“Solent made me fall in love with the business side of sport”
BSc (Hons)Sport Management
Apply on UCAS
Starting in: 2025
Register your interest- 3 years
- 4 years with foundation year
- 4 years with year in industry
- 5 years with foundation and industry years
UCAS code: SMM2
Institution code: S30
UCAS points: 104-120Flexible entry options available
Campus: Southampton City CentreView on Google Maps
Why study sport management with a placement year
Develop your passion for sport, and progress to a successful career leading and managing sporting events and organisations on this CIMPSA-endorsed course.
- Top0%for teaching quality, out of 131 institutions (Times Good University Guide, 2025)
- 0thUK uni for sustained employment (Longitudinal Educational Outcomes 2022)
- £0minvested in our campus estate and facilities
- Gain valuable first-hand work experience with a year-long full-time work placement between the second and third years of your degree.
- Solent is a Higher Education Partner with The Chartered Institute for Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMPSA).
- We offer two additional sport management pathways offering you the option to specialise in outdoor adventure studies, or football business.
- Our fantastic professional sport and exercise science facilities include fully equipped physiology, psychology, and biomechanics labs, and health and exercise gyms.
- With employability at the core of our course, you’ll be able to develop practical and professional skills thanks to the course-team’s well-established industry links.
- Our specialist research areas include Human Function and Health, and Social Research and Policy – you will learn from leading experts in their field.
Course overview
This degree focuses on business, social enterprise and management within the sports industry and is endorsed by CIMSPA (Chartered Institute for Management of Sport and Physical Activity). The course aligns with the Professional Standards to achieve CIMSPA’s Aspiring Manager (Leisure Operations) accreditation, enabling the development of work ready graduates.
You'll have the option for a placement year between the second and third years of study, where you have the opportunity to work in industry, gaining valuable employment and experience.
You’ll study a combination of management topics including marketing, business start-up, human resources as well as event organisation, sport governance, social and cultural issues, health and safety and contemporary and global trends to develop a thorough and critical understanding of sport industry issues and theory.
There is also the option to specialise in one of three pathways in year two and three.
Sport Management pathway
This well-established pathway develops your critical knowledge, understanding and application of sport sociology, sports development and sports policy and practice across a range of sport industry settings at operational, management and strategic level.
Outdoor Adventure pathway
This pathway explores the breadth of alternative sport and leisure pursuits and includes topics such as nature therapy, coaching, outdoor education, adventure recreation (with tourism), retail and extreme sports.
Football and Business pathway
This pathway applies sport management to the specific football and business environment. Topics will include football development, coaching, sociology of football, globalisation of football and professional practice.
*Please note not all options associated with a pathway are guaranteed to run each year.
With employability at its core, you’ll be able to develop practical and professional skills through a variety of opportunities encouraged alongside your studies . The course team’s established industry links have provided previous students with the opportunity for valuable industry work experience. Past students have also benefitted from industry field trip and talks delivered by guest lecturers, giving insight around current issues in the industry to help build their knowledge and network of contacts.
We also offer a unique opportunity for paid roles at our very own Sports Complex. Opened in May 2019 as part of a £100 million campus redevelopment, the Solent Sports Complex brings state-of-the-art health, fitness and wellbeing equipment and services to Solent University students and staff, as well as the local community.
Any questions?
Contact international admissions
Email: Call:Endorsed by:
Course features
Additional qualification
This course offers additional qualifications for you to obtain with your degree
Foundation year available
If you're not quite ready for a full undergraduate degree, there's alternative entry through one of our foundation years
Professional membership
You have the opportunity to obtain a professional membership as part of this degree
Placement year
If you apply for this course with a placement year, you have the opportunity to undertake a year in industry between your second and third years
Specialist facilities
This course has access to specialist facilities
Further studies
After successfully completing your studies, there's an opportunity to continue your studies at Solent
Study abroad
You have the opportunity to study abroad in one of our partner universities for a semester on this course
Who is this course for?
This programme is the ideal way for applicants to combine their love of sport with a management degree which offers a wealth of senior career opportunities across the industry
Applicants come from a wide range of academic backgrounds and sporting passions and the creativity and diversity of the degree allows the full scope of the industry to be explored. This is through broad, flexible and transferable, management skills which fulfil a variety of life-long career aspirations and which can be adaptable to respond to the changing socio-economic and global climate and ensuring graduate career longevity in the sports management sector.
What does this course lead to?
This course can lead to a wealth of management careers across the sports industry - potential career paths include leisure, entertainment and sport centre management, stadium management, event organisation, sponsorship and marketing, sport and adventure tourism, youth and community development, sports administration, teaching and lecturing and specialisms in the outdoor/adventure industry and football club/agency management.
The skills you’ll build up on the course could also create entrepreneurial opportunities, such as setting up your own sports business enterprise.
