Sport Management MSc 2022/23 entry
The content of this course for September 2022 entry is still being updated. The information on these pages relates to September 2021 entry and is for guidance only. Please revisit this course page for updated information.
Overview
The global sports market is seeing prolific growth – and it is now estimated to be worth between $600-700 billion a year to the global economy. Our course aims to help you acquire the skills and attributes to become a leader in this dynamic, growing sector, upon successful completion.
As demand grows for sport management graduates with relevant expertise, skills and knowledge of the sector, our course aims to prepare you to be a professional sport management practitioner, upon successful completion, with the theoretical knowledge, skills and personal attributes to help you to become a leader in your chosen sport sector.
Don’t just take our word for it. In 2019, Eduniversal’s ranking of Sport Management master’s courses ranked our course at number 12 in the world, and number 1 in the UK, while in the 2020 Sportbusiness postgraduate global ranking, we were number 15 in the world, and again number 1 in the UK. Both of these rankings consider metrics such as teaching quality, employability support, networking opportunities and the relevance of course content to the sport industry.
Professional experience option
Please note that the optional professional experience modules incur an additional tuition fee, which for 1 semester of professional experience is £1,333.33, for 2 semesters of professional experience is £2,666.67, and for 3 semesters of professional experience is £4,000.
Professional experience opportunities are not guaranteed, and while you will be responsible for sourcing any opportunity, you will have the support of our Talent Team in doing so. This is subject to competitive application, availability, meeting any applicable visa requirements and additional costs may apply. Find out more about the professional experience option or use our enquiry forms for UK and for EU/International students to ask any questions.
Why Coventry University?
An award-winning university, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible experience. We continue to invest in both our facilities and our innovative approach to education. Our students benefit from industry-relevant teaching, and resources and support designed to help them succeed. These range from our modern library and computing facilities to dedicated careers advice and our impressive Students’ Union activities.
COVID-19
The University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via emerging online technologies and methods across all courses. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2020/2021 academic year to be delivered in a variety of forms. The form of delivery will be determined in accordance with Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.
Global ready
An international outlook, with global opportunitiesEmployability
Career-ready graduates, with the skills to succeedStudent experience
All the support you need, in a top student cityAccreditation and Professional Recognition
This course is accredited and recognised by the following bodies:
Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
The course currently includes the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) accredited module, Global Professional Development - Consultancy. Students who successfully complete the CMI module and meet the CMI evidence requirements will also gain a Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Leadership and Management and a Level 7 Award in Professional Consulting. This will enable you to apply for Chartered Manager status via the qualified route, once all CMI entry criteria have been met (please visit the CMI website for full details on the criteria to qualify as a Chartered Manager and applicable fees).
Coventry University’s accreditation with CMI is currently ongoing for the relevant modules, but is frequently reviewed and monitored by the CMI through their quality systems. If any changes occur with respect to our accreditation related to these modules, we will seek to notify applicants and students as soon as possible.
Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS)
Coventry Business School is currently an active member of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, which has a membership of over 120 business schools and higher education providers, and supports its members in maintaining high standards of teaching and research. There is currently no intention for this membership to lapse however if it was not to be renewed we would notify applicants and students as soon as possible.
European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD)
Coventry Business School is currently an active member of the European Foundation for Management Development, a global membership organisation dedicated to management development, covering over 900 members across 91 countries. There is currently no intention for this membership to lapse however if it was not to be renewed we would notify applicants and students as soon as possible.
What our alumni say
I found that the lecturers and staff were very helpful, friendly and happy to provide us with advice about the course, as well as guidance for our future steps as professionals within the sports industry.
Course information
The educational aims of the course are to introduce students to a range of concepts and theories that should enable them to critically analyse sport organisations, contexts and functions.
This course seeks to develop your analytical and decision-making skills and your ability to apply knowledge and understanding of sport management to complex or difficult issues, both systematically and creatively, to improve business and management practice, including within an international context.
