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Sports Business Management BSc (Hons)

UCAS code: CN60

Get ready for a career working in the management and delivery of professional and community sport. Combine hands-on experience and theory on this sport management degree endorsed by CIMSPA, the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity.

Overview

Course length: 3 years full-time
Start dates: September 2025
Location: Edge Hill University
Example offers: BCC-BBC (A Level) or DMM (BTEC) View full entry criteria
Subject(s): Sport and Physical Activity
Faculty: Arts and Sciences
Department: Sport and Physical Activity
Students in a sports hall.

Fuel your passion for sport and develop the skills needed to kickstart your career. Our Sports Business Management degree is designed to help you see theory in practice through work experience opportunities and gives you the skills and know-how to implement and manage local, national and international sports businesses, programmes and events.

Throughout the degree, you’ll get hands-on experience with some of our partners and other employers on and off campus. These work placement opportunities will give you practical experience in sports business, planning, implementing and evaluating sports events and programmes.

In your final year, you’ll be able to focus your assessment projects on a topic of your choice. Perhaps you’re interested in sports marketing, managing people, promotion of health and wellbeing? Or want to discover life in community and elite sports management?

You’ll graduate with skills that employers are searching for both within and outside the sports industry. Follow your dreams and make a real difference to people’s lives and the effective operations of businesses.

A CIMSPA endorsed degree

This sports business management degree is endorsed against the professional standards of CIMSPA, the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity. You will gain student membership of CIMSPA, for the duration of your degree. This will give you access to resources, guest lectures, work placement opportunities and more.

CIMSPA Registered - Endorsed Professional Standards - Navy Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity

Course features

  • International students can apply

  • Professional accreditation

  • Professional practice placements

  • Sandwich year option available

  • Studying abroad option available

What you'll study

In Year 1, we’ll help you develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed throughout the course. Discover how sport and physical activity can combine with key management and leadership skills. We’ll introduce you to the key themes of the sports management degree which include the organisation and management of sport, business management in sport, leadership, health and wellbeing.

Compulsory modules:

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Introduction to Critical Thinking for Sports Research
Introduction to Leadership in Sport Management
Introduction to Organisation and Administration of Sport and Physical Activity
Introduction to Sport, Physical Activity and Healthy Lifestyles
Introduction to Sport Management and Finance
Introduction to Data Analytics

In Year 2, you’ll gain specialist knowledge in the management of sport and physical activity. Explore the effective delivery of community sport and sports events, learn to manage people, discover health behaviour change and ways of working with diverse populations. You’ll gain valuable practical experiences in the business of sport including the planning, implementation and evaluation of sports events and programmes.

Compulsory modules:

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Event Management 1
Managing Health Behaviour Change Through Sport and Physical Activity
Research Methods
Sport Management and Marketing
Working with Diverse Populations
Managing People in Sports Business

Your final year will give you more real-world experience of the sports industry where you can apply your knowledge to practical scenarios. Complete a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate your skills and understanding are aligned to the professional standards of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity. Your dissertation is your chance to specialise by completing an independent research project in an area you’re interested in.

Compulsory modules:

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Dissertation
Event Management 2
Managing Health-Based Programmes in Sport and Physical Activity
Professional Practice and Work Placement

One of:

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Managing Wellbeing in the Sports Workforce
Sports Business Management

Where your course includes optional modules, these are to provide an element of choice within the course curriculum. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by timetabling requirements. Some restrictions on optional module choice or combinations of optional modules may apply.

How you'll study

The sport management degree is delivered through a combination of lectures, small group seminars, practical activities, tutorials, workshops and study skills sessions to help you manage the transition to university. In addition, there will be practical work, directed independent study, supervised individual research and ICT-based learning. For each module you will have a detailed handbook that tells you what the sessions are about, what to read, how you will be assessed, offers coursework guidance, and explains how module content relates to your employment, both in and beyond sports settings.

You will gain valuable work-related experience and skills throughout the programme with partners and other employers off campus.

Timetables for your first week are normally available at the end of August prior to enrolment in September. You can expect to receive your timetable for the rest of the academic year during your first week. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week. Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities.

How you'll be assessed

Assessments are both individual and team-based and enable you to develop your presentation skills through applied sport management tasks, including those undertaken in the real world and with industry partners. These tasks include the writing of essays and project reports. There will be critical appraisals of management and organisational strategies, evaluations of management practices, preparation of presentations, the planning and delivery of practical sessions, developing portfolios of evidence linked to professional standards, and undertaking a piece of original independent research.

Who will be teaching you

During our sport management degree, you will be taught by highly enthusiastic and committed staff who have a wealth of experience working with a variety of sport and non-sport organisations. They draw upon these links and partners to ensure you gain valuable practical experiences to prepare you for the world of work. Teaching staff are also involved in national and international research projects which influence the way sport is developed and managed, ensuring you are given the most up-to-date knowledge relevant to your future employment.

