Sports Management
MSc, PGDip, PGCert

Modules

• The Sports Business Environment Core

The Sports Business Environment (Core)

The aim of this module is to understand and analyse the economic and political contexts in which sport operates, and to understand the structure of the sports industry.

• Marketing and Sponsorship of Sport Core

Marketing and Sponsorship of Sport (Core)

Marketing, sponsorship and promotion are key facets of the contemporary sports industry, and all managers within the industry require competencies within these fields. The aim of this module is to equip students with the expertise and skills to devise and implement creative communication campaigns. Particular focus will be given to digital communication tools and strategies, and students will gain applied experience in sports marketing and promotion with respect to sports marketing tools, techniques and practises.

• Personal and Professional Development (Industry Placement) Optional

Personal and Professional Development (Industry Placement) (Optional)

You complete an exciting work placement, providing you with essential skills and experience that will support your career development. Our specialist team will make sure your placement aligns with your interests and goals.

Through this experience and in-depth psychometric tests, you will identify and address your strengths and areas to develop.

Lastly, you will produce a focused personal development action plan (PDAP).

Credits: 20

• Responsible and Ethical Leadership Optional

Responsible and Ethical Leadership (Optional)

This module is concerned with the behaviour of managers and leaders when they are held responsible and accountable by standards other than shareholder value maximisation. The module is designed to ensure students understand how to reason ethically and how to approach ethical decision making within business and other management contexts, such as non-profit and third sector organisations.

Students will understand how unethical or reckless leadership of organisations can give rise to malpractice, undermine organisational viability and lead to reputational collapse whilst also harming wider society. In relation to business corporations, models of governance and frameworks that emphasise the primacy of shareholders will be considered as well as alternative models, and the importance of corporate purpose. In analysing how the principles of responsible decision-making should operate through management, ownership and governance, students will apply ethical thinking to real-life business and leadership situations thus helping them to become ethical decision makers and ethical leaders in the context in which they work.

The module will include a particular emphasis on tools to evaluate ethical behaviour in organisations.

The module will also address ethical and legal obligations in relation to personal data, the treatment of employees and environmental issues.

Assessment focuses on the development of a reflective personal leadership plan and the development of a case study.

Credits: 20

• International Strategy Core

International Strategy (Core)

The module has a strong international component, it explores strategies, strategy processes, and strategy concepts associated with multinational organisations. The module helps students to develop an understanding of strategy formation in business organisations, as well as non-governmental organisations and other organisational forms.

The module will provide students with a comprehensive appreciation of strategy formulation and implementation from both an organisational and individual perspective. Themes like strategic decision making, organisational structure, organisational learning, and the organisational environment will feature on this module.

Credits: 20

• Sport, Globalisation and the Media Optional

Sport, Globalisation and the Media (Optional)

This module will be taught by academics and professionals with an expertise in online global communications, international broadcasting and sports public relations. Its approach will be critical and comparative focusing on the changing media landscape and the socio-economic, political and cultural influence of international sporting organisations, including FIFA, the IOC, UEFA, and UCI. The module will explore a range of topical and current sports media issues (e.g. broadcasting rights) and their relationship with political and public institutions within different regional, national and international contexts. Students will engage in debates about the public sphere and the mechanisms and processes of sports communication in the digital era.

Credits: 20

• Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Optional

Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Optional)

In this module, students will have the opportunity to learn about the concepts of creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation, while also developing and using their creative, entrepreneurial, and innovative faculties. The module begins with an introduction to some wicked problems in cross-cultural contexts that creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation may be able to help influence. After this, the module explores organisational mechanisms through which these concepts can be brought to bear on wicked problems – including new ventures, corporate venturing, and entrepreneurial ecosystems. The module concludes with an investigation of design thinking, where during which students will gain an understanding of design thinking principles and techniques, and to develop their own ideas for creative, entrepreneurial, and innovative solutions to the wicked problems with which they are concerned. Assessment is distributed across the duration of the module, with a new section being added to the student’s portfolio mid-semester, and the second half at semester conclusion.

Credits: 20

• Global People Management Optional

Global People Management (Optional)

This module is designed for students who want to embark on advanced level study of the strategic management of people in organisations in a global context. Students develop analytical and evaluation skills of comparative approaches that can be applied to real work situations.

The module recognises that people management is a key force for successful economic growth and thus emphasises the development of knowledge and understanding of a range of cultural, comparative and organisational perspectives on people management.

Students will not only explore theories and practices but also how to apply them effectively in an innovative manner. The module is also designed to give students an insight into the challenges and complexities in developing global leaders and their role in cross-border integration of international businesses.

Credits: 20

• Digital Business Optional

Digital Business (Optional)

In the last 20 years, online and digital business has been the mainstay of traditional and e-commerce based organisations. This trend looks to be proceeding at a faster change as we move into the era of 4G technology.

This module will enable you to:

• Develop an understanding of the impact of the internet and e-Business on various industry sectors
• Learn about emerging corporate ICT strategic needs and how these are assessed in view of new e-Business opportunities
• Learn how to formulate and develop an integrated corporate e-Business strategy
• Understand how to select e-Business enabling technologies and assess strategic e-Business models, planning and evaluating resource implications
• Understand the design and implementation of secure robust e-Business systems
• Develop an awareness of e-Business system methodologies and packages. Learn how to select and configure enterprise based tools
• Learn how to develop competitive strategies for international business enterprises
• Acquire an understanding of contemporary management practice and current management drivers and the emergence of the new agility paradigm. Develop strategic management and business economics policies.

Credits: 20

• Independent Project Core

Independent Project (Core)

This module has two parts: a taught element and an element of independent work. The taught element enables students to develop their understanding of research skills and their practical applications in investigating managerial and business problems and covers the details of a research proposal. The second part (independent work) builds on the developed research skills and provides students with the opportunity to undertake an independent research project and requires the development of a substantive piece of work (dissertation).

Students demonstrate their ability to manage a research project from its conception to completion. Throughout this journey, supervisors are available to provide guidance and support to the students. Depending on the circumstances and availability, students can research challenges in specific organisations (consultancy project).

Note: This module starts in Semester 2 with classes throughout the term, and then carries on with their individual project. Students commencing the programme in September submit in August and students joining the programme in January submit the following January

Credits: 60