Top reasons to choose this course
- Endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).
- Sport courses at Brighton have received the 3-star ‘Enhancing’ grade for quality from CIMSPA.
- Work placement opportunities allow you to gain hands-on professional experience and make industry contacts.
- Work on challenges and live projects with our partners throughout your studies.
- Option modules to tailor the course to your interests and career aspirations.
- Extensive on-site sport facilities.
- Guest speakers from industry to add to your learning experience.
- Learn with experts and innovative researchers.
Course structure
You will experience a dynamic blend of academic study, practical application, research and hands-on experience. This balance of knowledge and practical skills is designed to prepare you for career success in this fast-paced and growing industry.
In your first year, you will be introduced to the components of sport business management and the impacts of sports policy, finance and economics on effective sport management.
In your second year, you will develop project management skills and analyse the role of management for the successful organisation of sport.
In the final year, you will investigate the roles of marketing and strategy in sport business management and undertake an extended piece of research.
Year 1
In year 1 you will be responsible for organising the promotion and running of a sports event. This will develop your commercial awareness and business skills.
Modules
- Who Runs Sport?
Understanding why sport is structured and organised in the way that it is has become the most important factor for anyone thinking of a career in sport. This module will introduce you to issues of governance, government, policy initiatives, funding and media coverage. Content includes a view of the relationships between sport and sports coaching; sport and health/physical activity; sport and physical education; the sources of funding for sport; and why sport is such ‘big business’.
- Introduction to Sport Management
This module will introduce you to the underlying principles, theoretical concepts and practical issues associated with managing the business of sport. You will explore business structures, ownership, external environment and commercial characteristics of sport business.
- Preparing for the World of Sport
This module will support you in the transition to academic study at university and help you develop the skills needed to produce high quality academic work. You will be encouraged to take responsibility for, and reflect upon, your own learning, development and employability. The module will introduce you to the research skills and practices used to investigate sport and raise awareness of careers information and services.
- Understanding Sport Media
This module introduces sport media and the academic field of media studies. You will explore the relationships that sport organisations, athletes and fans/spectators have with media formats. You’ll also develop knowledge of the sport-media relationship by considering classic and current academic studies and have the opportunity to analyse and interpret contemporary sport media content.
- Finance and Economics for Sport Management
This module focuses on economic and financial knowledge, on the business environment and on the theory and practice of financial management in sport business organisations. You will be introduced to basic economic and financial concepts that underpin the analysis and interpretation of the business environment, the construction and presentation of key financial and economic data, and how to analysis and use such data in the management of sport business organisations.
- Sport Events
Consumers as a consequence of the continued commercialisation of sport, have ever-increasing expectations. This has resulted in intense competition for attendance, spectators and membership. Sport business managers must understand the needs of their consumers and provide commercially viable high levels of customer satisfaction. This module will provide you with an understanding of the theories of service delivery, quality revenue and expenditure management. You will translate this knowledge into practice through organising and running a sport event.
Year 2
Your second year of study is split into two halves. The first half is about learning the role of sport business management and preparing for your placement, while the second is based in a sport business organisation.
Modules
- Power and Politics in Sport
This module is an exploration of historical and contemporary relationships between sport, power and politics. You will examine the political nature of sporting structures, practices and events, and take a look at the legacy repercussions of mega events like the Olympics, Paralympics and world cups. You’ll also explore policies around inclusion and exclusion in sport, focusing on race, sexuality, dis/ability and community.
- Conducting Research in Sport
You will start to prepare for your final-year dissertation during this module. You'll be introduced to research methodologies, methods and ethics and be taken through research traditions and design, focusing on establishing relevant research questions and the analysis of research data.
- Leading and Managing People in Sports Organisations
This module evaluates the importance of people as the most significant resource within sport business organisations. You will study areas including the nature of organisations and organisational behaviour, the concepts, techniques and styles of leadership and management, motivation, communication and perception. The module also covers equality, diversity and inclusion in sport management, recruitment and selection, employee relations and the legal and regulatory framework of employment.
- Client-Based Research in Sport Organisations
In conjunction with module SR511, Personal and Professional Development in Sport Management, this module will enable you to put your theoretical knowledge into context. You will follow a selected area of your placement and carry out a research project for your employer that may be used for marketing, finance and administration, planning, event organisation, client group analysis or policy and/or strategy.
- Personal and Professional Development in Sport Management
Through the Personal and Professional Development in Sport Management module you will gain experience in relevant sectors which will help you when applying for permanent employment. Beyond the practical experience you’ll acquire through undertaking a work placement, you will be able to put your theoretical studies into a practical context. The experience will enable you to develop a range of skills that can be transferred into the workplace after university.
- Reflective Practice in Sport Management
Reflective practice is as an important part of professional expertise and raises significant issues for sport management practitioners. In this module you will prepare for a placement and develop the skills required to analyse your performance in working environments. You will be encouraged to explore reflective practice to help remove the barriers between the theories and practices of experiential learning necessary for a placement.
Placements
Spend a year on placement
Gain valuable experience and earn money during an optional placement year following year 2. You’ll return to the final year of your degree with added confidence, additional real-world experience and valuable contacts.
A placement year significantly improves your CV, giving you a distinct advantage over others when applying for jobs and starting your career. It will also help you to develop the softer skills such as communication and teamwork.