Graduate stories
Hear from Solent alumni about where their careers have taken them and how studying at Solent prepared them for their future.
Meet the team
The course is delivered by staff who have extensive teaching, professional and industry experience. Staff are committed to delivering an excellent student experience which blends theory and practice through real-world learning opportunities. The course team have excellent links with both local and national sports organisations and clubs, as well as experience of working in the industry. Their experience can provide valuable networking and part-time work opportunities.
The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.
Facilities
Our Sports Complex supports our sport and health and fitness degree programmes. The complex comprises two sports halls, fitness studios, strength and conditioning and high performance gyms, health and fitness and personal training teaching areas, and sport and exercise therapy clinical space.
Our vibrant campus brings state-of-the-art facilities to enhance your learning and elevate your student experience. Our award-winning teaching building, The Spark is centred around students and offers a stimulating study environment with flexible learning spaces.
International opportunities
Broaden your horizons by adding an international dimension to your CV – essential to achieving success in today’s fast-changing, global environment.
Studying, working or volunteering in another country could be the experience of a lifetime. Enhance your degree by developing important global skills such as knowledge of other countries, language skills, intercultural awareness, adaptability and confidence.
For more information, please email international.mobility@solent.ac.uk.
What you'll study
Core modules
Health and Safety Operations
This module will consider the legal and managerial framework for the safe operation of all aspects of sport and leisure provision, including the effective management and operation of facilities, resources and equipment and delivering sport and leisure experiences from traditional sports and community venues through to outdoor and adventurous centres and stadium and arena operations. Students will develop an understanding of the statutory duties placed upon them by health and safety law and be able to apply this understanding to the planning of a safe environment.
Industry Awareness and Employability
The contemporary sport industry encompasses businesses and organisations (across the public, private and voluntary sector) which range from sport, health and fitness, adventure/outdoor to sports event and tourism orientated companies. Across the sectors, organisations are facing a time of increasing challenge and competition within a dynamic environment both domestically and globally. How organisations respond will require suitably informed graduates with an understanding of the scale and scope of this ever-changing industry, influenced by a range of external factors and requiring understanding of related socio-cultural, political and economic principles which drive innovation and improvement towards organisational objectives.
Management and Organisational Behaviour
On recognising the functional overview of management, this module will focus on the roles and responsibilities of managers in planning, leading, motivating, communicating and teambuilding through the people in your workforce and how your role as a manager can influence this. You will learn about the fundamentals of one’s behaviour. First your own behaviour through psychology and aptitude tests and experiments in the classroom. This will enable you to appreciate the differences in human behaviour alongside all the areas of central importance such as perception, personality, communication and motivation to be effective in management.
Marketing Principles
This module is designed to provide you with a strong theoretical foundation of marketing as a business philosophy among other key business philosophies and explore its uses within organisations of all types to achieve optimisation of organisational output. The module will reveal the distinctness of the leisure, sport and outdoor industry in the context of organisational and marketing practices.
Research and Study Skills
Each week you will explore a different topic area that will help prepare you for your ‘research journey’. You will ask yourself: what is research; why is it important; and how do I successfully undertake it? Learning will encompass how to locate and use information, how to evaluate the quality of the information found, and how to analyse research design. You will explore research examples and be challenged to identify a potential research area that is of interest to you.
Social and Cultural Issues
In this module, you will study the evolution and development of sport, the historical processes which have affected the inclusive and/or exclusive nature of sport, social concepts such as social class, race and ethnicity, sex and gender, and disability, and how social issues affect the accessibility for specific social groups to participate in sport.
How you will learn and be assessed
You will learn by:
You may be assessed by a combination of:
- Assignments
- Practical activities
- In-class tests
- Case studies
- Portfolios
- Group work
- Group presentations
- Written exams
- Practical exams
Solent’s curriculum framework builds on our unique, creative and applied approach to teaching. The transformation of students’ lives is at the heart of our mission as a university, and our curriculum – informed by the latest theory – reflects this shared educational vision.
Find out more
Study support
The student achievement team are on hand to help you succeed during your studies at Solent. They aim to contact you at key times during your time here with personalised information, advice and guidance, by email or phone.
The disability advice team provides information, advice and guidance for disabled students.
All students can access Succeed@Solent, Solent's online guide to getting better grades. It offers extensive, practical information and advice on topics such as academic writing, research and presentations.
Why choose the industry?
Graduate stories
Hear from Solent alumni about where their careers have taken them and how studying at Solent prepared them for their future.
“Solent made me fall in love with the business side of sport”
Solent Futures
The Solent Careers team is committed to getting students into great careers.
While you are studying, the team can help you with finding work experience or placements, link you with a mentor, check your CV, or offer one-to-one guidance.
If you're in your final year, we also have graduate job opportunities just for Solent graduates.
6th
UK uni for sustained employment
Longitudinal Educational Outcomes, 2022
Endorsements
Endorsed by:
Further study
Thinking about studying further than an undergraduate degree? Alumni can get 20% off their postgraduate study.
