POSTGRADUATE SPORTS COURSE GUIDE

MAKING THE GRADE

Owen Evans explains the background to SportBusiness Internationals Postgraduate Sports Course Guide 2012, the rst-ever authoritative ranking of the sector of education.
POSTGRADUATE SPORTS MANAGEMENT programmes have too often been the footnote on discussions about their more illustrious business-based cousins, the MBA (Master of Business Administration) and EMBA (Executive Master of Business Administration). We felt it was time to recognise this part of the sector so at the beginning of 2012 we devised the first-ever rankings guide to sports management courses. Eligibility was the first issue. We only wanted to consider programmes that were Masters level or above and 100 per cent covering the business of sport. We also required them to have been running consecutively for more than three years in order to obtain the necessary historical data. Having consulted sports management graduates and lecturers, we decided the best way to find out the information would be to send out two online surveys - one to be completed by the course provider and the other the course alumni. The course provider survey told us how successfully graduates found work after completing the course, along with factual data such as course length, international/domestic student split and male/female ratios. The alumni survey aimed to discover how well the graduates achieved their initial aims through the categories of quality of teaching, support finding a career in the sports industry and extracurricular support from the course provider. In order to get to as many course providers as possible, we sent our surveys to the NASSM (North American Society of Sport
58 SportBusiness International No.178 05.12

Management), EASM (European Association of Sport Management), SMAANZ (Sport Management Association for Australia and New Zealand) and AASM (Asian Association of Sport Management) to distribute it to their members and any relevant associations. Due to the nature of this sector many courses were too young to enter, while others only had sport as a part of their management course. But from the dozens of courses submitted we compiled the top 20 opposite. We produced a separate student satisfaction ranking from the hundreds of responses submitted by 2009 graduates across the world (see page 60). Congratulations to Ohio University Ohio achieved the highest ranking in our Postgraduate Sports Course Guide 2012. Not only was it the sole course provider to get 100 per cent of its 2009 graduates full-time jobs within the sports industry just 12 weeks after graduating, but it also achieved the highest total satisfaction percentage from the student responses to the criteria of quality of teaching, provision of job support and provision of extra-curricular support. The university whose 2009 graduates had the highest average salary three years after graduation was Deakin. However, this particular level of criteria is open to further analysis due to the issues with comparing exchange rates. Looking through our results, the alumni responses on the current salary question varied from course-to-course. Some were almost exclusively translated from a single market with a single currency - Deakin (Australian Dollars) and Ohio (US Dollars) for example - while others had graduates providing salaries from many different currencies and markets, for example Liverpool University (US Dollars, Israeli Shekel, Euros, British Pounds, Swiss Francs, Indian Rupees, Japanese Yen, Norwegian Krone and Kuwaiti Dinars).

We converted them into US Dollars to give our rankings uniformity but the results did not always reflect the impact of the course on the graduate. This is the reason we took the total satisfaction of the students as a more important indicator than the average salary three years after graduation. More Support Needed Looking through the results led us to some interesting trends. Firstly, just how often students told us they were happy with the quality of teaching in their course but less so with the support they received in finding a job in the industry. Also, it is worth bearing in mind the difference between international student recruitment policies in American universities and those in Europe. For instance, only 10 per cent of Ohios most recent intake was made up of international students, whereas the runner-up, the FIFA Master, takes in almost 80 per cent from outside the Swiss border. This can have a bearing on the results. For instance, one FIFA Master graduate told us he or she was a director of a consultancy firm before taking the course. After completing the course, the graduate then gained a job as general-secretary of a kickboxing body, which led to a salary increase of more than 100 per cent. However, because the graduate was an international student returning to work in Africa after leaving the International Centre for Sports Studies, the conversion of the general-secretary salary from local currency into US Dollars does not fairly reflect on the impact the FIFA Master had on his or her career. It has been a fascinating process getting feedback from students and course directors around the world. We hope even more will take part in next years edition of the guide.

