ISQS - Qualification Levels

From Foundation Knowledge to Professional Leadership and Education
Professional sauna work involves very different levels of knowledge, practical competence and responsibility.
A person who supervises a sauna area and provides basic information to guests does not require the same qualification as a professional conducting Aufguss sessions. Likewise, a member of staff performing operational sauna duties requires a different competence profile from a Sauna Master responsible for quality, organisation and professional leadership.
The International Sauna Qualification System (ISQS) provides a progressive qualification framework for these different levels of professional responsibility.
Each ISQS level defines what a qualified person is expected to know, understand and be able to do.
Higher levels build upon the competences established at the preceding levels.

The ISQS Qualification Framework
The ISQS is based on a simple principle:
The required qualification should reflect the professional responsibilities of the individual.
Qualification levels therefore do not merely represent increasing amounts of course content or longer training programmes.
They represent increasing levels of:

• professional knowledge
• practical competence
• independent decision-making
• safety responsibility
• operational responsibility
• professional leadership

Each qualification level has a defined purpose, competence profile, admission requirements and qualification boundary.
This makes it possible to distinguish between basic sauna knowledge, specialised professional skills, comprehensive professional qualification and advanced leadership competence.

ISQS Level 1
Foundation & Safety
Understanding the Health-Oriented Sauna Bath
ISQS Level 1 provides the fundamental knowledge required to understand sauna bathing and its safe, health-oriented application.
The focus is on understanding the sauna as a heterothermal bathing procedure in which heat exposure, cooling and recovery interact with human thermoregulation.
Participants learn the basic physiological responses to heat and cold and understand the structure of a complete sauna bathing procedure.
Qualification Focus
Level 1 includes fundamental knowledge of:
sauna bathing and heterothermal bathing procedures
heat, cold and basic thermoregulation
preparation for sauna bathing
the heat phase
cooling procedures
rewarming and recovery
thermal strain and individual responses
warning signs and individual limits
basic safety principles
responsible sauna use
Typical Occupational Context
Level 1 is particularly relevant for people who require reliable foundational sauna knowledge, for example staff working in:
hotels
fitness clubs
spas and wellness facilities
public sauna facilities
leisure facilities
It provides a foundation for basic guest information, supervision and safety awareness.
Qualification Boundary
Level 1 demonstrates fundamental knowledge of sauna bathing and safety.
It does not, by itself, demonstrate professional competence to conduct specialised sauna procedures such as Aufguss or to assume broader professional responsibility for sauna operations.
Level 1 is the foundation for progression to the next ISQS qualification level.

ISQS Level 2
Professional Skills
Conducting Professional Sauna Aufguss
ISQS Level 2 develops specialised competence for the professional performance of Sauna Aufguss.
The qualification builds upon the physiological and safety foundations established at Level 1.
Professional Aufguss requires considerably more than applying water to heated stones and moving air through the sauna cabin.
The practitioner must understand how water application, evaporation, humidity, air movement and sauna climate influence heat transfer and the thermal exposure experienced by guests.
Qualification Focus
Level 2 develops competence in areas including:
professional performance of Sauna Aufguss
preparation and organisation of an Aufguss
water application and evaporation
humidity and water vapour
heat transfer during Aufguss
thermal exposure and load control
appropriate water quantities and dosage
standardisation and reproducibility
Aufguss agents and fragrances
essential oils
special forms of Aufguss
hygiene
personal safety
guest observation
communication
basic emergency response relevant to Aufguss practice
The objective is a controlled, reproducible and professionally justified Aufguss, rather than maximising heat intensity or entertainment value.
Typical Occupational Context
Level 2 is particularly relevant for:
Aufguss staff
sauna attendants conducting Aufguss
spa and wellness staff
employees in thermal baths and public sauna facilities
professionals who perform Aufguss as part of their regular duties
Qualification Boundary
Level 2 demonstrates specialised professional competence for defined sauna activities, particularly Sauna Aufguss.
It does not, by itself, represent the broader professional competence required to independently assess all aspects of sauna operation, workplace safety, incidents or complex operational situations.
These broader competences are developed at Level 3.

ISQS Level 3
Professional Qualification
Professional Assessment and Independent Sauna Practice
ISQS Level 3 represents a comprehensive professional qualification for sauna staff.
At this level, individual subjects are integrated into a broader understanding of professional sauna operation.
The focus shifts from performing individual activities to professionally assessing situations and acting appropriately within sauna operations.
Qualification Focus
Level 3 includes professional competence in areas such as:
sauna physiology
thermal exposure
the sauna cabin as a heat workplace
requirements for professional sauna workplaces
occupational safety
incidents in sauna facilities
case assessment
prevention of incidents
first aid and emergency measures
professional Aufguss
thermal load control
breathing and sauna exposure
Aufguss agents
essential oils
fundamentals of the pharmacology of fragrance substances
professional guest observation
operational decision-making
risk assessment within the defined area of responsibility
The objective is to enable professionals to recognise relevant relationships, assess situations and take appropriate action.
Typical Occupational Context
Level 3 is designed for professional sauna staff working independently in environments such as:
thermal baths
public sauna facilities
larger spa facilities
wellness operations
professional sauna facilities
It is particularly relevant where sauna work involves regular operational responsibility rather than only individual defined activities.
Qualification Boundary
Level 3 demonstrates comprehensive professional competence for independent sauna practice.
It does not automatically represent the advanced leadership, organisational and quality-management competence associated with responsibility for an entire sauna department or professional operation.
These responsibilities are addressed at Level 4.

