Sport Management MSc

Program Overview

The Sport Management MSc program at DMU equips students with expert knowledge and practical experience for exciting roles within the sports industry. It offers a range of modules covering international sport, marketing, events leadership, and sport heritage, providing graduates with essential skills for careers in governing bodies, clubs, sponsors, media, and heritage organizations. The program emphasizes practical experience through fieldwork, industry visits, and mentorship by professionals, preparing graduates for success in the competitive sports sector.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Sport Management MSc

This program equips you with expert knowledge of the sports industry and practical experience for exciting roles within it.

Key Features:

• Graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma, Postgraduate Certificate, or Institutional Credit award, depending on your earned credits.
• Study a range of sports to gain industry knowledge across various levels (local, national, international).
• Develop essential skills and experience for a competitive sector.
• Gain practical experience by investigating real-world challenges within sporting organizations.
• Benefit from mentorship by industry professionals and guest lectures from leading figures like 2022 Olympic silver medalist Jackie Narracott, Under Armour's global events team member Matthew Hochberg, and International Judo Federation Competition Manager Lisa Allan.
• Learn in small groups fostering a strong community where students from across the globe share diverse perspectives.
• Enjoy opportunities with DMUsport, offering over 30 sports clubs and activities.

Outline:

Course Description:

The program explores sport management's multi-faceted nature, combining specialized sports modules with practical industry experience. You will develop skills for various roles within governing bodies, federations, clubs, sponsors, marketing agencies, media, government, and heritage organizations.

Curriculum:

• International Sport: Events, Governance, and Ethics
• Marketing Principles in Sport and Cultural Event Contexts
• Fieldwork (optional)
• Sport Heritage
• Events Leadership
• Consultancy Project or Heritage Project

Module Descriptions:

• International Sport: Events, Governance, and Ethics: This module introduces students to the diverse landscape of global sport, focusing on mega-events, governance, and ethics.
It delves into the history and evolution of major sporting events while critically analyzing their contemporary aspects. The module examines event bidding, hosting, infrastructure, security, marketing, media rights, legacy, and various legal and organizational frameworks that shape the global sport industry. Students explore case studies on crucial topics like doping, discrimination, violence, child protection, human rights, and transgender issues. The module involves guest lectures, field visits, international trips, and group projects for a comprehensive understanding of critical issues and challenges in modern sport.
• Marketing Principles in Sport and Cultural Event Contexts: This module equips students with comprehensive knowledge and practical application of marketing principles within the context of sports and cultural events, both nationally and globally.
The curriculum covers traditional marketing elements like the environment, segmentation, targeting, positioning, marketing mix, communication, sponsorship, branding, and consumer behavior. The module also incorporates program-specific content on marketing within the context of sports and cultural events, enabling students to delve deeper into this field.
• Fieldwork: This optional module allows students to gain practical experience within a relevant sporting organization, gaining at least 250 hours of experience.
Students can participate in organized placements or work directly with reputable organizations in the industry. The fieldwork experience requires individual work, with each student receiving supervision for meetings and support. Students attend workshops on professionalism, work experience, and maintaining a reflective journal. Additionally, they explore mentorship and skill development relevant to the professional world.
• Sport Heritage: This module explores the growing significance of sporting heritage and legacy.
It examines how sports organizations and clubs develop and showcase their history and heritage, utilizing various avenues like halls of fame, museums, stadium tours, and heritage-based merchandise. It explores legal, academic, cultural, commercial, and political frameworks surrounding sporting heritage, comparing and contrasting British and international models.
• Events Leadership: This module equips students with tools to critically evaluate the dynamic context of cultural, sporting, and commercial events in Britain and globally.
It explores the leadership needs of event management organizations, focusing on motivating, managing, and organizing staff and stakeholders to deliver successful events. The module delves into operational aspects of event leadership, such as business planning.
• Consultancy Project: This project offers students a practical opportunity to delve into a business-focused project within their chosen industry.
They apply theoretical knowledge gained throughout the program, linking it with real-life challenges and solutions. Consultancy projects may involve collaboration with companies, non-profit organizations, and clubs. Students prepare a detailed report outlining the project's problem, methodology, applied theories, research results, and key recommendations for the organization. Each student receives guidance from an academic tutor throughout the project.
• Heritage Project: This option allows students to engage with a heritage-based project, focusing on "heritage" in a broader sense.
Projects can involve significant endeavors such as exhibitions, collection cataloging and digitization, and database creation. Students develop and implement these projects in conjunction with established organizations, aiming to achieve a tangible outcome within a specific timeframe. Students present a formal proposal detailing the project concept, structure, and format followed by the actual heritage project and a critical evaluation report.

Assessment:

Assessments vary depending on the module and may include:

• Individual essays and research papers: These assessments allow students to explore specific topics in detail, demonstrate research skills, and develop critical thinking.
• Group projects and presentations: These collaborative assignments help students develop teamwork skills, research abilities, and presentation skills.
• Critical analyses and case studies: These assessments require students to analyze real-world scenarios or theoretical concepts and develop insightful interpretations.
• Reflective journals and reports: These documents allow students to reflect on their learning and experiences, providing valuable feedback and insights for their development.

Teaching:

Teaching methods include:

• Tutorials and seminars: These smaller group sessions allow for active discussions, debates, and personalized feedback.
• Workshops and case studies: These provide hands-on activities and practical experiences.
• Guest lectures: Industry professionals and renowned academics share their expertise and insights.

Careers:

The program prepares graduates for diverse careers within the sports industry, including:

• Roles within governing bodies and federations: This includes management positions, event planning, athlete development, and advocacy.
• Careers in clubs and sporting organizations: Graduates can pursue roles in marketing, communications, operations, and athlete management.
• Work within sports sponsorships and marketing: These roles involve managing relationships with brands and developing marketing strategies for athletes and events.
• Opportunities in the media and broadcasting industry: Graduates can work as sports broadcasters, journalists, commentators, or social media specialists.
• Careers in government and public sector organizations: These roles can focus on promoting sports participation, community development, or policy development.
• Graduates may pursue further studies in related fields like sports development, sport administration, or sports law.