Sport Business Management – BSc (Honours)

At a glance

Study for a career as a business manager in private and public sector sport on a course that links academic study to professional practice. Work on projects set by major sports organisations and complete a six-week placement with partners such as Sheffield United Football club and the English Institute of Sport.

Key points• Gain the expertise of staff who have worked for national sporting organisations.
• Apply for placements at a range of partner companies and organisations.
• Work on projects set by industry and assess their real-world results.
• Meet professionals from major sporting organisations.

What is sport business management?
Sport business management concerns the application of management and leadership skills to organisations operating within the sport and leisure sector, including marketing, event, facilities, economic and financial management.

This course

Study how to apply business management theories and sport management research to challenges faced by the rapidly expanding UK sports industry. Graduates from this course will be well equipped to take advantage of the opportunities in sport business management resulting from the 2012 Olympic legacy.

You are encouraged to challenge existing management ideas and to critically analyse sport business problems in real industry settings. This develops your creativity and ability to find solutions throughout your career.

You learn from a teaching team with extensive international industry experience working in the private sector and in public sector sport organisations such as English Basketball. You also benefit from good links to the latest research at our renowned Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC).

In year one you develop business management skills, expertise and knowledge in the sport industry.

In year two, you get the chance apply aspects of what you’ve learnt on a six-week work placement in your area of interest, such as marketing and events management. Recent placement organisations have included • Aston Villa and Norwich City football clubs • clubs in other sports such as the Sheffield Steelers, Leicester Tigers and Northampton County Cricket Club • the English Institute of Sport • Rugby Football Union • SIRC.

Typical placement roles include community work, marketing, youth development, market research and events management.

You also learn to understand the research process and develop market research and data analysis skills. And you gain management accounting skills to support financial decision making.

Year three deepens your understanding and knowledge, enhances your skills and prepares you for the workplace. Central to your learning are real world case studies projects and assignments.

Also in year three, you select optional modules to extend your knowledge in the areas that most interest you by working on live projects with external organisations. You experience delivering a project according to a brief and assessing its success. Past students have worked with • Sheffield United • Ponds Forge International Sports Centre • English Institute of Sport.

Key areas of study
Our lecturer team is made up of specialists from many areas including • marketing • events • management and leadership • finance and economics.
Your course reflects this expertise.