Sport Management BA (Hons) with foundation year

Study level: Undergraduate
football stadium at night

If you have a passion for sport, then this course aims to help you develop a range of practical business skills and knowledge that can be utilised in a variety of careers in this diverse, global and dynamic industry sector.

Course option

Year of entry

Location

CU Coventry (Coventry) and
Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

4 years full-time
5 years sandwich

UCAS codes

NFDF

Start date

September 2025
November 2025


Course overview

Our degree with foundation year could be the stepping stone you need to achieve your goals. The foundation year aims to prepare you for degree-level study and is a great way to build the confidence, skills and knowledge needed to succeed on your degree course.

Foundation year

The foundation year will introduce you to the world of business with a strong focus on management, business communications and marketing in a global context. It creates opportunities for you to develop vital business skills, as well as preparing you for study at undergraduate level. You will put theory, both traditional and contemporary, into practice with real-world scenarios.

Degree

The sports industry is dynamic and engages people and organisations all over the world. By blending the areas of sport and management, this course seeks to explore the policy, planning, management and delivery of sport-related services, products and activities.

A star in the centre of a rosette.

Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

Five stars in a speech bubble.

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

City buildings next to a tree.

Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2025

Why you should study this course

Foundation year

  • Supports you to gain the academic skills required for degree-level study.
  • Provides a grounding in key areas of business and management.

Degree

  • Engagement with local, national and international sports organisations, to help you gain practical experience and have the chance to learn from practitioners and the opportunity to develop your industry networks2.
  • A variety of specialised sport-related modules to help you develop expertise in some of the unique challenges and issues facing the sports industry, alongside the core principles of business management.
  • Access to our extensive network of sports organisations in both the UK and throughout the world to gain work placement opportunities, hear from practitioner speakers, participate in site visits and carry out consultancy-based project work (subject to availability)2.
  • Real-world experience - the chance to explore and apply management theory, to real-world sports industry problems and international case studies.
  • Industry insight - students gain insight into the industry by visiting a variety of sports venues and listening to industry experts from across the world2. Past trips have included visits to sports venues such as the Amsterdam Arena, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Croke Park.
  • Professional network development - our cultivated links with the industry means that there are usually opportunities to volunteer at a variety of sports events (subject to availability), where past students have gained experience and developed their professional networks by volunteering in events, such as at top-flight football and rugby games2.

What you'll study

This course has a common first year.

The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn. 

If you discover an interest in a specific subject you have studied, upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements).  

Common first year courses 

  • Advertising and Digital Marketing BA (Hons)
  • Business Administration BBA (Hons)
  • Business and Human Resource Management BA (Hons)
  • Business and Marketing BA (Hons)
  • Business Management BA (Hons)
  • Enterprise and Entrepreneurship BA (Hons)
  • Event Management BA (Hons)
  • International Business Management BSc (Hons)
  • Marketing BA (Hons)
  • Sport Management BA (Hons) 
  •  

In the first year, the curriculum is shared across related courses allowing you to gain a broad grounding in the discipline before going on, in the second and third years, to specialist modules in your chosen field.  

Modules

In year two, you will continue to develop the skills and knowledge you’ve learnt. We do this by embedding the following four principles into the curriculum:

  • Technical skills – digital fluency, backed with the right academic knowledge
  • Study skills – to be an adaptive, independent and proactive learner
  • Professional skills – to have the behaviour and abilities to succeed in your career
  • Global awareness – the beliefs and abilities to be a resilient, confident and motivated global citizen.

 

Modules

There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement2 can often be beneficial. Work placement or study abroad years usually occur between your second and final year of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.

If you choose to do a work placement or study abroad year, you will pay a reduced tuition fee3 of £1,250. During this time you will receive guidance from your employer or participating institution, along with your assigned academic mentor who will ensure you have the support you need to complete your placement.

Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our placement/study abroad offering here, it is often tailored for each course every year and depending on the length of placement or study abroad opportunities that are secured. Therefore, the placement and study abroad arrangements vary per course and per student. Request further information about going on a placement or study abroad year.

Modules

The final year aims to bring you to the level to enter the world of work by consolidating your knowledge and skills from year one and two.

