Organization and Leadership in Sport and Health Governance
Studyboard of Physical Education and Health
Teaching language: English
EKA: S450118112, S450118102
Censorship: Second examiner: Internal, Second examiner
Grading: Pass/Fail
Offered in: Odense
Offered in: Summer school (autumn)
Level: Master
Course ID: S450118101
ECTS value: 5
Date of Approval: 26-02-2026
Duration: 1 quarter
Course Title
Course ID
S450118101
ECTS value
5
Responsible study board
Date of Approval
Course Responsible
Teachers
| Name | Department | City | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Claudia Hildebrand | claudia.hildebrand@kit.edu | Karlsruhe Institute of Technology | |
| Dr. Laura Wolbring | laura.wolbring@kit.edu | Karlsruhe Institute of Technology | |
| Dr. Philip Bachert | philip.bachert@kit.edu | Karlsruhe Institute of Technology | |
| PD Dr. Bettina Barisch-Fritz | bettina.barisch-fritz@kit.edu | Karlsruhe Institute of Technology | |
| Thomas Skovgaard | tskovgaard@health.sdu.dk | Institut for Idræt og Biomekanik | Odense |
Course secretary
| Name | Department | City | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clara Holleufer Jensen | Clarahjensen@health.sdu.dk | SUND Uddannelse, Studieadministration |
Offered in
Level
Offered in
Duration
Aim and overall content
The aim of this course is to develop students’ ability to understand, analyse, and navigate organizational and leadership challenges across sport, health and health promotion contexts. The course explores how these fields operate within complex local, national, and international environments, and how they manage strategic, operational, ethical, and collaborative demands. Special emphasis is placed on the interplay between organizational structures, stakeholder relations, sustainability considerations, and leadership practices relevant to sport, health and health promotion contexts. By combining theoretical perspectives with applied cases and cross-disciplinary insights, the course prepares students to critically assess governance processes and to contribute to responsible and sustainable development within the sport, health and health promotion sector.
The course covers topics such as:
- Governance principles in sport, health and health promotions
- Strategic leadership and organisational development
- Complexity and decision-making in multi-level governance
- Collaborative governance, networks, and stakeholder engagement
- Ethical leadership and social responsibility
- Sustainability perspectives (human, social, economic, environmental)
- Organisational culture and change processes
- Leadership communication and negotiation
- Structures, roles, and power relations within organisations
- Fundamentals of social network theory
- Theory- and evidence-based program planning (Intervention Mapping)
Mandatory prerequisites
The course requires enrollment as a master’s student. Bachelor’s students who have passed at least
120 ECTS prior to the start of the course may also participate.
Relationship between the learning objectives, type of teaching and type of examination
Throughout the course, students will receive formative feedback during discussions and collaborative sessions, allowing them to refine their perspectives and analytical approaches.
The course aims to develop students’ theoretical and practical understanding of organisation and leadership within the field of sport and health as well as health promotion. The learning objectives include theoretical perspectives and the analysis of leadership and organizational practices, supported by lectures, case studies, and workshops. The oral examination assesses the students’ ability to apply and integrate theory and practice, thereby ensuring the relevance and applicability of the learning outcomes.
Learning Objectives - Knowledge
On completion of the course, students must have knowledge of:
- Core concepts and theories related to governance and leadership in sport and health organisations
- Organizational structures, roles, and power dynamics in sport, health and health promotion settings
- Sustainability perspectives (human, social, economic, environmental) as they relate to organizational development and strategic decision-making
- Ethical considerations and dilemmas relevant to leadership in sport and health contexts.
