MSc Sport Management

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Kick-start your sports career with a Masters from the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide Sports University of the Year 2020. Our Masters includes a sports internship, allowing you to gain valuable professional experience.

Key facts

Award Masters / MSc, Postgraduate Diploma, Postgraduate Certificate
Start date September 2021, January 2022
Duration MSc full-time: 12 months, MSc part-time: 24 months
Mode of study Part-time, Full-time, Campus based, Stand-alone modules

Accreditations

We're Sports University of the Year 2020

Overview

Kick-start your career in the sports industry with our highly-rated Masters degree in Sport Management.

Attracting students from all over the world, this unique course is designed to meet the sport sector’s need for well-qualified managers who can combine management and financial skills with a specialist knowledge of sport and its unique institutional nature. You’ll learn how to apply your insights to the inherent challenges of sport management – from conducting research into event planning, to advising organisations on the impact of policy changes.

The course is taught by leading experts in the subject, whose research helps to ensure you’re being taught about the most up-to-date industry trends. You’ll also have invaluable opportunities to undertake an internship with a sporting organisation, either virtually or in person, and organise a sports event with our industry partners. By the time you graduate, you’ll be well equipped to turn your passion for sport into your profession.

Enhance your learning with Riipen

The University has a Riipen license for this course. Through this platform, you can work with global companies on real business problems that are assessed and rated. As you complete more challenges, you build a portfolio. This platform can help you boost your skills, gain career clarity, network with potential employers, and find a job you love.

Find out more about Riipen

Top reasons to study with us

We're the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide Sports University of the Year 2020

3rd in the UK and top 25 in the World (Sports Business Postgraduate Rankings 2019)

Take an internship with a sporting organisation and gain practical experience

Course objectives

The objective of our MSc Sport Management is to help you acquire the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills you to need become an effective manager in a range of sport settings. After graduating you’ll be able to:

identify and evaluate recent changes in sport participation and policies, and their implications for sport management practices
apply management theory to the context of managing sport organisations
conduct research into sport issues relevant to managing and developing sport organisations and events

Professional connections

Our course tutors include trustees of National Governing Bodies of Sport, sport managers with vast professional experience and staff who actively consult with international sport organisations. These connections add up to give you a unique insight into real life practice and access to a vast network of industry contacts.

Sport is in our DNA

As Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence, we’ve developed an international reputation for delivering sport courses that get results. We bring together leading academics to deliver high-quality teaching in a range of areas – with a primary focus on your future employability. We’re closely aligned with many sports bodies and have formal links with a growing number of organisations who can help to facilitate your learning. Our campus is also home to the National Tennis Centre, an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a host of other five-star sports facilities.

If you love sport, you’ll fit right in at the University of Stirling.

Work placements

A period of professional practice (60 hours) is an integral part of this course, where you will have the opportunity to be placed with a local or international organisation.

Flexible learning

If you’re interested in studying a module from this course, the Postgraduate Certificate or the Postgraduate Diploma then please email Graduate Admissions to discuss your course of study.

Research overview

The University of Stirling’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport was ranked 1^st in Scotland for Health Sciences in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (2014).

Entry requirements

Please select your country of residence:

Academic requirements

A minimum of a second class Honours degree (2:1 preferred) or equivalent. Applicants without these formal qualifications but with significant appropriate/relevant work/life experience are encouraged to apply.

Other routes of entry

If you don’t currently meet the academic requirements for this course, INTO University of Stirling offers a variety of preparation programmes that can earn you the qualifications and skills you need for direct entry.

Explore INTO Stirling programmes to see the pathway and pre-masters routes available for this course and others at the University of Stirling.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:

IELTS 6.0 with 5.5 in each skill
Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) 169 overall with a minimum of 162 in each sub-skill
Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE) 180 overall with a minimum of 162 in each sub-skill
Pearson Test of English (Academic) 54 overall with a minimum of 51 in each sub-skill
IBT TOEFL 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing
Trinity ISE II Pass overall with a Pass in each sub-skill, ISE III Pass overall and in all sub-skills, ISE IV Pass overall and in all sub-skills

_{Last updated: 5 March 2020}

If you are from India, Ghana or Nigeria please also check your country/region specific page for any additional, or changes to, English language requirements.

For more information on ways that you can meet our English language requirements, including options to waive the requirement, please read our information on English language requirements.

Pre-sessional English language courses

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO University of Stirling offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.

Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses.

Course details

Get real experience of working in sport management as you earn a Masters from Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence.

