
International Sport Management - MSc
Currently viewing course to start in 2023/24 Entry.
The MSc International Sport Management course will provide the academic expertise and contacts to help students develop an exciting professional future in this growing industry....
- Level Postgraduate Taught
- Study mode Full Time/Part Time
- Location City Centre
- Award MSc
- Start date September 2023
- Fees View course fees
- School Birmingham City Business School
- Faculty Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences
This course is:
Overview
The MSc International Sport Management course will provide the academic expertise and contacts to help students develop an exciting professional future in this growing industry.
KPMG states that the entire global sports market – including infrastructure, events, training and sports goods – is estimated to be worth between $600-700 billion a year, and the industry growth outpaces most countries yearly GDP. Over the past decade there has been a huge increase of career opportunities in the global sport sector that require graduates with the skills, attributes and experience to thrive in such a dynamic industry.
According to Deloitte, sport business related activity will significantly outpace the average rate of growth in the wider economy well into the next decade. In terms of industries, sport now ranks among the top 15 mainstream activities in the UK economy including telecommunications, legal services and utilities.
Combining theory and practical application this course will draw heavily from executive international sport leaders, such as Manchester City Football group, Edgbaston, Birmingham City FC and ESL to name a few, to cover multiple aspects such as crisis and risk management, technology and digital innovation, marketing, events, operations and analytics.
Given the aforementioned, and input from industry, this course is designed with the scientific (MSc) nature to enhance you with the necessary numeracy and analytic skills to see you excel and progress in the global sports industry.
Professional Placement option
For our MSc International Sport Management degree, you will have the opportunity to take the Professional Placement version of the course, which is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.
This will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability and transferable skills. The placement experience will allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.
You will be responsible for finding and securing your own placement. The University, however, will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study, with support from our Careers+ team as well as advice and guidance from your School.
Please note that placements will only be confirmed following a competitive, employer-led selection process, therefore the University will not be able to guarantee placements for students who have registered for the ‘with Professional Placement’ course.
For full details, please click here.
What's covered in this course?
Underpinning the philosophy of the course are the following purpose and objectives:
Purpose
To inspire and equip postgraduate students with further expertise to develop a high level of academic skills leading to experienced employment and career development within the fast growing ‘International Sports industry domain’
Objectives
- Technical: to furnish students with the practical skills and expertise to add high value within the Sports industry
- Behavioural: to nurture the appropriate levels of energy and internal/external ‘customer-centric’ behaviours to create innovative products and services
- Cognitive: to provide students with high levels of critical reasoning and problem-solving capabilities that will ensure they stand out among their competitive set
- Be truly international: to provide students with international experiences, making this course unique in the marketplace
All modules balance a range of relevant theory and concepts with practical application and throughout the course students reflect and apply this content into real life scenarios – enabling students to enhance and critique their learning. In short, this is a course designed to be the catalyst for students to forge a hugely successful career in the international sports industry.
Why Choose Us?
- The course provides and immerses students in the true international nature of the industry through course content, assessments and visiting out in the field (practice).
- You will gain a professional outlook and real-world experience by interacting with a multitude of sporting professionals and international sport organisations.
- You will learn from academic experts of BCU across the Department of Strategy Management & Marketing (SMM).
- Birmingham will be hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games and students will be ideally placed to take advantage of all the opportunities this will bring in the lead up to and during the event.
- You will be provided with access to and support while using essential resources, such as journals and academic databases as well as training in relevant IT applications (SPSS and EXCEL).
- Students will study in our state-of-the-art City Centre Campus in the UK’s second city.
- Birmingham City University has just launched the UK's first Centre for Brexit Studies, and the recent researching all aspects of the UK's vote to leave the EU, including the impact it has on the sports industry
- Following graduation, you will have the opportunity to apply for STEAMhouse Business Incubator membership.
OPEN DAY
Join us for an on-campus Open Day where you'll be able to meet us in person, hear from our trailblazing academics and explore our innovative £340m facilities.
