Objectives
The highly international nature of the course makes it suitable for people with an interest in global management who are internationally mobile. The course is committed to supporting and guiding students in their job search, through the identification of potential placement opportunities and the promotion of the FIFA Master in the sports job market. Through guest speakers, study visits and project assignments, the course offers a unique opportunity to meet top executives from high level international sports federations, clubs, agencies and organising committees, enabling students to build up their own network of contacts, the key to a successful career in sport. Graduates of the course are currently working for FIFA, the International Olympic Committee, Nike, UEFA Events, the Lawn Tennis Association, the Jordan Formula One team, a wide variety of sports marketing companies, management consultancies and football governing bodies around the globe.
Course description
Programme
The FIFA Master is based on four distinct modules which are undertaken at three of Europe’s leading institutions.
The first term is taught at De Montfort University and comprises the module Humanities of Sport. It focuses on the history of sport and its ethics and sociology. It examines the origins and development of sport, investigating the lessons that the past can teach today’s sports administrators.
The second term is taught at the SDA Bocconi School of Management, Milan, one of Europe's most prestigious business schools. This term studies the Management of Sport module and includes topics such as financial analysis, management and planning, human resource management, marketing and information technology.
The third term is taught at the Université de Neuchâtel, whose Law Faculty is one of the top law faculties in Switzerland. It looks at the Law of Sport, including topics such as the association and federation, contractual issues, sports business and law, competition policy, TV rights, sport and health and the issues of doping and litigation in sport.
The fourth and final part of the course takes place in Neuchâtel, and involves the students working in small groups on a chosen topic, considering it from all three angles, and preparing and completing a project work.
Further information
The Humanities module of the course which is based in Leicester is taught by some of the leading figures in the study of sports history.
Professor Jeff Hill is author of Sport and Identity in the North of England, Sport, Leisure and Culture in Twentieth Century Britain, and Sport in the Literary Imagination.
Professor Richard Holt is author of Sport and the British, Sport and Society in Modern France and Sport in Britain Since 1945.
Professor Pierre Lanfranchi is author of Moving With The Ball: The Migration of Professional Footballers and 100 Years of Football: The FIFA Centennial Book.
Professor Charles Korr is author of West Ham United and The End of Baseball as We Know It.
Professor Tony Mason is author of Association Football and English Society 1863-1915 and Passion of the People.
Dr Neil Carter is the author of The Football Manager: A History.
Dr Dil Porter is author of Amateurs and Professionals in Post-War British Sport and Sport and National Identity in the Post-War World.
Dr Jean Williams is author of A Game for Rough Girls? A History of Women’s Football in England.
Teaching is a combination of lectures, seminars, guest lectures and visits to sporting organisations. On average there are around five hours teaching each day of the course, although ample time is given for preparing of presentations, assessments and exams.
Assessment is carried out in a variety of ways, including written exams, oral exams, project work and group presentations. The final assessment is a group project. Depending on the institution, the exams either take place on fixed dates throughout the module, or they are all taken at the end of the module. Students must pass all modules of the course to graduate.
