Sport Management BSc (Hons)

Level: Undergraduate

Subject: Sport

Year of entry: 2027 (show 2026 entry)

Key facts

UCAS Code

NS30

Award

BSc (Hons)

Duration of study

4 years

Delivery

Full-time

Study location

Holyrood campus

Start date

September 2027

School

Moray House School of Education and Sport

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Study abroad

Available

Placement

Mandatory

Open days and events

About the degree programme

Sport is a rapidly expanding global business. Our BSc Sport Management degree programme will prepare you for a career in this exciting industry.

Immerse yourself in a dynamic programme that blends theory with real-world experience. With a diverse range of courses on offer throughout your time on the programme, BSc Sport Management equips you with the tools you need to transform your passion for sport into a lifelong profession.

What you will learn

In the course of studying sport management, you will learn about:

  • the principles of management at operational and strategic levels
  • policy and governance across and within the sports industry
  • the value and purpose of sport in society
  • the role of marketing and communication in sport
  • the social, cultural and economic importance of sport
  • the intersections between sport and technology
  • a range of contemporary and global issues in sport, such as the relationship between sport and sustainability
  • the relationship between sport and other industries, including health, education and tourism and heritage
  • a range of research methods and traditions

How long it takes to complete this degree programme

This programme is studied over 4 years.

A key benefit to studying a 4-year degree programme is that you have the flexibility to study a range of subjects, outside your chosen degree programme, in Year 1 and Year 2.

This allows you the opportunity to study other courses that interest you, on top of a strong foundation in the field of sport management.

How long it takes to complete our degree programmes

Programme rankings

  • Top 6 universities in Europe for sports-related subjects in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025

Programme benefits

  • The University benefits from strong connections with a range of major sports organisations. These provide excellent placement opportunities and guest speakers to enhance your learning.
  • Deepen your understanding of sport management in practice during professional placement in Year 2 with a local, national, or international sports organisation.
  • You can choose to study abroad in Year 3.
  • We have state-of-the-art research equipment and excellent facilities, including a specialised building in the city centre with sports labs and other exciting learning spaces.

Our equipment and facilities

Find your entry requirements

Use the dropdowns to find out your entry requirements.

  1. Select the country or region where you are studying or where you studied your qualification.
  2. Select the qualification you are studying or studied.
United Kingdom,

Tuition fees for BSc (Hons) Sport Management

View the tuition fees for one academic year of BSc (Hons) Sport Management.

Tuition fees for this programme

Additional costs

Some courses will require you to pay additional costs, depending on whether specific activities are involved. 

For example, you may choose to do a particular type of research where you will work with children or vulnerable adults. In this case, you will be required to pay the cost of applying to the Scottish Government's Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme.

This currently costs between £18 and £59.

Placement

In Year 2, you will complete a six-week placement. You are expected to cover travel expenses to and from your placement location.

Most placements are in Edinburgh. For placements in Edinburgh, transport cost is £0 (students under the age of 22 are eligible for free bus travel).

You are expected to apply for the Scottish Government's Young Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme prior to your placement starting.

Applying for an under 22s bus pass

You may choose a placement outside Edinburgh. If you do so, you will have to cover any travel costs. These costs will vary depending on placement location. 

The University is under no obligation to pay student travel expenses for placement activities, however some of these costs may be eligible for partial reimbursement if they are local. We will provide further information about reimbursement once you begin the Sport Management programme.

You must provide your own lunch while on placement.

Other course costs

You are expected to travel to and from designated locations within Edinburgh for site visits, as part of the course 'Sport Operations Management'. 

Bus travel within Edinburgh is free for students under age 22. If you choose to travel by another method, you must cover your own costs.

The elective course 'Sport, Tourism, and Heritage' includes an optional site visit in Glasgow (a return train ticket from Waverley Station currently costs around £17). As part of this course, you are also expected to travel to and from designated locations within Edinburgh for site visits.

Costs for an optional year abroad

If you study abroad in Year 3 through the University's study exchange programme, you will need to pay related costs. These include:

  • tuition fees
  • accommodation and living costs
  • country-specific expenses like travel, visas and insurance

You can use our budget calculator to help estimate your costs.

