Sport Management

Sport management applies the principles and practices of business and management to the organisation and delivery of sport. It encompasses the strategic, financial, commercial, and operational aspects of running sporting organisations, from professional clubs and governing bodies to events companies, sports facilities, and community sport programmes. The global sport industry is large and economically significant, generating revenue through broadcasting rights, sponsorship, ticketing, merchandise, and participation, and its commercial complexity means that sport managers need genuine business acumen alongside an understanding of what makes sport distinctive as a social and cultural phenomenon.

At the University of Brighton, this three-year full-time programme includes a sandwich year with work placement, giving you substantial professional experience within sport management or a related field before you complete your degree. Brighton has strong connections to the sport industry in the south-east and nationally, and the placement is a central element of the programme's approach to developing work-ready graduates. Your studies cover sports business and marketing, event management, facility and operations management, sport governance and policy, human resource management in sport, and the economics and finance of sport organisations.

You will also develop the research and analytical skills to evaluate evidence and make sound organisational decisions.

Graduates move into roles across the sport sector in professional clubs, national governing bodies, local authority sport development departments, sport event agencies, stadia and leisure facilities, sport sponsorship and marketing companies, and international federations. Operations management, marketing, event coordination, commercial development, communications, and general management are all common career directions. The placement year often leads to graduate employment with the same or a connected organisation.

Those who wish to develop their expertise further can pursue postgraduate study in sport management, sport business, or related areas.