FAQ

To start the process, please fill out the “Am I eligible?” form. This will allow us to have a first understanding on your eligibility. If this is confirmed, you will receive the link to complete your Master application form and you will be asked to provide the following documents and information:

• one passport-size picture;
• a copy of your passport;
• a motivation letter;
• a Curriculum Vitae – Résumé;
• two letters of recommendation (in English);
• certified (signed and stamped by the University) copies of your University degree and grades (transcripts) in French or English;
• for non-native English speakers, a language test by an approved institution (i.e. Duolingo, TOEFL or IELTS).

Each application is reviewed, and candidates passing the first selection are invited for an interview. Successful candidates proceed to the AISTS Scientific Committee for validation before receiving an official offer.  

For additional information visit our Admission page.

If, after submitting your online application, you would like to amend your data or if​ you have any issues using the online application form, please send an email to admissions@aists.org or call the AISTS admissions office at +41 (0) 21 692 64 81.

AISTS Master in Sport Administration & Technology applications is reviewed after the deadlines, respectively. You can expect an answer from us four weeks after the deadline closes.

Tuition fees for the AISTS Master of Advanced Studies in Sport Management and Technology 2026 intake are CHF 31’900.- (Swiss francs). 

The default payment method is a single instalment. An invoice for the full tuition fee will be issued on 15th of May 2026, and must be settled within 30 days. 

Payment in three instalments is also possible, subject to financial conditions. 

The programme is taught exclusively in English, and all classes, coursework, and presentations are conducted in English. Therefore, candidates must be fluent in both written and spoken English. 

All applicants are required to submit a valid English language test taken within the last 12 months. We reserve the right to request a more recent score, depending on the circumstances.

Accepted tests include TOEFL, IELTS, or the Duolingo English Test. Please note that completing studies at a University taught solely in English is not sufficient to meet the criteria of minimum level of English. 

 The selection committee requires an official test score. The minimum required scores are:

• TOEFL: 550 (paper), 213 (computer), 85 (internet-based), with at least 20 in each section  

• IELTS: 6.0 overall, with no section below 5.5  

• Duolingo English Test: 110  

Native English speakers should indicate this clearly in their motivation letter 

As Ranked as the world’s No. 1 Master in Sport Management, we receive a lot of applications. We accept a quarter of the finalized applications. 

We operate rolling admissions, reviewing applications on a first come, first served basis. As we aim to build a class with diverse professional, sport, and cultural backgrounds, with a limited number of spots, we encourage early applications to maximise your chances of selection. 

AISTS is at the heart of the Olympic Movement: At AISTS we are deeply connected to the world of sport thanks to our founders and unique location which opens doors to opportunities for experiences, collaboration, and support that can significantly enhance career trajectories and industry influence. The International Olympic Committee is one of our founding members, creating a strong and lasting relationship to the Olympic Movement through collaborations and partnerships. Our main headquarters are in Lausanne, the Olympic Capital, the home of over 60 international sporting federations. 

Experts and Community: AISTS acts as a strategic connector between international sport organisations and academic research institutions. Thanks to our founders, faculty and alumni occupying positions across the sport industry, we provide a robust community for expertise sharing, mentorship, and career advancement. 

Top-ranking Swiss universities as founding members: IMD Business School, EPFL, EHL (Lausanne Hospitality Business School), UNIL (University of Lausanne), and University of Geneva. Bringing together the extensive, accumulated knowledge of these Swiss Academic Institutions allows AISTS to offer world-leading postgraduate and continuing education programmes and advisory services.  

Passion: A genuine passion for sport unites AISTS’s global network of alumni, faculty and founders. Our programmes and services are shaped by those who know sport first-hand – Olympians, athletes, professionals and sport fans. This collective passion for sport, in all its disciplines, is a driving force behind AISTS’s leadership in sport education and development, contributing positively to make the world of sport better. 

Comprehensive and Practical Curriculum: With multidisciplinary expertise with over 100 lecturers from academia and industry, AISTS offers a unique combination of theoretical knowledge and practical learning. We bridge the gap between academic learning and professional application, making graduates highly employable and ready to tackle industry challenges from day one. Work placements and real-world projects ensure participants are well-prepared to thrive in the sport industry. 

The availability of scholarships for the AISTS Master programme varies from year to year. 

For the next Master programme starting in September 2026, there are three scholarship opportunities available: 

• The AISTS Future Female Leader in Sport Scholarship – covering 50% of the tuition fees 

• The AISTS Athlete Scholarship – covering 50% of the tuition fees 

• The AISTS Olympian Scholarship – covering 100% of the tuition fees 

Please note that candidates are still required to cover their living expenses in Switzerland. 