Find out more about costs for studying abroad

You can also use a tool like Numbeo to compare the cost of living abroad to Edinburgh or your home town or city.

Numbeo

If you are away on exchange or placement, you may receive a reduction in your tuition fees for the year. This depends on:

  • the type of placement you are on
  • how long you are away

As an indication, you can see the reductions for students studying away in 2026-27. These are reviewed annually and are subject to change.

Study away fees for 2026-27

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that a single student can potentially spend £1,023 to £2,043 each month on living costs, depending on your accommodation.

This estimate covers the costs of:

  • accommodation
  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel within Edinburgh
  • health and wellbeing costs

See a breakdown of living costs

Scholarships and funding

Funding information

You can find detailed information on financial support available, based on where you are living, in our funding section.

Funding

What you will study

In Year 1, you will study four compulsory courses:

  • The Sport Industry
  • Sport Marketing and Sponsorship
  • Sport History
  • Sport and Society

These four courses provide a strong foundation from which to develop your learning over the next years of your degree. 

These courses will teach you a range of skills including different forms of written communication and group work. 

You will also take courses offered elsewhere in the University. For example, you can complement your learning through courses in:

  • the Business School
  • the School of Social and Political Science
  • the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures
Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 1 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

In Year 2, you will take four compulsory courses:

  • Sport Operations Management
  • Events Management
  • Research Methods
  • Professional Placement

In Semester 1, you will again have access to other courses offered elsewhere in the University.

Learning outcomes

Through these courses, you will develop:

  • presentation skills
  • report-writing skills
  • the use of case study approaches
  • an understanding of how management works in the real world of sport
  • an understanding of how to conduct your own research project.
Professional Placement

The Professional Placement course is a six-week research-based placement with a local, national or international sports organisation. Find more information in the Placements section.

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 2 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

In Year 3, you will take the following compulsory courses:

  • Sports Development
  • Sport and Communication
  • Strategic Sport Management
  • Critical Sociological Critiques of Sport
  • Advanced Research Methods

These further develop your knowledge of the sport industry and key concepts and research in social science and management studies.

Option courses

You will also select one additional course from the following options:

  • Sport, Physical Activity and Public Health
  • Sport, Education and Social Justice
  • Sport, Tourism, and Heritage
  • The Dark Sides of Sport
  • Sport and Technology
Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 3 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

You will take the following compulsory courses:

  • Sport Industry in a Global Context
  • Sport, Media and Ideology
  • Contemporary Issues in Sport Management
Option courses

You will also select one additional option course. For this, you can do one of the following:

  • pick a course from the same range of options you had in Year 3, or
  • take the Sport and Social Enterprise course, which is available in Year 4 only
Dissertation

You will also research and submit a dissertation report on a sport management topic of your choice. A member of staff will supervise this project.

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 4 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

Study abroad

It is possible to study abroad in Year 3 in:

  • USA
  • Canada
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Singapore
  • Malaysia
  • a number of other countries from Europe and from other parts of the world

What are my options for going abroad?

Placements

In Year 2, you will complete a compulsory placement with a local, national or international sports organisation. The placement is research-based and lasts six weeks. 

This invaluable work-based learning will:

  • further your understanding of sport management in practice
  • enhance your employability

Previous student placement organisations include:

  • community sports clubs
  • health and fitness clubs
  • football clubs, including Celtic, Aberdeen, Rangers and Manchester United
  • golf courses, including Gleneagles
  • sports marketing, events, and media companies, including Sky Sports, IMG, the Scotsman
  • sport governing bodies, including:
    • Sportscotland
    • Cricket Scotland
    • Scottish Hockey
    • Judo Scotland
    • Jogscotland
    • Basketball Scotland
    • Rugby Football Union (RFU)
    • Scottish Rugby Union (SRU)
    • Scottish Gymnastics
    • Scottish Volleyball
  • local authority sport and leisure services including Edinburgh Leisure
  • Active Schools Schemes

Learn more about past placement opportunities

During my placement with Cricket Scotland, I was fortunate enough to be granted the opportunity to observe key players in essential operational and managerial roles. This enabled me to translate the theoretical aspects of my degree programme courses into practice. Throughout this placement, I developed and enhanced key skills which included forming professional relationships, developing interpersonal networking skills, working within a large team and gaining confidence in travelling independently to new venues.

