The Degree Programme in Physical Education provides you with skills to work as an expert of physical education and sports and in various educational, planning and development duties. The aim of physical education instruction is to promote holistic health and wellbeing and to develop sports services and environments. When working as a physical education instructor, you focus on active lifestyle and physical activity promotion, wellbeing, sports coaching and physical exercise instruction.
During the first year you learn the basics of physical education instructor’s work. The studies focus on the basics of human activity and physical exercise instruction. You study anatomy, the physiology of physical exercise and load and the basics of group instruction. You become familiar with health assessment and physical fitness testing. Also your language and communication skills strengthen during the first year.
The second year involves versatile studies of supporting active lifestyle and promoting holistic wellbeing. You learn various methods of physical exercise counselling, health-promoting physical activity and wellbeing promotion at work. You also practice instructing various physical exercise groups and producing exercise and sports events.
During the third year of studies you apply your professional skills in more demanding client situations of sports and lifestyle coaching. You strengthen your work-related skills by studying the development and marketing of sports services, sports tourism, entrepreneurship and management. In addition, you support your career planning through alternative professional studies and start the bachelor’s thesis.
During the last semester you strengthen your expertise in the last practical training by developing physical exercise environments and services. You complete the thesis process and present your thesis.
Each semester includes guided practical training, initially on your own campus indoors and outdoors (simulation environments, activity labs, learning projects) and later, as your studies progress, in different kind of exercise and sports activities and environments.
Alternative professional studies complement your skills according to your career plan and interests through professional studies, cross-curricular studies and entrepreneurship studies.
Optional studies allow you to enhance your expertise and professional strengths with your own choices. You can also choose courses from other degree programmes and universities of applied sciences.
The core competence studies in physical education (180 ECTS credits) consist of 15-30 ECTS credits modules which include the following:
Basics of physical exercise instruction
Basics of human functions
Supporting active lifestyle
Comprehensive wellbeing promotion
Coaching as processes
Research and development in sports and physical exercise
Sports tourism and entrepreneurship
Developing physical exercise environments and services
Bachelor's thesis
Complementary competence studies (30 ECTS credits) can be chosen from the advanced studies of physical education available, from Xamk’s interdisciplinary studies or from other universities of applied sciences.
You can complete the studies of physical education as full-time studies on Savonlinna Campus. The studies begin in the autumn 2020 and they last for about 3.5 years. They involve varying ways of learning from contact teaching to independent learning and group work, online studies, exams, workplace and other projects and hands-on learning
The studies include 50 ECTS of practical training of which 15 ECTS credits take place in various sports environments and in the campus activity laboratory. Practical training of 35 ECTS credits is carried out between the 3rd and 7th semesters out-of-campus. This includes instructing, coaching, producing and implementing sports events and services and developing sports environments. You can also carry out practical training in your hometown or municipality.
The beginning of the studies involves making a personal study and career plan, according to which you receive advice and support for making choices for example on your studies, clinical practice periods, bachelor’s thesis and their international aspect. The personal study plan helps you to plan your studies in the best way possible depending on the circumstances of your life. The skills you have acquired in the past can be recognised and accepted as part of your studies.
You can speed up your studies (independent track) for example through the skills you have previously acquired and by selecting online courses and by completing summer courses. In this case, you become familiar with the study material and complete the necessary learning tasks independently. You can also speed up your studies by carrying out clinical practice periods in the summer.
You can complete a course or module completely or partly in your workplace or project (blended track),
if you work in a physical exercise or sport organisation or in a company of the field or in a university project. In this case you demonstrate your skills through competence demonstrations whose extent depends on the learning goals of the specific course.
Bachelors of Sports Studies work as self-employed entrepreneurs or are employed by others, for example, by physical exercise and sports clubs and organisations, at schools and in sports activities. Their duties include expert, educational and project tasks and various design, management and supervisory tasks. The goal of their work is to promote clients’ wellbeing, active lifestyle, physical activity and experiential experiences.
The work of physical education instructors is to provide physical exercise instruction and counseling for people of different ages and groups. Depending on the workplace, the duties may also include, among others, testing and coaching or designing sports services and environments.
Skills needed in the work of physical education instructors include
• physical exercise pedagogy skills
• physical exercise didactic skills
• wellbeing coaching skills
• instruction and counseling skills
• entrepreneurship
• development and technology competences of sports sector
In order to develop professionally, physical education instructors follow the latest research and acquire further education.
Would your dream job be for example in
• municipal sport activities
• gyms
• sport or other organisations
• rehabilitation centers
• sports institutes
• nature and tourism activities
• your own sports company
• corporate sports
• occupational health care
• research or project work
• specialist positions
Read more about the work of physical education instructors on the website of TE Services.
Students of physical education are involved in research, development and innovation (RDI) projects. You can participate in RDI projects in different ways in connection with your courses and/or bachelor’s thesis. You learn to understand the meaning of RDI activities and the possibilities in the continuous development of working life. You learn to plan and implement innovative practices to develop working life in your field.
Xamk is involved in several research, development and innovation projects which develop services and products to promote the wellbeing of the population. Bachelor’s theses can be integrated to the regional RDI projects or they can offer knowhow or products to serve working life needs.
The studies of physical education are be carried out in various learning environments. Learning is supported by the problem-based learning (PBL) approach: The students work in small groups which are instructed to complete learning assignments related to the practice of physical education. You learn interaction, teamwork, self-management skills and responsibility which are needed when working as a physical education instructor.
Your learning environments are also different simulation environments, function labs and work-related projects on Savonlinna Campus as well as in Active Life Lab on Mikkeli Campus. Online learning and connections offer you flexibility in your studies which are not bound by time or place.
A significant part of studying takes place outside the classroom in working life during your clinical practice periods in the field of physical education and sports. You can choose your practical training environments and complete part of the practical studies abroad. In addition to the traditional work placement, you can participate in different working life projects.