POSTGRADUATE SPORTS COURSE GUIDE

POSTGRADUATE SPORTS COURSE RANKING 2012

No. employed within three months of graduation (%) 100 Course length (months) 24 Male/ female ratio (%) 65/35

Rank 1

Course provider Ohio University The International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) Windsor University Coventry University University of Northern Colorado Johan Cruyff Institute for Sport Studies ESSEC Business School University of Massachusetts - Amherst - Mark McCormack Dept. International Academy of Sports Science and Technology (AISTS) University of Peloponnese Deakin Univeristy Universit Ca Foscari Venezia University of New Haven Coventry University University of Liverpool Univeristy of Vigo Saint Leo University Real Madrid International School & Universidad Europea de Madrid University of Stirling Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Course name MBA and Master of Sports Administration The FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport Master in Sports Management MBA in International Sport Management MSc in Sports Administration International Master of Sport Management International Sports Marketing Master MBA in Sport Management Master of Advanced Studies in Sports Administration and Technology Msc in Sports Management MBA in Sport Management Master in Sport Business Strategy MBA/MSc in Management of Sports Industries Msc in Sport Business Management MBA in Football Industries Master in Sport Business Management MBA in Sport Business Masters in Sports Management MSc in Sport Management Sports, Economics and Communication

No. of students 32

Work placement Yes

International students (%) 10

No. of languages 1

2 3 4 5 6 7

29 18 6 30 59 21

90 85 83 79 77 76

No Yes Yes No No Yes

10 24 12 12 10 18

59/41 50/50 50/50 60/40 83/17 65/35

80 20 100 10 10 14

1 1 1 1 2 2

22

75

No

24

50/50

15

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

39 40 66 35 35 6 32 20 18 25 31 45

70 70 70 65 60 60 52 50 39 25 25 10

Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes

12 18 18 9 12 12 12 12 12 9 9 12

49/51 58/42 70/30 80/20 60/40 80/20 96/4 75/25 64/36 75/25 64/36 75/25

77 0 18 8 20 80 86 0 10 80 29 11

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

KEY
No. of students How many students registered on the courses 2008/09 intake No. employed within three months of graduation (%) The percentage of the courses 2009 graduates who gained full-time employment in the sports industry within 12 weeks of graduating Work placement Whether the course provider offers a work placement as part of studies Course length (months) The maximum length of the course Male/female ratio (%) The percentage split between men and women from the courses most recent intake International students (%) The percentage of students from the courses most recent intake with a different citizenship from the country in which they studied No. of languages How many languages the course is taught in

POSTGRADUATE SPORTS COURSE GUIDE

POSTGRADUATE SPORTS COURSE STUDENT SATISFACTION RANKING 2012

Average salary three years after graduation ($) 73,973 46,334 51,074 63,343 88,774 82,910 58,106 39,807 28,891 23,525 Quality of course teaching satisfaction (%) 93.3 92.5 86.4 86.7 81.8 82.4 78.3 85.0 78.6 67.8 Quality of job support satisfaction (%) 95.0 80.0 79.5 70.0 70.5 66.7 71.7 66.7 71.4 57.1 Quality of extracurricular support (%) 98.3 85.0 88.6 85.0 72.7 75.9 75.0 72.9 67.9 71.4 Total Satisfaction (%) 95.5 85.8 84.8 80.6 75.0 75.0 75.0 74.9 72.6 65.4

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Course Provider Ohio University Vrije Universiteit Brussel Johan Cruyff Institute The International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) Deakin University International Academy of Sports Science and Technology (AISTS) Liverpool University Windsor University Universita Ca' Foscari Venezia Real Madrid and Universidad Europea de Madrid

Course Name MBA and Masters in Sports Administration Sport, Economics and Communications International Master of Sport Management The FIFA Master MBA in Sport Management Master of Advanced Studies in Sports Administration and Technology MBA in Football Industries Masters in Sport Management Master in Sport Business Strategy Masters in Sport Management

Note: We only accepted student satisfaction data for courses where we received a minimum of 20 per cent response rate from the 2009 alumni

