Sport Management

We offer a CMI accredited programme with guaranteed pro-football placement hours and endless volunteering opportunities across professional sport. 

The programme prepares you for an exciting career in all areas of Sport Management including digital marketing, event management, fan engagement and content creation.  You will stand out from the crowd! 

On this course you will:

• Study a programme that’s accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and has recognised degree status awarded by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). We are the only Sport Management degree in the country to have dual industry CMI accreditation and CIM endorsement
• Gain guaranteed work placement hours on matchdays and non-matchdays at our professional football club partner Derby County FC
• Be awarded a L5 Diploma in Management and Leadership from the CMI (subject to passing required components). No additional costs or assessments. We are the only Sport Management undergraduate degree in the country offering this
• Achieve either Foundation Chartered Manager (fCMgr) or the prestigious Chartered Manager (CMgr) status upon graduation
• Gain an exemption from the CIM Level 3 Foundation Certificate in Professional and Digital Marketing as we have recognised degree status
• Experience real-world learning with various sport organisations including Derby Rugby Club, Pastures Golf Course and Moorways Sport Village and Water Park
• Stay active during the summer through volunteering opportunities at our partner Derbyshire County Cricket Club
• Be supported by a DCFC or CMI mentor during your degree
• Apply for the Chancellor’s Entrepreneurs Club and be guided by Dragons Den Star, Visiting Professor, Theo Paphitis.

Programme Accreditation

The programme is Dual Accredited by the CMI, giving you a competitive edge in your career, at no extra cost or assessment. You will receive:

• A dual qualification: Earn a CMI L5 Diploma in Management and Leadership alongside your degree, boosting your CV and giving you a competitive edge in the job market
• Chartered Status: Achieve either Foundation Chartered Manager (fCMgr) or the prestigious Chartered Manager (CMgr) status upon graduation. This is the highest accolade in management, signalling your expertise and commitment to professional excellence*
• CMI membership: Receive complimentary CMI membership for the duration of the degree, providing you with essential career tools, study resources, exclusive events, and a powerful professional network to fuel your growth.

With CMI Dual Accreditation, you are not just earning a degree; you are building the foundation for a successful career. 

*Routes to Chartered Manager (CMgr) vary depending on your level of experience. 

Guaranteed Derby County Work Placement

You are guaranteed work placement hours at our professional football club partner Derby County during your degree. You will take learning from the classroom and put it straight into practice in the workplace.

In the first year you will experience working in all departments of the football club including marketing, commercial, ticketing and community. You will also receive an induction in the executive boardroom including talks from senior managers, a behind the scenes tour, tickets to a DCFC fixture and have opportunities to win rewards.

In the second year you will progress to matchday placements working in marketing, events, ticketing, crowd/safety management, hospitality/partnerships and the community trust. You will also receive a tour of the outstanding Category One Academy and First Team Training Centre at Moor Farm and learn how it’s managed. 

In the third year you will receive guest lectures from senior managers at Derby County, take part in an onsite assessment centre and experience your very own executive box for a DCFC game. You will also have access to selected DCFC hospitality suites as you plan and deliver your own sporting event. 

We guarantee to visit you whilst on work placement to ensure you are supported and cared for during matchday and non-matchdays.

Unrivalled Sporting Experiences

Your learning will continue outside of the classroom as we immerse you in the real-world across a diverse range of sport organisations. During the programme you will have opportunities to:

• Plan an event at Derby County and pitch your proposals to senior managers in the executive boardroom
• Be involved in the planning and delivery of the Derby 10km with Derby County Community Trust
• Design and receive pilot funding from Sporting Communities for a sport related project. You will have the opportunity to implement your project and review the impact.   
• Present proposals to Derby Rugby Club, Pastures Golf Course and Moorways Sport Village and Water Park on how they can meet business challenges and take advantage of commercial opportunities
• Get hands on digital marketing experience with SMEs (small medium enterprises) including Mickleover FC, Ignite Health and Fitness, and Beeston Cycling Club
• Stay active during the summer through volunteering opportunities at Derbyshire County Cricket Club and the British Masters Golf tournament. No need for an extended summer break as you can continue to develop your skills and make connections through fan engagement, ticketing and sales opportunities. We will visit you during the summer to ensure you are supported. 
• Build your CV further by volunteering across a range of sporting events including world athletics, England Lionesses fixtures, pro cycling, international tennis and the F1 Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Recognised Degree Status

