Bachelor's Degree
objectives
The goal of the MS Bachelor’s degree is to train professionals in the management and organization of physical and sports activities for all types of participants (children, adolescents, adults, seniors, and people with disabilities) across various sports-related sectors, with a particular focus on three areas: sports associations(sports federations, leagues, clubs…), public bodies (local governments), and private organizations involved in sports and event management.
OVERVIEW
The MS Bachelor’s degree is an interdisciplinary program. On the one hand, it combines courses in science, sports, and management; on the other hand, within these areas, it covers all disciplines of management science (as well as economic and legal skills). It prioritizes career readiness by placing a strong emphasis on internships (offered every semester). It ensures student success, notably through the implementation of tutoring. It incorporates the use of modern languages each year. Some members of its teaching staff promote TOEIC certification through a complementary university diploma. A link to research training is established through an introduction to epistemology. Since the 2024–25 academic year, courses on ecological transition have been incorporated.
COURSE STRUCTURE
The MS Bachelor’s degree program is structured in a funnel-like format: the first year (L1) consists solely of core courses, followed by a management specialization that begins in the second year (L2) and expands in the third year (L3), eventually making up the majority of the curriculum in that final year. Two tracks (to choose from) are offered to third-year MS students: Business and Sports Recreation on the one hand, and Local Public Service (shared with the ES Bachelor’s program) on the other.
CAREERS
A significant proportion (between 15 and 25% depending on the year) of students in the Bachelor’s in Sports Science program do not enter through the first year of the Sports Science program at Montpellier but instead join the program directly in the second or third year. These students come mainly from other STAPS departments (whether or not they offer a management specialization), from IUTs (GEA, Tech de Co), or from the DEUST ACSS program, and more rarely from BTS programs, preparatory classes, or the Campus France pathway.
PROFESSIONALIZATION
The natural career path for students enrolled in the FPT track is to join the local civil service by passing an entrance exam for which the program prepares them (ETAPS, CTAPS). Students enrolled in the Business and Recreational Sports track, on the other hand, are prepared to manage sports facilities and/or infrastructure (whether for-profit or nonprofit). Their career paths are diverse: distribution, event management, fitness, sports recreation and tourism, administration within professional sports clubs, (digital) communication, marketing… In recent years, a growing number of students entering the job market have chosen to broaden their horizons by joining organizations that are not necessarily part of the sports sector.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Students wishing to pursue a master’s degree have numerous opportunities to do so and are regularly accepted into a wide range of master’s programs. Notable examples (based on the past 10 years) include our in-house Master’s in Sports Tourism Management, as well as 8 master’s programs offered by MOMA and 4 by the IAE in Montpellier. In addition, many of our alumni have earned their Master’s degrees at one of the 21 leading French universities and/or IAEs outside of Montpellier. Finally, for the past decade or so, approximately 4 to 5 students each year have also continued their studies at an institution that is a member of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles.