Sport ManagementMSc

If you want an international career working for sporting governing bodies, or delivering events such as the Olympics, Wimbledon, Premier League football, the Indian Premier League, or other elite or mass participation global sporting events, then taking our Master's qualification in sport management will give you the valuable expertise and skills needed to lead, plan and deliver results in the growing sport management industry. 

The UK is Europe’s leading market for sport and sports tech with sport and physical activity contributing £39 billion to the UK’s economy. The global sports market is expected to reach $707.84 billion in 2026. The UK’s globally renowned sporting events provide many career opportunities. For example, the Premier League is the most watched football league in the world, with matches broadcast to 1 billion homes in 188 countries.

On this MSc Sport Management degree course you'll learn the theory and practice of sport management, build on your knowledge and understanding, and develop your leadership skills within an international sport management context.

Once you graduate, you'll have the transferable tools and skills needed for an international career in sport management, HR and event management. 

Eligibility

This course accepts UK, EU, and International students.

Changes to course content

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry. If a module doesn't run, we'll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Careers this Master's prepares you for

This course specifically offers potential for career advancement within the growing sport management sector. It builds on the topics that sport management students will have covered at undergraduate level and introduces overarching themes such as funding, policy and strategy.

Key modules in professional development, strategic leadership and governance have been designed to enhance student's transferable skills enabling some of our graduates to work in senior roles in areas such as human resources and event management.

Graduates of this course have gone onto roles such as:

• General deputy director
• Operations manager
• Community sports manager
• Head of PR and communications
• Marketing manager
• Chief executive
• Consultant
• Fitness instructor 
• Industrial placement coordinator
• Marketing assistant
• Sport lecturer

Graduates of this course have gone on to work for companies such as:

• Rugby Football Union
• Ironman Group
• West Ham United Football Club
• Newcastle United Football Club
• Reading Football Club
• Portsmouth Football Club
• Fulham Football Club
• Norwich Football Club
• Hampshire County Cricket
• Lawn Tennis Association
• Olympic Athletic Centre of Athens
• The Soccer Conclave
• Rugby League World Cup
• TikTok
• Executives in Sport Group
• Hong Kong Darts Federation

9 reasons to do a Master's

Career planning

During your course you'll have expert career support from your tutors and our Careers and Employability Centre – which you can access for up to 5 years after you graduate.

There's no formal work placement component of this course, but our regular visiting speakers are industry experts who'll offer their own advice and insights in professional and career development.

In addition to our visit to Madrid and some of the prestigious sporting organisations within the city, our guest speakers and visiting alumni have come from professional bodies and elite sports organisations such as the Dutch Olympic Committee, European Athletics and Formula One Racing.

Some of our students organise work experience and shadowing opportunities through our local partners and professional contacts at organisations such as Portsmouth Football Club.

We recognise that you'll probably be juggling more demands when you do your Master's degree, as you may be working or you may have family responsibilities.

We'll give you as much indication here as we can of how much time you'll need to be on campus and how many hours you can expect to spend in self-directed study, but please note that these indications are always subject to change. You should receive your full timetable several weeks before you start with us.

Course structure

• We recommend that full-time students allocate 37 hours per week to their studies – equivalent to a full-time job
• We recommend that part-time students allocate around 18 hours per week to their studies – equivalent to a part-time job
• Studies include teaching time (lectures, seminars and tutorials), course work, independent learning and assessments
• On-campus, in-person teaching mostly takes place on Thursdays and Fridays over two teaching blocks (September to January and January to May)
• From May onwards, you'll focus on the development and realisation of your Research Development and Practice project

Teaching

Master's study is deeper and more specialised than an undergraduate degree. This means you'll focus on something that really matters to you and your career as you work closely with academics committed to the subject.

You'll spend more time in independent study and research than you did for your undergraduate degree, but the majority of your teaching time will be in-person and face-to-face.

Teaching on this course includes:

• lectures
• seminars
• workshops
• tutorials

Support materials will be available in Moodle – our virtual learning environment – but all teaching is on-campus and in-person. 

Assessment

You'll be assessed through:

• essays
• industry reports
• reflective accounts
• professional presentations
• projects and portfolios

You'll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.

You can get feedback on practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

Term dates

September start

The Master's academic year runs from September to the following September. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter. Over the summer you'll be writing your project / dissertation.

January start

Courses that start in January have the same amount of teaching as September-start courses, but they normally run over a longer time period.

January-start courses normally run between 14–18 months, beginning in January and ending in the spring / summer of the following year. There are breaks at Christmas, Easter and in the summer. In the last few months you’ll be writing your project / dissertation.

See key dates

Master's study is more focused on independent learning than undergraduate study, but you'll get lots of support via video, phone and face-to-face from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:

University of Portsmouth graduates may receive a 20% alumni tuition fee discount. 

Fees are subject to annual increase. Read our tuition fees terms and conditions.

You'll be able to pay your fees in instalments. Find out how to pay your tuition fees.

Funding your studies

Explore how to fund your studies, including available scholarships and bursaries.

If you're a UK student, you may be eligible for a Government Postgraduate Master's Loan, which you can use to help with course fees and living costs.

If you're a UK student who achieved a first in your undergraduate degree you may be eligible for a £3,000 University of Portsmouth scholarship.

Additional costs

These course-related costs aren't included in the tuition fees, so you'll need to budget for them when you plan your spending. Additional costs could include:

• Accommodation: Accommodation options and costs can be found on our accommodation pages.
• Recommended reading: You can borrow key texts from the library and if you choose to purchase these texts they may cost up to £60 each.
• General costs: Such as photocopying, memory sticks, printing charges, binding and specialist printing. We suggest budgeting £75 per year.
• Final project transport or accommodation: where necessary, which related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.

Read more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.

Eligibility

This course accepts UK, EU, and International students.

Unlike undergraduate applications, which go through UCAS, applications for this Master's course are made directly to us.

There's no deadline for applications to this course. We accept applications right up until the start dates in September and January, as long as there are places available. If you wait until your start month to apply, you may find that the course is full. 

If you're applying as an international student, remember that you'll need to leave plenty of time to get your visa organised.

You can find more advice about applying in our Master's application checklist. International students and current students and recent graduates of the University of Portsmouth also have some different application options, which are detailed below.

Ready to apply?

After you apply

Once we receive your application, we may ask you for further information. We will then either make you an offer or suggest alternatives if your application is unsuccessful.

You'll usually get a decision within 10 working days, so you shouldn't have to wait too long. Some courses have an interview stage – we'll let you know if you need to prepare for one.

Learn more about how we assess your application.

Admissions terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.