This programme has CIM recognised degree meaning that the marketing content of the course has been mapped against the CIMs unique professional marking competencies. Graduates will demonstrate the high standards required of those working as marketing professionals in sport. You will gain a module exemption from the CIM Certificate in Professional and Digital Marketing to advance your career.  Many of our students have achieved this qualification already whilst on the degree. 

Professional Mentoring

The CMI accreditation will open an extensive network of professional contacts within sport and business management for you. You will have the opportunity to be supported by a CMI or DCFC mentor during your degree.

Your mentor will be a Chartered Manager or Fellow of the CMI with a wealth of insight and management experience. They will advise and support you, showing how sport and business management principles can be applied in the workplace.  

Expert Teaching

You will be taught by a highly qualified and experienced programme leadership team with an impressive track record of teaching, research and broad industry-based experience.

Programme Leader, Lee Pridmore, is a CMI Chartered Manager, which is a standout achievement and shows his dedication to making a positive impact to the future of his students. Lee is perfectly placed to guide you towards prestigious Chartered Manager (CMgr) status.

Dr James Bostock has 25 years of teaching experience and completed a PhD on how sport organisations navigate financial challenges, and his knowledge feeds straight into the classroom.

Omari Williams has extensive practitioner experience of football agency, and his entrepreneurial skills have helped many students establish successful businesses in the sport industry. He has also set up several businesses of his own.    

The programme leadership team have worked together for over ten years giving continuity to the relationships that you build with them. The team have complementary skills and extensive contacts in sport management that will help you open doors, expand your network and further your professional career. 

The programme is delivered in a highly professional way and has achieved a maximum 100% score for Organisation and Management for two consecutive years on the National Student Survey (2025 and 2026).

"The three years that I spent studying this course were amazing. After graduating, I started my first full-time job as a Racing Sales Executive with Uttoxeter Racecourse, as I had already completed a placement there during my studies. I now work for Porsche Club GB as a Digital Executive and I’m responsible for all social content for their events. I always knew I wanted to work in motorsports but without this course, I would never have been able to achieve it." Becky Tarling, Sport Management Graduate

Sports Scholarships

The University of Derby is a sporting hub for talented athletes and coaches. We have a track record of improving the performance of our University sports clubs and we have created an infrastructure to provide support for talented athletes. We offer a programme that aims to help talented student-athletes realise their sporting potential while supporting them through their academic studies. We offer scholarships of up to £6,000 and provide tailored athlete-support packages delivered by an experienced multi-disciplinary Performance Sport team. Two of the Universities most recent successful sports scholars are Charlie Tanfield (World Champion and Commonwealth Cycling gold medallist) and Jack Burnell (European Open Water silver medallist 2016 and Olympian 2016).

Join Team Derby

If you live and breathe sport, you will want to be part of Team Derby – the heart of the University’s sporting community. You can compete in BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) competitions and even be coached by the likes of Bryan Steel, our double Olympic Medallist and the new Head Coach of Team Derby Performance Sport Cycling. Bryan's journey includes a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and a silver at the 2004 Athens Games in team pursuit, alongside 14 World Championship appearances and three Commonwealth Games medals. With Bryan leading the way, and a new partnership with HUUB-BCC Race Team, track and road riders will have access to an elite pathway during and after their studies.