Sport industry-specific modules aim to help you develop a sound understanding of the sport business in order for you to be able to make a significant contribution to your employer. Alongside sport industry-specific content, you’ll also have the opportunity to develop management and leadership skills through the study of a module accredited by the Chartered Management Institute in your final semester. Please see the Accreditation and Professional Recognition section for further details.
While studying the course, you will be supported by expert staff with experience of the sport sector, as well as having the opportunity to attend guest lectures given by industry professionals (subject to availability), and study in an internationally diverse environment.
This course can be offered on a part-time basis, with study over two years. Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our part-time offering here, it is tailored for each course each year depending on the number of part-time applicants. Therefore, the part-time teaching arrangements vary. You can make an enquiry about part-time study using our online forms, for UK and for EU/International students.
12th
Ranked in the top 12 Sport Management Master's courses worldwide.
Eduniversal, 2019
Course Specification
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Modules
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
In more detail...
There’s never been a more exciting time to pursue careers within the global sport industry, which is booming in terms of greater sport participation, the development of new sports, a growth in sport facilities and a flourishing of sport events taking place around the world. Despite recent challenges emerging due to the restriction on live events during the COVID-19 pandemic, sport is still forecast to continue to adapt and maintain its crucial role in economies around the world, with new ways to reach audiences and encourage participation becoming ever more important.
When studying this course, there are opportunities to do a consultancy project supported by an internship* during the Project module which could greatly enhance your employability, upon successful completion of this and the course overall, as it demonstrates your capacity to manage projects and put theory into practice.
Our Master’s in Sport Management has been developed with feedback from employers and is designed with the needs of both you as the student, and the sports industry in mind. You will have the opportunity to hear from industry professionals through guest lectures (subject to availability), and also attend the Faculty of Business and Law’s Employment Fair, usually held annually, which sees over 25 companies attend, including those within the sports sector. There is also the opportunity to undertake a student project – in the past these have been focused on organisations such as Tottenham Hotspur, Opta, CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee) and the Football Foundation (please note projects are subject to availability, a competitive application process, meeting any applicable visa requirements and additional costs may apply).
Special emphasis is placed on developing your analytical and creative skills, crucial for sound decision making, innovative problem solving and developing flexible business strategies, through the extensive use of examples, case studies, group work and projects.
You’ll be taught by expert staff who have mix of practitioner experience and academic expertise, and who have published various academic works on different parts of the sport sector during their careers.
- Coventry Business School was ranked as ‘Excellent’ by Eduniversal in 2019, an annual ranking of business schools in over 150 countries.
- Vibrant student community with lots of student-led social events and activities, which have in the past included events such as a breast cancer charity fundraising day and a sports away day.
- Our Sport Management MSc is ranked 12th in the world, and 1st in the UK, by Eduniversal, in their 2019 ranking of the best Sports Management masters.
- Opportunities to participate in industry field trips to visit sports teams and facilities, which in the past have included Anfield in Liverpool and Croke Park in Dublin (subject to availability, application, meeting any applicable visa requirements and additional costs may apply).
- Taught by staff recognised nationally and internationally in their respective fields of specialism, some of whom have previously published in the Journal of Sport Management, European Sport Management Quarterly, Sport Management Review and International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, to name but a few.
- We are ranked as the 15th best university in the United Kingdom for ‘Business, Management and Marketing’ - Guardian University Guide 2020
- Opportunity to study a module accredited by the Chartered Management Institute, enabling you the opportunity to learn skills that could be important, upon successful completion, in your future career. Please see the Accreditation and Professional Recognition section for further details.
- Chance to extend your course by up to a year through the professional experience option, which could see you gain practical skills of relevance to your future career aspirations. Please refer to the professional experience section in the Overview section of this page for more details.
Our course was ranked 12th best in the world, and the best in the UK, in Eduniversal’s 2019 ranking of Sport Management course’s worldwide.
The main study themes covered on the course are:
- Sport organisation and governance: We examine the exciting and changing nature of the external environment of sport organisations and how this may impact on the internal operations and people.