KEY
Average salary three years after graduation ($) An average figure taken from the students current salary responses to the survey and converted into US dollars using currency rates on 19/4/12 Quality of course teaching satisfaction (%) A percentage calculated from the student responses to the question Do you (strongly agree/agree/disagree/strongly disagree) the quality of the course teaching met your expectations? Quality of job support satisfaction (%) A percentage calculated from the student responses to the question Do you (strongly agree/agree/disagree/strongly disagree) your course provided you with sufficient support in finding a job in the sports industry? Quality of extra-curricular support (%) A percentage based on the student responses from the question Do you (strongly agree/agree/disagree/strongly disagree) your course provided you with sufficient extra-curricular support? Total Satisfaction (%) A cumulative percentage from the three aims achieved criteria totals

As a professional player I had a lot of experience in the sport sector but I lacked the management tools. With this Masters programme I satisfied my expectations.
International Master of Sport Management graduate, Johan Cruyff Institute

The course is more focused on the academic than on the market. I would say for non-Europeans the course was a stepping stone to the pan-European market.
FIFA Master graduate, International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES)

Melbourne is one of the best cities in the world to study and work in the sports industry. Deakin utilised the local sport industry knowledge and under the advice of industry leaders tailored the programmes curriculum to meet industry needs and best practices
MBA in Sport Management graduate, Deakin University

There is nothing created during and after the period in terms of a network for jobs and human resources.

Master in Sports Management and Business Strategy graduate, ESSEC Business School

60 SportBusiness International No.178 05.12

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POSTGRADUATE SPORTS COURSE GUIDE

Every year our alumni spend their own money to come back and help the new students into the industry. Its not just business, we play some ball as well and that is where you cultivate loyalty from them.
Roll of Honour Ohios alumni
Pat OConner (President, Minor League Baseball) Jeremy Foley (Athletic Director, University of Florida) John Swofford (Commissioner, Atlantic Coast Conference) Derrick Hall (President and CEO, Arizona Diamondbacks) Elliott Hill (Vice-President and General Manager, Nike North America) Len Perna (President and CEO, Turnkey Sports) Emilio Collins (Senior Vice-President of Global Marketing Partnerships, (National Basketball Association) Linda Logan (Executive Director, Columbus Sports Commission) Allison Kelly (Vice-President of Sports, GMR Marketing) Scott McCune (Vice-President of Integrated Marketing, Coca-Cola) Chad Estis (Vice-President of Sales and Marketing, Dallas Cowboys) Kevin Abrams (Assistant General Manager, New York Giants)

OHIO #1: MINGS DYNASTY

Ohios number one ranking in our Postgraduate Sports Course Guide 2012 is no uke according to Dr. Ming Li, chair of the universitys Sports Administration department. He tells Owen Evans why.
BACK IN THE 1960s LA (Los Angeles) Dodgers owner Walter OMalley had a vision for an academic programme that combined sport and business successfully. Shortly afterwards, inspired by OMalleys dream, Ohios Master of Sports Administration (MSA) was created in 1966, becoming one of the oldest courses of its type in the world. Since then 85 per cent of the universitys 1,200 graduates have found employment in key positions within US intercollegiate athletics, professional sports, public assembly facilities, sports tours, motorsports, corporate sports organisations, sports media and the entertainment industries. However, at the turn of the millennium

Ohio realised it needed to do more. While the curriculum helped the students get an academic grounding in the business of sport, the university wanted to do more to get them jobs in the industry. In 2005 Ohio opened the Center for Sports Administration to help its students not only get an academic grounding for the industry but also to ensure they got a job within it. As part of this, the MSA was converted into a Master of Business Administration/Master of Sports Administration (MBA/MSA) dual-degree programme. Alumni member, Jim Kahler, was bought back from a senior vice-president role at NBA (National Basketball Association) franchise Cleveland Cavaliers to serve as executive-director of the Center so he could help students by utilising the connections he had made in 11 years in the US sports industry. According to Dr. Li, the relentless support of Ohios illustrious alumni, the proactive work done by the Center and the reputation of the course within the industry are the key reasons behind the universitys successful rate in getting its students long-lasting careers. We believe we were the first place in the world to offer a course of this kind, he says. Our course receives a tremendous amount of recognition from the North American sports market. Its probably the most famous sports management course in the States. Also, since 1966 we have produced a

