Universities have been entrusted with the task of qualifying professionals for their future practice. In light of this, the present study analysed the competencies perceived by 80 physical education students of a public university in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, enrolled in the subject Outdoor Adventure Sports. An exploratory descriptive investigation was conducted with a qualitative approach. The content analysis technique was applied, and analysis categories were created according to a specific professional competence model. The findings indicate that the students perceived themselves as more competent in social/vocational, intra-professional, ethical and theoretical aspects of the profession, respectively. This study demonstrates that principles and values of outdoor adventure sports could contribute to the perception and development of some competencies, depending on the context and forms of mediation.