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Physical Education and Movement Sciences

We are pleased that you are interested in studying Physical Education and Movement Sciences at Ghent University. You will experience an international experience at the world’s first academic Institute for Physical Education, which is situated in a gorgeous historical city. You will also get in contact with a dynamic team of movement and sport scientists, lecturers and professors with an excellent reputation in education and scientific research. 

Exchange students (non-degree students)

Students who are interested in doing part of the BSc or MSc in Physical Education and Movement Sciences at the Ghent University will find all necessary information for an Erasmus+ exchange program below. If your home university has an exchange agreement with our department, you may apply as an exchange student at the Ghent University.

Degree students

Degree students who would like to continue their studies abroad (e.g. you have obtained a Bachelor in the Netherlands and you wish to follow the Master Program at the Ghent University), will need to have their diploma approved. Information, requirements and the procedure for application can be found on the degree page of Ghent University.

PhD students

Students who are interested in doing research at the Department of Movement and Sports sciences are advised to consult the departmental research page and get in touch with the respective group.

Requirements

To be eligible to apply for an Erasmus exchange at our department, you need to have

  • a good knowledge of the English language (B2)
  • reached the 3rd Bachelor level or higher
  • a willingness to learn Dutch

Studying physical education and movement sciences also requires that you are a team player with a positive and social attitude.

Practical information

Before your stay

Please go to the general webpage of the International Relations Office for general information about the application procedure, deadlines, accommodation etc.

Build your curriculum

The online application procedure will require you to complete your learning agreement. This involves the selection of courses you will follow at Ghent University.

Students can choose courses from the Exchange Programme in Physical Education and Movement Sciences. Students can additionally select courses from other Programmes for exchange students and Language courses provided by the University Language Centre.

A standard curriculum at Ghent University consists of 60 ECTS per year. For your exchange, it is advised to compose a curriculum with a minimum of 20 ECTS per term, including  at least 10 ECTS of Exchange Programme in Physical Education and Movement Sciences, and excluding language courses from the University Language Centre. We stromgly advise students to combine both theoretical and practical courses (sports practice) in their curriculum.

During your exchange stay

Once your application has been approved, you will receive an invitation letter. This will be required for your enrollment upon arrival. You will also be invited to attend  the Welcome Days at the Faculty (campus UZ, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Gent) which take place in the week before the start of the academic year. We strongly advise you to attend these days as they will provide you with essential information for your stay.

As the department of movement and sport sciences is not located on the faculty campus, you will be invited for an additional information session at our campus (campus HILO, Watersportlaan 2, 9000 Gent). This information session will also take place in the week before the start of the academic year. During this information session, we will show you around on the campus and provide you with practical information. we will answer the questions you might already have at that time and finalize the administrative aspects of your exchange.

On this occasion, we will also introduce you to our buddy programme. The buddy programme pairs local students and incoming exchange students. Your buddy will facilitate the integration of exchange students in the group of fellow Belgian students in physical education and movement sciences. This will be useful not only at the beginning, when you may have a lot of practical questions, but also later when you want to meet fellow (Belgian) students.

You may have to finalize your Learning Agreement once you are in Ghent. You must do this as soon as you have made a final choice of course units and no later than one month after the start of term. You can ask the Erasmus Administrator for advice concerning your course units and the changes you would like to make.

At the end of your exchange stay

In the week before your departure, you need to present the document "Certificate of Departure" at the Erasmus Administrator for completion. The original Transcript of Records will be send to your UGent e-mail address after the deliberations and official announcements of the examination results. The student is responsible for delivering these documents to the relevant persons at his/her home institution.

FAQ

  • I would like to know which courses are taught in English, since I do not speak Dutch.

Only some courses are taught in English at our department. Most lectures are given in Dutch, the official instruction language. However a lot of the study material is in English and sometimes special study arrangements can be organized for exchange students.

  • I want to change my learning agreement

You can make changes during the first weeks of the term. Check the deadlines and read more in your copy of the Faculty Guidelines for Exchange Students.
It is not possible to change your learning agreement after the deadline. 

  • Where can I find the timetables of the courses in the faculty?

You can find them at Oasis.ugent.be (after enrollment) and in the online course catalogue.

  • Where can I find the examination schedule?

You can find the examination schedule in your personal calendar at Oasis.ugent.be (after enrollment).

  • I have a re-examination, what should I do?

If you have failed for an exam, you can do a resit during the second examination period at the end of August and the beginning of September. You need to contact the lecturer for feedback and to make arrangements regarding the re-examinations.

  • How are the practical courses (sports practice) organized?

The sports practices is compiled in three different courses in which different sports are clustered: Interactive (football,  volleyball, handball and basketball), Individual (athletics, swimming) and Artistic (gymnastics, dance) movement activities (module I and II). If you take one of these courses in your curriculum, you need to succeed for all sports within the course. Sports are organized in different groups. Details concerning  the division of the groups can be found at Ufora (after enrollment). Attendance to the practical sessions is required. More details on the courses can be found in the course catalogue.

  • What is the difference between the “sports practice” and the “methodology of movement and Sports Activities”?

The sports practice (interactive, individual and artistic movement activities, I and II)  addresses basic and elementary technical (and tactical) skills and provides theoretical insight into the movement patterns of these skills. Students are also introduced to the basic regulations of sports. Methodology of movement and Sports Activities handles the methods and teaching trajectories of sports. For these courses, students need to have sufficient skills in the different sports (equivalences of Interactive, Individual and Artistic movement activities, I and II). The courses also build further on the competences of movement didactics and didactical exercises. More details on the courses can be found in the course catalogue.

Contact

Departmental Coordinator for Internationalization: Prof. dr. Frederik Deconinck 

Departmental Internationalization Administrator: Ms. Lore Timmermans