62 SportBusiness International No.178 05.12

POSTGRADUATE SPORTS COURSE GUIDE

lot of alumni that have gone on to be very successful in the sports industry. The alumni are a major reason behind our success due to their unrelenting support and their loyalty to the course long after they have graduated. They provide job opportunities, internship opportunities, research projects and mentoring student opportunities. Li became the inaugural chair of the Department of Sports Administration in the College of Business at Ohio University on July 1, 2010. He also used to serve as president of the NASSM (North American Society for Sport Management) and has held office as member-atlarge on its executive council. He told SportBusiness International each year Ohio organises a symposium where it invites alumni back to meet current students in a networking event consisting of industry talk and a game of baseball. They have the opportunity to connect, mingle, share experiences and each year we have more than 100 alumni come back to the event, says Li. Think about that: every year our alumni spend their own money to come back and help fimba final_Layout 1 into 19/04/2012 15:26 Page 1 the new students get the industry.

Its not just business, we play some ball as well and that is where you cultivate loyalty from them. The networking opportunities with our alumni are phenomenal. Leadership Skills and Personality Li says Ohio recently altered its admissions process to help the institution carefully choose its new intake by not only looking for academic achievement but also gauging whether they have the personality to succeed in the sports industry. During the interview process Ohios sports MBA applicants are all put in the same room to see how they react around other people. Academic achievement is not enough: they are interviewed in a collective setting and when the interview ends each applicant is asked to recommend one of their competitors. We want people to have leadership skills and a personality that means they work well within groups and with other people, says Li. Upon starting the two-year dual-course, each student is immediately assigned two mentors. One is a student in his second year of the degree and the other is a member of the alumni who is working in the students preferred area of the sports industry.

What that translates to is that if I am a student and I have just started a course I can call my alumni mentor at any time and they will be there for me, says Li. They love to give back to us. When asked to explain how his university was the only one in the SportBusiness International Postgraduate Sports Course Guide 2012 to have successfully placed 100 per cent of its class of 2009 in full-time paid positions in the sports industry within three months of graduation, Li highlighted the role of the Center of Sports Administration. As well as introducing the students to sports executives and networking events, the Center also carries out research projects for sports businesses and organisations like the Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins (both National Football League) and the Memphis Grizzlies (NBA). These are projects designed to help those sports businesses make more money, says Li. By doing these we serve two purposes. Firstly we are serving the sports industry but at the same time we are providing our students with revenue-enhancing experiences. In each class our students take, they have to do a lot of real work projects in order to complete the grade.

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POSTGRADUATE SPORTS COURSE GUIDE

THE DUTCH MASTER

Cruyff: sometimes athletes dont get immediate respect when they step out of their sport - Getty Images Sport

Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff started his Institute for Sports Studies in 1999 with just 35 athletecum-students in Amsterdam. The aim was to provide a sports management programme for elite athletes so they could make the transition from the eld of play into areas such as sports marketing and sponsorship. By 2012, there are four institutes in Holland, Mexico, Sweden and Spain all teaching sports management programmes of various levels to more than 1,500 students. Cruyff took time out from his own management roles - at Ajax Amsterdam and the Catalan national team - to tell Owen Evans about the advantages of hiring former athletes.

Why should athletes take up management positions ahead of those who dont have the same background? Those that have trained day-in and day-out and dedicated themselves to their sport are those that understand the benefits of commitment. They have a vitality and intelligence that is unique. Let me give you an example: a swimmer who will wake up at 5.00am to be in the pool for hours and hours, year-upon-year, only to improve his or her time by a split second must either be completely crazy or must have an amazing mindset to succeed. Athletes are special people, perhaps too oriented towards one thing, but when educated can apply that mentality to business or other endeavors. I believe everyone has a special quality about them, so the role of a coach, leader or a business manager is to get the maximum out of others. And that is where the fun begins. You need to look inside a person to see where they are from, what motivates them and what inspires them. Everyone has abilities and everyone has weak points. So, an athlete is used to discovering this out about themselves from a very young age. How do I get the best of a situation? How do I use my talents to benefit the team? What are my weak points? How do I improve? This may sound like I am talking about sport, but it is also this way in life. This gives athletes an advantage when they go on to other interests, they have that mentality forever and want to win.

How has the postgraduate sports management education sector changed since you started the Cruyff Institute? I cant say I have done a deep analysis on this, but in general I can say there are a lot more opportunities for athletes to balance their sport with their studies now. When we started there was very little respect for a sports management programme for athletes. At first they said that athletes could not, or would not, do well in the classroom. But we have come to find that our student athletes do far better than anyone expected. And now many of them are at leading organisations. So now we know that the old system was the problem - higher education just needed to change its approach. We were just lucky to understand before most others the value of being flexible and innovative in the approach to education. But now what seems normal was not normal back then. What attributes transfer well from competing in professional sport to working in the management world? Sportsmen and women all share that desire to succeed. They dont train hard every day thinking they there are going to get worse. There is always energy, something about athletes that drives them. Again, I think it comes back to understanding more about yourself and others and then piecing the puzzle together to get the most out all situations - good and bad. Perfection does not exist, but regardless

64 SportBusiness International No.178 05.12

POSTGRADUATE SPORTS COURSE GUIDE

athletes will always try to reach it, and thats what makes them special. What are the biggest challenges professional athletes face when trying to find jobs in the industry? Sometimes athletes dont get immediate respect when they step out of their sport and into the business world. Imagine you have been an athlete all your life, retiring around the age of 35. When everyone else was getting business experience working, you were dedicated to your sport. So, then you go to find a job and those that hire you look for business experience on your CV. Well, what do you say? Youve done so much, youve traveled the world, but you dont have 10 years of marketing behind you so maybe they dismiss you. That is why if an athlete can show up to an interview and show the boss that they have all of the qualities from sport in addition to a diploma, they should be hired much more easily. But again, it comes down to being competitive and getting the most out of yourself.

NO LIMITS TO GROWTH
Todd Beane, international director of Johan Cruyff Football and senior advisor to the Johan Cruyff Institute for Sport Studies, previously pledged to help athletes in Ecuador, Catalunya and beyond participate in sports management education. He tells us how he thinks there are no borders to education anymore.
The Johan Cruyff Institute is far more reaching than even perhaps I envisioned. The credit goes to the athletes for seeking study and our professors and staff for making this pledge become a reality. We have offered programmes in Holland, Spain, Sweden, Mexico, Ecuador, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago to name a few. We are about to start in Peru, and we have an amazing new Cruyff Institute about to open in Malaysia to serve the entire region there. In fact, we have students that have studied with us online and on-site from Portugal, Georgia, the United States, China, Japan and I do not know how many others more. I think the point may very well be that there are indeed no borders now to education. We now think in terms of an international community of learners so I am not sure what pledge to make next other than that we will do our best where the need presents itself.

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SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

Will Lloyd, founder of GlobalSportsJobs, gives Owen Evans a sports recruitment specialists perspective on what it takes to succeed in the sports industry.
THE DEBATE of whether academic excellence is more important than industry experience to aspiring sports professionals has run for years. And for GlobalSportsJobs founder Will Lloyd, who in 2001 founded Sports Recruitment International, spending nine years recruiting solely in the sports industry before selling the business in 2010, its one that will still be going on for years to come. Its a big debate, he told SportBusiness International. I recognise that if you go down the industry experience route you come away with knowledge, credibility, hands-on experience and business relationships but you are probably confined to one dimension. Whereas, for me, the most valuable resource of a postgraduate course like the FIFA Master is the people you meet and the alumni network. That really is something different. I recently spoke to students at the London Business School and they said in reality the academia and the theory you learn you could effectively get from a textbook. However, the
66 SportBusiness International No.178 05.12

