BA Degree in International Sports Management with Football (Leeds) at University of Richmond

Programme Overview

Combine your passion for soccer with a BA in International Sports Management which will give you a head start on and off the pitch for a career in the sports and leisure industries.

Join our highly qualified, internationally renowned team at Leeds-based Richmond International Academic and Soccer Academy (RIASA) for your coaching training and all of your studies.

Once graduated, you’ll be unbeatable. You’ll have studied one programme and gained two degrees, achieving a BA in International Sports Management from both the UK and US, opening the door to more international opportunities.

Not only that, you will have gained an FA Level 1 Certificate in Coaching Football, a highly prized and practical asset for your future career.

At RIASA you’ll have the fantastic chance to play in a top quality soccer academy with professional coaching and playing opportunities. You’ll be taken through a rigorous soccer training and playing schedule, with coaching focusing not only on your technique, speed and tactics on the field but on your nutrition and health. Get career advice from our professional UEFA A licensed coaching team on your future soccer options, such as how you can achieve a licensed UEFA coaching qualification.

Alongside the practical side of the programme, you will examine the theory and practice surrounding the management and the business of sports in various parts of the world, and gain the vital business skills required for a successful career in sports management.

Like our other undergraduate programmes, our BA in International Sports Management is based on the American liberal arts tradition, which helps broaden perspective and develops practical skills which are highly appealing to future employers in a global economy.

As a result, you’ll begin the programme with a combination of modules on business and sport, together with topics such as Creative Writing and Scientific Reasoning, to provide a broadened outlook.  The second year has a financial focus on Accounting, Calculus, Probability and Statistics, together with a look at other subjects such as Sports Psychology.

The third and fourth years see a blend of diverse subjects, including Marketing, Nutrition, Legal and Ethical Concepts in Management, Sports Events Planning and Promotion and Sports Journalism. Along with a wide-ranging choice of electives in the final year, you’ll also have the option to do an integrated internship in Sports Management, extending your knowledge and expertise in a specialist area of your choice.

As a RIASA Student-Athlete, you will have the opportunity to play against professional academy teams across Europe on our annual tour to countries such as Finland, Slovenia, Latvia, Sweden and more.

Top 5 reasons to study this programme:

• Gain all-round knowledge of International Sports Management which will equip you for a career in the sports industry anywhere in the world
• Develop your soccer skills as you train with professional UEFA A licensed coaches and gain highly valued soccer coaching qualification
• Gain practical experience through an integrated internship in International Sports Management, enhancing your career options
• Benefit from membership of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) while you study, providing resource portals, ManagementDirect and an employment opportunities database
• Opportunities for trials with clubs in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Slovenia & Latvia

After you graduate

Career Paths

Professional Football, Coaching, Sports Management, Sports Promotion, Sales and Marketing

Career Support

We offer career support and advice through our Careers & Internships Office that will assist and guide you in your study choices to make sure you stand out from the crowd when you graduate. Through internships you will gain business acumen, beneficial work experiences and transferable skills which will give you a competitive advantage in a fast-paced working environment.