Next Event: 26 November 2023
Entry Requirements
We require one of the following:
Essential Requirements
Essential - Entry to Stage One |
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An honours degree of a British University or equivalent institution (minimum 2:2) |
An equivalent graduate level qualification from an overseas university or equivalent institution (minimum 2:2) |
A pre-masters programme approved by Birmingham City University |
A pre-masters programme with a minimum of 55% average |
Other qualifications will be considered on a case by case basis.
Additional information for EU/International students
Essential | ||
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Applications from international applicants with equivalent qualifications are welcome. Please see your country page for further details on the equivalent qualifications we accept. In additional to the academic entry requirements listed above, international and EU students will also require the qualifications detailed in this table. |
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English language requirements 2020/21 | ||
IELTS |
6.0 overall with 5.5 minimum in all bands If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course. More information. |
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Other accepted qualifications | Visit our English language page |
Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: MSc
Starting: Sep 2023
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 Year
- £10,000 in 2023/24
- Full Time
- 18 Months (Professional Placement)
- £11,000 in 2023/24
- Part Time
- 2 Years
- Show fees
- £1028 per 20 credits
- Year 1 - 100 credits
- Year 2 - 80 credits
Fees for Part-time students
This course can be studied on a Part-time study basis. The cost per year of study is based on credit requirements for that year.
International students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: MSc
Starting: Sep 2023
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 Year
- £16,870 in 2023/24
- Full Time
- 18 Months (Professional Placement)
- £18,557 in 2023/24
Personal statement
You’ll need to submit a personal statement as part of your application for this course. This will need to highlight your passion for postgraduate study – and your chosen course – as well as your personal skills and experience, academic success, and any other factors that will support your application for further study.
Not sure what to include? We’re here to help – take a look at our top tips for writing personal statements and download our free postgraduate personal statement guide for further advice and examples from real students.
Course in Depth
Year One
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 140 credits):
This module enables you to develop a thorough understanding of marketing in the international context of sport. Students will be able to develop and apply international marketing strategies across the international sport industry. Understanding the theory and application of international marketing in a cultural context is central to marketing in the industries contemporary nature.
The aim of this module is to develop your understanding of the financial objective and budget requirements of organisations within the international sport industry. The module covers topics such as financial statement analysis, budgeting, time value money, investment and sponsorship appraisal, working capital management, sources and choice of capital. You will be able to understand and apply key concepts and theories in finance and budgeting and assess these implications for a business within the international sport industry. The knowledge and skills developed in this module are essential for management careers in both the sport industry and the wider business field.
The aim of this module is to introduce the role of strategic development in an organisation. The module will cover the areas of strategic development to allow you as a manager to analyse, choose and implement sound strategic decisions within the context of international sports organisations. Furthermore, you will understand how scientific data plays a vital role on strategy formulation across organisations in the global sports context. You will learn to consider both the internal and external environments of international sport organisations in order to strategically mange organisational change and leadership.
This module will equip you with the practical, and very important, skills required to analytically work with big data (scientific) sets, understand them, then utilise them to formulate organisational strategy within the context of international sports.
This module will specifically identify sport consumer behaviour theory to underpin the focus of the data sets. Relevant literature will be explored, with a consistent view of the importance in applying theory and planning in the practical sport setting. Students will be required to identify information requirements, design key measurement tools and techniques, collect data, analyse and process the data, into key findings in a report and presentation. All of this being in mind of ethical and integrity issues with scientific data.
The aim of this module is to provide you with an in depth insight into the ever-growing importance and prevalence of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the international sport industry. This module will consider the skills and knowledge necessary for sport managers when aiming to ensure equality, diversity and inclusion of staff, athletes and customers/fans alike. Contemporary issues within EDI will underpin this module in order to develop best practice for future sports managers. Key groups which will be addressed in detail include; gender, race, sexual orientation, disability and culture. Case studies of past and more current examples of exclusion associated with minority groups and the sporting industry will provide a foundation for development of best practice and necessary considerations by sport managers.
