Situated in Cologne, Germany is the German Sport University, the largest school of its kind in the world. It is the only German higher education institution devoted entirely to sport, and one of only a few of its kind in the whole world. Lying in the midst of the city’s green belt next to the soccer stadium, the university has attained international recognition for its range of courses and research into sports and sport science.
With 5,600 students, it also has some of the most athletically fit and talented students in the world, including Benjamin Kleibrink, runner-up at the 2007 European Fencing Championships, and sprinter and long jumper Wojtek Czyz, three times German gold medal winner at the 2004 Paralympics. Potential students must be able to run 100 meters in less than 13.4 seconds, complete 100 meters breaststroke in 1:50 minutes or perform roll, handstand and circle exercises on the gym floor. Applicants must successfully complete 19 out of 20 disciplines.
In addition to working with athletes, the university also works to develop and train new coaches. Students come from all over the country and world to learn about their sport of choice, and then take that knowledge with their degree to help create a new generation of athletes.
The German Sport University maintains partnerships with 53 international institutions of higher education. Students from over 50 nations are studying at the campus and 8.3% of students are from outside Germany. With 19 institutes on campus, it also has some of the foremost research in all areas of sports, including doping. The university works closely with WADA, the World Anti Doping Agency to help fight the illegal use of performance enhancing drugs in sports.
Useful Resources
German Sport University Cologne Website (In German)
