MSc Sport Management

Delivery:
Full time according to Funding Council definitions, Part-Time, Sandwich (Thick) out of college.

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The growth of the sport industry has prompted the need for a more professional and commercial orientation for managing sport. The MSc Sport Management course responds to this market demand by providing a critical and applied examination of research and practice essential for developing future sport managers.

This course is ideal for students with a sports psychology or coaching degree who would like to develop their sport management skills as well as those with non-related sports degrees. You'll develop a higher level understanding of management principles and their application to the sport industry. This will allow you to advance your knowledge of the processes by which sport has become a global phenomenon within the wider service and entertainment industry, the subsequent tensions that have emerged, and the implications for the future development and management of sport.

Taught by our team of research-active experts, who regularly offer advice to organisations in the sport management sector, you will have the chance to listen to and network with guest speakers as well as take part in site visits to sporting facilities across the UK.

Sport scholarships

If you’re passionate about sport and you’re a high performing sport athlete with the desire to continue developing your talents whilst you’re studying, then have a look at our BU Sport Scholarships which are available to help support you financially. Assistance provided for coaching, equipment, competition entry fees, travel expenses and/or support services.

Gain a more detailed insight about this course by watching our online presentation delivered by Programme Co-ordinator Gary Evans.

All statistics shown throughout this page are taken from Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) and BU institutional data, unless otherwise stated.

For 2020/21 entry: In order to take advantage of new approaches to learning and teaching, as well as developments in industry to benefit our students we regularly review all of our courses.

This course is currently going through this process and we will update this page in June 2019 to give you full information about what we will be offering once the review process has concluded.

Key information

Next start date:

September 2019, January 2020

Location:

Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus

Duration:

September: 1 year full-time (16 months with optional study exchange). January: 16 months full-time (18 months with optional study exchange), 2 years part-time or with optional 30-week work placement

Accreditations:

Club Managers Association of Europe

Relevant subjects:

All subjects considered

Entry requirements:

For 2019 entry: A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject or equivalent.

International entry requirements:

If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS 6.0 (Academic) with a minimum of 5.5 in each component of writing, speaking, listening and reading. For more information check out our full entry requirements.

Accredited by:

Course details

If you want to study part-time, you’ll study alongside full-time students over two years. You'll be expected to study a minimum of three units per year, along with your dissertation towards the end of your second year. The timetable for when units take place varies each year but the typical delivery for one unit is four hours a week, split between two sessions, so you will be required to be on campus at least two days a week. We can work with you to consider the timetable and make an appropriate individual plan in terms of which order to study which units.

Download the programme specification (pdf 570kb)

Core units

Business Strategy & Finance: The foundations of strategic analysis and choices that tie into an organisation’s business decisions. This includes private, public and third Sector. You'll study the corporate finance sources of organisations, reporting and interpreting financial data. This will help you understand the dynamics of the tourism, hospitality and leisure sectors.
Sport Principles & Practice: The structure of sport at all levels, from global organisations such as FIFA and the IOC, to local voluntary and amateur sport organisations. The unit will be international in nature, drawing on examples and practices from developed and developing countries.
Consuming Sport: The number of people who watch sport, directly or indirectly, outweighs the numbers that take part in it. However, nearly all academic study of sport is focused on taking part. This unit will develop your understanding of sport consumption by looking at different theories, which you'll use to describe the behaviour of sport consumers.
Facility Planning & Design: The key components of design for sport and recreation facilities. You'll learn to understand building services, engineering economics and the relationship between the client, contractor and operator.
Research Methods: You'll learn how to collect, analyse, interpret and present both qualitative and quantitative data. You will be able to understand the nature of research, and its associated ethics which will provide essential underpinning for your research project.
Dissertation: An opportunity to study a subject in-depth, showing your understanding of it. The dissertation is the conclusion of your learning experience, where you'll carry out a research project. You'll use appropriate research methodology to collect and analyse data and present your findings. Your dissertation will be 15,000 words, and you'll be taught about research methods.

