Why study this course with LJMU?
- Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
- Students have the opportunity to carry out business consultancy projects for Liverpool FC, Everton FC, NextGen Sports Agency, County FA and County Sport Partnership.
- Programme renowned for its quality, with staff awards for excellence in teaching, leadership and professional learning.
- Excellent career opportunities in sports management, marketing, sponsorship and other areas of the sports industry
- Real world, authentic teaching and learning methods reflect industry practice.
- Field trips into industry settings are embedded into the programme
- This programme is also available as a Top Up Level 6 entry degree
- Shortlisted for the Times Higher Education Awards 2024 Business School of the Year
About your course
The BA (Hons) Sport Business at Liverpool John Moores University offers you excellent placement opportunities and graduate career prospects in the fast-paced and flourishing sports industry.
This programme is designed to fit industry needs and is facilitated through working partnerships between LJMU staff, students and external employers and subject specialists.
The programme explores a variety of subjects and disciplines including: marketing, entrepreneurship, digital skills, sponsorship and PR, sports management, sports law, sports digital media, sports events, grassroots and elite sport.
Take a look at Sport Business on Instagram to see the latest student field trips, placements and industry guest speakers.
Employability and enterprise are key elements of this programme. As such, you will have access to a range of opportunities to engage in work-related learning so that you can put theory into practice, develop professional networks and increase your graduate skill set.
LJMU has links with over 450 different employers in the North West alone and the Sport Business programme work with these employers to develop work placement and project opportunities across all levels of the degree. The university has partnerships with Liverpool Football Club and Everton Football Club. We are also actively involved with Merseyside County Sport Partnership, National Governing Bodies of Sport and Liverpool City Council.
Our key contacts with local community sports club provide an excellent base for students to learn and develop their sport business skills on a regular basis. We continually liaise and engage at a senior level with the sports business industry to ensure the programme is as cutting-edge as possible.
Live Consultancy Project
Through LJMU's Liverpool Business Clinic, students have a unique opportunity to work on real client briefs with local organisations putting academic theory into real world practice. This live consultancy projects is an optional module to a traditional final-year dissertation.
Sport Business Top-Up
This one year, full time, top-up degree is ideal for students who are completing/already hold a relevant HND, relevant Foundation degree, or Diploma and want to top-up their qualification and boost employment prospects by gaining an honours degree. The Top Up programme joins the Level 6 (3rd year) students on the Sport Business degree.
In addition to the University's standard entry requirements, you should have one of the following: a Foundation Degree with 60% or above in a relevant subject or a relevant HND with overall Merit (240 credits).
Course modules
What you will study on this degree
Further guidance on modules
Modules are designated core or optional in accordance with professional body requirements, as applicable, and LJMU’s Academic Framework Regulations. Whilst you are required to study core modules, optional modules provide you with an element of choice. Their availability may vary and will be subject to meeting minimum student numbers.
Where changes to modules are necessary these will be communicated as appropriate.
Core modules
Facilitation: Presence, Play and Purpose
30 credits
30 credits
This module focuses on the fundamentals of drama facilitation. Students explore the constituent parts of the drama workshop and develop individual practical skills in designing and leading games and exercises.
Directing: Politics, Poetics and Possibility
30 credits
30 credits
In this module students begin their journey as a director by exploring and applying techniques to create theatre for social or political impact. In addition, they hone their understanding of the directors role in creating visual narratives.
Storyteller: Myth, Story and Society
30 credits
30 credits
This module focuses on the social function of stories, and how they are expressed through theatre and related performing arts. Students will explore the ways in which stories have, and continue, to be used to communicate, engage, shape perceptions and even manipulate social values.
Practitioner: Performance and Creativity
30 credits
30 credits
This module aims to give students a foundation of creative and performance skills to support their development as a theatre practitioner within the broad spectrum of applied theatre and community drama.
Core modules
Facilitation: Transformation, Flow and Synthesis
30 credits
30 credits
In this module students expand their facilitation practice to create participatory workshops with the potential to transform understanding through the use of criticality and creativity. These skills will be applied to real world projects developed in the Story Teller and Practitioner project modules at this level.
Directing: Realising Scripted and Devised Theatre
30 credits
30 credits
This module centres on the two key modes of work as a director: the creation of dramatic performance from an extant script and the ways in which directors can organise, shape and form devised work when working with an ensemble.
To finish students will individually articulate a directors concept and develop key planning documents for a Youth Theatre production. The module will culminate in the student directing a scene from the production in an observed rehearsal with a group of young people.
Storyteller: Counter Narratives and Community Performance
30 credits
30 credits
This module continues the exploration of the power of story begun at Level 4 but now expands its focus to the presence of dominant and counter narratives in contemporary culture. Central to this is the concept of responsible story telling, recognising the power of narrative to shape perceptions of space, place and identity and the responsibility this places on facilitators when working in community contexts. The project culminates in a large scale community performance exploring a hidden history or the untold stories of the people that live there.
