Sports Management BA Honours

Looking for a business management degree with a difference? The opportunity to work in sports management is a dream for anyone with a passion for sports, but you don’t have to be a sports fanatic to take this degree. One of the most exciting industries, sport and leisure in the UK alone, employs 580,000 people. In 2019, more than a third of those employed in the field of sport in the EU-27 were aged between 15-29.

Developed in partnership with some of London’s leading sports clubs, agencies and governing bodies, including Queens Park Rangers and the MCC at Lords, our BA includes practical, professional work experience with a sports club or agency to get you work-ready.

Whether you go on to work as a marketing manager for a Premiership club, a sports analyst, sponsorship executive or diversity advisor, the career pathways are varied and rewarding.

Our degree provides an innovative, industry-focused programme that develops your knowledge of contemporary business management within the context of the wider sports industry. You will gain an in-depth knowledge of how the industry works. You will also learn to appreciate the internal and external challenges facing sports organisations, such as sustainability, diversity, and the impact of new technologies on sports marketing, management and customer engagement.

Specialist optional modules allow you to tailor your studies to match your interests. They include marketing and management, entrepreneurial enterprise, event management, sustainability, and social media innovation.

Where better to study than a centre of sports excellence? With 12 professional football teams, two premiership rugby teams, and two country cricket sides, London is home to iconic sporting venues such as Wembley Stadium, Twickenham, Lord’s Cricket Ground and the Olympic Park in East London.

Top reasons to study with us

• Our location at the heart of the Capital means you will study in a world-class centre of sporting excellence, with access to our network of partners and sports industry experts, visitors and external speakers.
• Thanks to excellent industry links, our course is industry-focused, developed with input from leading professional clubs and sporting agencies.
• Work placement with a professional sports club to develop your skills and enhance your employability, as well as the University’s optional placement or study abroad year.
• Emphasis on real-world learning – you will engage with our sports industry partners, working on real problems set by professionals who work at the cutting-edge of the sports business.
• Focus on practice-based assessment with a flexible final project or a dissertation that allows you to focus and develop an area that interests and inspires you.

Why study this course?

• Fantastic location
  Based on our Marylebone Campus in central London, you’ll enjoy the benefits of studying in a major global city.
• Sporting excellence
  London has 12 professional football, 2 premiership rugby, 2 country cricket teams and iconic venues like Wembley.
• Transferrable skills
  Our degree gives you the skills to pursue a management career in any sector as well as sport and leisure.

Professional accreditation

The Sports Management BA Honours is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) with a Graduate Gateway programme status. After graduating, you’ll be exempt from the Level 4 "Applied Marketing and Planning Campaign" module towards the CIM Level 4 Certificate in Professional Marketing / Professional Digital Marketing qualification.

Sport and leisure is an increasingly global marketplace, and our practical degree prepares you academically and professionally to hit the ground running. Combine your love of the sport with a management degree, giving you transferrable skills to pursue a management career in any sector.

You could work directly in the vast array of sports and leisure organisations, from professional sports clubs to leisure management companies. You may find roles in companies or sectors linked to the sports industry. This includes sports brands, manufacturers, retailers and distributors, sports consultancies, sports marketing agencies (PR and sponsorship), broadcasting and social media etc. Some students may continue their studies at the postgraduate level.

The University's Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.

• Sports connections
  Build professional networks and connect with leading sports clubs and agencies.
• Get yourself work-ready
  Short work placement provides practical and professional experience.
• Develop your CQ
  Develop your cultural intelligence by studying alongside students from over 100 different countries.

Industry links

The course team has an extensive network of contacts within local and national sports organisations and clubs. They have gained experience through working in areas such as sports PR and marketing, event management, sponsorship, strategic planning and performance management. You will have multiple opportunities throughout the course to engage with the industry through work-related tasks, ‘as-live’ briefs and work placement.

Job roles

This course can lead to management careers across the breadth of the sports industry, including:

• Entertainment and sports centre management
• Event organisation
• Football club/agency management
• Leisure
• Related business operations and administration
• Specialisms in the outdoor/adventure industry (outdoor centre management, outdoor education, nature therapy, adventure tourism)
• Sponsorship and marketing
• Sport and adventure tourism
• Sports administration
• Stadium management
• Teaching and lecturing
• Youth and community development

Westminster Employability Award

Employers value graduates who have invested in their personal and professional development – and our Westminster Employability Award gives you the chance to formally document and demonstrate these activities and achievements.

The award is flexible and can be completed in your own time, comprising a set of core and optional extracurricular activities.

Activities might include gaining experience through a part-time job or placement, signing up for a University-run scheme – such as mentoring or teaching in a school – or completing online exercises.

The course is designed to meet the needs of the sports industry and the aspirations of our students by providing an innovative yet solid foundation in contemporary sports management and business. It combines theoretical knowledge with practical, applied learning in areas including the theory and practice of sports management; organising and managing events; media, marketing and sponsorship management; the economics and finance of sport; entrepreneurship; diversity and inclusivity; social innovation, sustainability and corporate social responsibility. You can tailor your course by choosing elective/optional modules in each year of the course, one in Year 1, two in Year 2 and two in Year 3.

Year 1

To understand the way the industry works, you’ll study the fundamentals of sports business and creative marketing before moving on to staging and managing events, finance and accounting. Work-based learning assignments develop your employability, and we introduce employment opportunities in sports.

Subjects of study include:

• Accounting and Finance for Sports Management
• The Business of Sport
• Employability in Sport and Event Management
• Principles of Event Management
• Innovative Marketing for Sports Management

You will also have the opportunity to study an elective module that may include a foreign language.

Credit level 4

Year 2

You’ll study how sport is marketed via print, digital and social channels; how leading clubs become international brands. You’ll move on to explore the management of community level sport and the different roles stakeholders play in operating at this level. Developing your employability and management skills, the Leadership and Performance Management in Sport module provides a further opportunity to gain work-based learning experience with one of our industry partners.

Subjects of study include:

• Sports Marketing and the Media
• Managing Sport in the Community
• Leadership and Performance Management in Sport

You’ll also choose two modules from The Economics and Finance of Sport, Digital Marketing Technologies, Entrepreneurial Practice, Event Operations, and an elective that can include a foreign language.

Alternatively, in place of the option modules listed above, you may be able to take the WBS Study Abroad Experience (subject to eligibility) or the WBS Work Experience.

Credit level 5

Placement year

Between Years 2 and 3, you can take an optional work placement or study year abroad.

Year 3

A broader, thematic approach helps you appreciate how decisions are made and impact operations. You will complete a dissertation or consultancy report on a subject that interests you. For example, you may research sustainability and diversity in sports or analyse the social media strategy of a sports brand.

Subjects of study include:

• Sponsorship and Partnership Management in Sport and Events
• Social Media and Digital Innovations in Sport
• Contemporary Issues in Sports Management
• Ethics, CSR and Sustainability in Sport

You can also choose two modules from Social Media for Business, Staging an Event, Assessing and Developing Talent, Creating Entrepreneurial Leadership and an elective that can include a foreign language.

Credit level 6

International Opportunities

Many of our courses offer international study and work experiences, and the University provides other global opportunities that all students can apply for - so whatever you're studying, you'll have the chance to go abroad.

Opportunities could include:

• Taking part in a semester or year-long exchanges at institutions around the world
• Attending an international summer school or field trip
• Developing your CV through volunteering or work placements abroad

International experience broadens horizons, boosts self-confidence, and improves global understanding, alongside being fantastic for your career.