Sport and Leisure Business Management with Foundation

Endorsed by CIMSPA, Solent's Sport and Leisure Business Management course introduces you to a challenging multidisciplinary body of skills and knowledge and enables you to apply management theories to a wide range of issues within the traditional sport, leisure, recreation and physical activity industry, and across more diverse and specialised areas of the wider industry, such as outdoor and adventure recreation, health and fitness, football and business, events, hospitality, and tourism.

During your studies, you will uncover the origins of modern-day sport, examine the strategic business and operational processes that shape businesses, learn how to work professionally in teams, and engage with the latest marketing and event management trends to drive participation and engagement with a variety of sport and leisure pursuits.

You'll study in a diverse, inclusive, and stimulating research informed environment that encourages real-world learning opportunities, empowering you to develop the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills to succeed in the exciting, dynamic sport, leisure, and recreation industry.

With employability at its core, you’ll be able to develop practical and professional skills through a variety of opportunities encouraged alongside your studies. The course team’s established industry links have provided previous students with the opportunity for valuable industry work experience. Past students have also benefitted from talks delivered by guest lecturers, giving insight around current issues in the industry to help build their knowledge and network of contacts.

If you’re looking to study our sport management degree but don’t have the relevant qualifications or experience, the sport foundation year will help you develop the core skills and knowledge to progress. Find out more about the health, sport and social sciences foundation year.

This course also offers the option of a placement year. A placement year allows you to put what you've learned in your first and second years into practice in the workplace, gaining valuable real-world work experience before you graduate. Our course and placements teams will help you find the perfect industry placement in your chosen field.

Who is this course for?
This course is ideally suited to students who are currently active in a specific or range of sport and leisure activities, or curious about making that leap into a new subject space. Being active in sport and leisure includes all forms of participation, from active involvement from beginner to advanced levels of performance, administration, coaching, umpiring, spectating, event attendance, social media influencing, and fandom!

We welcome applicants regardless of previous studies. Your age, life stage and experiences to date are no barrier to engaging with this dynamic, fast moving industry where there is a place for everyone.

What does this course lead to?
Graduates of sport related undergraduate degree programmes are favoured across many industry settings due to the unique skill sets they hold. Teamwork, verbal communication and networking, and leadership are aspects of soft skills highly valued by employers.

Graduates from this degree will typically find employment in duty management roles firstly within sport and recreation settings. They are also able to forge careers in teaching, public services, marketing roles, and in hospitality and event management.

Solent's Clearing fast pass* gets you ahead, with priority support and everything you need to feel confident about your next step. Secure your guaranteed offer before results day and unlock a 20% discount on Kimber and Chantry student halls, a £100 IKEA voucher, free gold gym membership for the academic year, and a £150 campus dining voucher.

*T&Cs apply. Full details on our website.

Join the career-ready revolution this summer at Solent. Every course is designed around five things: real-world learning in every module; block teaching, so you study one subject at a time, not five assignments at once; direct links with employers and careers support for life. This isn't a tweak. It's a rethink of what university should be.

Our facilities are built with your future career in mind, including Warsash Maritime School, the Solent Sports Complex, science labs, animation and 3D modelling studios and applied mechanics and composites labs.

And outside class? Southampton has it all: shopping, culture, live music, football, cricket, festivals, markets, tiny Thai cafes, ghost walks and record fairs. It's friendly, walkable, and one of the UK's most affordable student cities. With a diverse community and societies for every interest, you'll find your tribe here too.

Ready to secure your place? Get in touch now.