretical and methodological contributions of psychological and pedagogical sciences applicable to sport and exercise activities, adapting them to socio-cultural needs, the stages of development of individuals and the related learning processes. - Legal, economic and statistical subjects, aimed at understanding the principles of public and private law, the legal structure and organisation of sports bodies, and the organisation and running of sporting events. - Subjects centring on sport and exercise activities, for the acquisition and application of technical, teaching and methodological competences applicable to sport and exercise activities in all their forms. These subjects focus on the functional assessment of physical movement, the planning of programmes to improve psycho-physical well-being and physical performance, and the promotion of active lifestyles, both at individual and group level, adapted to different age groups. As regards sport- and exercise-related subjects, the different types of physical and sporting activities are examined in basic and core educational activities, with no predetermined separation of the various sports. These course subjects include hands-on activities over the three years of the course. hey are an essential component of teaching activities, fully contributing to the achievement of the course's specific educational objectives. These activities are organised by course subject lecturers, and are carried out at university facilities or at appropriate venues in terms of size, technical characteristics and number of students. The Course is designed to offer students comprehensive and integrated training that goes beyond the acquisition of basic competences applicable to sport and exercise activities. Specific in-depth studies are also encouraged through related and supplementary activities, enriching the educational pathway and supplementing basic studies with knowledge on specific aspects required for the Sport and Exercise Science graduate. Teaching in the areas of nutrition and engineering provides essential soft skills for all professional profiles. The Course also offers a wide range of elective subjects, enabling students to explore sport and exercise activities in compensatory, educational, recreational and sporting contexts. This programme flexibility allows the course to be customised to individual interests and professional objectives. The course includes internships undertaken at suitable authorised facilities both locally and as part of international agreements. These internships are designed to heighten the level of knowledge acquired on topics covered during the educational path and to acquire specific vocational abilities. The course has a final examination, designed to assess not only how much has been learned but also the student's powers of expression and concision. Finally, the Course offers graduates the opportunity to develop basic language skills in at least one European Union language, in addition to Italian, in their professional field. The Course aims to provide comprehensive training, preparing graduates to become highly qualified and versatile professionals in the field of sport and exercise sciences.

Career opportunities

General kinesiologist. The general kinesiologist can work in private practice and as an employee in: - sports clubs and sports promotion bodies; - public and private gyms; - local authorities and centres for the promotion of sport and exercise activities, both public and private; - not-for-profit organisations; - professional associations.

Admission requirements

Admission to the Course requires an upper secondary school diploma, as per current legislation, or an academic qualification obtained abroad and recognised as suitable by the competent bodies of the University. The knowledge required for admission to the Course includes basic concepts in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, general knowledge and the ability to reason logically. The ways of verifying this knowledge are set out in the course's Academic Regulations. If the applicant has knowledge gaps in some areas, additional studies will be assigned, which must be completed successfully within the first year of the course.