INEF: requirements and career opportunities

If you are a person who likes sport and everything related to it, you have probably been interested in knowing what it takes to work professionally in this field. So the answer is simple, you must study INEF, and be a professional with a great working future.

In this opportunity, we are going to tell you about the most important things you need to know in order to study this degree, what are the requirements and the professional opportunities.

What is INEF?

The acronym INEF refers to the National Institute of Physical Education, and nowadays it is the recognised training within the academic field in university education in Spain for the degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences.

The objective of the information is to train students to evaluate and direct physical activity and sports training programmes aimed at different groups of the population, according to the needs of each one.

As with any university degree, this course lasts 4 years and consists of a total of 240 credits and its study plan is made up of basic, optional and compulsory subjects.

 Admission requirements

To access the Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences you need to meet one of the following requirements:

• Holding a Baccalaureate degree and passing the university entrance exam.
• Pass the university entrance exam for students over 25 years of age.
• Fulfil the university entrance requirements for those over 40 years of age.
• Pass the university entrance exam for people over 45 years of age.
• Hold another university degree.

If you meet any of the aforementioned requirements, you must take a series of tests in which your physical aptitudes are evaluated, which consist of the following:

• Medicine ball throwing
• Vertical jump
• Swimming test
• Zig-zag ball movement
• Obstacle course
• Sprint race (50m)
• Long-distance race (2000 m for men and 1000 m for women)
• Trunk and hip flexion test

Subjects

The main theoretical subjects covered in the degree are psychology of physical activity, theory and history of sport, human physiology, fundamentals of football and volleyball, fundamentals of handball, fundamentals of basketball, fundamentals of gymnastic activities or fundamentals of racket sports.

In the optional subjects of the degree, it is possible to specialise in one or another branch, as in the case of specialisations in football, volleyball, athletics or basketball. In addition, optional subjects include physical activity and the elderly, physical activities for people with disabilities, school sport, management of private sports organisations, etc.

Required qualities

It is not only necessary to have a passion and love for sport, but applicants must also have a certain number of important qualities to study the course, such as:

• Being in good physical condition
• Sporting skills
• Healthy lifestyle, good nutrition and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle
• Develop a passion for coaching other people
• Interpersonal skills and enjoy teamwork above all.

Career opportunities

People who successfully complete the INEF university degree have theoretical and practical training for professional development in any of the areas mentioned below:

• Physical health and wellbeing: In this area you can work as a personal trainer and group classes, technical director, physical trainer and manager in your own centres, private or large chains.
• Adventure sports: They can work as performance physical trainers, technical director. Environmental instructor, and manager in centres.
• Professional sports: Here you can work as a trainer of high-performance athletes and technical director of sports federations and clubs.
• Sports management: Within public administration, sports facilities, technical direction and management of social and sports clubs.
• Sports technology expert: For technological analysis, online consulting and sports engineering.
• Education: As a physical education teacher in public or private education centres.