Sport Management PG Dip/PG Cert

This professional programme will help you enhance your career through industry-focused modules that are taught in a flexible manner.

Entry Criteria
Structure and assessment
Facilities and features
Opportunities and careers
Take your next steps
Contact us

Overview

The Sport Management Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma explore the multi-faceted area of sport management through industry-focused modules. Designed for ambitious professionals in the sports sector or those looking to work in this fast-growing area, this professional programme enables you to gain the skills you need to progress to a new role or advancing within your existing organisation.

You will develop the skills to excel in a broad range of roles that make sport organisations run and events happen, including within governing bodies, federations, clubs, sponsors, marketing, the media, government, or heritage organisations.

The Certificate and Diploma are ideal for individuals already working in the sport industry who wish to gain additional skills to advance their career through professional development or for people who already work in event management, marketing, and media but want to shift to the sports sector.

You will explore a range of different sports and develop a critical perspective on contemporary themes such as ethical considerations, heritage and sport’s political, social, economic and cultural contexts. Areas of management that you will examine include marketing, leadership, governance and event organisation.

The programme embeds professional skill development, including digital skills valued within the industry, through class activities and assessments.

Sport industry professionals provide guest talks and mentorship opportunities to give invaluable insight that you can use in your career. We have excellent industry connections, including Leicester Tigers, Leicester City Football Club, Leicester Riders’ Basketball Club, Leicestershire County Cricket Club, Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, World Athletics, and the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association.

Key features

Study a range of sports to expand your knowledge across the industry and develop the expertise for working at the local, national and international level.
Develop a critical perspective on key issues impacting global sport by exploring ethics, governance and sport’s contemporary cultural contexts.
Develop digital skills used in the sport industry through class exercises and assessments
Benefit from mentorship by sport industry professionals and insight from guest speakers who have included 2022 Olympic silver medalist Jackie Narracott, Matthew Hochberg, the founder of Hochberg Sports Marketing in the USA, Lisa Allan, Competition Manager for the International Judo Federation, and a member of Under Armour’s global events team.
Learn in small groups and be part of a strong community in which students from across the globe bring their different perspectives, enhancing your international outlook.

The Postgraduate Certificate allows for maximum flexibility, you will select any two of the four modules. You can start either in September or January and complete your studies full-time in two consecutive terms (autumn term and spring term in either order) or part-time, during the same term over two academic years (two autumn modules or two spring modules).
The Postgraduate Diploma can be completed full-time in two consecutive terms (autumn term and spring term in either order) or part-time over two academic years.

Have the ability to top up from PG Certificate to PG Diploma, and from PG Diploma to the Sport Management MSc.

Talk to our course team

If you would like to find out more about how this course can help you achieve your career ambitions, send a message to our course team [Dr Heather L. Dichter (she/her)] who would be happy to chat to you. Alternatively, you can register for our next postgraduate event or call our course enquirers team on +44 (0)116 2 50 60 70 / WhatsApp: 0797 0655 800.

Meet professional short track speed skater and DMU student Farrell Treacy who is training for a coveted spot on Team GB for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Scholarships:

We are committed to helping our graduates enhance their careers and personal development through further study, and there are a number of postgraduate scholarships on offer to help you achieve this.

More courses like this

Sport Management MSc
Cricket Management PG Cert

DMU has been shortlisted for the Postgraduate Award in the 2024 Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs), as voted for by students.

UK
EU/International

Programme codes:

September: N88071

January: N88081

Start date: September, January

Duration:

PG Cert full-time: two consecutive terms (autumn and spring term, in either order)

PG Cert part-time: two of the same term over two academic years (two autumn or two spring modules, one each year).

PG Dip full-time: two consecutive terms (autumn and spring term, in either order)

PG Dip part-time: two academic years

Fees and funding:

2024/25 fees for UK students: £1,580 per 30 credit module

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

Find out more about additional costs and optional extras associated with this course.

How to apply

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

This course is not available for international students.

How to apply

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

Entry criteria

You should have the equivalent or above of a 2.2 UK Bachelor’s Honours degree in a relevant subject such as business management, marketing, media, event management, sport (any discipline: management, coaching, science) or humanities.

If you have other professional qualifications and industry experience we will consider your application on an individual basis.

