Master of Arts Olympic Studies

The M.A. is a unique international part-time programme in Olympic Studies. It is a two year programme organised in six modules of six working days each and a thesis. The Olympic Studies Centre of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has contributed to the development of the academic project and the programme has the official patronage of the IOC.

The M.A. Olympic Studies implements a high-level, interdisciplinary curriculum in Olympic Studies, which fosters the links between the academic world and the Olympic world. It is delivered by a core network of international universities, including the German Sport University Cologne, Loughborough University, Autonomous University of Barcelona and the University of Kaiserslautern. The seminar weeks are held at Cologne and the teaching language is English.

The main objectives of the study programme are to:
Enhance the individual participant’s Olympic knowledge in social sciences and humanities
Promote the individual participant’s critical appreciation of the nature and significance of values in the advocacy and practice of Olympism, Olympic Sport and the Olympic Movement
Foster critical reflection on processes of continuity and transformation in the Olympic Movement and on the relationship between Olympism and Olympic practices and wider social contexts
Develop the individual participant’s capacity to undertake independent research on relevant areas of the Olympic Movement by using appropriate methodologies