connections they make during the course is where the real value is. Why do people get attracted to the FIFA Master? Because it has FIFA in the title. Now thats fine but if I was looking at this my main concern would be getting the job afterwards, not just a flashy name. The cost of postgraduate management courses can run into the tens of thousands, and considering the fact that these same courses have lacked credibility in the past, are they worth the money? They can be, says Lloyd, who began his career in the sports industry as an agent with Nuff Respect, representing Olympic medallists such as Linford Christie and Colin Jackson. It really depends on the individual. Ive given lots of talks to students of these courses over the years and one of the first people I spoke to back in 2003 is now secretary-general of CAF (Confederation of African Football), Hicham El Amrani. Would Hicham have gone from one level of the industry to where he is now without the FIFA Master course? Probably not. So these postgraduate courses do open doors. In an industry that is well supplied by talent, its not a question of you have the right skills, we need you. The recruitment process is based around skills but also personality and other softer skills that come into the process. If you were a non-traditional sports industry

person and your face didnt fit it would be very difficult to get a job in this industry. However, one thing that would help tremendously is a course like the FIFA Master. I think in sport one of the key attributes is having a flexible attitude and an engaging personality. If you dont have those softer skills is it impossible to get a job in sport? No. But if you have a postgraduate sports management degree it makes employers more amenable to you. Lloyd believes the onus has to be on the students, and just because they pay sometimes upwards of 20,000 to participate in postgraduate management courses, it does not mean their name is guaranteed on the sports industry teamsheet. To me there is an element of luck, but you have to create your own luck. You have to be proactive and reach out to people so you can access various points to enter the industry. In a market where demand far outstrips supply there is always going to be an element of survival of the fittest. And if you pay 20,000 to do a course it is highly likely you have been bankrolled so now is the time to wake up and face reality or go back to another industry that will support your work ethic. Whether you like it or not, sport has a self-filtering system. If you want to work for a football club but you want to be gifted the job, its not going to happen.

POSTGRADUATE SPORTS COURSE GUIDE

POST-NFL PLAYBOOK
Despite the substantial pay packets, an American footballers average career lasts for just three-and-a-half seasons according to the National Football League (NFL) Players Association. Barry Wilner nds out how the NFL is preparing them for life offthe-pitch through a series of sports management programmes.
PRO-FOOTBALL FOLK talk frequently about needing a balanced offense, or a strong blend of offense, defense and special teams. Now the NFL has taken the conversation further and is addressing living a balanced life, particularly once playing the game no longer is an option. This year, the league has added to its NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program with a unique opportunity for studentathletes entering their senior year of high school, a supplement to their other courses for current and retired players. NFL Player Engagement and the Wharton Sports Business Initiative will host the inaugural NFL-Wharton Prep Leadership Program in late June at the prestigious University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School in Philadelphia. The courses will offer leadership training and development programming with instruction from Wharton professors and NFL executives. We wanted to make sure we include both genders, make sure not just male athletes are celebrated and involved, says NFL vice-president of player engagement Troy Vincent, a former star defensive back in the league. And we wanted to touch the student-athlete sooner with programmes relevant to them. Topics covered in the full group sessions, in breakout groups and through panel discussions, will include leadership, professional development, career development, and financial management - all subjects that are addressed in other NFL initiatives, particularly the business management and entrepreneurial programmes available to players seeking to finish off their college degrees or obtain Masters degrees. We believe these are basic foundations of any career path, adds Vincent, who is closing in on his own MBA from Tiffin (Ohio) University. Vincent took part in every programme that existed when he played before pursuing his MBA, and he sees hundreds of players taking advantage of the initiatives that can lead them on the same path. As a leader, these 36 student-athletes have shown skills - many of these kids probably will end up at one of the Ivy League schools - and when you are not necessarily celebrated for your academic success, we want to highlight that success, make sure the student develops it, and highlight their leadership skills. The classes will also discuss social skills; how to motivate one other; putting together a resume; how to handle interviews; and how to pursue career goals. We hope to introduce them to areas on campus with career centres that can assist you along in these areas, and to give them a kind of picture of what is to come, says Vincent. How do we take the helmets off and develop the athletes on their true career path?
The NFL has added to its NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program this year - Getty Images Sport

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SportBusiness International No.178 05.12 67

