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Sports Law PG Cert

This course gives you the opportunity to gain CPD accreditation

Overview

Leicester De Montfort Law School’s Post Graduate Certificate in Sports Law is delivered in London and is run in partnership with the British Association for Sport and the Law (BASL). The course has been designed for students with an interest in developing a career in sports law.

Reasons to study Sports Law PG Cert at DMU:

  • Flexible schedule
    Study over a period of 12 months part time.

  • Excellent student experience
    Evening lectures at London venues delivered by leading practitioners and academic sports lawyers.

  • No examinations
    This course is assessed exclusively by coursework.

  • CPD accreditation
    This course gives you the opportunity to gain CPD accreditation

 

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What our sports law graduates say about the course

"Following completion of the 2014/15 course I returned to Australia in late 2015 at my old role in private practice in the IP Litigation group, where I had been for some time. An opportunity came up in January 2016 for me to move into the role of in-house legal counsel at Football New South Wales, the state governing body for football in NSW, which I gladly accepted. Then in August 2016, I accepted a position as Legal Counsel at Football Federation Australia, the national governing body of football in Australia.  

I've really enjoyed my time so far working in sport and the many and varied challenges that come with it. There is certainly never a dull moment! I can confidently say that the career move would have been a significant challenge, if not impossible, without the benefit of having completed the DMU/BASL course. And, as a great testament to the value of the course, I've been able to draw on many of the practical lessons from the course lectures in scenarios that have arisen in practice. 

So I'd like to thank you for putting on such a great course that has proved of great value to me and has helped me to move into a truly satisfying career. I will continue to recommend the course to others who might be interested."

Will Aplin
Legal Counsel 
Football Federation Australia

 

  • UK
  • EU/International

Programme code: M20074

Duration: One year part-time

Start date: September 2024

Location of study: Lectures are delivered in London, specific venues TBC.

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for UK students: £3,750

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

Programme code: M20074

Duration: One year part-time

Start date: September 2024

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for EU and international students: £3,750.

*Please note: International students can only join the course subject to having the right to remain in the UK. The university does not sponsor student visa applications for this course.

Entry criteria

Entry criteria

You should have a good honours degree with a minimum pass of 2:2, or overseas equivalent, or an appropriate professional qualification or relevant experience in a law-based subject or practical experience gained in the sports industry.


English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.5 overall 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

 

Course modules

Teaching and assessment

Accreditation

 

Course modules

To obtain the certificate a student will study:

Foundations of Sports Law and the Sports Regulatory Regime – This module is studied from September to January.

Topics covered:

  • Sports Governing Bodies
  • The Sports Disciplinary Process
  • Foundations of Sport and Ethics: Doping Control
  • Foundations of Commercial Aspects of Sport: Sports Rights
  • Competition Act and EU Treaty
  • Anti-Discrimination Laws
  • Human Rights Act
  • Data Protection Regulation

Practice Perspectives on Sports Law – this Module runs from September to April. It is supported by a series of lectures held in London venues (London Lectures) and delivered by leading sports law practitioners. A minimum attendance requirement applies to these events and the module is assessed by coursework.

The London lectures comprise of four principal subject areas:

  • Section A – Sports Governance
  • Section B – Commercialisation of Sport
  • Section C – Integrity in Sport
  • Section D – Issues for Individual Athletes

One module from the following:

The module chosen will run from January to June.

If you are enrolled onto the course, you are a De Montfort University student. This means that you will be invited to our Saturday study days (three per year). You will have access for academic purposes to our online databases. You will have ongoing access to the course team who will happily liaise and guide by telephone or electronically. And of course you will have course materials provided by Leicester De Montfort Law School.

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.

Teaching and assessment

This is a part time course so you should be prepared to devote approximately 150 hours to each module of study. You will typically have up to 2 hours contact hours of teaching most weeks during the period October to March. In addition there are scheduled optional online tutorials that can also be attended during that period. Teaching is through a mixture of lectures and self-directed study.

Academic expertise

The team for the London lectures comprises members of the BASL Board, senior lawyers from sports governing bodies, and other experienced sports law specialists from leading London and national solicitors firms and leading Barristers Chambers. Contributors include representatives from Charles Russell Speechleys, Dentons, Sky Sports, Bird & Bird, the Football Association, the British Horseracing Authority and Blackstone Chambers amongst many others.

Accreditation

You will be able to achieve a high quality Post Graduate qualification, the opportunity to meet other Sports law Practitioners at the lectures and other Sports Law students from around the world at Leicester De Montfort study days. It can also be part of your CPD portfolio. A student who successfully attains the Certificate will be given automatic entry to our LLM Course – a Masters Degree in Sports Law can be obtained after a minimum of one further year of study.

Facilities and features

Graduate careers

This course equips you to enter legal and other work relating to sport issues.

 

Library services

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 Blackboard, 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.

Learning zones

Our Learning Zones and The Greenhouse also provide space for group or individual work and study.

There are 1,600 study places across all library locations, more than 700 computer stations, laptops to borrow, free wi-fi and desktop power outlets.

You can also book rooms with plasma screens, laptops and DVD facilities for group work and presentations, secure an individual study room with adjustable lighting or make use of our assistive technology.

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

DMU's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities DMU Careers Team

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