Please visit our page to view the full list of scholarships offered for this year’s edition. 

You must submit at least two recommendation letters with your application for the AISTS Master programme. These letters should be in English, addressed to the AISTS Selection Committee, and included in your application. One letter should be from an academic reference and the other from a professional reference.

Please ensure that the following points are covered in your letters of recommendation:

• The circumstances under which the applicant is known
• The candidate’s strengths and weaknesses
• The applicant’s accomplishments and personal qualities
• The letter must be signed and on official letterhead, with contact details

The AISTS Master in Sport Management & Technology has 76 ECTS credits and are broken down per discipline as follows : 

• Management and Business of Sport, 20 ECTS credits 

• Sport Technology, 18 ECTS credits 

• Sport Law, 9 ECTS credits  

• Sport Medicine 3 ECTS credits  

• Sport Sociology, 2 ECTS credits 

• Leadership and Career Development in Sport, 4 ECTS credits  

• Client Team Project, for 8 ECTS credits 

• Work Experience and Research Report, 12 ECTS credits 

The average living cost for one person in Lausanne in 2025 according to the city authorities, amounts to approximately CHF 2’400-3200 per month including rent.

The AISTS Master in Sport Management & Technology offers a full-time study programme from the end of September to June the following year, with lectures covering a variety of topics from the sciences of Management, Technology, Law, Sociology, and Medicine. Career and Leadership modules complement the programme. Lecturers, topics and events change yearly. 

During that period, the participants attend approximately 25 hours of lectures per week and are expected to work outside class hours, on team projects, for example, thus reaching about 50 hours of study per week (including lectures). Participants can expect to have classes from Monday to Friday. The class schedule is normally from 9:00am to 5:00 pm, depending on the module, site visits, and additional project assignments. 

The remaining 6 months (June – December) are dedicated to the completion of practical deliverables, i.e., client team projects, research papers and work placement. 

AISTS Master in Sport Administration participants go on to pursue a wide array of jobs, depending on how they made use of the opportunity to study sports management in Lausanne. A large proportion of the class integrate international sports federations and sports related organisations every year.

The AISTS Master of Advanced Studies in Sport Management & Technology is specifically designed to prepare graduates for careers in the international sport industry. With a huge diversity of backgrounds represented in each class and a curriculum that blends sport management, law, technology, medicine, and sociology, participants gain a truly global perspective. The programme is specifically designed to prepare graduates for careers at the international level — in global sport organisations, federations, events, consulting, and beyond, through the content taught but also the the real sport experience and the backgrounds of the lecturers. AISTS doesn’t just prepare participants for international careers—it places them at the centre of the global sport ecosystem from day one, supported by world-class academic and industry partners. 

Please note that all questions related to visas should be addressed specifically, as each situation can change the answers. However, here are some general information. When joining the MAS programme, you should receive a B student residence permit. This will allow you to stay in Switzerland during your studies. For work purposes, another permit in addition is required in most of the cases. Please note that AISTS will support you in this process in case of a job opportunity in Switzerland as your work experience required for your studies.

We do not recommend to plan any job during your studies from September to June. During that period, the participants attend approximately 25 hours of lectures per week and are expected to work outside class hours, on team projects, for example, thus reaching about 50 hours of study per week (including lectures). Please consider that attendance to classes is a requirement to graduate. 

We would like to encourage you to give yourselves the best chances of success to the programme by committing fully to your studies during these months. 

In addition, you will need to identify if you are legally permitted to work and as of when (period after your arrival) to ensure that you are not in breach of Swiss employment law. This varies from person to person depending on their nationality and permits. 

The AISTS Scientific Committee, who is in charge of the selection process, looks at a combination of factors with equal measure. Their goal is to make sure of your eligibility and motivation, as well as guarantee the diversity in backgrounds that is one of the strengths of the master programme, allowing each participant to learn from their peers.

They will base their decision on the professional experience, the education (including the transcript), the motivation demonstrated, the background in sport, the general profile and the English level.

The beauty of the AISTS master programme is that our participants reflect a wide variety of professional backgrounds, nationalities, sports, ambitions, and skills.

The benefits of the AISTS Master programme start with having a consistent class “community,” where the participants learn from each others’ varied backgrounds in addition to what they learn from the lectures. By attracting renowned professors and experts from within the sports industry to lecture at our programme, the knowledge is not only scientific and academic but also comes from practical experiences. 