MA Sport Management
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Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year are:
- UK, EU (settled status) and Channel Island full-time fees: £9,250 per year
- International full-time fees: £17,750 per year
- UK, EU (settled status) and Channel Island placement year fee: £1,650
- International placement year fee: £1,650
For further information, please visit our tuition fees page.
Extra course costs
While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. These additional costs are listed below. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact student.funding@solent.ac.uk.
The 2025/26 other costs are not yet available. For guidance, the 2024/25 other costs were:
Compulsory costs
- Students are required to undertake DBS criminal records checks as part of their enrolment. This is compulsory and is payable by the student at a cost of £60. The DBS check is organised by the University.
Optional costs
- Optional discounted professional body endorsement (NGB): Prices vary, please click here to view our courses.
- Students undertaking optional residential visits or field trips will be required to contribute to travel, accommodation and food costs during the visit.
Bursaries, scholarships and financial support
Solent University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships that provide financial assistance or waive fees for tuition or accommodation. Each bursary or scholarship has specific eligibility criteria. Check out our bursaries and scholarships pages to find out more.
Solent EU Welcome Scholarship (Fee Discount)
This scholarship is available to students from an EU country, with EU nationality, who are applying for an undergraduate course starting in September 2025. The scholarship will reduce your tuition fees to £10,500.
Find out more about the scholarship
Cost of living support
At Solent, we understand that the cost of living crisis may be of some concern. To help, we've put together some detailed information to show what support is available and how to make your money go further.
Graduation costs
There is no charge to attend graduation, but you will be required to pay for the rental of your academic gown (approximately £45 per graduate, depending on your award). You may also wish to purchase official photography packages, which range in price from £15 to £200+. Graduation is not compulsory, so if you prefer to have your award sent to you, there is no cost. Extra guest tickets will go on sale after results publication and will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. The cost per ticket is currently £15. Please note, we do not guarantee there will be any extra tickets available to purchase.
Student finance videos
Student finance in under three minutes Student funding - the essentials
Entry requirements
Please select an option below:
Key entry requirements
104-120 UCAS tariff points
- A minimum of two completed A-levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma at DMM or BTEC Diploma at D*D, a T-Level Merit, or equivalent qualification, or a combination of qualifications which comply with the minimum entry requirement of 104 UCAS points.
- All students will be required to undertake a criminal convictions check through the Disclosure and Barring Service.
- For further information about UK qualifications, please contact admissions.
Key entry requirements
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about EU qualifications, please see our course entry requirements document.
For international students who do not meet the direct entry requirements for this undergraduate degree, our trusted partner, QA Higher Education offers the following pathway programme designed to develop your academic and English language skills:
- International Foundation Year - for progression to the first year of an undergraduate degree
Key entry requirements
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about international qualifications, please see our course entry requirements document.
For international students who do not meet the direct entry requirements for this undergraduate degree, our trusted partner, QA Higher Education offers the following pathway programme designed to develop your academic and English language skills:
- International Foundation Year - for progression to the first year of an undergraduate degree
Note to all international students requiring a visa
All international applicants need to be aware that the English language requirements to attend Solent University, and the English language requirements to obtain a visa from the Home Office, may be different. This means that if you meet the Solent University language requirement to gain a place on the course, you may still have to meet additional requirements to be granted with a visa by the Home Office.
We strongly advise all applicants to visit the Home Office website which outlines all the requirements for a successful visa application.
104-120UCAS points
Any questions?
Contact international admissions
Email: Call:How to apply
Full-time
Any student applying for the first year of a full-time/sandwich undergraduate course must apply through UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service). This includes mature, overseas and EU students.
Nearly all schools and colleges offer their students the facility of applying electronically through the UCAS website using 'Apply'; it may also be used by those applying independently in the UK and overseas. This facility and all course information can be found on the UCAS website: www.ucas.com.
Your application should reach UCAS by 31 January if you hope to enter a course the following autumn. Early application is advised for the most popular subject areas. Late applications may be made until the end of June. The UCAS Code for the University is S30, code name SOLNT.
Find out what happens after you apply
Contextual offers
Solent endeavours to offer learning opportunities to students from all backgrounds. When we receive and review an application, we take into consideration the context and personal circumstances of applicants when making a decision, which means our advertised entry tariff could be reduced.
Language requirements
Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are:
- IELTS minimum 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual component
- TOEFL IBT minimum 80 with a minimum of 20 in each individual component
- Duolingo English Language Test - 115 overall with minimum of 95 in each component or equivalent.
Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.
Pre-Sessional English programme
The University also offers a pre-sessional English programme for international students who wish to improve their level of English before starting a degree course.
Make your application
- 3 years
- 4 years with foundation year
- 4 years with year in industry
- 5 years with foundation and industry years
