International Football Business with Foundation Year

UCAS code: IFBF

Here's what UCFB says about its International Football Business with Foundation Year course.

There are currently over one hundred stadia across the world under planning and/or construction. This degree programme will help you gain an understanding and research different international stadia, design processes, pitch construction, architectural challenges and other important factors such as health and safety constraints. You will cover topics such as international retailing, football infrastructures, the challenges of dealing with differing stakeholders, cultural differences and attitudes to corporate social responsibility. Lastly you will learn how to understand and formulate successful bids for global football competitions and events, and develop your operational understanding of sport law with an international perspective, such as international player transfers and migration.

Football is a multi-billion-pound global industry, and the sport industry as a whole is growing faster than GDP both in emerging and mature economies. You will study the key drivers which fuel this rapid market growth including the nature of ‘fandom’, the development of the international football and sport industries, and the creation of a global strategy. There are over 200 member associations around world who each govern and manage football in their respective countries. Therefore, you will examine the international licencing schemes and regulations of organisations such as UEFA, CONCACAF and FIFA, along with the implications of cultural differences linked to commercial and sponsorship opportunities.

To enrich your learning, there may be opportunities for work experience both in the UK and internationally between your second and third year. Furthermore, during your three years at UCFB, there may be opportunities to interact with global events at the likes of Wembley Stadium, enabling you to apply your knowledge and increase your competitive edge in the workplace.

The foundation year will provide students with an understanding of a range of concepts and models related to understanding and managing people, work and behaviour in national and international football related organisations, including the influence of marketing, sources of finance for different commercial purposes and political landscape of the game.

Foundation Year Modules: Skills for Learning, Mental Wealth, Research Project, Contemporary Issues in Sport, Managing Football Operations and People, Introduction to Business and Management (Sport and Football)

Year 1 Modules: Understanding International Football Business, Introduction to Football Law, Industry Competencies (Mental Wealth), Marketing and Communication, Financial Management Information Systems, Technical Directorship and Leadership

Year 2 Modules: International Football Analysis, International Culture and Relations, Industry Readiness (Mental Wealth), Research Methods, Marketing, Technology and Innovation, Intermediate Financial Accounting

Year 3 Modules: Strategic Management, International Football Law and Governance, Professional Project, International Events and Project Management, Industry Engagement (Mental Wealth)

A range of assessment types are used across this course, as appropriate to each module. Assessment is predominantly continuous, employing items that will include academic essays, reports, presentations, portfolios, reflective writing, as well as practical broadcast outputs.

Applied assessment tasks are used as far as possible to enable students to link theory with practice, thereby assessing knowledge and understanding alongside practical study-specific skills and key industry skills.

Students with disabilities and/or particular learning needs should discuss assessments with the Course Leader, Module Leader and Seminar Leaders to ensure they are able to fully engage with all assessment within the course.