- Sport finance: Aims to develop your ability to interpret and use financial information within the strategic framework of a sport organisation. Aims to provide you with practical tools for assessing financial performance and economic condition of sport organisations, including key ratios and management control tools supporting decision making and sound (financial) management. Considerable emphasis will be placed on the financial reports of real-world sport organisations.
- Managing people: Is designed to provide a rigorous framework of knowledge and understanding concerning people management and development in the context of sport/event organisations. We will examine the potential contribution of HRM to organisational effectiveness and efficiency and the specific issues arising from managing volunteers. You will be introduced to the latest theory and practice in the fields of leadership, flexibility and change management.
- Marketing and sponsorship: Aims to provides a solid grounding in the unique nature of marketing for sport and events. You will be encouraged to think strategically about marketing. We also examine how sponsorship plays an important role in the management of sport and events.
The teaching on this course is designed to inspire and engage you through a range of techniques which encourage lively, interactive learning, and by drawing on relevant research and professional practice.
This course can be studied full-time over one year and part-time over two years. Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our part-time offering here, it is tailored for each course each year depending on the number of part-time applicants. Therefore, the part-time teaching arrangements vary. If you are interested in part-time study, please contact us using our online forms, for UK and for EU/International students.
Methods will include lectures, seminars, industry visits, field trips, individual and group mini-project activities, videos, guest lectures, peer-assessment, presentations and case study based learning. These sessions may be delivered through a combination of face-to-face teaching and online classes and tutorials.
These sessions should allow you to critically link theory and practice by utilising and applying frameworks and concepts into complex and realistic situations. The variety of methods will also encourage you to contextualise and reflect on your learning, putting it in perspective with your own experience.
Many staff in the extended Course Team are research active and draw on their research to enrich their teaching. In addition, discussions with international colleagues about recent research articles are usually organised (e.g. via Skype). This gives you the opportunity to interact directly with the authors of these publications and engage more actively with published work, as well as discussing international and cultural dimensions.
This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods include formal examinations and coursework.
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards the achieving the intended learning outcomes. Assessments may include exams, individual assignments or group work elements.
On successful completion of the course, you will be able to:
- Evidence a systematic in-depth understanding of the development, characteristics, issues and influences relevant to sport management locally, nationally and globally.
- Review and analyse the key socio-cultural, political, economic, technological, ethical and environmental factors that shape the sport sector regionally, nationally and internationally.
- Demonstrate the power of critical inquiry, logical thought, creative imagination and independent judgement to support ethical and responsible decision making and research.
- Have a professional attitude through demonstrating skills relating to communication, entrepreneurship, teamwork, project planning, intercultural competence and responsibility for individual learning.
- Appraise and apply the principles of responsible management and take into consideration communities and stakeholder groups when making decisions and taking actions.
- Evaluate and select innovative technologies to plan, design, execute, and evaluate a range of sport management-related activities.
- Work independently to solve complex problems and undertake research, reaching informed decisions and critically reviewing them by drawing on the latest development in disciplinary knowledge.
- Develop the capacity to manage their personal continuous learning and development, thus becoming ‘reflective’ sport management professionals and future leaders within the sector.
We set out below the typical teaching contact hours that you will receive on this course. In addition to the contact hours below, we offer the opportunity to attend additional optional sessions, such as guest lectures (subject to availability), or to meet with staff during their advice and feedback hours.
As an innovative and enterprising institution, the University may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.
In your first and second semester, you will have around 12 contact hours of teaching a week. The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.
A strong emphasis is placed on the Project module in your final semester and therefore total teaching contact hours may be reduced.
In addition, you will be expected to undertake a significant amount of self-directed studying and revising in your own time each week, including conducting further reading or working on coursework.
The course has a strong international focus throughout and this is supported by making the most of the multicultural student mix and the diverse teaching team. Since 2015, an optional international field trip to Lausanne – the Olympic Capital – has been organised by the team including the visits of several headquarters, sport facilities and the Olympic Museum. There is also the unique opportunity to participate to an international job fair dedicated to the sport industry.