The aim of this module is to develop your understanding of the financial objectives and budget requirements of organisations within the international sport industry. The module covers topics such as financial statement analysis, budgeting, time value money, investment and sponsorship appraisal, working capital management, sources and choice of capital. Upon completion of this module you will be able to apply key concepts and theories in finance and budgeting, assessing these implications for organisations within the international sport industry. The transferable knowledge and skills developed in this module are essential for management careers across both the sport industry and the wider business field.
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete at least 40 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules:
The aim of this module is to provide you with an in depth understanding of the ever-growing importance and prevalence of corporate social responsibility and the law for international sport managers. This module will consider the skills and knowledge necessary for sport managers when developing CSR in sport, utilising the roles of staff, athletes and customers/fans alike. The key areas and theories will be considered from a international perspective highlighting cultural impacts present.
Esports has become one of the world’s most exciting entertainment trends with a recent industry report stating that the industry is expected to be worth $1.7 billion by 2021, growing at a rate of 18.4% per year. With an online global audience in 2019 reaching just under 500 million, the sector is also regularly filling stadiums with esports fans gathering at mega events.
Spectator numbers are beginning to rival traditional sports tournaments such as the Super Bowl in the US - last year’s League Of Legends World Championship in South Korea attracted 99.6 million unique viewers for the live final for example. The continuing commercialisation and monetisation of competitive gaming brings a number of contemporary issues that need to be addressed in order to ensure the longevity of the industry.
This module examines the management concepts and practices related to product and service branding, specifically the detailed underpinning necessary to understand the building blocks of brand management and building brand equity. The module also provides the skills needed to critically analyse, evaluate and create an integrated marketing communications plan. It explores the importance of effective internal and external communications in building sustainable relationships and delivering customer value within an international context.
The module provides the opportunity to recognise the importance of communications planning in delivering marketing solutions. It outlines the components of the marketing communications mix and key elements of integrated marketing communications (IMC) planning and project management. As such the module is essential to developing a professional marketing competency contributing directly to the Marketing pathway and the core vision of the programme.
All core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.
Download course specification
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International
Welcome to the Birmingham City Business School, home to students from over 70 countries all around the world!
Birmingham City Business School is one of the UK’s largest, most established and most respected business schools. Our programmes are practice based and many have an international focus, which means your course will be entirely relevant to today’s business world. Almost all of our courses, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level, are open to international students.
We also have links with universities across the world, including Europe, the USA, China, India and Malaysia.
International ServicesOur international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Explore some of the good reasons why you should study here
- Find out how to improve your language skills before starting your studies
- Find all the information relevant to applicants from your country
- Learn where to find financial support for your studies
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Facilities & Staff




Our Facilities
We are constantly investing in our estate and have spent £340 million on new learning facilities.
The Curzon Building
This course is based at our City Centre Campus – and specifically The Curzon Building, alongside other Social Sciences, Law and Business students.
The £63m building offers students a unique social learning space, including a dedicated student hub incorporating student support services, in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside development.
The Business floors house an extensive number of IT facilities, breakout areas, and specialised rooms. The Marketing Link Agency is designed to replicate a modern marketing firm, allowing students to get real-life experience of working in the marketing sector. There is also the City Trading Room, which features state of the art stock market tracking equipment, keeping you up to date with all the financial comings and goings of the London Stock Exchange and Wall Street.
The Curzon building is also conveniently close to Birmingham’s business and financial centre, allowing for strong links between your studies and the real world.
The Curzon Building also features:
- An impressive library with access to over 65 million full text items and stunning views of Eastside City Park
- Your Students’ Union which is located in a beautifully restored 19th century pub, The Eagle and Ball
- A modern 300-seat food court with space to study and socialise
- Accessible IT facilities with full Office365 for all students for free
- Shared facilities with the wider campus including the Parkside Building and Millennium Point
Our staff
Shauna Kearney
Lecturer in Sports Management
Shauna Kearney is in the final stages of her PhD in which she theorizes and examines the role of ableism in the marketplace inclusion/exclusion experiences of people with disabilities, in the context of 2012(UK) and 2016 (Brazil) Paralympic Games. Full Profile
More about Shauna