Master of Science - Sport Policy, Management and International Development

The increasing social, economic and political role of sport is a key feature of life in the 21st century. This Masters degree critically examines the commercialized and media-orientated world of professional sport and the increasingly important realm of community sport, recreation and physical activity. Students gain an understanding of key concepts invaluable for employment and critical engagement across all sport sectors.

Recognizing that sport managers operate in a highly politicized environment, the program reviews the role of government policy in shaping sporting opportunities and sport's contribution to social policy agendas.

The program critically assesses sport's contribution to government social policy concerns (such as crime prevention, health improvement, education attainment, community building), and its role in conflict resolution, gender empowerment, disease prevention and poverty reduction in different parts of the world. It critically analyses a wide range of sport policy and sport management issues in the UK and compares these with experiences across a wide range of countries.

Students will focus on management issues in contemporary sport organizations, the media's role in sport management debates, and sport marketing and communications concepts.

The program also explores fundamental aspects of research methods and links these to sport management concerns. Their understanding is enhanced through the extensive involvement of local and national sport organizations.