POSTGRADUATE SPORTS COURSE GUIDE

The new course is part of the promised legacy of Sochi 2014 - Russian International Olympic University

THE OLYMPIC UNIVERSITY

The Russian International Olympic University (RIOU) - the worlds rst-ever Olympic University launches its rst postgraduate sports course in 2013, the Master of Sport Administration (MSA). Director-general Professor Lev Belousov tells Owen Evans how he hopes the International Olympic Committee (IOC)s image will convince the best emerging sports managers to enrol on the course.
People travel all over the world to study the best sports management courses. Why would they choose the MSA at the RIOU? We understand the market and we are really ready for the competition. From my point-ofview we have four competitive advantages which allow us to be optimistic. Firstly, as we are starting from scratch: we can be guided by our competitors and what they already have to offer. We have identified aspects in every competing programme and we found they each have their own strengths. We are
68 SportBusiness International No.178 05.12

looking to combine all those positives into the course we offer. Secondly, we are supported by the IOC and the Olympic Family. They believe we will be successful and we have a really supportive group of founders including the Russian Ministry of Sport and the Russian Olympic Committee. Our university also receives private donations and this allows us to respond effectively to market needs. The third advantage from my point-of-view is that this is a programme that has been prepared by foreign and Russian specialists and directly benefits from Sochi hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics. Our close relationship with the Sochi 2014 local organising committee means our MSA course is linked to Sochis preparations and will be a tangible part of the educational offering. Finally, we will have a fantastic campus which is being built using cutting-edge technology. It is just a three-minute walk from the Black Sea and only 40 minutes by train to the mountains. Has demand for sport management courses in Russia changed over the past 20 years? Starting from the so-called democratic revolution in Russia, the demand for sport

management courses in Russia has been on an upward trajectory. At the end of the last century Russian society and the economy were in transition. Since, Russia has shown stability during the global economic recession and has won the right to host the 2014 Olympic Games and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and because of this we have seen a tremendous amount of interest in sport management courses. What are the fundamental differences between the MSA and the ExMSA (RIOUs course for top managers)? Both courses are high-quality educational offerings. The main difference is the MSA is designed mainly for young specialists who have been working in the sports industry for a few years. The executive senior programme has been put together for senior managers who have considerable experience and now they want to move to a higher level of proficiency. Do you think academic achievement benefits aspiring sports managers more than industry experience? In my mind, experience and academia are not opposite things. For example, take two of the worlds best football managers - Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho.

POSTGRADUATE SPORTS COURSE GUIDE

Guardiola has considerable experience as a league player and he is successful in his work. Mourinho wasnt a professional footballer but he has brilliant theoretical knowledge. Both are tasked with making their club the best in the world. Both have league titles to their name. How do you decide who is better? No doubt they both are brilliant specialists. Experience is vital but knowledge from my point-of-view is very important. What skills do renowned sportsmen bring to sport management roles? There are examples of great former athletes going on to become successful managers, such as Lord Sebastian Coe and Sergey Bubka. What they undoubtedly bring is passion and drive. That commitment can be a fantastic strength to an organisation. However, I would say former athletes do not have a monopoly on having passion for sport or the knowledge on what is needed to succeed. The world of sport requires people who are fluent in finance, marketing, branding, event

We are probably the only institution that can offer fantastic modules and learning in the business of sport while infusing it with an Olympic experience.
management and strategy among other aspects. Sometimes passion by itself is not enough. Thats why we are in a good place to target those people with passion and arm them with new skills. What benefits are there in your institution placing such a great emphasis on Olympic enlightenment? While we have the greatest respect for the other courses around the world that offer education in the business of sport, we are probably the only institution that can offer all of those fantastic modules and learning while infusing it with an Olympic experience. There is nothing else like this course [the

MSA] in the world. We will have case studies and information coming directly from the Olympic Movement. No other institution can offer that. So if anyone in the world wants to learn to become the best sports executive, surely they would want to learn from the biggest and best sports event in the world? What are your future plans for the RIOU? We have great plans. Our long-term plan is to create a generation of top-class Russian sports managers. But the primary task now for us is to train our students for the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi. Secondly, the university is a key component of Sochi 2014s Olympic legacy. We are committed to providing an environment fit for the sports managers of tomorrow, according to the IOCs specifications. As well as the forthcoming Winter Games, Russia is set to host a number of major events in different sports such as football, ice hockey, swimming and Formula One. We want our alumni adding value to all these events.