To earn your Sport Management Masters you’ll need to complete seven modules and a dissertation. Alternatively, you can graduate with a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma by completing limited aspects of the course content.

Modules

The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery in the current academic intake of this course. These may be subject to change in future years as the University regularly revises and refreshes the curriculum of our taught programmes.

Course Details

Teaching

Management concepts and theories will be taught in lectures, while theory will be applied through case study analysis, discussion with sport management practitioners, seminars and research.

You’ll acquire “softer” management skills such as problem-solving, team-working, leadership, analysis, evaluation and presentation through a range of learning activities essential to becoming an effective manager.

Assessment

The modules are mainly assessed by coursework and designed to encourage you to link theory to professional practice.

Course director

Stephen Morrow

+44 (0)1786 466489
s.h.morrow@stir.ac.uk

Key staff

Ask an expert

Jayne Donaldson

Professor Jayne Donaldson explains why Stirling is the ideal place to study health sciences and sport.

Ask an expert in health sciences and sport

Fees and funding

Fees and costs

Select fee status:

	2020/21	2021/22
Students from the UK	£8,500	£9,350
Students from the Republic of Ireland	£8,500	£9,350
Overseas (non-EU) students	£18,950	£20,845
European Union students	£8,500	£20,845

Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.

If you need to extend your period of study or repeat study, you will be liable for additional fees.

If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.

For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.

Tuition fee loans

Scottish students may be eligible to apply to the Students Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for loans of up to £10,000 to cover tuition fees and associated living costs. European Union students commencing their studies in academic year 2020/21 can also apply for tuition fee support, but may not be eligible to receive funding for living costs.

English students can apply for a loan of up to £11,222 per year as part of the Postgraduate Masters Loan Scheme.

Welsh students can apply for financial support of up to £17,489 as a combination of grant and loan from Student Finance Wales.

Northern Irish students can apply for a postgraduate tuition fee loan of up to £5,500 from Student Finance NI.

Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.

If you need to extend your period of study or repeat study, you will be liable for additional fees.

If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.

For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.

For European Union students starting studies in the academic year 2021/22, we will offer a fee discount of 40%. This is subject to eligibility criteria. Please note that students from the Republic of Ireland are now classed as Home UK students.

Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.

If you need to extend your period of study, you will be liable for additional fees.

If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.

For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.

We offer a range of funding options for overseas students.

Fees shown are for a full-time, one-year Masters course.

If you need to extend your period of study, you may be liable for additional fees.

If you are studying part time, the total course fee will be split over the years that you study. The total fee will remain the same and will be held at the rate set in your year of entry.

For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.

Additional costs

There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips. Learn more about additional fees.

Scholarships and funding

Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loan

This course is currently approved for Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loan funding from SAAS. Find out more about PTFL.

Other sources of funding

If you have the talent, ability and drive to study with us, we want to make sure you make the most of the opportunity – regardless of your financial circumstances.

Learn more about available funding opportunities or use our scholarship finder to explore our range of scholarships.

Cost of living

If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.

European Union and overseas students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.

Find out about the cost of living for students at Stirling

Payment options

We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods - including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay

After you graduate

This Masters will prepare you for a career in sport management with a local authority, commercial organisation or voluntary sports organisation like a governing body of sport. A key benefit of the course is that you will leave with an in-depth knowledge of management that could apply in other sectors too.

Get practical experience by completing an internship with a sports organisation, either virtually or in person
Organise and market a sports event to put your new skills into practice
96% of our postgraduate leavers are in employment or further study within six months of graduating (Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey, 2016/17)

Companies we work with

The University has strong partnerships with a number of national and local sports organisations, including:

The Scottish Professional Football League
Scottish Sport Federations
Active Stirling
local professional sport organisations

What our students said

View more student stories

Alexandria Tsui
Hong Kong
MSc Sport Management

The practical side of the course, which involved planning and organising my own sports event, has provided me with first-hand experience of managing people, and engaging with sponsors and other organisations which will help me in my future career.

Read Alexandria's story

Rohan Puri
India
MSc Sport Management

I was always interested in a Masters in Sports Management. Since the University of Stirling is rated highly for this course and is also Scotland’s University of Sporting Excellence, my decision was an easy one.

Read Rohan's story

Lee Gallacher
MSc Sport Management

I chose the University of Stirling for this course as it's in the top 10 in Europe for Masters in Sport Management. It's Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence and it as excellent sporting connections.

Read Lee's story

View more student stories

Changes at Stirling

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Key facts

Accreditations

Enhance your learning with Riipen

Professional connections

Sport is in our DNA

What our students said

Related courses

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