Sport Management with foundation year

Sport management is the business of sport, and it spans everything from elite professional clubs to grassroots community programmes, from major international events to everyday facility operations. It requires people who understand both sport and business, who can manage finances, people, facilities, marketing, and partnerships, and who understand how sport sits within broader social and commercial contexts. This four-year full-time programme at Coventry University includes a foundation year, making it accessible to a wider range of students, and gives you the skills and knowledge needed to work at every level of the sport industry.

You will study the core business disciplines including strategy, marketing, finance, and human resource management, applying them specifically to sport contexts. You will explore how sport organisations are governed, how major events are planned and delivered, how sponsorship and broadcasting rights shape the commercial landscape, and how sport can serve community and social development goals. The programme includes a sandwich year placement and work placement opportunities, both of which give you substantial professional experience before you graduate and help you build the networks and practical knowledge that the sport industry values.

A year abroad is also built into the programme, giving you the chance to experience sport management in a different national context.

Graduates from sport management programmes go on to roles across a wide range of organisations including professional sports clubs, national governing bodies, facility management companies, event agencies, community sports trusts, and commercial sponsors. The combination of business acumen and sector-specific knowledge you develop is a genuine asset in a competitive industry. Postgraduate study in sport management, business administration, or event management is an option for those who want to develop further specialist expertise.