Sports Development

Sport does not exist in isolation. It is shaped by the social, political and economic forces that surround it, and the way it is organised, funded, accessed and experienced reflects broader patterns of power and inequality in society. Sports development is the field concerned with planning, delivering and evaluating programmes and policies that promote participation, improve performance pathways and use sport as a vehicle for community benefit.

Studying it gives you both an understanding of the sporting landscape and the practical skills to work within it.

At the University of East Anglia, this three-year full-time degree develops your knowledge of sport policy, the governance of sports organisations, community engagement, youth sport, physical activity and public health, coaching and performance pathways, equity and inclusion, and the management and leadership of sports programmes. You will engage with research and evidence-based practice, developing the analytical skills to evaluate what works and why. The programme encourages you to think critically about the assumptions that underpin sports development policy and to understand the social and political context in which sport operates.

Careers from this degree span the public, private and voluntary sectors. Many graduates move into roles with national governing bodies, local authorities, sports clubs, leisure trusts and community organisations, working in programme management, coaching coordination, health promotion, youth sport and participation. Others work in sports policy at national level, in the charity sector or in commercial sport.

Further study in sport management, coaching, public health or community development is also a common route, and the analytical and communication skills developed on this degree are transferable across a wide range of settings.