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What makes MSc Sport (International Sport Management) at Worcester special?

MSc Sport (International Sport Management) is aimed at graduates aspiring to work in sports business or management positions in the world’s most exciting industry, and professionals working in sport organisations who want to expand their management skills and knowledge to improve their career prospects.

This is an exciting programme putting you at the heart of the learning experience. You will challenge and critique current issues and debates of leadership, sponsorship, global events and the governance of sport. You will blend academic scholarship and applied practice through engagement with guest speakers and sports organisations with an international profile.

Overview

Overview

Key features

  • MSc Sport (International Sport Management)
  • Future-focused through applied sports business practices
  • Student-driven assessments
  • International field visit (Tampa, Florida in 2017 & 2018)
  • Networking opportunities via guest speakers and The Future of Sport Conference
Man in wheelchair playing cricket

Ranked 1st for Teaching

University of Worcester Biological and Sports Science courses were ranked 1st for teaching in the 2021 Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Students will normally have a 2:1 degree classification in either a sport or science (e.g., biology, physiology, psychology) discipline.

Students who hold a relevant degree classification of either 2:2 (or below), or, a non-related degree will be considered on a case by case basis and may be required to submit a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate experience of work within the field. Applicants should be able to demonstrate academic capability for study at this level and strong interest and commitment in the relevant disciplines.

In the event of students completing their period of Professional Placement in an environment where they may be working with children or vulnerable adults, they will be required to follow their home country procedures for an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) enhanced disclosure checks and they must provide this evidence to University of Worcester staff prior to acceptance.

Other information

Any applicants whose first language is not English or who has not been educated wholly or mainly in the medium of English must reach a minimum IELTS overall band score of 6.5 with a score of at least 5.5 in any individual component (or equivalent in an approved test in English) or otherwise demonstrate that they have an adequate command of both written and spoken English before starting the course.

See Admissions Policy for other acceptable qualifications.

Course content

Course content

Our courses are informed by research and current developments in the discipline and feedback from students, external examiners and employers. Modules do therefore change periodically in the interests of keeping the course relevant and reflecting best practice. The most up-to-date information will be available to you once you have accepted a place and registered for the course. If there are insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, this might not be offered, but we will advise you as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative. 

Modules

  • Critical Issues in International Sport Management
  • The Global Sports Business
  • Leading People in Sport
  • Professional Placement
  • Sports Research Report

What will you study and when?

An example of the structure which will be followed by a full-time student on any of the pathways, and normally would be:

  • 1 x 30 credit pathway specific module to be taken in semester 1 (September – January)
  • 1 x 30 credit Leading People in Sport module in semester 1 (September – January)  
  • 1 x 30 credit Professional Placement module in semester 2 (January – May)
  • 1 x 30 credit pathway specific module to be taken in semester 2 (January - May)
  • 1 x 60 credit Sports Research Project module including research methods to be taken between May and September

Part time students would normally complete the course over 2 years:

  • In Year 1 they would take one pathway specific module in semester 1 and 2.
  • In Year 2 they would take Leading People in Sport in semester 1, complete their Professional Placement in semester 2, and complete their Sports Research Project over the summer.
Teaching and assessment

Teaching and assessment

The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip you for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement.

A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support through the personal academic tutoring system enables you to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will enable you to flourish and be successful.

Teaching

The teaching strategy is eclectic enabling you to gain the necessary underpinning theoretical knowledge and research that will allow active exploration, reflection and critical evaluation of own perceptions and knowledge. This approach develops your ability to be an autonomous and self-directed learner with the confidence to manage your own learning.

Action learning involves the use of ‘real-life’ problems and scenarios; these are integrated into the workshops and other face-to-face sessions. Guest speaker input, visits to sports organisations and an international field visit add depth and ‘real’ world insights to enable the contextual understanding and critical perspectives presented throughout the programme.

You will gain knowledge and understanding which will allow change to be processed in an informed way, and similarly, understanding will be further informed by that change. This process of learning can be replicated in the workplace to help and enable transference of learning and is self-developmental and reflective in nature.  

In addition, meetings with personal academic tutors (PATs) are scheduled on at least 2 occasions. The MSc Sport (International Sport Management) programme supports student PAT sessions with a personal academic journal which you receive within induction week and can access supportive and helpful resources throughout the year. 

Contact time

For intensive study weeks you are expected to have 5 x 8 hours of contact time per intensive week (2 in total). In addition, full time students are expected to study two modules per semester and have approximately 8 hours of ‘in-person’ contact time per week. Part time students are expected to study one module per semester and have approximately 4 hours of ‘in-person’ contact time per week.

