Sport Sciences

The master's programmes Sport Sciences and Human Movement Sciences will start for the final time in September 2026. Each programme will admit a maximum of 10 students. How can you identify the top athletes of the future? How do you optimise athletic performance and prevent injuries? What influence does physical activity have on a child's development? How do people use vision to control their actions?The selective two-year Master's programme is meant for students with a scientific fascination for sport. You will study sports performance and physical activity from multiple perspectives, using theories about cognition, psychology and physiology. This could be sports on a recreational or athlete level. As a student of this selective programme, you will acquire an advanced understanding of both applied and fundamental issues in the field of sport sciences. You will practice in measuring and analysing sports performance and gain familiarity with research methods and advanced statistics. Also, you will learn to develop optimal programmes to teach and train sport-related abilities and skills. The programme is concentrated around four research areas:* Physical activity and cognition in children.* Talent identification and development.* Perception, action and decision making in sports* Performance analysis and optimisation in (top)sports and how to prevent injuries.

Founded in 1614, the University of Groningen is the second oldest university in the Netherlands with over 33,000 students. Known for its vibrant student city atmosphere (1 in 4 residents is a student), excellent research output, and 4 Nobel Prize laureates including Ben Feringa (Chemistry 2016).