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Sports Management

BA (Hons)

Undergraduate degree - single honours

Award
BA (Hons) Sports Management
School/s
Bath Business School
Campus or location
Newton Park
Course length
Three years full time, or four years full time with professional placement year. Part time available.
UCAS codes
Institution Code: B20
Course Code: SM10 or SM11 (with professional placement year)
Campus Code: A,BSU

Entry requirements

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed under 'Typical offers' in the main column below. For combined courses, please check both subjects. If your qualification is not listed, please email admissions@bathspa.ac.uk with your specific details.

Explore the sporting world from the inside and gain first-hand experience of the business of sport.

  • Take a forward-thinking approach to the sporting industry and the issues faced by sporting organisations today.
  • Learn from the experts: meet visiting professionals, hear from guest lecturers, and collaborate with industry on live projects.
  • Gain transferable leadership and management skills that will enable you to work in roles across the industry – and beyond.

Sport has a global impact. It crosses divides to touch every corner of society. It is also a hub for innovation, passion and future-thinking. Our BA (Hons) Sports Management course responds to the continuing evolution of the sports industry.

Learn to manage sporting organisations, events, facilities and people, and gain an understanding of the industry's future business opportunities. Throughout your studies, you’ll practise leadership and management in real-life contexts, exploring the way the industry is organised and how it works.

You’ll also look to the future of the sporting industry by becoming a champion of equality and diversity in the sector. This sports business and management course puts employability at the fore, utilising connections with sports practitioners and professional networks to give you real-world experience that you can take to any role.

DMI accreditation

Digital Marketing Institute Accredited

We’ve partnered with the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI) to offer Certified Digital Marketing Associate (CDMA) certification. This means that on successful completion of the Digital Marketing Essentials module in your second year, you’ll obtain certification that shows you've learned the fundamental skills of digital marketing and is recognised by the world’s leading employers including Google, Facebook and Twitter. Learn more about our Business degree accreditations


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What you'll learn

Overview

This course provides a general understanding of business and management through the lens of the sports industry. Throughout the course, you’ll develop the necessary knowledge in a range of specific business principles and skills. You’ll have the opportunity to grow in self confidence and develop team working abilities appropriate to a management career in the sports industry and wider business contexts.

You’ll explore the history of the sporting industry, how it works, and ways to lead, manage and communicate within it using a range of sporting scenarios. You'll also gain insight into ethical and sustainability issues relating to the industry, as well as working on live projects with sporting organisations.

Course structure

Year one
Your first year will introduce you to the fundamentals of business and management as well as management specific to the sporting industry. Learn why sport has such impact and how this can be harnessed via sound business principles.

You’ll learn about different facets of the world of work, from management to organisation to harnessing the power of data and explore fundamental concepts relating to the management of sport Learn about organisations relevant to the sporting industry and how they operate, including the theories behind the management and operational structures that operate within them.

Year two
Expand your business and management toolkit and deepen your understanding of leadership and management in the industry. Work on live projects with local organisations and explore contemporary business themes within the current sporting industry. You’ll study themes such as sports and society, the growing popularity and impact of e-sports and entrepreneurship.

Year three
Become a forward-thinking professional, ready to enter the world of work. You’ll study new trends in management and focus on social issues such as sustainability, equality and diversity and how you can contribute to these discussions in the sports industry. Continue to work on real-world examples and develop skills and ideas in business and management more generally.

How will I be taught?

You’ll be taught through a mix of lectures, seminars, workshops, industry visits, projects and online discussion. You’ll work in real-world contexts with local and regional contacts to apply your knowledge in practice.

We encourage you to develop independent and collaborative skills through set preparation for seminars, contributing to online forums, devising appropriate essay subjects, research and written assessments.

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.

How will I be assessed?

We assess you in different ways, including essays, presentations and grading of group projects, some of which you’ll lead.

Course modules

This course offers or includes the following modules. The modules you take will depend on your pathway or course combination (if applicable) as well as any optional or open modules chosen. Please check the programme document for more information.

Year one (Level 4) modules
  • The Business Environment
  • Professional Practice
  • Inclusivity in Sport
  • Economics and Globalisation
  • Organisational Behaviour and Management
  • Sports Management
Year two (Level 5) modules
  • Business of Sport
  • Festival and Events Management
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Sports Law
  • Operations and Project Management
  • Sport and Society
  • E-Sports
  • Digital Marketing Essentials
  • Food Product Development for Quality, Health and Exercise
  • Professional Placement Year
Year three (Level 6) modules
  • Contemporary Issues in Sport
  • Managing Sustainability
  • Creating and Hosting Festivals and Events
  • Sports Management Project
  • Leadership and Management
  • New Trends in Management
  • Organisational Strategy
  • Enterprise: Creating your Business

Opportunities

Study abroad

As part of your degree, you could study abroad on a placement at one of Bath Spa’s partner universities.