Ikra Farooq 2020 graduate

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

You will be taught through:

  • lectures
  • tutorials
  • site visits
  • practical work
  • problem-based and case-study work
  • seminars

Assessment

You will be assessed through a range of coursework methods, including:

  • essays, reports and other written assignments
  • group and individual oral presentations
  • posters presentations
  • placement project reports
  • videos and vlogs

You will complete a dissertation in Year 4.

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.

Support for your studies

Our academic staff

You will join a community of researchers and academics involved in:

  • sports and health-related research
  • advising government departments
  • local, national and international governance of sport
  • providing analyses to media outlets
  • organising international conferences
  • international development initiatives

Where you will study

Study location

Most of your teaching will take place within Moray House School of Education and Sport. The school is part of the Holyrood campus in central Edinburgh.

Academic facilities

The school has its own IT labs and library. You will also have access to all University computer facilities and libraries.

Career paths

Recent graduates have gone on to work in professional fields such as:

  • sport marketing
  • sport tourism
  • events management companies
  • national and international governing bodies
  • local authorities
  • health and fitness clubs
  • sports media companies
  • professional sports clubs
  • sports venues administration.

Some graduates have started their own businesses or continued with their education, taking a range of postgraduate courses.

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals.

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies.

With the Careers Service, you can:

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions

Visit the Careers Service website

Graduate profiles

I'm using my degree quite regularly in my current role as Event Manager for a company called MSL Global Ltd. MSL is a hospitality management company with contracts in Formula One, the World Rally Championship, The Open Golf and other such international sporting events.

In my role, I manage hospitality units for motor sport teams and organising bodies. This year I have spent most of my time following the Formula 1 calendar and attending European motorsport events managing the hospitality units for teams like Williams F1, Mercedes F1, Formula One Management, IMG Media and various car manufacturers. The job is extremely rewarding, especially for someone with an interest in motorsport like myself.

Sam Sport Management alumnus

How to apply

You must submit a full application through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) before the relevant deadline.

Guidance on applying through UCAS

What you need to apply

As part of your application, you will need:

  • your academic qualifications
  • a personal statement
  • evidence of your English language skills (with relevant qualifications)
  • a reference

How we select

If you have met, or are predicted to meet, all our entry requirements by the relevant deadline, then your application will go into our selection process.

As part of this selection process, we will review all the information you submit in your UCAS application when we decide who to select for this degree programme.

How we select applicants

When to apply

  • 2027 entry UCAS deadline: 13 January 2027 (6:00pm GMT)

This is the deadline for all UK, EU and international applicants to non-medicine and veterinary medicine programmes.

To find out if any degree programmes have spaces after 13 January 2027, search the University of Edinburgh on the UCAS website.

Search degrees that are open on the UCAS website

Key application dates and deadlines

After you apply

After you have applied for your degree programme, we suggest you have a look at the following information to help you prepare for university:

Applying as an international student

As an international student, you apply for this degree programme through UCAS.  

Find out more about applying through UCAS  

Visas and immigration 

If you do not have the right to live in the UK, you will need to apply for and secure a Student visa before the start date of your degree programme.  

Our Student Immigration Service can help you with the Student visa application process. 

Applying for a visa  

Agents

An education agent is someone who can help you with the application process as an international student. 

We work with education agents around the world and have a list of local offices you can contact.  

Find contact details for an education agent

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single undergraduate students from outside Edinburgh. To be eligible, you need to meet all criteria and apply for accommodation by 16 August in the year of your entry to the University.

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sports clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life.

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include:

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustment

Health and wellbeing support services

Contact us

Contact us through our enquiry team if you have any questions about this programme.

Open days, events and visits

Find out when our next open days will be taking place

Open days, events and visits

Chat to our students on Unibuddy

Related degree programmes

Other degrees in Sport

You may also be interested in

Discover Uni data

This information is part of a government initiative to enhance the material that higher education institutions provide about their degree programmes.

It is one of many sources of information which will enable you to make an informed decision on what and where to study.

Some programmes do not have Discover Uni data available.

Source data of all entry requirements for this programme