The 2nd Cycle in Sport Training of the Faculty of Sport of the University of Porto is a cycle of detailed studies in sport training. It offers the acquisition of knowledge and skills in the field of sport training to educate professionals with a high profile, qualified to work professionally as sport coach, to coordinate multidisciplinary technical teams and to prepare coaches. It also aims to promote the adoption of an inquiring attitude in the professional activity and the capacity for achieving a critical and proactive reflection in a demanding and plural professional environment.

It is a cycle of studies designed preferably for coaches already graduated (holders of a first cycle of an university), who seek not only to deepen their knowledge, but to elevate it to the current (and future) state of the art. Therefore, professional and scientific education areas are axiomatic domains of the curricular matrix of the course, seeking to highlight and promote the use of science and the daily production of new knowledge during training practice, as well as in competition. The main objectives of the 2nd Cycle in Sport Training of the Faculty of Sport of the University of Porto are to:

• raise the scientific, pedagogical and technical-professional qualification of academic graduates who intervene in sport training at any level and context of practice
• provide students with knowledge that allows to lead the orientation processes of teams and sport participants, focusing on the organization, planning, operationalization, evaluation and control of training and competition processes in different contexts and levels of sport practice
• provide future coaches with knowledge and skills to coordinate teams of experts from different disciplinary fields regarding youth and/or high performance sports.

Thus, the University of Porto, through the Faculty of Sport, confers the degree of Master in Sport Training in the Youth Training or High Performance Training branches, in accordance with the law, to students who demonstrate to:

• possess pedagogical and technical guidance skills in sport training in plural contexts
• have research skills regarding problems related to sport training and development of programs within its scope
• know how to apply knowledge, understanding and problem solving in new situations related to sport training
• be able to integrate knowledge, deal with complex issues, develop solutions or issue judgments in situations of limited information, including reflections on the ethical and social implications that result from these solutions or condition them
• to be able to communicate clearly their findings, the corresponding knowledge and reasoning, both to experts and to non-specialists
• possess self-oriented or autonomous learning skills, an indispensable requirement for scientific and professional development throughout their professional career.

Objectives

The 2nd Cycle in Sport Training comprises two branches: High Performance Training (especially oriented to the acquisition of knowledge and skills regarding the guidance of sport practitioners in advanced stages of development) and Youth Training (particularly focusing on the acquisition of knowledge and skills concerning the guidance of sport practitioners in early and intermediate stages of development). The 2nd Cycle in Sport Training (that leads to the Master degree) has 120 credits and a normal duration of four curricular semesters when on a full-time basis (it may be higher in the case of part-time enrolled students or working students).

The first year of the 2nd Cycle in Sport Training integrates a block of common curricular units for students from both branches and a second block of curricular units to be given separately to students from each of the two branches (during the first and the second academic semesters, respectively). The second year (60 ECTS) occurs in a tutorial regime, with option between scientific (by conducting a Dissertation) or professionalizing (through an Internship Report reflecting a coach activity in a club) approaches.

In the curricular unit Methodology of Sport of the second semester of the first year (in both branches of High Performance Training and Youth Training), concerning the specialization in one of seven sports (handball, athletics, basketball, soccer, gymnastics, swimming and volleyball), there may be a limit of vacancies. The selection criteria will be determined by the position obtained in the application to the 2nd Cycle in Sport Training. In the curricular unit Dissertation/Internship of the second year of the course, students opt for a path and there may be a limit of vacancies subject to the criteria related to the realization of the total number of curricular units and to the higher average obtained at the conclusion of the first year.

Fields of Specialization

Recognition made by the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth – IPDJ)

High Performance Training

Handball: full recognition of Grade III
Athletics: full recognition of Grade II
Basketball: recognition of the general component of Grade III and the specific component and stage of Grade II
Football: recognition of the general component of Grade III and the specific component and stage of Grade II
Swimming: full recognition of Grade III
Volleyball: full recognition of Grade III

Youth Training

Handball: full recognition of Grade II
Athletics: full recognition of Grade II
Basketball: full recognition of Grade II
Football: full recognition of Grade II
Swimming: full recognition of Grade II
Volleyball: full recognition of Grade II

Note: FADEUP awaits recognition of IPDJ for Sport Gymnastics

Employment Prospects

• Academic education recognized by the IPDJ for the profession activity of sport coach.
• Sport coach specialists of sports federations.
• Coordinators of sport technical teams

Sport coach degree recognition

Granted by the IPDJ in sports included in the study plan of the 2nd Cycle in Sport Training for each of the branches.

Information

The cycle of studies for the 2023/24 school year begins on October 9 and on September 11 for the 1st and the 2nd year of the course (respectively). In the first semester of the 1^st year the classes are taught together for both branches and in the second semester classes are taught separately. The 2nd year of the course operates in a tutorial regime, except for the curricular unit Preparation for the Dissertation/ Internship whose classes will be taught between 19 of september and 12 of october. The course time is set by school year and the 2023/24 classes will be help in person from monday to friday between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm in the facilities of the Faculty of Sport of the University of Porto. For the curricular unit "Preparation for the Dissertation/ Internship" the classes will start at 2:00 pm.

The evaluation is carried out continuously and through essays and tests, preferably during the classes activity (maintaining the possibility of performing two evaluation periods per curricular unit). The evaluation of the second year of the course is carried out in two curricular units: (i) “Preparation for the dissertation/internship”, with the evaluation being carried out continuously and through essays and tests (with the possibility of performing two evaluation periods) and (ii) “Dissertation/internship”, including the presentation and defense of the dissertation or internship report in the presence of a jury in one of the official normal, appeal and special for completion of the study cycle examination periods. The deadline for the delivery of final documents subject to public defence at each examination period will be fixed annually.

Comments

The 2nd Cycle in Sport Training includes a Master degree course that entitles to a diploma of "Master degree in Sports Training - High Performance Training" or "Master degree in Sports Training - Youth Training", consisting of an organized set of curricular units corresponding to half of the total credits of the study cycle (60 ECTS), to be carried out during the first two semesters of the 1^st year. A dissertation of an original scientific nature and specially carried out for this purpose or a vocational internship as a coach and its final report to be carried out during the 3rd and 4th semesters of the course, corresponding to half of the total course credits (60 ECTS).

Contacts

General information

Study Plan

Certificates

Predominant Scientific Areas

Previous Courses/Cycles of Study