In addition, you are able to access 8 hours of tutorial support during the course of their Sports Research Project study. You will also receive two days of structured Research Project preparation. 

Independent self study

In addition to the contact time, students are expected to undertake around 2 hours of personal self-study per module per week. Typically, this will involve reading and preparation for classes and assessments, online activities etc. 

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources. 

Duration

  • 1 year full time
  • Typically 2 years part time

Timetables

Timetables are normally available one month before registration. Please note that whilst we try to be as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week; and some classes can be scheduled in the evenings. Given the importance of planning ahead, indicative timings of intensive teaching blocks are normally available at time of application / interview.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments. Each module has one formal or ‘summative’ assessment which is graded and counts towards the overall module grade.

Assessment methods include:

  • Formal Group, Paired or Individual Presentations
  • Project work
  • Student led seminar discussions
  • Reports
  • Research Proposals

Programme Specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.

Meet The Team

Students will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course and have experience of both research and applied practice and consultancy. The team includes a range of expert lectures, for more details see our School Staff pages. 

Paul Blakey 2024

Dr Paul Blakey

Paul is Senior Lecturer in Sport Business Management and joined the School of Sport and Exercise Science in November 2015. Paul has considerable experience within the higher education sector having previously been course leader for Sport MSc programmes at Northumbria University and the University of Chester. He is also Visiting Professor at NEOMA Business School in Paris.

Paul’s PhD thesis, from the University of Manchester, focused upon strategic marketing practices of small and medium-sized businesses in the leisure industry. Prior to embarking on a career in academia, Paul was employed by several sports, leisure and hospitality companies, most notably working as an Assistant Manager with a leading private sector entertainment company.

Paul is the author/co-author of several sport marketing textbooks including the first digital sport marketing book published by Routledge in 2020. He has worked on collaborative, and individual, research publications, conference presentations, in-field event impact studies for sports governing bodies and co-ordinated a nationwide research project for a UK-based leisure corporation. He has supervised PhD students on subjects including surf brands, sports volunteers and sport tourism destinations.

Careers

Careers

Upon successful completion of the MSc Sport (International Sport Management) programme, opportunities will emerge for students to gain first/additional employment, promotion within their own organisation, gain international employment or move to a senior management position in other organisations. The Masters also provides a platform to further research/higher degrees in sport and promotion in other professional organisations. The completion of the Masters will also provide students with the ability to enhance their current working practices. Guidance for suitable employment opportunities/vacancies is available throughout the programme and via social media platforms.

Costs

Fees and funding

Full-time tuition fees

UK and EU students

The standard tuition fee for full-time home and EU students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA/MRes courses in the academic year 2025/26 is £9,450 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

International students

The standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA/MRes courses in the academic year 2025/26 is £17,900 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

Part-time tuition fees

UK and EU students

The standard tuition fees for part-time home and EU students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA/MRes/PGCert/PGDip courses in the academic year 2025/26 are £788 per 15-credit module, £1,575 per 30-credit module, £2,363 per 45-credit module, and £3,150 per 60 credit module.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

International students

The standard tuition fees for part-time international students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA/MRes courses in the academic year 2025/26 are £1,492 per 15-credit module, £2,983 per 30-credit module, £4,475 per 45-credit module, and £5,967 per 60 credit module.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

Postgraduate loans

The Government will provide a loan of up to £12,471 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2024 per eligible student for postgraduate Masters study. It will be at your own discretion whether the loan is used towards fees, maintenance or other costs.

For more details visit our postgraduate loans page.

Accommodation

Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience. Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study.

We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Halls' at £131 per week to 'Ensuite Premium Halls' at £228 per week (2025/26 prices).

For full details visit our accommodation page.

Additional costs

Every course has day-to-day costs for basic books, stationery, printing and photocopying. The amounts vary between courses.

If your course offers a placement opportunity, you may need to pay for an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Sports Scholarships

At Worcester we are committed to supporting elite and talented sports performers who are dedicated to both sporting and academic success. Our sports scholarships are available for a range of team and individual sports. For further information, visit our sports scholarships pages.

How to apply

How to apply

Please read our postgraduate applications page for details on how to apply.

If you have any questions, please contact the Admissions office on 01905 855111 or admissions@worc.ac.uk

 

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.

Postgraduate Admissions Office

Dr Paul Blakey

Senior Lecturer