As a result, the AISTS Master in Sport Management​ and Technology blends scientific knowledge with real-world understanding to prepare students for the development of a successful career as future leaders in modern sport. The AISTS Master in Sport Management and Technology is designed for professional individuals wishing to broaden their knowledge in the multi-disciplines applied directly to sport: management, law, sociology, technology and medicine, to get a stronger skill set for their existing or desired career in sport management. 

The average age of participants in the AISTS Master in Sport Management is approximately 29 years old.

Candidates have an average of 7 years of work experience before joining the programme. However, this is only an average, and we highly value diversity within the class, including age, with no strict age limits. We therefore have a large scale of ages, from younger to more experienced.

The AISTS Master in Sport Management & Technology programme is well known and valued amongst international sport organisations, particularly those based in the Olympic Capital, Lausanne and the surrounding region.

However please note that while at least 8 weeks of full-time work experience in sports management is required to complete the AISTS Master programme, participants are responsible for finding their own placement.

The AISTS will do everything in its power to help participants find something suitable to their strengths by providing career support through an experienced career coach, utilising contacts, providing networking opportunities, constantly disseminating opportunities to the class, and setting up partnership agreements with sports organisations.

Ultimately, though, it is the participant’s responsibility to secure work placement based on their personal career strategy.

The Master programme is based in Lausanne, the Olympic Capital. This unique location will provide you with outstanding opportunities to meet and exchange with key people of the sport industry. With the AISTS alumni network of close to 700 alumni, Meet & greets, site visits, guest speaker presentations and informal local life interactions, you will grow your network in sport, bringing you closer to your next professional endeavour.  You will also work on a Client Team Project during 9 months that will immerse you in the reality of sport stakeholders. Our career coach will also support you during these months and later as alumni. 

AISTS graduates go on to work for major international organisations and leading event committees, both in Switzerland and internationally. Our Alumni network of over 700 professionals spans over 30 countries across five continents. 

Unfortunately, there is no opportunity to do this course online. From September to July, participants will be expected to class in Lausanne. After the classes end in July, participants can either return to their home country, or stay in the area for the remainder of the year while working on their personal project and completing at least 8 weeks of full time work experience.

The work experience or internship portion of the programme is a requirement to fulfil before graduating, but can be anywhere in the world.

A Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) is a postgraduate, professionally focused degree for experienced individuals who want to gain advanced, specialized skills to boost their careers. The AISTS Master in Sport Management and Technology is a MAS programme.

Unlike a traditional master’s degree (like an MA or MSc), which often follows a bachelor’s and may lead to a PhD, a MAS is considered a continuing education programme. It’s usually more practice-oriented, tailored to working professionals looking to advance their careers, switch industries, or gain specialized knowledge.

In Switzerland and other parts of Europe, a MAS is part of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) Level 7, the same level as other master’s degrees, but it differs in target audience and application focus.

MBAs (Master of Business Administration), EMBA (Executive Master of Business Administration) or LL.Ms (Legum Magister) fall into the MAS category.

No, French is not required to apply to the AISTS Master in Sport Management. However, we do strongly encourage participants to begin studying French upon their acceptance to the programme. It is important to bear in mind that French is the spoken language in Lausanne and the region, so it will help participants during their AISTS Master in Sport Management year. Lastly, if participants want to stay and work in the region after they graduate, then French will help in their future job search as it is sometimes required by employers.

We review results from a number of different evaluation systems but this is not the sole basis for accepting or rejecting candidates. Please feel free to submit a GRE score if you have one.

It will be relevant mainly if you are applying for the The AISTS Athlete Scholarship  or if your work experience has been exclusive as a professional athlete. What is required from all participants however is to be passionate about sport, and have a strong motivation to pursue a career in sport.

No, AISTS does not provide health insurance to participants. Health insurance is mandatory in Switzerland.

In some cases, your existing insurance may be recognized, depending on specific conditions. You are therefore encouraged to contact your insurance provider to check whether your coverage can be extended to Switzerland.

As a student at AISTS, you will have access to special insurance offers. A specialist will present all available options in detail during the onboarding days.

Our main headquarters are in Lausanne, the Olympic Capital, the home of over 60 international sporting federations. The Master programme is taught in this town, on the UNIL and EPFL campus. This creates create opportunity of collaboration between the sport and academic worlds. 

No, the AISTS Master in Sport Management & Technology does not prepare you for a PhD. Our graduates who have successfully completed PhDs either have already possessed the necessary academic background or followed additional university courses to be admitted into a PhD programme. Most PhD programmes have specific requirements depending upon the degree and line of study. It is best to contact specific PhD programmes of interest, to determine their particular requirements as the AISTS Master in Sport Management & Technology is not a substitute for a Bologna Master which is often a pre-requisite for preparing students to start a PhD.