Learning Objectives - Skills
On completion of the course, students must be able to:
- Analyse governance processes, stakeholder relations, and organizational challenges in sport and health organisations
- Apply governance principles and leadership theories to real-world cases and scenarios
- Evaluate strategic, operational, and ethical dilemmas and propose responsible and sustainable solutions
- Facilitate collaboration across sectors and organisational levels, including public, private, and civil society actors
- Communicate leadership decisions and governance considerations clearly, professionally, and persuasively
Learning Objectives - Competencies
On completion of the course, students must be able to:
- Integrate theoretical and empirical knowledge to critically assess governance and leadership practices in complex sport and health environments, as well as health promoting settings
- Develop governance models, leadership strategies, and action plans that address organizational challenges and promote sustainable development
- Navigate cross-sector and cross-disciplinary collaborations in international and intercultural contexts.
Teaching format and feedback
Teaching is organized in such a way as to support the SDU’s Underlying principle for active learning and activating teaching, as well as the Faculty of Health study’s translation of this principle - the FAIR principles.
The following forms of instruction and work may be applied in the course: Lectures, class teaching,
group work, presentations, discussions, exercises, case and problem-based learning, independent
studies, active participation in self-organised study groups and collaborative examination
preparation, and preparation of assignments, and other study-related products.
The activities in the course are primarily aimed at achieving learning objectives and preparing
students for the form of examination. The specific forms of instruction and work as well as forms of
feedback are made clear in the lesson plan on itslearning.
Number of lessons
MySchedule
Teaching language
Expected student workload in this course
5 ECTS is equivalent to 137.5 working hours.
The students' workload is expected to be distributed as follows:
- Lectures (the teacher is present): 30 hours
- Preparation: 42 hours
- Group work and exam activities (the teacher is not present): 65 hours
- Exam : 1 hour
Examination regulations
Participation
Name
Participation
Time of examination
Exam: In conjunction with teaching
Reexam: Written assignment
Tests
Participation
EKA
S450118112
Name
Participation
Description
Specific information on the exam (length, assignment handover and handin and so on) is described on itslearning.
Please see Digital Exam for further information on assignments that are handed over and handed in through this system.
Form of examination
Participation
Censorship
Second examiner: Internal
Grading
Pass/Fail
Identification
Full name and SDU username
Language
English
Length
Examination aids
Not relevant for this type of test
ECTS value
1
Additional information
Considering the method of assessment and the current study level, specific emphasis will be put on the extent to which the student's performance meets the learning objectives as well as to what extent the student masters the general competence objectives mentioned in the curriculum,
The Pass/Fail assessment reflects if the student properly understands the general and discipline specific competencies.
Re-examination
Description
Written assignment reflecting the course material
Form of examination
Take-home assignment
Censorship
Second examiner: Internal
Grading
Pass/Fail
Identification
Full name and SDU username
Length
Max. 10 pages of 2400 characters.
Examination aids
All aids are allowed.
Exam
Name
Exam
Time of examination
Exam: In conjunction with teaching
Reexam: The following quarter
Tests
Presentation of an independent analysis
EKA
S450118102
Name
Presentation of an independent analysis
Description
Oral examination conducted as a seminar day with peer participation, based on a project developed in groups of 3–4 students.
Specific information on the exam (length, assignment handover and handin and so on) is described on itslearning.
Form of examination
Oral examination
Censorship
Second examiner
Grading
Pass/Fail
Identification
Full name and SDU username
Language
English
Length
Examination aids
All aids are allowed - including internet use.
ECTS value
4
Additional information
Considering the method of assessment and the current study level, specific emphasis will be put on the extent to which the student's performance meets the learning objectives as well as to what extent the student masters the general competence objectives mentioned in the curriculum,
The Pass/Fail assessment reflects if the student properly understands the general and discipline specific competencies.]
The examination is conducted in groups of 3–4 students.
Reexamination takes place in the same way as the ordinary examination, however the presentation can be done over Zoom.
External comment
A minimum of 12 students must be enrolled for the course to run. The decision will be made after
the registration deadline.
Courses offered
Kassograms
Derogation from the general rules for cancellation
Cancellation of registration for this course is not permitted from the start of the semester and 21 days onwards, where cancellation is generally allowed. Therefore, registration for the course will be binding. Reference is made to the Collection of Rules for University of Southern Denmark regarding registration for course elements and exams §5, section 3-5.