Boost your employability with a placement year

Take an optional placement year to put your skills into practice in a real-world setting. We will support you in finding a placement and throughout your time in industry. It’s a great way to gain valuable experience for your CV, build contacts, and explore career options before you graduate.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

Learning inside and outside the classroom

Our teaching methods are authentic, interactive and engaging. You will take part in:

• Modules that are designed, taught and delivered by Sport Management specialists
• Sessions that get you active and learning by doing
• Teaching that gets you interacting with others
• Regular social events for staff and students that create a real sense of community
• Personal tutorials that support career progression
• DCFC work placement hours that get you performing
• Volunteering opportunities that build your CV even further.

Learning in the workplace

Areas of work experience at sporting organisations such as Derby County FC include:

• Marketing, Media and PR: You will work on matchdays and non-matchdays alongside professionals to see content creation, fan engagement and customer relationship management in action. You will be at the heart of the club in the Rams TV media suite or pitchside as the players emerge from the tunnel on a matchday.         
• Sport Sponsorship: You will work closely with the Partnership Manager at Derby County who manages the club’s various sponsors and partners. You will also understand how sponsorship outreach works in terms of generating new sponsors and extending others. 
• Event Management: You will work on matchdays at Derby County and see how all business operations work together to provide a fantastic event experience for the 30,000 fans that come through the turnstiles. You will work in all departments including marketing, events, community, crowd safety management, hospitality and partnerships. 
• Talent Management: Learn from staff experience on running a football agency operation and understand more about contract negotiations, player welfare and media responsibilities. See how player off-field responsibilities are managed within clubs including product endorsement, sponsor engagement and player signing sessions. 
• Ticketing and Data Management: Learn how the ticketing system works at Derby County in the sale of season tickets, home/away tickets, hospitality packages and membership sales. See how data systems operate and are fundamental to informing management decisions on a day to day basis.
• Sales Pitches in the Boardroom: Derby County will task you to work on real-world research questions and present back to club staff and senior managers in the boardroom. Previous questions have related to the club’s social media presence, appraising the club’s operations and recommending additional income generation opportunities.

We also have a range of guest speakers to inspire you and share their career stories including Derby County Chief Executive Stephen Pearce and Chief Operating Officer Simon Carnall.

How you're assessed

There are no exams! 

We don't just teach you; we prepare you for success. Our assessments have been informed by employers and are therefore built around real workplace tasks. You will craft business reports, deliver sales pitches, design digital materials, and work on live projects.

• Formal business reports
• Presentations including sales pitches inside and outside of the University
• Live projects and assessment briefs
• Design of digital materials including websites, videos and/or blogs
• Business and career related portfolios.

Our graduates don't just get jobs; they launch incredible careers with 85.6% of our students in graduate level employment 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcome Survey 2025).   

Our graduates have gone onto amazing careers including those at:

• Premier League and EFL Football Clubs
• Adidas
• Red Bull
• Porsche
• County Cricket Clubs
• Welsh Rugby Union
• Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit
• Cheltenham and Chepstow Racecourses.

Some graduates even plan to pursue dreams overseas working in the NFL, NBA, or MLB.

Others have become business consultants, franchisees, work for NGBs, become sport event organisers or set up on their own. Several of our students have used our second year entrepreneurship module as a launchpad for their own successful business ideas.   

Chancellor’s Entrepreneurs Club

You will be able to apply to join the Chancellor’s Entrepreneurs Club that supports you to develop the mindset, skills and networks to become business leaders and innovators. Jointly led by Lord Burlington (Chancellor) and our Visiting Professor (Dragons Den Star) Theo Paphitis, the Club brings together ambitious and entrepreneurial students and connects them with some of the UK’s most dynamic innovators and business mentors.

The Club offers the following:

• Exclusive mentoring from industry leaders
• Live Business Challenges that build real experience
• Skills workshops to develop your ideas and confidence
• Powerful networking opportunities.

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

If you're an international student and want to improve your English language skills before you start your course, the Derby English Language Centre's pre-sessional English course can help you. 

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to

Additional costs and optional extras

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.