Our dedicated Placements and Employability team will support you in getting a placement that aligns with your interests and career ambitions.
They can help with CVs and cover letter writing, applications, online testing and more. Plus, they’ll provide support and guidance when you’re on placement and make sure that everything is going well.
Other placement opportunities
During the second year of your degree, you will undertake an extended work placement through the Personal and Professional Development in Sport Management module. You will spend a minimum of 150 hours working in a sport-related organisation, gaining valuable first-hand experience of the sport and physical activity sector.
You will be supported in sourcing a placement from our extensive list of approved placement providers or you can work with tutors to develop a placement of your own. Once on placement you will have a designated supervisor from the course team, as well as a mentor within the organisation you are placed in.
Our placement programme has been cited as an example of best practice in both national-level and European-wide sport management teaching evaluations (2023 Erasmus+ European-wide review of sport management education provision). It is a core component of your journey towards developing both academic and professional graduate skills.
Many of our students have gone on to secure further work with their placement providers after graduating. In recent years, students have undertaken placements in a variety of sport organisations and performed roles reflecting a range of different managerial responsibilities. Placement organisations have included:
Our students on placement
Daniel Rogers, graduate
My placement host was the Sussex County FA, and the purpose of their job is to equal opportunities in football for everyone.
My overall skill set improved whilst working on placement as I had to improve my confidence and customer service skills to provide the best outcome for the organisation.
The placement was important to me as this employment area is something that I am thinking of going into when I finish university.
Max Martin, graduate
In my placement at the golf club, I took on various roles. Through these roles, I developed customer service skills such as communication, organisation and active listening. I provided responsive, positive and respectful service to all members and staff.
Whilst managing social media, it allowed me to showcase the club’s positive work environment and services, and increase its visibility in the area. I created content to promote the club’s offerings and grow its online presence with a character the club can lead on when I’m no longer there.
Final year
Your final year of study is based around the strategic implications of sport business management, including the investigation of marketing and strategy. You will have the opportunity to conduct research on a topic of your choice based on the experience gained during your placement.
Modules
Core modules
- Strategic Change in Sport Management
An important part of a management course is to identify the effects of the changing environment on a business and develop strategies to take advantage of, as well as mitigate, these. In this module, you will use your placement organisation as a case study to identify and explore external impacts and potential strategies the organisation could put in place to respond to these changes.
- Marketing for Sport Business
This module aims to increase your awareness of marketing theory and how it applies to the sport business. You will consider specific sporting activities and the challenges associated with their marketing and promotion. You’ll also explore the key factors that influence marketing, such as financial constraints, sponsorship and sporting success, the digital economy and the needs of the sports customer.
- Dissertation
In this module, you will design, plan and produce a research study into an issue relevant to your degree route. You will explore ways of gathering, presenting and analysing data as appropriate to your chosen area of study. The work will include a literature review, research methodology, a critical analysis of key findings, conclusion and where appropriate, recommendations for practice and/or further research.
Options*
- Community Sport Development: Policy and Practice
In this module you will explore and analyse the relationships between government policies for sport, physical education, physical activity, social policy and the concept of social capital. You will learn about the strategic planning techniques used in sport policy and development, specifically regarding performance measurement and funding, consider the importance of partnership working in community sport, and look at theories of behavioural change and sports participation.
- Sport Event Tourism
During this module, you will focus on the significance of merging the sport event and tourism sectors, an area that has attracted increased academic and industry attention. You’ll look at how destination managers combine sport events and tourism to attract visitors to their regions and how sport event tourism is used as a development tool. Topics will include active and passive sports markets, policy development and trends in sport event tourism, and issues of sustainability.
- Critical Social Issues in Sport
This module will explore the diverse social issues affecting the world of contemporary sport. You will study the ways in which sport can reflect problems that exist in wider society, how it can exacerbate or cause problems, but also ways in which sport can provide solutions to these and other issues. Topics covered may include athletes’ mental health and wellbeing, the commercialisation and commodification of sport, doping and other drug use by athletes, racism and anti-racist activism in sport.
- Sport Business Entrepreneurship
During this module, you will look at sport business entrepreneurship and learn how to turn an innovative idea into a successful enterprise in the sport, exercise and physical activity sectors. It gives you the chance to develop enterprise and innovation skills and enhance your wider business acumen. The module will emphasise the use of technology within this environment so you can audit and apply your digital literacy skills.
*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.
Facilities for learning
As a Brighton student you’ll use our extensive sport facilities at Falmer which include:
- dance and spin studios
- five outdoor grass football pitches
- full-size floodlit synthetic turf pitch
- floodlit non-slip netball and tennis courts
- indoor swimming pool
- large fitness suite
- outdoor grass rugby pitch
- sports hall with netball, volleyball, basketball and badminton courts, and cricket nets
- strength and conditioning suite
- tennis and badminton courts.
You’ll be able to see the facilities when you visit us and learn more by checking out our Falmer campus information.
Sport at Brighton
Sport Brighton
Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you’ll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition.
Find out about Sport Brighton.
Sports scholarships
Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.
Find out about sport scholarships.
Brighton Cricket Academy
Develop your cricketing skills in the UK’s largest indoor cricket facility alongside studying for a degree. Whether you can already play or you’re new to the game offers the opportunity to train with top coaches in our world-class training environment.
Find out about the Brighton Cricket Academy.