Sport Management and Coaching
Sport management and coaching brings together two distinct but complementary areas of professional practice in sport. Sport management is concerned with the business and organisational dimensions of sport, including event planning, venue management, sports marketing, governance, financial management, and strategic leadership within sports organisations. Coaching addresses the practical science and art of developing athletes and teams, drawing on sport psychology, physiology, skill acquisition theory, and reflective practice to improve performance and participation.
Studied together, they equip you for roles that often require both managerial competence and technical sport knowledge.
University of St Mark and St John's four-year full-time Sport Management and Coaching programme includes a professional practice year, which is a structured period of extended experience in a relevant sport or management setting. This professional practice element is central to the programme's value: sport is a sector where professional relationships, practical experience, and a demonstrated ability to operate in real organisational contexts matter enormously to employers, and the programme is designed to ensure you develop these alongside your academic knowledge. You will study sport business and governance, sports law, performance analysis, coaching theory and practice, physical preparation, and athlete development, developing a profile that spans both the commercial and the performance dimensions of sport.
A typical entry tariff of 120 points makes the programme accessible, and you will develop both academic analytical skills and the practical competencies needed for professional work in sport.
Graduates pursue careers as sports development officers, performance coaches, sport managers, events coordinators, facility managers, and organisational leaders within professional sports clubs, national governing bodies, local authorities, leisure trusts, schools, and commercial fitness organisations. Many also continue to postgraduate study in sport management, coaching science, or sports leadership.