STUDY PROGRAMME CHARACTERISTIC

The aim of the follow-up Master’s study program Wellness Specialist is to prepare professionals who are able to orient themselves in basic professional issues of the rapidly developing field of human care, especially their personal well-being, as a significant component of health, fitness and lifestyle.

At the same time, students acquire basic professional skills that will enable them to apply themselves in newly emerging facilities that provide not only classical physical activities, but a whole range of new forms of care for the body, mind and healthy lifestyle, which leads to limiting health-risk behavior and the compensation for negative influences of human civilization on the population health, including the necessity of strict  protection of the environment.

Students build on the basic knowledge in the field of pedagogical-psychological, biomedical, managerial-economical, which they acquired in the Bachelor’s study program. They are primarily prepared for managerial positions in the field of wellness, although they can work in other positions.

The study is implemented within an evenly structured and consistent curriculum, focused on the theoretical study of transfer and the implementation of physical aktivity, health support and wellness into real life together with scientifically verified empiricisms of active lifestyle. The application of modern methods of study, leading to effective achievement of education results and the development of academic and professional competences will provide the students with necessary predispositions for operating in the more than ever developing field of a wellness specialist.

Wellness as field of study at Palestra was characterised by rector emeritus prof. PhDr. Václav Hošek, DrSc. based on his personal experience.

https://vstvs.palestra.cz/en/wellness-as-a-field-of-study-at-palestra/

ROFILE OF THE STUDY PROGRAMME GRADUATE

The graduate’s profile is planned in accordance with Government regulation no. 275/2016 Sb. about defining areas of education (part 28, Physical education and sport, Kinanthropology).

At the same time, we fulfil the Characteristics and Work activities of the „Wellness specialist“ profession, which are specified in the National system of professions according to Employment Act no. 435/2004 Sb., paragraph 6.

GRADUATE’S PROFESSION

Graduates of  study will gain a qualification for the profession  Wellness Specialist, due to the complexity and focus of the content of the study program will be suitably prepared both for the concept of comprehensive care for various groups of clients and for managing the operation of wellness centres.

Graduates of the follow-up Master’s study with the qualification of Wellness Specialist will find employment in wellness centres, including hotel, balneo or spa businesses. They will find further job in institutions focusing on wellness services in tourism (travel agencies, event agencies, professional associations, etc.) or in the field of sports and leisure (sports clubs, physical education units, associations and unions, fitness centres). They can provide advice on healthy lifestyle, prepare various oriented wellness programs for various groups of clients and individuals. They are primarily prepared for managerial positions in the field of wellness, but they can also work in partial positions (with regard to other certificates obtained).

Graduate has these professional abilities and qualifications:

Professional knowledge

• Graduate is able to explain theoretical concepts of education in kinanthropology, in particular the correlation between didactics and pedagogy of sports, including intercultural and global aspects of wellness.
• Graduate is able to explain basic philosophical categories in context of the biological-psychological-social dimensions of physical activities and wellness.
• Graduate is able to apply his biomedical knowledge in relation to physical and sporting activities, to adequate movement mode in different target groups.
• Graduate knows the principles of basic diagnostics of the musculoskeletal system.
• Graduate interconnects expert knowledge from physiology of physical aktivity, kineziology, bio-mechanics, environmental hygiene and regeneration procedures.
• Graduate is able to define the importance of nutrition, sleep and circadian preferences for healthy lifestyle of a person.
• Graduate explains the principles of management, economy and marketing in wellness environment – organizations, centres, clubs, including donorship and sponsoring.
• Graduate evaluates the significance of physical activities for both individual and the society, health, physical prowess and regeneration, social inclusion and development of human resources in wellness in a national, European and global context including knowledge of environmental relationships.

Professional abilities

• Graduate plans on the basis of theory and research of a curriculum of modern physical intervention programmes.
• Graduate is able to plan, implement and evaluate educational, training and conditional programmes and activities with respect to limits and abilities of the target group of people.
• Graduate can lead and evaluate the testing of motor abilities and skills.
• Graduate is able to diagnose the musculoskeletal system, in particular to measure antropometric parameters of a human body and also possesses expert knowledge regarding functional examinations.
• Graduate independently projects wellness programmes  with respect to the principles of environmental studies, he is also able to locate suitable locations for them.
• Graduate is able to propose strategies and procedures aiming at developing health-oriented abilities, including efficient communication, motivation and respecting intercultural aspects.
• Graduate is able to apply the principles of management and marketing in creation, organization and managing programmes, projects and events.
• Graduate is able to draft and process a research plan on a chosen current theme from the field of kinanthropology aimed at health support and support of a healthy lifestyle.
• Graduate is able to draft research design, analyse data, use corresponding statistical methods and interpret the results. He is able to formulate a hypothesis and verify it. He is able to conduct a discussion with a relevant comparison to both Czech and foreign researches. He is able to formulate conclusions and recommendations.
• Graduate is able to independently solve a partial action research survey with the use of scientific theory and research work methodology. He is able to process a research task in writing, present it and defend it and eventually prepare it for publication.