As part of the application, you will be required to write a personal statement which addresses:

your motivations for studying Sport Management Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma
your experience in sport
your motivation for studying Sport Management Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma at De Montfort University and how this course will help you achieve your career goals

Interview

Non-standard applicants will be invited to attend an interview.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

Structure and assessment

Postgraduate Certificate students will take any two of the following modules.

Postgraduate Diploma students will take all four modules.

International Sport: Events, Governance, and Ethics (runs October-November)

Examines the contemporary landscape in global sport, focusing on mega-events, governance, and ethics. It explores the history, structures, governance, management and organisation of events, and commercial aspects, as well as thematic case studies of problematic areas in sport, such as doping, violence, discrimination, child protection, the environment, and transgender and human rights.

Marketing Principles in Sport and Cultural Event Contexts (runs November – January)

Examines marketing opportunities for sport and cultural events within global settings. It explores traditional marketing concepts including the marketing environment, segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP), the marketing mix, marketing communications, sponsorship and branding, and consumer and audience behaviour within international and global contexts.

Sport Heritage (runs February – May)

Examines the growing phenomenon of sport heritage, whereby sport organisations and clubs showcase their history and heritage through such avenues as halls of fame, museums, stadium tours, and heritage-based merchandise. The module will include, when travel is permitted, visits to key sport sites and museums so that students can experience hands-on the ways in which heritage is presented and promoted.

Events Leadership (runs April – June)

Addresses the needs of individuals leading cultural, commercial, and sport events and events management organisations. It explores the advantages and weaknesses of public versus private ownership, and the skills needed to motivate, manage and organise staff and other stakeholders to create excellent events.

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

Contact hours

You will normally attend around 12 hours of timetabled taught sessions including lectures, tutorials, workshop and studio sessions each week. You are also expected to undertake around 23 hours of independent study each week. Your precise timetable will depend on the modules timetabled each week.

In addition, each module provides a 2-hour surgery each week for individual consultation with the lecturer. You may also have some scheduled meetings with your programme leader and personal tutor throughout the year to discuss your academic progress and personal development.

Self-directed study: In order to prepare for, and assimilate, the work in lectures and seminars you will be expected to source and read relevant journal articles, book chapters and industry publications, available through our online learning resources, and to actively participate in class discussions. The time allocated for independent study, revision and reflection is approximately 23 hours per week.

Facilities and features

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available.

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose.

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including the Virtual Learning Environment, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub.

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Campus centre

The home of  De Montfort Students' Union, (DSU) our Campus Centre offers a welcoming and lively hub for student life. Conveniently located at the heart of campus, it includes a convenience store, a Subway and a Starbucks. Here you can find the DSU-owned charitable accommodation service Sulets and DSU’s shop, SUpplies, selling art supplies, stationery and clothing, and printing and binding services. The building is also home to the DSU officer team.

Opportunities and careers

DMU Global

This is our innovative international experience programme which aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons – helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world.

Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

Previous MSc students have been to Germany to see the Munich Olympic Park, Garmisch-Partenkirchen ski jump, and Allianz Arena and to Toronto to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame, the National Hockey League and watch a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game. Graduate Shray Upadhyay said: "I came to understand that sports business is more than just organising an event or competition. The highlight of the European trip was the bobsled ride at Innsbruck. We not only visited an Olympic venue but were able to experience how an Olympic event feels.”

Graduate careers

The sport industry is dynamic and fast-moving, with a variety of exciting career opportunities. Through guest speakers, site visits and industry experience, you will discover the broad range of roles that are available and position yourself to pursue your chosen path. The course has employability skills specific to the sport industry embedded in the curriculum, alongside opportunities to gain hands-on experience with sport organisations and businesses.

Graduates will be ideally placed to work within governing bodies, federations, clubs, sponsors, marketing organisations, the media, public relations, local and central government, or legacy and heritage organisations.

Jake Wells secured a role as a partnership delivery executive at Leicester Tigers after impressing the club during his fieldwork there. He said: “Throughout the Master’s we have group activities working with real-life companies and pitching a marketing strategy to a business owner. Experiences like that really helped me prepare for the fieldwork and built my confidence. Read Jake's story here

Take your next steps

Postgraduate research students are nurtured and recognised by scholars and research leaders.

DMU graduates can benefit from a tuition fee discount, available on selected full-time and part-time postgraduate taught courses.