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

Typical offer 104-112 UCAS Tariff points, preferably to include Physical Education, Sports Studies or a Science subject. A related subject, including Business and Management, Sociology or Social Science, would also be welcomed.

If you accept a formal offer from Edge Hill University you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure indicating that you meet the mandatory criteria of ‘Clearance to Work with Children and/or Vulnerable Adults’. Further information will be sent to you after you have firmly accepted an offer.

Example offers

Qualification Requirement
A Level BCC-BBC.
BTEC Extended Diploma (or combination of BTEC QCF qualifications) Distinction, Merit, Merit (DMM).
T Level Overall grade of Merit.
International Baccalaureate (IB) We are happy to accept IB qualifications which achieve the required number of UCAS Tariff points. Subject-specific requirements at Higher Level (HL) Grade 5 may apply.
Access to Higher Education Diploma 45 credits at Level 3, for example 9 credits at Distinction and 36 credits at Merit or 15 credits at Distinction and 30 credits at Merit. The required total can be attained from various credit combinations.

Please note, the above examples may differ from actual offers made. A combination of A Level and BTEC awards may also be accepted.

If you have a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent), there is no maximum number of qualifications that we will accept UCAS points from. This includes additional qualifications such as Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), AS Levels that haven't been continued to A Level, and General Studies AS or A Level awards.

English language requirements

International students require IELTS 6.0, with a score no lower than 5.5 in each individual component, or an equivalent English language qualification.

If your current level of English is half a band, one band, or one-and-a-half bands lower, either overall or in one or two elements, you may want to consider our Pre-Sessional English course.

How to apply

Apply full-time

Apply online through UCAS

Read our guide to applying through UCAS to find out more about the application process.

International

Apply as an international student

Please see our international student pages for further information about how to apply as a prospective international student.

Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.

Did you know?

If you join a full time undergraduate degree at Edge Hill University, we will guarantee you the offer of a room in our halls of residence for the first year of your course.

Discover our accommodation

Facilities

Based in the Wilson Centre, the Department of Sport and Physical Activity places a strong emphasis on practical work underpinned by outstanding facilities. There are dedicated laboratories in performance analysis, biomechanics, physiology, psychology, musculoskeletal, biochemistry, vision analysis, sleep, exercise and performance, and functional rehabilitation, as well as a sports therapy clinic. Wilson Centre

Extensive use is also made of the on-campus leisure facilities which include top-of-the-range 3G football and rugby pitches, hockey pitches, tennis courts, competition-standard athletics track and an athletics field. Our sports centre boasts a 25-metre swimming pool, double sports hall for badminton, basketball, netball and squash, a 100-station fitness suite, aerobics studio and a health suite with sauna and steam rooms.

Where you'll study

Wilson Centre

Sports Centre

Finance

Tuition fees

UK Full-Time

£9,535

a year

International

£17,000

a year

2025/2026 part-time fee information will be added when available.

EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate.

Financial support

Subject to eligibility, UK students joining this course can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from the Government to cover the full cost of tuition fees. UK students enrolling on the course may also be eligible to apply for additional funding to help with living costs.

Scholarships


We offer a range of scholarships, which celebrate the determination, commitment and achievement of our students. Many of our scholarships are awarded automatically. There are some however, where you will need to be involved in an application or nomination process. To find out more about our scholarships and check your eligibility, please visit our dedicated scholarships pages.

Money Matters


Please view the relevant Money Matters guide for comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK students.

EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme may be eligible to apply for financial support. Irish nationals can ordinarily apply to Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). If you are an EU student who does not have settled or pre-settled status, or are an international student from a non-EU country, please see our international student finance pages.

Your future career

Following graduation, you’ll be qualified to work in management, both in sport and other occupational settings such as health and wellbeing, and business and management. You may wish to look for jobs roles such as:

  • Sports Development Officer
  • Impact and Insight Manager
  • Athletics Events Consultant
  • Volunteer Manager
  • Public Health Programmes and Commissioning Manager

Some graduates go on to study for their PGCE and follow the path into teaching, or decide to carry on with their studies and complete a postgraduate course.

This sport management degree is endorsed against the professional standards of CIMSPA, the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity.

You will gain student membership of CIMSPA, the professional body for the UK’s sport and physical activity sector, for the duration of your degree. The cost of student membership is included in your tuition fees and will enable you to access e-learning, guest lectures, digital newsletters and magazines, and work placement, volunteering and job opportunities.

On successful completion of the programme, you will be eligible to apply for CIMSPA graduate membership, at your own expense. Further information is available at cimspa.co.uk.

Course changes

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, however our courses are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may necessitate alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses.

Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of professional bodies, revisions to subject benchmarks statements, to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

Track changes to this course

Download our course leaflet