BA (Hons) Sport Business Management

The purpose of this module is to provide preparation for your research project at Level 6. Students will engage with the stages of collection and analysis to produce a literature review. Building on their assessment of the research landscape, students will propose to use research methods which provide insights into a chosen aspect of sport business management. Students will also seek to gain ethical approval for their research proposal to inform their progress at level 6.

This module requires you to undertake a work-based placement related to the sport & physical activity industry. You will develop your identity as a professional in your field, including a set of values, skills, and attributes required for graduate employment. You will build on your understanding and self-awareness developed at Level 4 to negotiate a personal learning agreement, including a set of developmental goals that will enhance your employability. Both during and following your placement, you will reflect on your learning and heightened self-awareness of areas for further development. You will develop your capacity to articulate your readiness for employment to others.

This module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of the project management of an event in a sporting context. The module focuses on the development of your capacity to engage with the policies, procedures and practices involved in the effective planning, organisation, staffing and operational management of sporting events. In learning about the challenges of organising these events, you will draw on concepts and theories from the sports industry. Problem based learning and industry case studies will be used to support your learning in this module. Examples will be drawn from the whole spectrum of sports events ranging from local voluntary participatory occasions to highly commercialised and globalised elite sports competitions.

The purpose of this module is to provide insights into the world of professional sport. You will develop knowledge of the operational aspects of professional sport, and their impacts on sports workers. You will also learn how marketing, policy and financial aspects of sport business management are reflected in the world of professional sport.

This module will provide you with an understanding of how to provide sales support and customer service programmes relevant to sport business management. You will assess the contribution of customer service to the overall achievement and effectiveness of an organisation’s business objectives. You will examine different mechanisms of collecting customer feedback and identify strategies for acting on feedback. You will use market segmentation to define customer service standards that meet organisational business objectives. In addition, you will examine theories of consumption and policy related to customer service in order to manage change and make recommendations for service improvement.

The growth of a culture of greater monitoring and evaluation in sports development is indicative of the need for better systematic evidence of the impact and outcomes of sports initiatives. The demand for such a need is sometimes internal (to justify the existence of a non-statutory programme) but often external (for the requirements of a review of funding). In both cases the achievement and measurement of key performance indicators are commonly attributed to the award of future funding. The trend towards greater insight in the world of sports development is far reaching and you will develop a number of skills and an evaluative toolkit that will prepare you for employment in the sports industry. This module will deal with key issues such as cost-benefit analyses, economic impact assessments, social return on investment reporting, and frameworks for the monitoring and measurement of outcomes. Students will engage with a “micro-project” in a consultancy type approach, which supports an organisation to improve their monitoring and evaluation of a defined programme of sport or sports development

This module examines a range of strategic issues and challenges which are both of contemporary relevance and critical importance for the sports manager. You will develop the skills for identifying, researching, and evaluating the implications of these issues for the provision and development of sport provision.

The purpose of this module is to provide you with insights into the bidding, hosting, management and legacy of mega-events. Such mega-events may include the Olympics and FIFA World. By focusing on the processes behind the operational, marketing, policy and financial aspects of a global sports mega-event, you will develop critical perspectives on modern sports business management.

The Professional Project is the culmination of your undergraduate degree course which will enable you to work independently in an area that excites and interests you. The Professional Project enables you to engage with a substantial programme of independent study which allows you to define and explore in some depth a topic relating to your course or intended future employment, as well as developing advanced skills in managing an extended project. The Professional Project provides experience of critically evaluating and reflecting upon the particular methodologies of your subject area. The project may include practical elements, dependent upon the subject discipline being studied. For students continuing from level 5 within the Institute of Sport, a project proposal will have been completed during a Level 5 module. The module is year-long and it will be your focus while you participate in the taught content during Block 1 which will lead to your submission of an ethics application (proposal). By the end of Block 4 you will submit both a written submission (project) and for participation at the school of sport student conference, either a either a mind map or pictorial representation of your project, which you will decide upon in discussion with your project supervisor. The presentation will be delivered to a small group of your peers and your supervisor/ second marker at the Department of Sport Student Conference (in the style of a viva voce). This should be considered a professional celebration of your studies moving into your employment. We therefore advise that you choose a topic that fuels your passions and interests, and that is relevant to your desired career path(s). You will work in partnership with your supervisors, and with their facilitation work towards a memorable end to your undergraduate studies.