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Why choose the School of Sport Science and Physical Activity
Merging the expertise of our Sport Science and Business schools, this MBA is one of the first of its kind in the UK.
Our Sports teaching staff are industry experienced, with many actively involved in sports teams; our Business academic team are industry experts engaged in consultancy, business involvement and social impact.
Our business and management courses rank 4th overall in their subject field in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey 2024, with top 3 rankings for teaching, engagement, learning community and course organisation.
About the course
This MBA is one of the first of its kind in the UK. It equips you with an advanced practical knowledge of strategic leadership alongside the skills you need to prepare you for work in this expanding sector. Drawing on expertise from our Business and Sport Science schools, you develop your critical understanding of the issues facing sport and physical activity in the UK and around the world. Designed to develop your strategic thinking, you uncover a range of approaches to widen participation in physical activity, setting you up for impactful leadership in this thriving field.
Facilities and specialist equipment
- Situated at our friendly, collegiate Bedford campus with its excellent sport science facilities including BASES-accredited sports laboratories and a national-standard sports arena
- Access to our state-of-the-art data lab, equipped with top-tier business analytics software and platforms, including Vensim simulation software, allowing hands-on learning and exploration
- Benefit from a range of learning resources, such as Harvard Business Publications (which includes simulations) and Oracle OPERA, to support you on your learning journey
Industry links
We are official education partners of Luton Town FC and Bedford Blues Rugby Club, and collaborate with other clubs and organisations across the region, giving you the opportunity to put your learning into practice through work placements.
We are also a Higher Education Partner of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).
Your student experience
Acquire essential professional skills aligned with bodies like the Chartered Management Institute and the Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity.
Benefit from opportunities for placements with our official partners Luton Town FC and Bedford Blues RFC and Foundation as well as other sporting organisations such as Ampthill RFC, MK Dons, Cricket East and Be Active.
In Business, join our Global Guest Speaker series, featuring academics, industry leaders, and professionals from organisations like Luton Borough Council, the European Commission and bodies such as the Association of Project Management (APM).
In Sports, access regular industry speakers through our research institute’s seminar series; recent speakers are professionals from MK Dons, PGA, Northampton Saints and our education partners, Luton Town FC and Bedford Blues RFC.
Participate in field trips to exhibitions like the Great Business Exhibition and Tech Show London, as well as visits to sports-related sites such as St George’s Park, the home of England Football, Luton Town FC and Bedford Blues RFC.
Solve real-life problems working with the University’s Research and Innovation Service (RIS) where you can assist local businesses and SMEs to up-skill and innovate.
Course Leader - Stuart Wilson
I have been employed in the sport and physical activity industry since 1999, predominately in a Sports Development role. Most recently, I was a Relationship Manager within SkillsActive, a national partners of Sport England, and worked with organisations such as National Governing Bodies of Sport, County Sports Partnerships and Leisure Operators to create programmes that supported their workforce and business development.
Course Leader - Stuart Wilson
I have been employed in the sport and physical activity industry since 1999, predominately in a Sports Development role. Most recently, I was a Relationship Manager within SkillsActive, a national partners of Sport England, and worked with organisations such as National Governing Bodies of Sport, County Sports Partnerships and Leisure Operators to create programmes that supported their workforce and business development.
What will you study?
Studying our Sport Leadership & Management MBA course will equip you with the knowledge and skills in the combined areas of strategic leadership, sports and physical activity. Building on the foundations of your study, you will discover how sport is developed and delivered across the globe in our Sport in The Global Context unit. Through analysing the political, social and economic factors that impact this sector, you will understand how sport can be used as a tool for social good and global development.
You will then explore the role of strategic leadership and management in sport in our Strategy Analysis in The Global Environment. Here, you will unpack strategic management principles by critically analysing data sources and industry information to create and implement effective strategies to address challenges within sports leadership and management. To add to this, you will explore research and practice around leadership and management in the context of sport in our Leading and Managing Sustainable Organisations unit. Furthermore, you will consider the principles of responsible leadership, ethical decision making, and effective stakeholder engagement while also analysing management processes in other fields of work such as human resources and finance.
In practical areas of work, you will have the opportunity to work with a sports organisation in our Applied Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Sport unit. With a critical approach, you will identify an area of the business where you could implement change or innovation and subsequently produce a research proposal with suggestions for development. To support you with this, this unit will allow you to explore how to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across various organisations in the sporting sector.
Finally, you will complete an MBA Applied Project where you will be able to apply your leadership and management knowledge to a sporting management environment. Here, you will work with a sporting organisation to solve complex problems while taking into consideration organisational values and stakeholder concerns.
How will you be assessed?
The underpinning philosophy of all assessments is to develop both your knowledge and skills to enter employment as a confident manager with a strong base from which to meet your own aspirations. This requires consideration of your own personal capabilities as well as looking outward at the business world.
The aim is for you to become an independent and self-directed lifelong learner. Apart from the formal assessments there will be an emphasis on self, peer, and group assessment. Tutors will provide feedback on formative assessments to support your development of good academic practice.
All assessments are rooted in authentic and practical workplace scenarios to enable the integration of theory and practice in dynamic ‘real world’ work contexts. Exams are kept to a minimum. To facilitate learning for all students a range of assessment methods are used throughout the course, including:
- Business Reports to demonstrate contextual insight and professional practice.
- Project Plans to demonstrate project planning skills.
- Seminar Papers to develop critical analysis skills.
- Project Report integrates learning throughout the course independently applied in practice.
- Business simulation where you demonstrate the impact of your strategic decision making.
The focus is on the impact of management education to management practice and later assessments require greater complexity and integration through independent study to support your successful transition into work. This is exemplified by two units; Applied Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Sport and the MBA Applied Project. These help you to consider your personal and professional development and the complexity of applying management education in practice once in employment.
Careers
The skills, knowledge, theoretical concepts and practical experience you gain from this MBA will support you in progressing within the sport and physical activity sector, offering career opportunities at a local, national and global level. Roles include working for a governing body, professional club or sports-related charitable organisation. The leadership and managerial focus of the course also provides numerous transferable skills relevant to a variety of service industries. Upon graduation, you could also continue your studies at PhD level.