Practitioner: Theatre, Drama and Education
30 credits
30 credits
This module offers students the opportunity to apply their, facilitating, directing, storytelling and performance skills as a Theatre in Educational practitioner. After a period exploring a range of educational drama concepts and practices, students go on to devise, rehearse and deliver participatory drama work in local schools.
Core modules
Theatre for Democracy, Health and Environmental Advocacy
30 credits
30 credits
This module aims to provide a solid theoretical and practical foundation in the use of theatre and drama as a means of advocacy and/or consultation in a local democracy and health contexts.
Relevancy, Realisation and Repertoire: The Pillars of Professional Practice
30 credits
30 credits
This module focuses on the key processes that support professional as a facilitator/director. Units explore how to keep work relevant, build repertoire and bring professional plans to realisation.
Launchpad: Individual Final Project
60 credits
60 credits
This module provides students with the opportunity to create and evaluate a project from conception to completion, with an emphasis on efficacy and professional standards. It also encourages students to augment their practice and develop their skills in reasoning and argument through a paper that critiques the efficacy of their project.
Your Learning Experience
Excellent facilities and learning resources
We adopt an active blended learning approach, meaning you will experience a combination of face-to-face and online learning during your time at LJMU. This enables you to experience a rich and diverse learning experience and engage fully with your studies. Our approach ensures that you can easily access support from your personal tutor, either by meeting them on-campus or via a video call to suit your needs.
Teaching on the course is via a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, online activities, the use of ICT, work experience and independent learning. Practical and creative experiences both on and off site will help you to make the links between theory and practice.
Work-related Learning
Currently we have sandwich year students spending a salaried year in industry (eg. Decathlon, Gymshark) who have benefited from this type of work-related learning. Work experience is vital to your professional development and will significantly enhance your career prospects. Work-related learning is embedded throughout the whole degree, allowing you to experience different opportunities and roles in the sports industry. By applying what you have learnt on the degree in a range of professional settings, you will develop enhanced skills and experience, adding real value to your CV. Within the curriculum, work-related learning will include:
- Assessments based on real-life organisational problems
- Simulations of workplace activity
- Analysis of employer driven case studies
- Class discussions/simulations within an organisational context
- Innovative and creative thinking to solve organisational problems
- Guest speakers
Dedicated personal tutor, plus study skills support
You will be assigned a Personal Tutor who will be responsible for supporting your academic and personal progress. Through the use of Peer Learning Groups (PLGs), small groups of students will work together and with their tutor to continually build and develop knowledge, personal development and an individual profile.
The University offers a range of support services which can be accessed as and when necessary, including a dedicated Library and Student Support and IT Zones.
Assessment varies depending on the modules you choose, but will usually include a combination of exams and coursework.
A variety of assessments are used to support student learning and progression. These will include:
- authentic case studies
- reports
- pitches and presentations
- theoretical essays
- reflective portfolios
- project evaluations
- business simulations
- debating
Within all modules, formative feedback is embedded to provide stepping stones for development. A variety of feedback mechanisms are used which include: face-to-face, audio, written, peer and self-feedback.
Where you will study
The School is based in the Redmonds Building, in the heart of the bustling Mount Pleasant Campus and Liverpool 's growing Knowledge Quarter. The building is home to high quality lecture theatres and seminar rooms, social spaces, a café and a roof terrace with far reaching views of the cityscape and welsh hills. It is only a short walk from LJMU's Aldham Robarts Library, which contains all the resources you will require for your studies, and is open seven days a week.
Course tutors
Tom is the Principal lecturer / Programme Leader for the BA (Hons) Sport Business, BA (Hons) International Tourism Management and BA (Hons) Events Management degree programmes. Tom is a passionate ambassador and advocate for widening participation and access to higher education. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Certified Management and Business Educator (CMBE).
I believe understanding our students and giving them space and opportunities to succeed is at the heart of my teaching ideology. At LJMU, we have the resources and time to be able to see our students grow and excel.
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The Sport Business programme played such a big part in my personal and professional development. It gave me outstanding theoretical and practical knowledge, constantly challenged me to do my best work, shaped my career interest, inspired me and provided me with lifelong friends and contacts within the sports industry.
Career paths
The Sport Business curriculum equips students for employment with industry specific skills that relate to: sports management, project and event management and marketing and sponsorship. Businesses of the 21st Century are placing greater emphasis on the role that technology plays in their day to day operations. Therefore, through the innovative teaching and learning methods utilised on the Sport Business programmes, graduates will be well versed in using digital technologies such as social media networking tools for business.
The role of business in sport continues to develop as the industry evolves across all sectors, from grassroots, to elite, to professional sport. This programme can offer career pathways into a number of different sports organisations, such as: professional football clubs, local and national sports organisations (example Local Authority, County Sport Partnerships) , sport national governing bodies (example Football Association), and sector specific agencies such as marketing or sponsorship. The job roles within these organisations could cover areas such as: sports sponsorship and marketing, public relations, management, digital media technologies, recruitment and human resource management and business development. The programme also actively supports students seeking to start their own business which could start within the three years whilst studying with us and continue upon graduation.
