Start dates:
September: UCFB Manchester
January: Distance (online)
Course length: Two year (part-time) option available
Degree overview
The MSc Sports Directorship will qualify you for one of the most important roles today in modern global sport, that of Sporting Director, and critically, will provide you with the skills, knowledge and experience to equip you to sit in a strategic leadership role in a sporting organisation. This two-year part-time course teaches a unique curriculum, tailored to meet the real demands of leading sports organisations.
Covering sports leadership, personal development, masterminding innovation and change, sport governance and best practice – alongside a diverse range of hands-on extra-curricular activities – the course provides unrivalled preparation for the role of the sporting director. Rapidly gaining a foothold in the sporting and business world, this cognitive approach to performance is exclusive to the MSc Sports Directorship.
Students on this programme also have access to world-leading performance analysis tools from Hudl, the industry-standard software used by athletes, coaches and clubs across the globe.
Designed to fit both on-campus learning and remote study around your work commitments, the MSc Sports Directorship equips you to become a sports business professional with all the skills and practical experience you need to take your next career step with confidence.
This degree is available at our Manchester Campus, a state-of-the-art campus devoted to the football industry in the heart of Manchester – one of the world’s most famous footballing cities with a thriving student population.
Our Distance Learing degrees are taught by the same leading industry experts who teach our on-campus degrees with teaching delivered online via our dedicated Online Hub which can be accessed anytime making this a flexible study option that fits around your existing commitments.
Each module typically has 6 live teaching sessions for you to attend, enabling you to interact and collaborate with academics and your peers. These sessions are also recorded.
For our degrees starting in September, the live online sessions are delivered early evening UK time.
For our degrees starting in January, the live online sessions are delivered between 8.30-11am UK time.
Click here for our full list of Distance Learning degree FAQs
I thoroughly enjoyed the sessions and gained some valuable knowledge from some of the top educators in the industry.
Degree content
Taught over two years in four modules plus an applied research project, the MSc Sports Directorship is delivered in a format which allows you to combine study and work in a way that best suits your working life. In year one you will spend nine blocks of two days from September to August on campus and in year two you will spend three blocks of two days from September to November on campus, with project work to be completed in your own time.
Modules are self-contained and are delivered in sequence, to ensure that all members of your cohort community can learn from each other’s experiences.
The programme is enhanced by a series of guest lectures with expert speakers from the worlds of global sport and business.
Your Programme Leader
Modules
On campus students will spend nine blocks of two days from September to August on campus in year one and in year two you will spend three blocks of two days from September to November on campus, with project work to be completed in your own time.
The Distance Learning course includes a mix of independent study and live online delivery. In year one you will receive a 12-week block of study, attending 2-hour live/online sessions delivered 3-4 times during the block.
The Global Institute of Sport is an embedded college of the University of East London. All GIS graduates will receive a degree from the University of East London.
The module is designed to help students understand the complexities of leadership issues concerning styles, personalities and decision-making regarding all aspects of what is becoming the defined role of a Sporting Director. The module will investigate current and classic leadership theories and issues in the context of the global sporting environment using research, cases and examples from both the sporting and the broader business world.
Students will critique and evaluate the role of reflective learning and self-awareness in relation to the role of Sports Director as leader and examine the dynamics of trust, power and conflict in relational and collaborative setting of leadership practice. Critical evaluation of the contribution of theoretical models and approaches associated with leadership in a global context when applied in complex settings will support an assessment of the various approaches to the development of leaders as coach, and the practice of leadership.
This module is designed to help strategic leaders in sport explore the features of a high performing sporting organisation. The module will focus on high performing organisations, strategy, culture and talent management and will investigate what can be learned about high performance from both the sporting and the broader business world in order to overcome challenges. The focus of the module is on two critical questions:
- What is a high performance organisation?
- How do we build and sustain a high performance organisation?
This module will provide students with knowledge and understanding of the theory and practice of innovation in the global sports industry context. It will explore the effects of innovation on global organisations, drivers of change, and the challenges of implementing change in the context of high performance sporting organisations in a global economy. Students will develop insight into a range of tools and techniques to develop innovative ways to solve problems. Gaining competitive advantage through analysis of neuroscience and psychology will allow students to consider and apply thinking to new situations in practice.