Option units (choose one)

Entrepreneurship: The process of creating a new entrepreneurial venture, and funding sources for new and upcoming entrepreneurs. There's a focus on identifying and evaluating entrepreneurial opportunities. Entrepreneurial development may cover a single entity, a further investment by a portfolio entrepreneur, a management buy-out, a spin-out or a venture in an existing organisation.
Global Food & Drink: The unit will provide an in-depth analysis of the role of food and drink in the international hospitality, tourism, retail and events business environment. An understanding of the nature of our relationship with food socially, economically, politically, environmentally and in terms of technology is a valuable addition to other strategic and operational areas of expertise.
Mobile Communication & Mobile Marketing: Design and evaluate innovative mobile applications for an effective marketing communication campaign. You'll learn to understand, design and evaluate mobile communication and marketing initiatives in experience-based industries.
Politics, Philosophy & Economics for Sport: An examination of politics, philosophy and economics to make sense of sport in and as part of institutions that comprise society and contribute to stability and social naturalness. You'll investigate relationships that are ontologically and epistemologically conditioned and not neutral, hence the place of sport in this context is problematical and contested.
Sport Tourism: Learn about the features of sport tourism and the changing demands for it, along with its supply structures and impacts on and responses from sport and tourism providers. You'll explore how sport, tourism and events interact.
Crisis & Disaster Management: You'll develop a systematic understanding of the unique needs and critical resources that exist within key sectors and activities of Tourism, Hospitality and Events. You'll complete a number of strategic and tactical planning exercises aimed at addressing the need to integrate tourism and events within risk reduction, response and recovery strategies.

Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

Optional work placement

The placement unit is intended to foster personal and professional development, and to help you to make a connection between academic learning and the working world. You should consider how a range of management theories can be used, and if management in industry could be improved. The transferable skills developed will improve your performance in your future career, both as employee and manager.

Optional study abroad

Studying abroad is an incredible opportunity to experience a new country and culture while continuing your degree. If you choose the study abroad option, you will complete a semester (around 3 months) overseas at one of our partner institutions.

If you start your course in September, you will complete semester one and two at BU then finish for the summer break. You will start the study abroad option in September of your second year, at the same time as completing your dissertation and complete the course in January of the second year.

If you start your course in January, you will complete semester one, break for summer and then complete semester two at BU. You will start the study abroad option in January of your second year, at the same time as completing your dissertation and complete the course in July of the second year.

You can choose to study abroad or take the optional work placement but not both.

Find out more about studying abroad.

Programme specification

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the university's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

Your application

This course will be suited to applicants who:

Enjoy working with other people from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds
Are strong team players
Have a passion for sport management.

What we’re looking for

We are looking for applicants who have either been working within the sport industry and who want to further their education or who may want to get into teaching. We are also looking for individuals who work in ‘mainstream’ industries, for example marketing or finance who would like to move into the sports industry and understand that an MSc in Sport Management will give them the necessary background to do that.

We are committed and enthusiastic about the sports business world and are renown for our excellent teaching, research and industry engagement. We would like you to buy into our ethos of working hard to constantly try to make a real difference. Therefore, we invite strong applications from all around the world.

Selection methods

How and when to apply

There is no application deadline for this course. However, if you will need a visa to come to the UK to study, think carefully about the length of time it will take for your visa application to be processed and make sure your visa will be ready in time for the beginning of your course.

Click the green ‘Apply now’ button to submit your application free of charge online through myHub, our application portal. You will create your own myHub account so that you can track the progress of your application. Don’t forget to save your application as you go; you can return to it at as many times as you want before you submit it. For more information visit our How to apply section.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

The normal requirements for embarking upon a postgraduate taught degree are:

For 2019 entry: A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject or equivalent.