Fieldwork

You’ll have the opportunity to learn from international companies on topics such as international marketing strategies and doing business overseas.

Past Business School students have travelled to Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the USA, Mexico and Singapore.

During your first year, we provide opportunities to visit companies more locally, including in London.

Work placements, industry links and internships

You'll take a practical approach to your course. Our Business School students have the opportunity to take part in a number of opportunities working on live projects, supported by our dedicated course leaders. You'll work directly with companies to pitch ideas, find solutions and develop your skills, as well as gain on the ground experience.

Professional accreditation

Depending on your pathway and the modules you study, you can gain accreditation by professional bodies and get exemption from professional exams.

Careers

Enhance your employability – develop sought-after practical skills and knowledge through activities such as working on live projects for companies, internships and volunteering.

Participate in workshops to hone your communication, pitching and negotiation skills.

You can also join our ‘Mentor Me’ scheme to get the opportunity to be mentored by marketing professionals in industry.

This course is designed to inspire, expand your networks and broaden your horizons to the types of roles available in the sector.

Graduates of this course could expect to enter roles in the sporting industry and beyond such as:

  • Operations managers at sporting venues and teams
  • Event coordinators
  • Sports facilities managers
  • Sports agents/ talent managers
  • Sports administrators
  • Sports marketing professionals.
Global Citizenship

If you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at Bath Spa University, you can apply for the Certificate in Global Citizenship, which you’ll study alongside your degree.

You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience, and funding is available. On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.

Adobe Creative Campus

Develop a wealth of indispensable digital skills that you can take into your future career. One of only three Adobe Creative Campuses in the UK, we provide all Bath Spa students with access to the full Adobe Creative Suite, giving you the tools to communicate creatively, whatever your course or chosen professional field.   

Professional placement year

Overview

The Professional Placement Year (PPY) provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for, and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Preparation

Before your PPY, you'll work to identify roles of interest and secure a placement. The Placements Team will support through timetabled sessions and 1:1 appointments.

How will I be assessed?

As well as completing a minimum of 900 placement hours, you will complete two assessments demonstrating your skill development, growth in professional behaviours and how the PPY has impacted your future career aspirations.

The PPY Bursary

Aiming to make work experience more accessible, we have introduced the PPY Bursary. Students undertaking a PPY can receive between £500 and £1,500 to be used towards placement costs such as travel, food, workwear or accommodation.

For more information and details of eligibility criteria, please visit the PPY Bursary webpage.

"The best part of my placement so far has been a recent trip to Dubai. I got flown out to work on the DP World Tour championship for just over a month. The experience I gained working out there was incomparable.

My placement has provided me with valuable business experience, and I’ve also noticed my confidence and individual professionalism develop hugely."

Anna Chandler, BA (Hons) Business and Management
Smiling young woman in a cafe

Facilities and resources

Where the subject is taught

You'll have access to excellent facilities at our Newton Park campus and city centre studios as well as online resources. These include:

Resources

Our libraries offer a wide range of business resources, including a wealth of online material that can be accessed on- and off-campus, enabling you to work at times that suit you.

Fees

2024 entry
Student Annual tuition fee
UK full time £9,250
UK part time £4,625
International full time £15,750

Professional Placement Year

During the placement year, the fee is reduced to 20% of the full time fee. This applies to UK and EU/International students.

  • UK: £1,850
  • International: £3,150

Additional course costs

You may need to pay additional course costs over and above your tuition fees, for example, for specialist equipment or trips and visits. Please check the course Programme Document (linked under the main image on this page) for details of any additional costs. You can also read our Additional Course Costs Policy for further information.

Interested in applying?

What we look for in potential students

We’re looking for highly motivated individuals who have a deep sense of curiosity and willingness to learn. You should be organised, self-motivated and disciplined. You should have a passion for sport, but be willing to expand your knowledge to cover all aspects of business and management.

Typical offers

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed below:

  • A Level – grades BBB-BCC preferred.
  • BTEC – Extended Diploma grades from Distinction Distinction Merit (DDM) to Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) accepted in any subject.
  • T Levels – grade Merit preferred.
  • International Baccalaureate – a minimum of 32 points are required.
  • Access to HE courses – typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, at Merit or higher).

If you don’t meet the entry requirements above, we may be able to accept your prior learning or experience from outside of formal education. See our Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) page to learn more.

English Language Requirements for International and EU Applicants

IELTS 6.0 - for visa nationals, with a minimum score of IELTS 5.5 in each element.

Course enquiries

For further information about the programme or entry requirements, please email us at admissions@bathspa.ac.uk.

How do I apply?

Ready to apply? Click the 'apply now' button in the centre of this page.

Need more guidance? Head to our how to apply pages.

Course enquiries: Samuel Landry
Email: s.landry@bathspa.ac.uk 

Website feedback to web@bathspa.ac.uk