Students will develop a broad knowledge and conceptual base of the foundations of the legal, financial and media issues in the global sporting industry. They will explore the duties of a sporting director with respect to financial, legal and media responsibilities and understand the similarities and differences between the issues confronting contemporary global sporting organisations. Regulatory financial, legal and media frameworks will be explored to support students to operate effectively in the role of the Sporting Director.
This module will equip students with the research skills to undertake a rigorous and critical professional project. It will support the development of an integrated understanding of theory and practice related to the analysis of selected organisational issues within the global sports industry. Students will learn to apply both theoretical and practical knowledge gained from both the taught element of the programme and their prior management experiences to a business/organisational issue. Through the assessment, students will deploy and utilise effectively appropriate research and/or problem-solving processes throughout the planning and execution of a live business project.
Entry requirements
It takes an ambitious person to take part in the MSc Sports Directorship. We’re looking for self-starters who possess a combination of skills, experience and the desire to succeed. You may already be working in a sporting environment, for instance in a coaching, medical, finance or marketing role, and looking for the next crucial step in your sporting career. Alternatively, you may be in a business role, and seeking to make the move into sport to use your business skills in a new way.
The course also offers ex-players and sports professionals to acquire the business skills needed to take the step into the position on a sporting director. Many of our delegates spent their youth playing, not studying, and the application process takes that into account. The course is designed to build on existing talents and experience, whilst developing new leading-edge skills that are in demand throughout the sporting community.
Entry onto the course is therefore through a blend of life experience, career and reason for wanting to do the programme.
- Strong knowledge in the field of sports management suitable for Master's level academic work
- Evidence of engagement with professional and academic literature/publications relevant to CPD
- Ability to manage self-learning and professional duties where applicable
- Evidence of ability to manage work independently
- Proven track record of dealing with complex and multidisciplinary issues relevant to their chosen subject area
If you are unsure whether you meet the entry criteria for this programme, or for more information, please email admissions@ucfb.com.
Career prospects
The MSc Sports Directorship is the first of its kind designed to develop all the personal and commercial attributes you need to become a successful Sporting Director.
The purpose of the course is to develop learners with the knowledge and skillsets required to move into a strategic leadership role at executive level within a sports organisation or sports business.
Graduates from this programme include:
GIS and VSI are transforming the way some of the most prestigious sports organisations and governing bodies in the world think about the future by creating visionary leaders of tomorrow.
At GIS, we are proud that over 92% of our 2017 graduates are in full-time employment within six months and 82% of these graduates work in sport.
UCFB's Global Institute of Sport was also ranked in the top 5 'Best Universities for Employability' in 2021.
Learning on the course takes many forms and one which our delegates find very valuable are the Masterclasses. At each taught element of the course (approx every 6 weeks) there is always at least one Masterclass from which to gain knowledge and understanding via the insights and experiences of a range of senior people from the world of sport and business.
In the first year these are mostly from the world of sport, people in board positions and those responsible for strategy, leadership and management as well as people to inspire and motivate performance and your personal leadership style.
Masterclasses on the course include inspiring speakers like Kevin Roberts, Executive Chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi, former director of the New Zealand Rugby Union, former chairman of USA Rugby, and co-author (with Clive Gilson and Mike Pratt) of Peak Performance: Business Lessons from the World’s Top Sports Organisations.
Every year the VSI Sporting Directors Summit brings together industry experts from across sport to discuss the role of the Sporting Director. Students and graduates on this programme have free access to the Summit.
Representatives from Premier League football clubs, Super League rugby, politics, law and business descend to create a lively environment that focuses on executive leadership roles within sport.
Fees
These discounts are open to any UCFB, Buckinghamshire New University and University of East London graduate who has received and accepted an offer to study at postgraduate level with UCFB’s Global Institute of Sport.
- 15% fee tuition discount on all Master's programmes, excluding MSc Sports Directorship
- 15% fee tuition discount on MSc Sports Directorship and CEO of a Sports Organisation
If you’d like to extend your time with us, we’re pleased to offer all GIS graduates:
- 15% fee tuition discount on all Master's programmes, excluding MSc Sports Directorship
- 15% fee tuition discount on MSc Sports Directorship and CEO of a Sports Organisation
We're pleased to offer all UCFB and GIS business partners 15% fee tuition discount on all Undergraduate, Master's programmes.