General qualifications

• Graduate independently gains up-to-date expert knowledge and abilities corresponding to his professional focus.
• Graduate is able to independently manage, plan, coordinate and control his professional activities in such a way to effectively and successfully realize his professional intentions.
• Graduate independently and responsibly decides under new or changing circumstances with respect to broader societal consequences of his acts.
• Graduate professionally plans, supports, motivates and manages members of a work-team with a responsible use of gained expert knowledge, professional skills and general abilities.
• Graduate respects professional and ethical principles.
• Graduate coordinates his professional activities and carries ultimate responsibility for it’s results.
• Graduate uses evaluation and auto-evaluation.
• Graduate independently and responsibly orients in global wellness activity trends and is able to competently judge the possibilities of their application under specific circumstances based on a prior evaluation analysis.
• Graduate is capable of using professional speech in a foreign language. He is able to intelligibly and convincingly convey his professional message to the experts in the field.
• Graduate uses expert knowledge, professional abilities and general qualifications in English in context of professional development, then in sense of searching for information in foreign-language, in particular English, sources.
• Graduate is optimally capable of enhancing his professional competences.

Graduate’s professional knowledge, abilities and qualifications follow-up on the competences gained within the bachelor’s study programme „Physical education and sport“ and „Health education“, in case of continuity with other programmes on finishing the CŽV course (see „Study admission conditions“).

STUDY PLAN

The study programme is of the  „follow-up master’s academically focused“ type. The study plan is conceived in such a way to respect the targets of the study plan with respect to the graduate’s profile and profession and to create a logical complex corresponding to a given type and profile of the study programme. The  study plan is conceived for the subjects to allow the students to achieve expert knowledge, professional abilities and general qualifications declared in the graduateְ’s profile  in context of the current state of knowledge.

The study plan is outlined for a standard period of study in two academic years, split into four semesters.

The study plan consists of modules of compulsory, obligatory optional and optional subjects and a module of final state examination and is outlined for full-time and combined form of study. College of Physical Education and Sport PALESTRA uses the ECTS credit systém.

Subjects are defined in the following way:

• compulsory subjects – 93 credits;
• obligatory optional subjects – 20 credits;
• optional subjects – 7 credits.

The compulsory subjects consist of 18 subjects of the profiling foundation („PF“), of which 7 are fundamental study subjects („FF“). Obligatory optional subjects are those selected obligatorily by the student according to his professional orientation in the minimum above stated range. Optional subjects are those selected by the student according to his interest within his professional orientation in the minimum above stated range.

The study is concluded with a final state examination. The state final examination has two parts – the presentation and defence of the master’s thesis and the state examination, which is divided into three parts:

• Theory and didactics of wellness: Psychology of health, Didactics of wellness, Creation of wellness programmes, Management of wellness services
• Biomedical problematice of wellness: Biomechanics, Diagnostics of the musculoskeletal systém in wellness, Nutrition in wellness programmes, Psychosomatic approaches in wellness
• Creation of and submitting the „Portfolio from completed internships“ during the state final examination.

TRAJECTORY OF THE STUDY

The trajectory of the study can be found here. (in Czech)

TUITION

Current information regarding tuition prices can be found on the page Tuition. (in Czech)

STUDY ADMISSION CONDITIONS

Conditions of admission to study for the follow-up master’s programme „Wellness specialist“ can be found in the Article 7 of the Statute. Graduates of the bachelor’s study on College Palestra will be granted admission without the admission procedure. Applicants from other colleges will be granted admission on the basis of an admission procedure, which constitutes of a verbal interview probing both the level of general knowledge regarding the selected study programme and the quality of communication abilities.

In case of significant differences between the study plans of the previous bachelor’s study and the master’s study at Palestra, the students go to a 3-day long compensatory course. The course takes place within the lifelong education and allows the students to fill in the needed knowledge from basic thematic areas of the bachelor’s study field at College Palestra before the lessons begin.

Connection to other types of study programmes – Physical education and sport, Health education.