Program Overview

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BA (Hons) Sport Business Management

Overview

Sport is a global phenomenon that captivates audiences and transcends boundaries. Underpinning it all, the business side of sports is a dynamic, competitive industry in its own right, involving instantly recognisable brands and hugely popular products, services and events.

Our Sport Business Management course equips you to meet the industry’s need for technically competent, customer-oriented and commercially-minded practitioners who can apply their knowledge across the domestic and international sports markets. You’ll graduate with core management skills and an understanding of key contemporary issues in sport business – from marketing and branding, to sponsorship, event management and corporate social responsibility.

Everything you study will be rooted in the needs of industry, and you’ll be taught in realistic, sports-based working environments. Stirling is one the best places to study sport in the UK and provides a unique context for your studies. We’re Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence and were awarded UK Sports University of the Year 2020 (The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide). We're also 1st in Scotland for sports research with 80% of our research in Sport and Exercise Sciences and 80% of our research in Business and Management Studies classed as world leading or internationally excellent (REF 2021). Your career in the sports business starts here.

Top reasons to study with us

• We're ranked Top 5 in Scotland for Sports Science (The Complete University Guide 2025)
• Top 5 in Scotland for Business Studies (National Student Survey 2023*)
• We hold strong partnerships with many national governing bodies of sport, some of which are based on campus

Entry requirements

Year 1 entry – Four-year honours

• SQA Highers: AABB
• GCE A-levels: BBB
• IB Diploma: 28
• BTEC (Level 3): DDM
• Widening access students: Widening access students may be eligible for an adjusted offer of entry. To find out if this applies to you go to our widening access pages.
• Care-experienced applicants: Care-experienced applicants will be guaranteed an offer of a place if they meet the minimum entry requirements.

Year 2 entry – Three-year honours

• SQA Advanced Highers: ABB
• GCE A-levels: ABB
• IB Diploma: 32 points
• Essential subjects: To include Business and Physical Education

Other Scottish qualifications

• Scottish HNC/HND: Year one minimum entry - Bs in graded units.
• Access courses: University of Stirling access course - for mature students only. You must pass the course with 50% or above.
• SWAP access course: for mature students only.

Other qualifications

• English, Welsh and Northern Irish HNC/HND: Merits and Distinctions
• English, Welsh and Northern Irish access courses: Access to Higher Education - 60 credits, minimum 45 at QCF Level 3, pass at 60% or above.

International entry requirements

View the entry requirements for your country

Advanced entry

• Year 2 entry: Entry into Year 2 may be possible depending on your HNC/HND course. To find out more go to our articulation pages.
• Other qualifications: Advanced entry may be possible depending on your qualifications. For more information, contact our Admissions Team at .

Other routes of entry

If you don't currently meet our academic requirements, University of Stirling International Study Centre offers a variety of preparation programmes that can earn you the qualifications and skills you need to progress onto some of our courses. Explore University of Stirling International Study Centre to see the routes available.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:

• IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each sub-skill.
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) 60 overall with a minimum of 59 in each sub-skill.
• IBT TOEFL 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing.

See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.

Course details

You’ll study Sport Business Management as a four-year single honours degree. There are three key components to the course: sport management and technical expertise; business enterprise; and market awareness. Years 1-2 are designed to provide you with a broad grounding in the subjects of business, management and sports studies within the global environment. Years 3-4 provide you with theory and applications of sport business management including marketing, policy, event management and more. You’ll also have numerous opportunities to develop work-related skills at every stage of your studies.

Modules

The module information below provides an example of the types of course module you may study. The details listed are for the academic year that starts in September 2025. Modules and start dates are regularly reviewed and may be subject to change in future years.

Teaching

The Sport Business Management course is delivered by leading academics working in the fields of Sport and Business. There’s a variety of delivery methods, ranging from lecture-style presentations to small group interactive sessions.

Assessment

Assessment is designed to engage you in thinking about the real-world challenges that sport businesses encounter. Ranging from reflective essays, business reports and group work challenges, each assessment offers the opportunity for you to display your developing skills as a future business leader.

Classroom hours

You'll take three modules every semester, each of which is likely to have a total of 30-40 contact hours – normally equating to 2 lectures and 1 seminar per week, per module. Your timetable will vary depending on your choice of non-core modules.

Study abroad

You’ll have the opportunity to broaden your horizons and study abroad through our well-established connections with several international universities.

Fees and funding

Fees and costs

• Scottish students: This fee is set by the Scottish Government and is subject to change.
• Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland: This tuition fee may be subject to change depending on guidance provided by the UK Government.
• International students (including EU): Eligible students will automatically receive a scholarship worth between £8,000-£30,000 over the duration of your course.

Funding

• Sports scholarships: Our International Sports Scholarship Programme is one of the largest high-performance sports programmes in the UK.
• Students from Scotland: Find funding opportunities for Scottish students.
• Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland: Eligible students will automatically receive our Undergraduate Welcome Scholarship, Undergraduate Merit Scholarship, and our Honours Year Scholarship, which are worth between £1,000 and £9,250.
• International students: Eligible international students will automatically receive a scholarship worth between £8,000-£30,000 over the duration of your course.

After you graduate

Preparing you for the world of work

We’re members of the Marketing Society Scotland – strengthening our bond with industry and business. This course leads to many opportunities across a range of sport business organisations, including project management of sporting events or management of a retail sport business. Get real-world experience by working alongside a business on a consultancy project in your final year.

When you study at Stirling we also seek to give you an edge in the job market with our range of specialist career services.

Discover Uni

Discover Uni provides official data on each university's undergraduate courses, including satisfaction scores from the National Student Survey, details of graduate jobs and salaries, and other key information for prospective students.

• 75% of students were satisfied overall with their course.
• 89% of students say teaching staff have supported their learning well.
• 90% in work or doing further study 15 months after the course.

What our students said

View more student stories

Scott Warrender
United Kingdom
BA (Hons) Sport Business Management

"I liked that the lectures and seminars are varied with both large and small class sizes. Every lecture/seminar was also different and interactive with the use of quizzes, videos, and group tasks incorporated into the traditional lecturing style class. "

Read Scott's story

View more student stories

Flexible study

This course is not available as a combined degree.

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• Sport degrees combined with other subjects