Graduates may also chose to progress to further study such as PGDE/PGCE Initial Teacher Training programmes or other postgraduate courses.
Student Futures - Careers, Employability and Enterprise Service
A wide range of opportunities and support is available to you, within and beyond your course, to ensure our students experience a transformation in their career trajectory. Every undergraduate curriculum includes Future Focus during Level 4, an e-learning resource and workshop designed to help you to develop your talents, passion and purpose.
Every student has access to Careers Zone 24/7, LJMU's suite of online Apps, resources and jobs board via the LJMU Student Futures website.
Tuition fees and funding
Fees
The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as library membership and student IT support with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources including programme-appropriate software and on campus Wi-Fi.
Financial Support
The University offers a range of scholarships to support students through their studies. You'll find all the information you need on our specialist funding pages, including details of the Student Support Fund and other activities to support with the cost of living.
Additional Costs
In addition to fees, students should also keep in mind the cost of:
- Accommodation
- Travel costs including those for placements, visas and travel for studying abroad and field trips unless paid for by LJMU
- Stationery, IT equipment, professional body membership and graduation gown hire
The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in accordance with any changes to the maximum allowable fees set by the UK Parliament. In the event of such a change, any fee increase will be subject to a maximum cap of 10% of the total course cost as originally stated at the time of your offer.
Entry requirements
Please choose your qualifications below to view requirements
Grades/points required from qualifications:
Work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth by visiting the UCAS Tariff Calculator.
Qualification requirements
A levels
We are committed to accepting students on to this course who have the potential to succeed as practitioners and who will gain sustained work in the performing arts and entertainment industries. With this in mind we wish to identify through applications and interview or audition key attributes and achievements. The key attributes that we seek to identify are: • Knowledge, ability and experience of applied theatre and community drama • Commitment to the performing arts • Ability to work effectively with others • Broad interest and engagement • Self-awareness • Spirit of enterprise The minimum educational standard that we are looking for is: GCSEs We normally require a minimum of five GCSEs grade C. These should include Maths and English. Plus a minimum of 72 UCAS tariff points. We accept all types of equivalent qualifications, the following are the most common UK qualifications that people tend to apply to us with: A/AS Level This should be from two A Levels (i.e. grades B, C), excluding General Studies. Points from AS and Key Skills are not counted.
BTECs
Extended Diploma (i.e. Merit, Merit, Pass profile). BTEC Diploma (i.e. Distinction, Merit). Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications such as an A Level, in which case total needs to be 72 (2017 UCAS tariff points) or 180 (2016 UCAS tariff points) across both qualifications. 90 Credit Diploma (Distinction, Distinction). Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications such as an A Level, in which case total needs to be 72 UCAS tariff points across both qualifications.
International Baccalaureate
Acceptable on its own and with other qualifications. Welsh Baccalaureate Acceptable on its own but is ideally combined with other qualifications as it is equivalent to one A Level.
Alternative qualifications considered
Audition or Interview Candidates are invited to audition/interview on the basis of completing the LIPA and/or UCAS application form. We look for evidence of the key attributes and an ability to achieve the qualifications standard. In exceptional cases people may be invited to audition/interview who have not met or are not on course to meet the qualifications standard. In these cases there must be substantial potential demonstrated against the other attributes. The audition or interview allows us to evaluate you as a practitioner in your area of interest. Offers of a place will follow where you demonstrate high ability and the potential to succeed. At the audition we provide an overview of LIPA and candidates are asked to present a devised piece. They also take part in a practical workshop and interview. Equal Opportunity LIPA is an equal opportunities organisation and aims to successfully recruit students from a wide range of different socio-economic and personal backgrounds. To ensure we provide effective equality of opportunity within the application process we carefully consider each application individually and acknowledge differences that can exist between applicants’ experiences from diverse backgrounds. We regularly update our approaches to take into account changing understanding of communities and cultures and we monitor applicant/student characteristics such as age, gender and ethnicity. Recognition of Prior (Experiential) Learning [RP(E)L] and Credit Transfers If you can demonstrate that you have already achieved learning equivalent to a module or modules, or a level of study, in the programme then you may be eligible to be awarded credit for this learning or to have credit transferred from another UK institution. You will be required to complete an application to have your qualifications or experience approved by the Head of Discipline and the university. This requires the presentation of appropriate evidence and we will map the evidence against the programme outcomes to be certain of equivalence. If approved credit will be awarded and you will proceed on to the appropriate level of the course to complete the remaining credit for the award.
International requirements
Other international requirements
Overseas Qualifications We welcome applications from students with qualifications from outside of the UK. Each application is considered on an individual basis and mapped to the appropriate entry level. We value the diversity of experience that students from different backgrounds bring to the course. The IELTS score for candidates is 6.
How to apply
Securing your place at LJMU
UCAS is the official application route for our full-time undergraduate courses. Further information on the UCAS application process can be found here https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/undergraduate-students/how-to-apply.
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The university reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the university. Where this does happen, the university operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.
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