Master in Sport Business Management

Objectives and competences

Objectives and competences

Objectives

The main objective of this programme is to train students from diverse academic backgrounds in sports-related economics, as preparation for management roles in sports businesses and organizations operating within different areas and sectors of the economy. This entails gaining in-depth knowledge of business management, and advanced knowledge and understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects of sports business management. To this end, the course provides the requisite knowledge of accounting and finances and the regulatory framework governing business activities in the sports industry, and draws attention to the importance of social responsibility and ethics in business-related decision making. It also includes training in marketing, which is a vital tool for the development of corporate image and market positioning. Other key topics are the organization of sports events, sponsorship, advertising and public relations. Ultimately, graduates will acquire the capacity to apply and integrate their knowledge in any environment, including multidisciplinary contexts.

Competences

Basic and general

On completion of the master's degree, students will be able to:

• Apply the knowledge acquired to problem-solving in new or relatively unknown environments.
  
• Integrate knowledge and formulate judgments based on incomplete or limited information, giving due consideration to the social and ethical responsibilities involved in proposing solutions in each case.
  
• Display the creativity and entrepreneurial skills to conceive, design and manage projects.
  
• Lead teams and achieve specific objectives as part of business projects.
  
• Assume leadership and management responsibilities in competitive global environments and exercise the capacity to negotiate and reach agreements with the various agents involved in sports business.

Specific

On completion of the master's degree, students will be able to:

Prepare texts and reports, projects and other types of work on commercial research and marketing strategies.

Interpret operating results and evaluate strategies to optimize the results of sports organizations and to be accountable to wider society.

Make decisions in order to solve problems related to the sports industry and implement systems for monitoring the operation of a sports business.

Structure an organization and provide clear explanations of how it should operate.

Understand the legal framework applicable to sports activities, using this knowledge to increase levels of efficiency.

Manage the merchandising of sporting goods, including the development of strategies, marketing plans and sales campaigns.

Create and organize sports products or events effectively and cost-efficiently.

Access and admission

Applicant profile and access requirements

Recommended applicant profile

The master's degree in Sport Business Management is primarily addressed to candidates who have completed a sport-related bachelor's degree or equivalent undergraduate degree and wish to acquire further knowledge of sport business management, and those that have studied business management and wish to specialize in the management of sports businesses.
The degree has been designed to accommodate students admitted via both of these pathways: one for students with degree in physical activity and sport (such as the bachelor's degree in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences), and one for students with degrees in business administration and management.
In addition to applicants with knowledge of economics, business and sport, the master's degree is designed for those with degrees in technical and scientific disciplines who have an entrepreneurial interest in the sector.
This programme generally takes on a high percentage of students with backgrounds in fields related to physical activity who have no prior studies in business management. Candidates are expected to acquire this knowledge before starting the course by completing the relevant bridging subjects.

Access requirements and conditions

General requirements
In accordance with Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, students wishing to be admitted to a university master's degree must hold one of the following qualifications:

• Official Spanish university degree.


• A degree issued by a higher education institution within the European Higher Education Area framework that authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue.


• A qualification issued by an institution outside the framework of the European Higher Education Area. In this case, applicants must request homologation of the degree to its equivalent official Spanish university qualification or obtain express approval from the University of Barcelona, which will conduct a study of equivalence to ensure that the degree is of a comparable level to an official Spanish university qualification and that it grants access to university master's degree study in the country of issue. Admission shall not, in any case, imply that prior qualifications have been recognized as equivalent to a Spanish master's degree and does not confer recognition for any purposes other than that of admission to the master's degree course.

Specific requirements
All students who have sufficient qualifications to study a university master's degree in Spain can apply for access to the master's degree, according to current regulations. In addition, candidates must demonstrate a good command of Spanish and English (level B1).

The master's degree has training supplements that will be intended for those students who do not have previous training. In any case, the Master's Admissions Committee will assess the curriculum of each candidate admitted to the Master's and, if necessary, it is necessary for him to take these credits. Students who have to take training supplements can take the training supplements subjects simultaneously - in the same course - as the rest of the subjects.

Pre-enrolment

Calendar

First period (extraordinary, aimed at foreign students with scholarships or extraordinary situations)
Pre-registration: from mid-January to March 17, 2024
Notification of resolutions: March 22 (*)

Second period (ordinary)
Pre-registration: from March 25 to June 7, 2024
Notification of resolutions: June 14 (*)

Third period (ordinary)
Pre-registration: from June 14 to July 23, 2024
Notification of resolutions: July 25 (*)

Fourth period (extraordinary, depending on available places)
Pre-registration: from July 29 to September 10, 2024
Notification of resolutions: September 13

Notes:

• Pre-enrolment fee: A pre-enrolment fee of 30,21 euros is charged. Students who apply to more than one master's degree must pay the fee for each pre-enrolment request. Pre-enrolment requests cannot be processed until this fee has been paid.Fees will only be refunded if the master's degree in question is suspended.
• Reserved places: A maximum of 5% of the new places of the master's degree are reserved for students who meet the general and specific access requirements and accredit the recognition of a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%.

