Are you an athlete aiming for the top? At the University of Eastern Finland, you can combine competitive sports with higher education. The sports academies operate on both the Joensuu and Kuopio campuses and are open to you regardless of your sport.
Sports academies are collaborative networks that support athletes’ dual careers by enabling a smooth combination of elite sports and university studies.
UEF has been recognised by the Finnish Olympic Committee as a Higher Education Institution Committed to Elite Sports (2024). In practice, this means you receive support for your dual career in both your studies and everyday life.
What do you get as a sports academy student?
- Flexibility in your studies – You can agree with your Personal Study Plan (PSP) counsellor on, for example, course completion methods, schedules and arrangements that take into account your training, camps and competitions.
- Expert support – The sports academies offer services such as sports psychology, nutritional counselling, physiotherapy and dual career guidance.
- Sports academy studies (15 ECTS credits) – You can complete three 5-credit courses and include them in your degree, depending on your field of study. These courses combine training, dual career planning and making your competences visible.
- Excellent training facilities – In both campus cities, training venues are located close to the university.
How to get started
Sports academy studies (15 ECTS credits)
As a UEF degree student with sports academy status, you can complete three courses (5 credits each):
- In each course, 4 credits come from training and 1 credit from dual career planning and implementation.
- You can complete the courses separately or, for example, as summer studies.
- The courses can be included in your degree, depending on your field of study.
You can find the course descriptions in the study guide in Peppi. For more information about the studies, contact the sports academy staff.