In Hungary, the institutionalized training of sports professionals at higher education level started in 1925 in the predecessor institution of the Hungarian University of Sport Science (HUSS) the Hungarian Royal College of Physical Education (TF), later called the Hungarian University of Physical Education. Initially the institution provided an undivided PE teacher education program.

The training of sports leaders began in 1960 at the College of Physical Education. Then continued from the 1969/70 academic year under the title of Sport Organization training, initially for three and then four years. The specific sports management curriculum was introduced in the 1981/82 academic year primarily as a correspondent program with a four-year study period, with a partly renewed subject.

structure that catered to prepare future sport leaders. Until the 1990s, sports organization training was dominated by the approach that prepared students for a position in a basically administration-centric socio-economic management. As a result of the environmental changes (the Change of Regime in 1990 and the entailed socio-economic and political changes), there was an urgent need to review the training concept: the modernization of sports professional training had to meet the development trends and environmental conditions of sport.

The curriculum reform that began in the 1990s resulted in completely new thematic structure in the 1993/94 academic year. The new curriculum defined the purpose of the training in accordance with the changes in the functions and organizational system of physical education and sports. Instead of clerical training, manager-oriented education came to the fore with the dominance of economic, management, commercial, legal, financial and entrepreneurial skills. In the 1993/94 academic year, Sports Management Program was launched at the University of Physical Education, with a three-year training period, which represented a new training program not only in its name but also in its spirit.

In line with the new Higher Education Act, the training period had to be increased to four years from the 1994/95 academic year. Given the new subjects appearing in the training (sports economics, finance, accounting, marketing), expanding the faculty base behind the sports manager training was essential. We consider it an outstanding achievement that our training program was accepted by the Sports Management Committee of the Higher Education Network of European Universities. Some members of the network as well as a number of Eastern European universities, have already indicated their specific intention to cooperate in student and faculty exchange.

The operational scope of the specialist group includes the whole spectrum of the full-time and correspondent Sports Organizer, as well as the full-time and correspondent Sports Management Programs. In addition, colleagues participate in the university-level Physical Education Teacher, Health Teacher and Human Kinesiology Programs, as well as in the training of Professional Coaches and teacher supplementary courses both in full-time and correspondent formats.

Within the framework of the Bologna System of HE, domestic higher education is also being transformed in line with changes in the European higher education system. From the 2006/07 academic year onwards, the traditional dual system, i.e. higher education based on university and college education, is gradually being replaced by multi-cycle education, the interdependent phases of which are the following: basic course (Bachelor, BSc or BA), master’s course (MSc or MA), doctoral training (PhD or DLA).

Since the 1960s, college-level sports leaders, sports organizers and sports managers have been trained at HUSS, with the cooperation of the excellent professors of the then Budapest University of Economics (Corvinus). The University strived to offer the opportunity to continue in the master’s program for students majoring in Sports Organization and Sports Management.

The Hungarian University of Sports Sciences (HUSS) operates the correspondent and full-time Sports Organization major (BSc) independently, at bachelor and master levels.

The university maintains close contacts with international and national sports federations in the education of coaches, sport organizers and sports managers. We have successful partnerships with the Hungarian Olympic Committee, the Hungarian Paralympic Committee, the National Association of Competitive Sports, the Hungarian University Sports Federation, the Association of Sport Clubs and the Hungarian Coaching Association.