If you lack the formal academic qualifications needed to enter a postgraduate or post-experience degree, there are several alternative routes to follow - some based on experience. Contact the Future Students Enquiry Team for more information.

International entry requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you can understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component of writing, speaking, listening and reading or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

Bournemouth University International College offers a number of pre-sessional English and preparatory programmes to prepare international students for postgraduate study at BU. Admission to the degree is guaranteed on successful completion of your course to the required level.

You can also find further details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our postgraduate entry requirements page.

Placements

An exciting and valuable part of your studies with us is the opportunity to gain valuable experience through full-time industrial placements, for a minimum of 30 weeks. You will have the option to start your placement when the taught units of the course are finished, before you complete your dissertation.

The placement should be a paid job but voluntary work can be just as enjoyable.

Find out more about placements for postgraduate students

What support is available?

We provide a lot of support for you to help you find work, including a block of seminars, covering topics such as writing a CV and a covering letter, completing an application form, performing well in interviews, and we also provide language support to assist you with the written elements of your applications. However, it is ultimately your responsibility to find work.

The university does not guarantee that you will find a place. As you all probably know, it is hard work finding a job, and for this reason, many students change their mind once they are here, and choose a taught unit instead of doing the placement.

During your time on placement you will be supported by a unit tutor and a placement development advisor who will visit you on placement and keep in touch by phone and email.

International students

If you choose to do a placement as part of your course

If you have previously studied in the UK, we will consider any study limit that may apply. We will issue your CAS according to the length of time you are entitled to under UKVI regulations (if you do not have enough time left for a work placement year, we will issue your CAS to cover your course dates only).
If you decide after you have enrolled on your course that you do not want to do a placement, this will be reported to the UKVI when you have successfully completed your course.

If you choose not to do a placement as part of your course

We will note this on your CAS and your visa will only be granted long enough to cover your taught course, excluding placement.
If you change your mind while you are here and decide you want to do a placement, you will need to leave the UK to make a new Tier 4 visa application for the additional year of study. You would need to pay for your return travel back to your home country, as well as the cost of a new Tier 4 student visa application.

Find out more about placements by reading our student blog.

Careers

This course is ideal for those wanting to pursue a career working for national sporting governing bodies, sports consultancy enterprises, schools and specialist sports colleges, community groups and charitable sporting organisations.

Typical starting job roles

As a Sports Management graduate, you will be prepared to undertake a variety of roles in sport, teaching, management, marketing and events, including positions in areas such as:

Sport development
Sport facility management
Sports marketing.

As you progress through the course, selecting an option unit and setting up your placement – should you choose to complete one – will help you establish the exact career path you want to follow, and the contexts in which you want to put your studies to use.

Further study

Costs and fees

You can find full information about the deposits required and how to pay your fees in our postgraduate fees and funding section, including details of the Postgraduate Loan (subject to fee status).

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per annum. Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course.

Find out more about living expenses for postgraduate students

No hidden extras

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

One set of study-related consumables such as a memory stick/ DVD
Materials for laboratory and field-based teaching activity
Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement
A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
Disability and additional learning support
The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Costs of living and other expenses you need to consider

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website.
Optional fieldwork travel, outdoor wear and footwear (where applicable)
Text books, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of text books and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses.

Repeat units

Deposits

International (non-EU) students need to pay a non-refundable £2,000 deposit to secure their place on a postgraduate course. You will need to pay your deposit by the date stated in your offer letter. The remainder of your fee will be payable on registration/enrolment. There are two exceptions to the non-refundable rule on the deposit:

You fail to meet the academic or English requirements of your offer
You are refused a visa to enter the UK, provided the reason for the refusal is not a fraudulent application.

Financial help available from BU

Our staff

On this course you will be taught by staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This could include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners and research students, many of whom are actively engaged in research and/or professional practice which is integrated into the teaching of this course. Please note that teaching staff can change.