This international focus will be further developed by including more opportunities for international guest speakers (including webinars) and for collaborations with students from overseas institutions through Collaborative Online International Learning projects (subject to availability).
This international focus will be further developed by including more opportunities for international guest speakers (including webinars) and for collaborations with students from overseas institutions through Online International Learning projects (subject to availability).
The Sport Management department at Coventry University is also pro-active in seeking new international opportunities to help develop its courses. For example, in 2020 we signed a strategic partnership with the Asian Electronic Sports Federation, to provide opportunities for our students in the dynamic and growing sector of esports, through potential international experiences and through embedded esports expertise in modules.
Please note that we are unable to guarantee any international field trips/job fair opportunities and overseas opportunities and that any such opportunities referred to on this webpage may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
What our alumni say
I found that the lecturers and staff were very helpful, friendly and happy to provide us with advice about the course, as well as guidance for our future steps as professionals within the sports industry.
Entry Requirements
What our alumni say
The highlight of the Sports Management course was the level of teaching. Getting to learn from recognised and knowledgeable academics in the field was invaluable.
Fees and funding
2022/23 Tuition fees
For advice and guidance on tuition fees3 and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page.
We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.
This course may incur additional costs associated with any field trips, placements or work experience, study abroad opportunities or any other opportunity (whether required or optional), which could include (but is not limited to) travel, accommodation, activities and visas.
EU student fees
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year remain eligible for the same fees as home students and the same financial support. Financial support comes from Student Finance England, and covers undergraduate and postgraduate study for the duration of their course, providing they meet the residency requirement.
For tuition fee loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland for the three years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that three year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
For maintenance loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the UK and Islands for the five years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that five year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
What our alumni say
I found that the lecturers and staff were very helpful, friendly and happy to provide us with advice about the course, as well as guidance for our future steps as professionals within the sports industry.
Career prospects
Graduate Immigration Route visa
Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.
Our MSc Sport Management course has a strong focus on employability through corporate engagement.
As well as the availability of an internship* in the regular course as part of the Project module and the option to extend the course with professional experience (please see the Professional experience section in the Overview section on this page for further details) , employability is supported by practical and applied activities such as industry visits, guest speakers and the use of innovative assessments that put a strong emphasis on employability and industry engagement (all are subject to availability, competitive application, meeting any applicable visa requirements and additional costs may apply).
For example, you will have the opportunity to be involved in a variety of simulation games to apply your knowledge into practice such as a crisis management simulation, a management simulation of a facility and a negotiation simulation. You will also have the opportunity to write a grant bid for a real organisation or prepare a bid video to host a sporting event. There are also various opportunities for you to engage in team work simulations and volunteering activities throughout the course.
Our graduates should be adaptable and reflexive sport managers, capable of filling future senior management positions within the sector. This management focus is also supported by the study of the Chartered Management Institute accredited module Global Professional Development – Consultancy, which, upon successful completion, could give you the skills needed for your future career (please see the Accreditation and Professional Recognition section for further details).
*Please note that we are unable to guarantee any international field trips/job fair opportunities and overseas opportunities and that any such opportunities referred to on this webpage may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
Where our graduates work
Previous graduates have secured exciting and rewarding positions in a wide variety of marketing areas such as brand management, creative advertising development, working with the leading organisations worldwide such as Airbus, Millward Brown, Silverstone and many others.
What our alumni say
Studying at Coventry University was such a valuable experience. I am now working as a Marketing Associate in one of the largest international sports marketing agency within the area I am passionate about.
Disclaimer
1Accreditations
The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.
2UK and international opportunities
Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or International opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel COVID and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the visa requirements, please contact the International Office.
3Tuition fees
The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For Home Students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.
For International Students, we may increase fees each year but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.
4Facilities
Facilities are subject to availability. Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.
Student Contract
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. The 2022/23 Contract is currently being updated so please revisit this page before submitting your application. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.
