Sport Policy, Management and International Development MSc

The increasing social, economic and political role of sport is a key feature of life in the 21st century. This Masters degree critically examines the commercialised and media-orientated world of professional sport and the increasingly important realm of community sport, recreation and physical activity. You will gain an understanding of key concepts invaluable for employment and critical engagement across all sport sectors.

Recognising that sport managers operate in a highly politicised environment, the programme reviews the role of government policy in shaping sporting opportunities and sport's contribution to social policy agendas.

The programme assesses sport's contribution to government social policy concerns (such as crime prevention, health improvement, education attainment, community building), and its role in conflict resolution, gender empowerment, disease prevention and poverty reduction in different parts of the world.

You will critically analyse a wide range of sport policy and sport management issues in the UK and compare these with experiences across a wide range of countries.

You will focus on:


- management issues in contemporary sport organisations


- the media's role in sport management debates


- sport marketing and communications concepts


The programme also explores fundamental aspects of research methods and links these to sport management concerns. Your understanding is enhanced through the extensive involvement of local and national sport organisations.