Required documentation

• Pre-enrolment application
  
• Photocopy of degree certificate or equivalent qualification. In case of admission, foreign degrees that require so should be translated and authenticated through diplomatic channels before completing the enrolment.
  
• Other specific documentation related to the selection criteria

Selection criteria

Applications from candidates who meet the general admission requirements will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria, listed in order of priority weighting:

• Strength of academic record from previous studies (40%).
  
• Proximity of previous studies to the content of the master's degree (20%). The preferred degrees for admission to this master's degree are the official bachelor's degrees in Business Management and Administration, Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, Economics, Law, and Social Sciences.
  
• Curriculum vitae (20%).
  
• Statement of interest (10%).
  
• Experience in the sports sector (10%).

Previous studies are evaluated on the basis of each candidate's academic record. If deemed necessary, the Admissions Committee reserves the right to request additional documentation from candidates (including letters of recommendation) or a personal interview. The interview and overall evaluation of each candidate's academic and professional background are designed to provide sufficient information to assess his or her degree of intellectual and personal maturity and potential to make the most of the programme.

Notification

The body in charge of resolving applications is the master's degree Admissions Committee. This procedure is carried out in the period established in the pre-enrolment calendar. Once the Committee has met and the corresponding resolution has been reached, electronic confirmation is sent. The faculty's Master's and Doctoral Office will contact admitted students to inform them of the steps to take to complete enrolment.

• Notification of resolutions:
  1. March
  2. June
  3. July
  4. September

Enrolment

As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned

• Documents required for enrolment
• Procedure to formalize enrolment
• Grants and financial aid (in Catalan)
• Economic information (in Catalan)

Welcome

• Student Support Service
• Grants and financial aid (in Catalan)
• Accommodation

Course curriculum

Subjects and course plans

Distribution of credits

List of subjects

Subject	Type	Language	Credits
Specialization: Sport Business Management
Business Analysis and Negotiation: Entrepreneurship	Compulsory	1st semester	5
Final Project	Compulsory	2nd semester	10
Institutional or Company Placement	Compulsory	2nd semester	10
Management Control: Decisions, Budgets and Public Accounting	Compulsory	1st semester	5
Marketing of Services and Market Research	Compulsory	1st semester	5
Planning of Sports Events	Optional	1st semester	2.5
Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods and Sociology of Sport	Compulsory	1st semester	5
Service Management and Planning	Optional	2nd semester	2.5
Sponsors, Advertising, Media and Public Relations	Compulsory	2nd semester	5
Sport, Leisure Activity and New Market Opportunities	Optional	1st semester	2.5
Sports Institutions and Types of Labour Employment	Compulsory	2nd semester	5
Team Management and Development of Management Skills	Optional	1st semester	2.5
Train-Up Seminars	Optional	2nd semester	2.5

Previous years

• Course plans 2023 - 2024
• Course plans 2022 - 2023
• Course plans 2021 - 2022

Teaching staff

List of spring and autumn teaching staff on a current course

Placements

Placements in a company or another type of organization are an integral part of university studies, providing first-hand experience of working methodologies in students' chosen professional fields. They offer invaluable practical experience for the transition into work after graduation.

Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment. They are therefore included in the academic record.  There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 500 hours, which can be extended to 900 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.

Institutional information

• Regulations on external placements


• FeinaUB

Career opportunities

What can you work on ?

By the end of the master's degree, students will understand the functional areas and key tasks involved in the management of a sports company or organization. They will study organizations and companies active in the public and private sectors, at local and regional, national and international levels. They will also have the knowledge of business management to take on basic responsibilities in the management of an organization, business, association or sports facility and understand the skills that must be perfected to ensure effective professional practice.
Therefore, career opportunities are to be found in business management in the sports industry, from managing fitness and competition facilities and technical management positions within federations or other organizations that promote sport to business management for sports equipment companies, for example. Other career paths include sports events, club management, management of marketing programmes and the design of other policies to promote sports products and services.
Finally, the course aims to promote entrepreneurship and foster the creation of new service companies in the sports sector.

Contact us

• Academic coordination: info.mdee@ub.edu
• Administration: omd.eco@ub.edu