Study for your postgraduate qualication in Sport Management at Birkbeck

Supported by the research activities of the Birkbeck Sport Business Centre, our postgraduate Sport Management programmes will give you the skills and expertise you need to compete in the sport industry. Specialist teaching combined with general training in management, business organisation, strategy and research methods will enable you to fully develop your career in sport management. Apply online now for: MSc Sport Management MSc Sport Management and the Business of Football MSc Sport Management and Marketing MSc Sport Marketing PGCertificateSportManagement  PGCertificateSportGovernance  All courses start in October and are taught during the evening. For more information and to apply go to www.bbk.ac.uk/management

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POSTGRADUATE SPORTS COURSE GUIDE

THE PUPILS PERSPECTIVE

Paying thousands to enter the sports industry via a postgraduate sports course can feel like buying an expensive lottery ticket. So given the opportunity, would graduate Jiri Petrasch go through it all again? Owen Evans reports.
FOLLOWING 15 YEARS as a professional volleyball player in Germany, Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic, Jiri Petrasch knew he wanted to stay in sport. A five-year spell as a fitness instructor was enough to show him that he preferred a career in the commercial side of sport, so in 2010 he enrolled on the Master of Science in International Sports Management at London Metropolitan University. It took me a while to decide what to do, because if youve been playing professional sport for 15 years and you suddenly stop, you dont really know who you are, he said. The London Met course is run in conjunction with the State University of New York (SUNY), and as such, students enrolled in the programme are simultaneously admitted to both institutions and required to fulfil a minimum of one residential semester of course work in London and one at Cortland, New York State. Modules are focused on international sports law, sports marketing and international sports history and governance. Having completed his final thesis this January, Petrasch contacted a selection of sports recruitment companies about what to do next. In his first interview with sports recruitment agency f1 recruitment he was told it was normal for sports business graduates to do three or four unpaid, three-month internships before getting a full-time job in the industry. So having paid more than 7,000 to complete his postgraduate course, the 37-yearold would now be expected to work for free for a year before realising his goal of a paid job in the industry. I did one internship but I wasnt sure whether it would be worth my while to carry on working for free for a whole year, he said. Especially as my partner and I are expecting a baby in June. I had a feeling that getting any job is difficult but especially in sport as it is a sector that everybody wants to work in. In my opinion, it is two or three times more difficult than any other industry. Petrasch told SportBusiness International that while he really enjoyed the content of his course, he did not feel there was enough support to help graduates find a job once their studying was complete: I remember saying to my lecturer do you have a list of all the major sports marketing agencies? and he said I should try the university library. But when I contacted the library she said they didnt have any information there. I went anyway and eventually found a directory of sports law firms, sports marketing companies and sports sponsorship agencies. Its strange that I had to find it for myself. Despite this, Petrasch said he would recommend his course to other aspiring sports managers due to the knowledge he gained in core industry subjects like sports marketing and governance. However, when asked whether, in hindsight, he thought it would be a good way for others to break into the industry, his answer wasnt so positive. Now, when I have a chance to look back at the situation, my advice would be for those people looking to get into the sports industry to concentrate on one of the core disciplines of a company, areas such as administration, sales, marketing and law and get professional experience in one of those areas, he said. Then you can try to move into a similar role in a sports company using that experience. When I look at those big name courses such as the FIFA Master and Real Madrids MBA, it just seems to be more about the name than actually getting a job afterwards. I think this is especially the case with football as it is overcrowded and really is all about contacts. I think that if I had studied pure marketing or a general business postgraduate degree, I would have the same, if not a better, chance of getting into the sports industry.

I think that if I had studied pure marketing or a general business postgraduate degree, I would have the same, if not a better, chance of getting into the sports industry.

70 SportBusiness International No.178 05.12

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