Learn the commercial and management skills that drive the global sports industry, with placement and study abroad options to build real-world experience
The BSc Sport Business Management at the University of Exeter is designed for students who want to understand how sport works as an industry. Taught across Streatham Campus and St Luke’s Campus in Exeter, the programme runs as a standard three-year degree (with UCAS code C607) and also offers four-year variants that include either a professional placement or a year abroad.
The course entry year is 2027, and teaching combines expertise from the Department of Public Health and Sport Sciences and the University of Exeter Business School, delivering an interdisciplinary mix of sport science, management and digital innovation.
This programme emphasises practical employability from the start.
Core learning covers event planning, sponsorship, merchandising, facilities and people management, plus emerging areas such as e-sport and digital fan engagement. Alongside academic study you will be encouraged to take placements, volunteering and consultancy projects that put theory into practice.
The degree also highlights global themes such as governance, sustainability and ethics, preparing graduates for roles across public, private and third-sector organisations.
Course structure and sample modules
The curriculum introduces foundational business concepts and sport-specific modules in Year 1 before moving into applied work and leadership themes in later years. Year 1 includes compulsory modules such as Foundations for Employability and Career Success (SHS1001), Introduction to the Sport Business Industry (SHS1002), Discovering Management (BEM1023), Fundamentals of Marketing (BEM1019), Introduction to Accounting (BEA1013), Sports Enterprise and Innovation (SHS1003) and Statistics for Business (BEM1024). These modules build an early grasp of commercial areas like media, sponsorship and sporting goods while developing essential analytical and entrepreneurial skills.
Year 2 focus
In the second year the programme shifts toward applied experiences and organisational studies. Core units such as Work Experience to Enhance Career Potential (SHS2001), Event Planning and Organisation (SHS2002), Sports Consultancy Project (SHS2003), Organisational Behaviour (BEM2047) and Human Resource Management (BEM2021) train you to manage events, lead teams and deliver client-focused projects. Optional business and marketing modules let you tailor learning towards branding, analytics, consumer behaviour and leadership practice.
Placement, study abroad and professional experience
The degree has two four-year variants: one with a professional placement year and one with a study abroad year. A professional placement places you in a work environment for a full year to apply skills, build networks and enhance employability; the placement contributes to your final degree classification and the award will state ‘with Professional Placement’. While on placement you pay a reduced fee of 20% of the maximum fee for that year. The course supports students with placement preparation and a programme director who provides tailored advice.
Study abroad option
The study abroad pathway allows you to spend your third year at a partner university and transfer credits back to Exeter. Destinations include institutions in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Canada, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. Study abroad also counts towards the final degree and carries a reduced fee of 15% of the maximum fee for the year abroad. You apply to the BSc Sport Business Management via UCAS and may request transfer to the four-year route once enrolled at Exeter.
Entry requirements, fees and support
Typical academic offers include A-Level ABB, IB 32 and BTEC DDM. GCSE requirements ask for grade C or 4 in English Language and Mathematics; applicants one grade below the maths requirement may be considered and could be invited to complete a Maths Transition Course as part of a conditional offer. Access to HE applicants need 24 L3 credits at Distinction plus 21 L3 credits at Merit. T-Levels are not accepted. Contextual offers are available: A-Level BBC, IB 28 and BTEC DMM, provided any specific subject requirements are met. International applicants must meet English language thresholds under Profile B2.
Tuition fees for 2026 entry are listed as £9,790 per year for UK students and £29,900 per year for international students. The university offers a range of scholarships, with approximately £7 million available for international applicants in the 2026/27 academic cycle, including Exeter Excellence Scholarships and awards for sport and music. Terms and deadlines apply; see the university website for full details.
Teaching, assessment and career pathways
Learning combines lectures, seminars, workshops and industry projects. Assessments use essays, reports, presentations, reflective tasks, practical project outputs and employer evaluations to test knowledge and professional competence. The programme emphasizes leadership, entrepreneurship and digital sport skills, and provides access to guest speakers, employer visits and research-active staff. Rankings highlight Exeter’s strength: top 20 worldwide for sports-related subjects, top 5 in the UK for sports science, and top 10 for business and management.
Graduates move into roles in community sport, elite performance pathways, event management, sponsorship, sports technology and digital media. The course equips students with transferable skills and offers careers support from day one. To apply, use UCAS code C607 and consult the university website for updated module lists, application timelines and further information about placements and study abroad options.
