Management, Law and Humanities of Sport MA

The FIFA Master International MA in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport has grown to become one of the most respected programmes in the world that is focused on developing all-round managers for international sports business. It has been ranked the number one postgraduate sports management course in Europe a record twelve times by SportBusiness.

The course is composed of four distinct modules which are taught across three of Europe’s leading institutions in this specialism, and with overall co-ordination provided by the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) in Switzerland.

The first module is taught by the International Centre for Sports History and Culture here at DMU, which is the only centre of its kind in the world. The second module is taught at the SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan, one of Europe’s most prestigious business schools. The third module is taught at the Université de Neuchâtel, one of the top law schools in Switzerland.

The fourth and final part of the course also takes place at the University of Neuchâtel, and involves working in small groups on a chosen topic, considering it from all angles, and then preparing and completing a joint project.

Course lecturers are some of the leading authorities in the study of sport and guest lecturers include speakers from top organisations in the world sport. This course has an excellent record of students finding jobs in sports management across leading global sporting organisations such as FIFA, IOC, UEFA, AFC, CAF and F1. The dynamic and thriving alumni association provides a valuable network both during and after the course.

Entry criteria

Expertise

The module of the course based in Leicester is taught by some of the leading figures in the study of sports history.

The Leicester Co-Scientific Directors are: 

Professor Martin Polley – author of Moving the Goalposts: A History of Sport and Society in Britain Since 1945 and The British Olympics: Britain’s Olympic Heritage 1612-2012

Dr Heather Dichter – author of ‘Bidding for the 1968 Olympic Games: International Sport’s Cold War Battle with NATO’, ‘Soccer Diplomacy: International Relations and Football Since 1914’ and editor of ‘Berlin Sports: Spectacle, Recreation and Media in Germany’s Metropolis’

Networking

Through guest speakers, study visits and project assignments, the course offers ample opportunities to meet top executives from high-level international sports federations, clubs, agencies and organising committees, enabling you to build up your own network of contacts, which is key to a successful career in sport.

Graduate Alex Proctor-Pearson said: “The course is unique. The exposure and insight into international sports organisations through the numerous guest speakers is the course’s strongest asset in my view".

Graduate careers

The international focus of the course makes it suitable for people who are internationally mobile with an interest in global management. The course is committed to supporting and guiding you in your career search, through the identification of potential placement opportunities and the promotion of the CIES International MA in the sports job market. 

Previous alumni who studied at DMU have been inspirational figures in their chosen line of sport and include former Manchester United FC midfielder ace Park Ji-sung and Emma Twigg, New Zealand double Olympian and World Championship sculler. In addition there has been Sanaa Darawsha, who was the first female Arab Muslim referee to officiate in the Israeli football league, and Eduardo Tavares, who was previously responsible for Chelsea FC’s loan players – such as Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount – and who went on to help the West London club qualify for the 2020 UEFA Champions League.

Graduates from this course also enter careers in non-profit organisations, charities and sports development work to help minorities and people in areas normally deprived of sport.