ISQS Level 4
Sauna Master
Advanced Professional Competence and Leadership
ISQS Level 4 represents the advanced professional qualification within the regular ISQS pathway.
The Sauna Master qualification combines scientific foundations, professional action competence, operational organisation and responsibility for professional sauna operations.
At this level, the focus is no longer limited to individual activities or operational situations.
The Sauna Master must be able to understand relationships between different areas of sauna operation, identify risks, establish priorities and make professionally justified decisions.
Qualification Focus
Level 4 integrates advanced competence in areas including:
health-oriented sauna bathing
thermophysiology
heat and cold exposure
Sauna Aufguss
fragrances and essential oils
guest care
sauna technology
hygiene
sauna operation
occupational safety
emergency management
organisation
personnel
professional communication
quality management
economic considerations
legal and technical foundations
professional leadership

• systematic development of sauna quality

Practical competence is an important component of the qualification.
The Level 4 pathway therefore combines online education with a defined presence phase addressing practical areas such as first aid, rescue procedures, measurements, assessment of sauna climate and facilities, professional standards, practical Aufguss and case-based decision-making.
Typical Occupational Context
Level 4 is particularly relevant for:

• sauna supervisors
• sauna department managers
• professionals responsible for operational quality
• senior sauna professionals
• staff with personnel or organisational responsibility
• professionals responsible for complex operational decisions

Qualification Boundary
Level 4 demonstrates advanced professional competence and leadership within sauna practice and operation.
It does not automatically qualify the holder to educate, assess or certify other sauna professionals.
Educational and instructor responsibilities require additional competence.
ISQS Level 5
Sauna Instructor
Education, Training and Professional Qualification
ISQS Level 5 represents the educational and instructor level of the qualification framework.
It builds upon advanced professional competence and is intended for professionals who assume responsibility for the education and qualification of others.
Professional expertise alone does not automatically constitute teaching or assessment competence.
The instructor level therefore adds educational and assessment-related requirements to the professional competence developed through the preceding ISQS levels.
Typical Occupational Context
Level 5 is intended for professionals involved in:

• professional sauna education
• practical instruction
• training of sauna staff
• competence assessment
• examination
• qualification of future sauna professionals

Detailed admission requirements, learning outcomes and assessment requirements for the instructor level are defined separately within the ISQS framework.
A Progressive Qualification Pathway
The ISQS levels are designed as a progressive system.
Level 1 establishes the foundation.
Level 2 adds specialised professional skills.
Level 3 develops comprehensive professional competence.
Level 4 adds advanced responsibility and professional leadership.
Level 5 extends professional competence into education, instruction and assessment.
Progression therefore represents more than simply completing additional courses.
It represents increasing depth of knowledge, professional independence and responsibility.
Qualification Is Based on Responsibility
The type of facility alone does not determine the qualification required.
A hotel employee may only supervise a small sauna area – or may be responsible for an extensive spa operation.
An employee in a thermal bath may conduct Aufguss sessions – or may manage an entire sauna department.
The relevant question is therefore not:
Where does the person work?
The relevant question is:
What is the person professionally responsible for?
The ISQS Occupational Profiles connect these responsibilities with the appropriate qualification pathway.
Defined Qualification Boundaries
An important characteristic of the ISQS is that each qualification defines not only the competences it confirms, but also the limits of those competences.
A foundational certificate should not be interpreted as evidence of advanced professional competence.
Likewise, specialised competence in Aufguss does not automatically demonstrate competence in sauna management, occupational safety, quality management or professional leadership.
Defined qualification boundaries make certificates more transparent for participants, employers and professional organisations.
Qualifications Should Be Comparable
Course titles alone provide little information about the actual qualification behind them.
A programme called “Sauna Master”, “Sauna Expert” or “Sauna Specialist” may represent very different educational content, training volumes, practical requirements and assessment procedures.
The ISQS therefore defines qualifications through documented competence rather than course titles.
Compare qualifications, not course titles.
External qualifications can be evaluated through the ISQS Recognition of External Qualifications procedure and the ISQS Recognition Matrix.

ISQS and ISSS
The ISQS qualification levels are connected to the professional standards of the International Sauna Standardisation System (ISSS).
The ISSS defines professional reference standards for sauna practice and education.
The ISQS determines at which qualification level the corresponding knowledge, skills and competences are required.
ISSS defines the standard.
ISQS defines the qualification.
The occupational profile defines the required level.
Find the Qualification That Matches Your Responsibilities
The appropriate ISQS level depends on the professional tasks and responsibilities involved.
Explore the ISQS Occupational Profiles to identify the qualification pathway appropriate to your professional role.
For detailed requirements, learning outcomes and assessment criteria, see the ISQS Qualification Standards.

Defined qualification boundaries make certificates more transparent for participants, employers and professional organisations.

Qualifications Should Be Comparable
Course titles alone provide little information about the actual qualification behind them.
A programme called “Sauna Master”, “Sauna Expert” or “Sauna Specialist” may represent very different educational content, training volumes, practical requirements and assessment procedures.
The ISQS therefore defines qualifications through documented competence rather than course titles.
Compare qualifications, not course titles.
External qualifications can be evaluated through the ISQS Recognition of External Qualifications procedure and the ISQS Recognition Matrix.
ISQS and ISSS
The ISQS qualification levels are connected to the professional standards of the International Sauna Standardisation System (ISSS).
The ISSS defines professional reference standards for sauna practice and education.
The ISQS determines at which qualification level the corresponding knowledge, skills and competences are required.
ISSS defines the standard.
ISQS defines the qualification.
The occupational profile defines the required level.
Find the Qualification That Matches Your Responsibilities
The appropriate ISQS level depends on the professional tasks and responsibilities involved.
Explore the ISQS Occupational Profiles to identify the qualification pathway appropriate to your professional role.
For detailed requirements, learning outcomes and assessment criteria, see the ISQS Qualification Standards.