Advanced Management (Sport Business and Leadership), MSc (Taught)

Our MSc Advanced Management (Sport Business and Leadership) has been designed to meet the growing demand for innovative, responsible leaders in the global sports industry. The pathway offers an interdisciplinary and applied programme of study that integrates advanced management knowledge with sector-specific insight into sport, leadership, entrepreneurship, and organisational performance. The pathway develops the next generation of sport business leaders, capable of navigating complexity, driving innovation, and ensuring sustainable growth in sporting organisations.

Our programme will equip you with a critical understanding of the unique operational, strategic, and ethical challenges facing sport at professional, community, and global levels. Drawing on case studies from elite sport, grassroots organisations, and international federations, you will explore themes such as athlete-to-leader transitions, entrepreneurial innovation, sustainability in sport, and the management of high-performing teams and organisations. Applied learning opportunities ensure that as a graduate of this course you can transfer insights into practice across diverse sport and business contexts.

Our MSc programme is structured into three segments. The first provides foundational MBA modules, fostering cross-disciplinary learning across the MSc Advanced Management portfolio. The second segment focuses on sport-specific modules designed to develop knowledge of sustainable operations, entrepreneurial practice, and high-performing organisations. The final segment centres on the capstone Research in Practice project, embedded throughout the course and aligned with live challenges from industry partners.

This pathway has been designed for part-time delivery, studied over two years, beginning with shared MBA modules in year one, followed by the sport-specific modules in year two. This flexible model supports the learning needs of working professionals and athletes in transition while maintaining a strong focus on applied knowledge.

Specialist modules will equip you with the expertise to critically evaluate and improve the performance of sport businesses. They also provide insight into how transferable skills from elite athlete development can be leveraged in organisational leadership.

Our pathway has been developed in collaboration with stakeholders in professional sport, national governing bodies, and commercial organisations. It reflects the commitment to applied and socially responsible education by preparing graduates to lead with integrity, drive innovation, and address the global challenges facing the sport industry.

This pathway provides a vital academic and professional route for individuals aspiring to advance their careers in sport leadership, entrepreneurship, governance, and business management at both domestic and international levels.