Modules

The foundation year offers an introduction to your chosen subject and supports you to develop the skills required for degree-level study.

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.


How you'll learn

The foundation year is focused on applied learning through a blend of lectures, tutorials and online learning. There are no end-of-year exams. Instead, learning is assessed through coursework and phase tests, which are more reflective of a working environment.

The learning outcomes of modules, assignments and projects will be clearly stated. Your work will be marked according to how well you achieve these learning outcomes and your final feedback will refer to each outcome, as well as providing an overall percentage grade.


Teaching contact hours

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 20 credit module requires a total of 200 hours study. This is made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.

Teaching hours:

Teaching hours vary each semester, year of study and due to module selection. During your first year you can expect 15-18 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend optional sessions including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.

Guided and independent study:

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You'll be digging deeper into topics, review what you've learnt and complete assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress through your studies, you'll spend more time in independent study.

Online learning:

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.


Assessment

Assessment methods vary and may include practical class and project performance, written practical reports, project thesis, oral presentations, tutorial tasks and assessments which generally take place at the end of each six-week block.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

You can expect to:

  • take a problem-solving approach to learning by exploring real-world case studies and problems that are specifically related to the sports industry.
  • network with experts currently working in the sports industry who can share their experiences2.
  • gain practical experience by taking part in a variety of informal volunteering opportunities2.
  • attend sessions from external practitioners which sees practitioners and alumni deliver sessions on the industry2.
  • make extensive use of case studies to demonstrate the practical, real-life issues facing the sector.

If you choose to start this course in January it will be run as a condensed programme. You’ll start your course in January and finish your first year in August. Upon successful completion of Year 1, you will progress onto Year 2 in September and then continue to start subsequent years of your course in September, completing your degree at the same time as the September starters unless you opt to do a placement year.


Teaching contact hours

We understand that everyone learns differently, so each of our courses will consist of structured teaching sessions, which may include:

  • on-campus lectures, seminars and workshops
  • group work
  • self-directed learning
  • work placement opportunities2.

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 20 credit module requires a total of 200 hours study. This is made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.

Teaching hours:

Teaching hours vary each semester, year of study and due to module selection. During your first year you can expect 15-18 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend optional sessions including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.

Guided and independent study:

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You’ll be digging deeper into topics, review what you’ve learned and complete assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress through your studies, you’ll spend more time in independent study.

Online learning:

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.


Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods may include:

  • phase tests
  • essays
  • group work
  • presentations
  • reports
  • projects
  • coursework
  • exams
  • individual assignments.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.


International experience opportunities

During your studies, we will explore the sports industry in different countries and cultures. We currently have global collaborators in the United States, Brazil, Europe, Dubai, Qatar, China and Australia, which may provide exciting opportunities for volunteering abroad2.

Throughout the course, we consider sport management within an international context, drawing on case studies from throughout the world, such as the FIFA scandal, management of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), doping in world cycling, Chinese investment into British sport and the global interest in sport and foreign sponsorship deals.

Please note that all international experience opportunities may be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability, and meeting applicable visa and travel requirements are therefore not guaranteed2.


Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

64 UCAS tariff points. All foundation courses require 5 GCSEs at A-C/9-4 including Maths and English, and at least one A2 level or a BTEC equivalent qualification.

Other qualifications and experience

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, each with a unique story. We recognise a breadth of qualifications. If your qualifications differ from the above, contact our Admissions Team who will be happy to discuss your qualifications and routes into your chosen course.

Contextual offers and Fair Access Scheme

If you meet the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme, you could automatically receive a contextual offer that may be up to 24 UCAS points lower than our standard entry requirements. View the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme.

Got higher grades? Have you considered direct entry to the degree without foundation year?


Fees and funding

Foundation year

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man 2025/26 fees TBC
2024/25 fees - £7,950
Not available
International/EU Not currently available*** Not available

Degree

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man 2025/26 fees TBC
2024/25 fees - £9,250 per year
Not available
International/EU Not currently available*** Not available

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement2 or study abroad year, you will need to pay a tuition fee3 of £1,250 to cover your academic support throughout your placement year.

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

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 UK (home) students, if Parliament permits 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.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.