Dr Andy Adams - Programme Leader

Course changes

Changes in 2018

Date	Changes to this course
05/06/2018	Where the change was made: Course details Changes: Addition of Crisis & Disaster Management option unit
05/06/2018	Where the change was made: Course details Change: Amendment of Food & Drink option unit from 'Food & Drink' to ' Global Food & Drink' Previous text: Food & Drink: Food and drink gives us sustenance, meets our nutritional needs, and forms the basis for many of life’s experiences. It's also central to the hospitality, tourism, retail and events sectors. As such, understanding our relationship with food socially, economically, politically, environmentally and technologically is valuable for strategic and operational areas of expertise.

Date

Changes to this course

05/06/2018

Where the change was made: Course details
Changes: Addition of Crisis & Disaster Management option unit

05/06/2018

Where the change was made: Course details
Change: Amendment of Food & Drink option unit from 'Food & Drink' to ' Global Food & Drink'
Previous text: Food & Drink: Food and drink gives us sustenance, meets our nutritional needs, and forms the basis for many of life’s experiences. It's also central to the hospitality, tourism, retail and events sectors. As such, understanding our relationship with food socially, economically, politically, environmentally and technologically is valuable for strategic and operational areas of expertise.

Changes in 2017

Date	Changes to this course
15/11/2017	Where the change was made: Fees Changes: After an annual review of the placement year tuition fee, a price increase in line with current inflation, equating to 3% has been introduced for September 2018 entrants. Previous text: £790

Changes in 2016

Date	Changes to this course
02/03/2016	Where the change was made: Course details Changes: Elective unit change. Removal of the unit Managing Organisations and addition of the unit Research Methods Previous text: Managing Organisations: Develop competence in organisational management and behaviour for a management career in the leisure sector. You'll investigate key roles and how these may be affected by operational environments and organisational structures and cultures, particularly in international and multinational organisations.

Date

Changes to this course

02/03/2016

Where the change was made: Course details
Changes: Elective unit change. Removal of the unit Managing Organisations and addition of the unit Research Methods
Previous text: Managing Organisations: Develop competence in organisational management and behaviour for a management career in the leisure sector. You'll investigate key roles and how these may be affected by operational environments and organisational structures and cultures, particularly in international and multinational organisations.

What our students say

James Lee

Your “Professional and Personal Development Framework” will support your academic performance and individual development and help to plan how to move towards that ultimate goal.

Hear from our staff

Professor Dimitrios Buhalis

You’ll learn from people with first-hand knowledge, well respected in industry. We use our experience and insights to give in-depth understanding of the subject.

What our graduates think

Natalie Brett

After graduating from BU I returned to Canada and was chosen to be a Capacity Support Officer with Commonwealth Games Canada, first in the Falkland Islands then in Botswana assisting in the preparation for the London Olympics.

MSc Sport Management

Course search

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Sport scholarships

Key information

Next start date:

Location:

Duration:

Accreditations:

Relevant subjects:

Entry requirements:

International entry requirements:

Accredited by:

Related courses

Our stories

Find out how Nathan moved his focus from finance to sport for his Master’s

Find out how Yisi Lu’s MSc in Sport Management led to an Adidas placement in Shanghai

Watch Ellie’s vlog on the social life of a postgrad student

Watch Professor Tim Rees’ inaugural lecture on elite sports performance

Planning your future

Course details

Core units

Option units (choose one)

Optional work placement

Optional study abroad

Programme specification

Your application

What we’re looking for

Selection methods

How and when to apply

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

International entry requirements

Placements

What support is available?

International students

Careers

Typical starting job roles

Further study

Costs and fees

No hidden extras

Costs of living and other expenses you need to consider

Repeat units

Deposits

Financial help available from BU

Our staff

Dr Andy Adams - Programme Leader

Course changes

Changes in 2018

Changes in 2017

Changes in 2016

What our students say

James Lee

Hear from our staff

Professor Dimitrios Buhalis

What our graduates think

Natalie Brett