Course syllabus spring 2026
Course syllabus spring 2026
Title
Sport Governance
Swedish title
Idrottens styrning
Course code
IV506G
Credits
7.5 credits
Grading scale
UV / Fail (U), Pass (G) or Pass with Distinction (VG)
Language of instruction
Swedish or English
Decision-making body
Faculty of Education and Society
Syllabus approval date
2023-11-01
Syllabus valid from
2024-01-15
Entry requirements
Prerequisite course for this course is: IV501G Sport, Health and Change in Society
Level
Basic level
Main field
Sport Sciences
Progression level
G1F
Course objectives
The aim of the course is for the student to develop theoretical and analytical knowledge of the political and ethical governance and organisation of sport.
Course contents
The course deals with the political governance and organisation of sport at a local, national, and international level.
Central concepts are introduced to achieve an in-depth understanding of how the management and organisation of sport is done and can be understood. Examples of such concepts are governance and policy processes.
Great focus is placed on ethical and democratic aspects of the governance and organization of sport, whereby concepts such as power, good governance and the value base of sport are discussed.
The course analyses Swedish and international bodies and their governing documents. A series of sporting ethical dilemmas, in relation to governance and regulation, are discussed throughout the course.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion the course, the student should be able to:
1. explain central concepts in the field of research and knowledge about the political and ethical governance of the sports, training and health sector.
2. critically examine established questions as well as develop own questions about the governance and regulation of sport.
3. plan, implement and present an analysis of a sports-related activity, based on the central concepts and perspectives of the course.
Learning activities
The course contains various forms of work which can consist of lectures, guest lectures, seminars, group exercises, study visits and self-study.
The sections that require compulsory attendance are specified by the course leader at the start of the course.
Assessment
The course is assessed through one written individual exam (7.5 hp, learning outcome 1, 2 and 3).
The grading criterion are announced at the start of the course.
Course literature
De Bosscher, Veerle, Shibli, Simon, Westerbeek, Hans & van Bottenburg, Maarten (2016). Convergence and divergence of elite sport policies: Is there a one-size-fits-all model to develop international sporting success? Journal of Global Sport Management, 1(3-4), 70-89. DOI: 10.1080/24704067.2016.1237203
Geeraert, Arnout & Van Eekeren, Frank (Red.). (2022) Good governance in sport – Critical reflections. Routledge. Electronic resource. 261 s.
King, Neil A. (2017). Sport Governance: an Introduction. Routledge. Electronic resource. 180 s.
Meier, Henk Erik, Jetzke, Malte & von Uechtritz, Cosima (2020). Competitive intensity and national participation in elite sports: Understanding competitive dynamics in international athletics. Journal of global sport management, 8(1), 226-251. DOI: 10.1080/24704067.2020.1819616
Public Health Agency of Sweden (2021). Towards a good and equitable health: a framework for implementing and monitoring the national public health policy. Public Health Agency of Sweden. Electronic resource. 12 p.
Ramos,R., De Bosscher, V., Pankowiak, A. & Wisdom Valleser, C. (2023). Contexts shaping the development and success of elite sport systems: a scoping review. Sport Management Review, 26. DOI: 10.1080/14413523.2023.2171276. 24 p.
The Governance of Sport from a Scandinavian Perspective (Special Issue), International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, 3 (2011), 3:347-531. Electronic resource. 184 s.
Additional literature up to 300 pages.
Course evaluation
Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).
Interim rules
If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that applied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented.
Additional information
If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format. The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.