Applications for the AISTS Athlete Scholarship now open

16 | 3 | 2016

Olympians interested in pursuing the 2017 Master in Sport Administration (MSA) through the International Academy for Sports Science and Technology (AISTS) are being invited to apply for next year’s AISTS Athlete Scholarship Programme.

The MSA  Athlete Scholarship, which will fund half the course tuition fees, is open to all Olympians and current or retired international elite athletes who have also applied for a place on the programme.

The Master in Sport Administration is a unique 14-month international postgraduate degree in sports management, endorsed by the International Olympic Committee and located in Lausanne, Switzerland. Participants are trained by experts in sport and academics in the following multidisciplinary sport fields: Management & Economics, Technology, Law, Sociology, and Medicine.

Since its inception in 2000 the programme has opened its doors to a number of Olympians including Germany’s Toni Wilhelm, who was the recipient of the 2013 MSA Athlete Scholarship.

Wilhelm, an Olympic windsurfer, who competed at the Athens 2004 and London 2012 Olympic Games and has recently qualified for Rio 2016, considers the course to be a vital step in his career progression as he looks beyond competitive sport.

Olympian Toni Wilhelm said:

“I wanted to specialise in sports marketing while also learning more about the broader sports industry and through the Master in Sport Administration you get insight into a range of things such as sports marketing, law, medicine and technology. To be a good sports leader it’s essential to have a broad approach, you need to know more than just the sport you are in.

“The other benefit was being part of a class with 41 people from around the world. When you study in your own country, you don’t have access to courses with such an international flavor and inter-cultural views.  Sport is international and being able to build up a network of global connections through this programme was so important for me.”

Since completing the course Wilhelm has turned his attention back to sport full time as he prepares for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

“No matter how many times you go to the Olympics, it is the same excitement all over again.  It’s something so special, and I feel so lucky to be part of it.  My competition is from 8^th to the 15^th of August and I’m really hoping to get to the Opening Ceremony.  It’s so emotional and exciting, I can’t explain it!”

The deadline for applications for both the MSA and the MSA Athlete Scholarship is 15 May 2016.

Please note scholarship candidates must fulfil all requirements for selection into the MSA programme and will need to demonstrate their ability to support their own living and accommodation costs in Lausanne as well as the cost of travel to Switzerland and back to their country of residence. 

For more information please visit: http://aists.org/scholarships

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