Sport Business Management with Foundation Year

This course gets you ready to be a sport business leader in today’s fast‑changing, digital world. The foundation year is your starting point, helping you build confidence in study skills, business basics and digital tools so you’re ready to move on to the full degree.

On the main programme, you’ll learn skills that go beyond traditional sport management. From using data to make smart decisions, to exploring how AI is changing fan engagement, to looking at the rise of women’s sport and sustainability in the industry, you’ll cover the big issues shaping sport today.

You’ll also get hands‑on experience with clubs and organisations across Greater Manchester, including Oldham Athletic FC, FC United of Manchester, Manchester Football Association, British Wrestling and Salford Red Devils.

This course is recognised by Tech Industry Gold, giving you extra credibility with employers. With live projects, business pitches and real industry experience, you’ll graduate with practical skills that employers want and the confidence to step into leadership roles in sport.

• Learn to use data tools like Power BI and SQL to make smart sport business decisions

• Create digital marketing strategies for global audiences and see how AI is changing fan engagement

• Work on live projects with professional sport organisations in Greater Manchester’s buzzing sport scene

Develop your skills
You’ll look ahead to the technologies that will affect the work of business professionals in the future and gain essential digitals skills that will help you go further in the industry, such as:

/ Body swap technology
/ iDea Bronze Award
/ Microsoft Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Project, Word and 365
/ Xero Accounting Software
/ Power BI

This programme is also available with:
• Placement Year - on the placement year option, you will not pay fees to the University and will earn a wage for the work that you do.
•Study Abroad – study with one of our partner Universities for a semester or a year.

Find out more on www.salford.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/sport-business-management-foundation-year.

This course is not open to international students.

Your foundation year will give you a grounding in business and management, preparing you for your future studies.

In the first year, you'll gain foundational business knowledge alongside sport specific learning through comparative league analysis and multi-sport event planning. You'll work with industry panels, presenting growth strategies for real sport organisations.

Second year studies advance your analytical capabilities through business intelligence platforms, project management methodologies and live industry projects with external partners. Sport-focused modules explore governance frameworks, financial strategies and digital transformation opportunities in fan engagement and operations.

In your final year, you'll develop leadership and strategic thinking through innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability studies.

/ Foundation Year: Foundations of Business; Sustainable Business Development; Digital Business; Academic and Personal Skills; Business Project; Employability for Life

/ Year One: Digital and Business Skills; Understanding Organisations; Principles of Marketing; Data Analysis for Business; The Future of Business; Sport Business Environment

/Year Two: Professional Development; Project Management; Sports Business Finance: Trends and Analysis; Live Project in Sport Business; Sports Marketing; The Digital Workplace; Contemporary Issues in International Marketing; Internship

/Year Three: Business Ethics and Sustainability; Strategic Sport Business Management; Leadership and Management in Sport Business; Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Global Sport Business; Strategic Management; Big Data Analytics; Climate Change and Sustainability in Business; Information Security Management; Internship; Technology Innovation