Applies to degree only:

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

  • Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
  • Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

Foundation year funding

In order to receive funding for degree with foundation year courses, you will need to complete a four-year degree programme which includes the integrated foundation year, otherwise you may be responsible for your foundation year fees. For further information, please refer to the 'Tuition Fee Loan' details in the 'Funding your undergraduate course' section of our 'Fees and finance' page.

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**This course with foundation year is not currently available to international students. If you do not meet the entry requirements to directly join year 1 of the degree, please take a look at our International Pathways Programme for additional options.


Facilities

Our foundation years are taught at CU Coventry’s Mile Lane building, a short walk from the city centre. You’re part of the university from day one, so during your foundation year you’ll have access to the wider facilities at Coventry University. Once you successfully complete your foundation year, you'll transfer over to studying your chosen degree at Coventry University, where you'll be taught on campus in the relevant academic buildings.

Located on our Mile Lane campus, you will have access to our Library and Learning Services (LLS), fully equipped seminar rooms and IT suites4. You can also take advantage of reading rights in Coventry University’s Lanchester Library, make use of sport centre facilities and receive full membership to Your Students' Union.

Two students walking outside with the CU Coventry building behind them.

Mile Lane

The campus is home to an on-site library with bookable one-to-one academic writing service and library support sessions, fully equipped seminar rooms, open-access study areas, a café and an IT suite. Our labs contain industry-standard equipment so that you learn using the same equipment as many industry professionals.

A student working in a booth in The Hub.

The Hub

At The Hub you'll find the Health and Wellbeing Centre, the Students’ Union and Square One (which provides entertainment from quiz nights to live music), the Spirituality and Faith Centre, Tank Studio, Careers Office and a fantastic food court.

External view of the Lanchester Library.

Lanchester Library

Coventry University’s Lanchester Library is open 24/7, 364 days a year and has 1,400 study spaces, including group and silent areas. It also currently offers more than 550 computers and an additional 120 free-to-loan laptops.

 

We have a range of facilities available4 to support our sport management students in putting the theories you are taught into practice.

  • Sport and Recreation Centre
    Situated in a central location within Coventry University's campus, we offer excellent facilities, an exciting range of exercise classes and a dedicated team of staff on site.
  • Talent Team
    Our dedicated Talent Team can assist you in applying for work placements, graduate-level jobs and offer skills development workshops. They also aim to organise networking events to introduce you to potential employers and industry contacts.

Careers and opportunities

Upon successful completion of this course, you will have knowledge of: 

  • the development needs and intentions of sports organisations and communities.
  • sport policy on a domestic and global basis.
  • the holistic nature of a business organisation.

You will also be able to:

  • apply business principles to a range of sports organisations, including sports clubs and teams, sporting events and governing bodies.
  • apply appropriate techniques to solve a range of different business and sports management problems.
  • analyse and produce appropriate sports management solutions to support business decisions.

Working for sports organisations has become an increasingly popular career sector, with a demand for a higher level of expertise in areas such as the management of sports businesses, and engagement with communities through sport.

This course provides a foundation to explore potential future career options in this sector, in areas such as sports marketing, sports event management, hospitality management, and sports business management and administration.

Where our graduates work

Some of our previous graduates have gone on to occupy senior management positions in the sports industry, for instance, working within the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Ltd. (LOCOG), the Aspire Group, Decathlon, Sport New Media and Coventry Blaze Ice Hockey Club. Others have found graduate employment with Puma, Amazon, Genting Arena, Manchester City FC, West Ham United FC, Huddersfield Giants RLFC, the Italian National Olympic Committee, Ricoh Arena, Leicester Tigers and IMG.  

Further study

Upon successful completion of our Sport Management BA (Hons) degree, you may wish to continue to further your studies at postgraduate level. You can do that right here at Coventry University, with our Sport Management MSc. You could continue to build on what you have learnt, further preparing you to become a professional sports management practitioner, upon successful completion, with the theoretical knowledge, skills and personal attributes to help you to become a leader in your chosen sports sector. 

We also offer alternative postgraduate degrees if you decide to take a slightly different route. You can explore all of your options using our postgraduate course search tool. You may be entitled to an alumni discount on your fees if you decide to extend your time with us by progressing from undergraduate to postgraduate study

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