Member Article

Record applications for Manchester 'sporting director' qualification

Manchester Metropolitan University’s Master of Sport Directorship (MSD) course, entering its fifth cohort of students this September, has seen record levels of applications by former sports stars and sporting executives as the importance of the ‘sporting director’ role grows within boardrooms. Already, Vikram Solanki, Gary Bowyer, Kevin Davies and Scott Sellars are among the notable students in the lecture theatres of MMU as they study to be among the most qualified ‘sporting directors’ in the world.

Applications from over 60 former sports pros and sports business leaders have been received so far this year for the exclusive 25-place MSD course, the first fully-accredited masters-level qualification for sporting directors. With increasing global recognition, students and graduates of the course have come from as far afield as South Africa, the USA, Dubai, New Zealand and Germany.

The two-year, part-time course is designed to deliver a rigorous commercial preparation for the demanding role of sporting director across a range of sports, bringing new skillsets to former sportspeople and raising the professional standards for managers across a variety of sports.

Course director Dr Sara Ward of Manchester Metropolitan University Business School said: “The course we created five years ago has started to come of age as senior leaders in sports organisations recognise the value of upskilling great sports experts, and former professionals to be better business leaders.

“We have been immensely impressed by the ambition and the appetite to learn by the 80 or so course alumni and graduates, many of whom are already seeing fantastic new career opportunities open up as they progress through the course. We are also very proud of the role that Manchester Metropolitan University has played in the creation of this ground-breaking course, and the record levels of applications demonstrate the respect the course has gained as the benchmark qualification for the sporting director globally,” she added.

Among the first 23 MSD graduates who received their Masters of Sport Directorship (MSD) qualifications in July 2017 were Leicester City assistant manager Michael Appleton, former England cricketer Ashley Giles and Aston Villa director of football Steve Round.

In addition to sessions delivered by MMU lecturers and professors, the MSD students gain insight on the course from leading experts in topics including strategic sports leadership, personal development, masterminding innovation and change, sports governance and best practice.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emma Kilmurray .