Course summary

From Asia to Europe and to America, sport is a global phenomenon and supporters, participants and owners all play their part. UCFB's MSc International Sport Management provides an unparalleled educational and experiential opportunity for aspiring sports leaders. This pioneering programme has been developed as a transformational journey suited for graduates of all disciplines, as well as for current professionals working within various sectors of the sport industry, for example in management, marketing or operations. Sharing the stage with the world’s most elite institutions, this degree ranked 23rd in the world in the prestigious SportBusiness Postgraduate Rankings. It is also ranked 7th in Top Online Postgraduate courses, and 1st in Average Salary. Being taught in a working international sports environment presents several opportunities for students to reflect on the material covered in lectures, seminars and webinars. A diverse range of learning and teaching approaches are utilised, as appropriate to each module, this ensures the students develop the necessary skills to prepare them for a management role in the international sports industry. Across the course students benefit from regular contact through lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials and webinars. Proactive use of the VLE and mobile technologies engages students with the broader knowledge base upon which the course is built. Integration of theory and practice is consistently emphasised to support authentic learning, wherever possible utilising problem-based approaches, live case studies, and client challenges. The core modules offer the students the opportunity to identify and reflect on their own leadership, develop marketing and communication plans in a global sports context, understand the importance of sustainable practices within sports operations, and utilise financial information to help inform strategic decisions. These provide the students with a strong foundation for employment in an international sporting organisation. Option modules provide flexibility for students to choose an area of interest within international sports management – contemporary issues, law and entrepreneurship, that they may wish to develop further in their research project. The teaching and learning strategy is designed to be interactive and participative. To make the most of the module, all students are expected to prepare for, and engage with, the full range of learning opportunities and resources provided. Lectures are tutor-led and used to guide students through the key concepts. Seminars, discussions and workshops provide the opportunity to explore ideas in more depth and to apply ideas to real life situations through case studies and other activities by means of collaborative learning and discussion. Progression through the module will also involve guided and independent study by the individual. This will take various forms including, but not restricted to, reading, case-study analysis and reflection. Self-study in areas of special interest to the student will be encouraged. The assessment strategies aim to enhance student engagement through involvement in informal formative assessments in a seminar/workshop setting, building progressively to summative assessments. Informal feedback on these formative assessments will be provided to students within the seminars and workshops. Formal written feedback on the summative assessments will be provided.