MSc Football Communications & Digital Marketing

The way football and sports fans consume media has meant the role of content creators and marketers have had to evolve, adapt, and in some instances merge.

Location: UCFB Wembley, UCFB Etihad Campus

Overview

It is now essential to understand digital viewing trends, social media audiences and how to plan engaging and effective digital media coverage for an ever demanding fan base. The MSc Football Communications & Digital Marketing degree programme is designed for graduates and industry practitioners with a keen interest in football and sport.

The programme leverages contemporary themes from marketing, such as digital marketing, public relations, fan engagement and multimedia journalism, to enable students to evaluate the relationships between these areas. Those with a particular interest and experience relating to the marketing and communications industry are particularly suitable for this programme.

No longer are fan bases constricted to the home country. International audiences are now a vital, and in some instances more important, base to tap into and engage with. Premier League football clubs are global brands within themselves, let alone their all-star cast of players. Social media videos and strong in-house story tellers help to promote the club and its merchandise.

Teaching locations for this degree include:

UCFB Wembley

• Wembley Stadium

UCFB Etihad Campus

• Etihad Stadium

• UCFB Study Hub @ Piccadilly Place

In addition to our teaching locations, we also use specialist facilities throughout the academic year as well as additional facilities where required.

“Adding experience to your CV while you're at UCFB will really help you in the jobs market once you graduate. If people start to hear your name, then you’ve got a footing in this competitive industry.”

Callum Noad

Published author and Junior Commercial Sports Agent at Entourage Sports & Entertainment

Modules

Semester 1

• Digital Marketing for Football
• Engaging the Football Consumer

Semester 2

• Public Relations & Crisis Management in Football
• Multimedia Football Journalism

Semester 3

• Dissertation and Research Methods

Entry requirements

Applicants should hold a 2:1 honours degree or a recognised overseas equivalent. Applicants may be accepted with a 2:2 honours degree (or equivalent) provided that they can otherwise demonstrate a strong profile with 50% or above in their dissertation module.

Professional experience and industry qualifications can be assessed for applicants without the standard entry requirements. All applicants will be provided with an opportunity to be assessed and to discuss their suitability for the programme with the academic team. All applicants are also provided with information relating to student services, with whom they can make contact, should they require additional support or advice as well as information related to appropriate bursaries and funds.

Applicants from non-majority English speaking countries will be asked for an English qualification which tests Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing and will be asked to achieve an overall IELTS score of 6.0 (minimum of 5.5 in each section) or recognised equivalent.

If you are unsure whether you meet the entry criteria for this programme, or whether you require IELTS results, please email mastersenquiries@ucfb.com with a copy of your most recent CV including nationality, visa status if applicable, and undergraduate degree transcripts. Candidates with a strong CV may qualify for a supplementary admissions interview to support their academic application.

International students

UCFB cannot currently sponsor non-EU students' visas.

You will not need a visa to study in the UK if:

• You are a British citizen
• You are a citizen of a European Economic Area (EEA) member state or Switzerland
• You have a visa to stay in the UK for another purpose that allows you to study

If you are still unsure whether you would need a visa to study in the UK, or for more information, please contact compliance@ucfb.com. You can also study one of our Online postgraduate degrees.

How to apply

To apply for this programme please complete the application form, then return the completed form and relevant documents as instructed to mastersenquiries@ucfb.com.

Career Prospects

The specificity of sport, with its high media coverage and numerous stakeholders, requires managers to have uniquely honed business skills and an in-depth knowledge of the football industry. The programme has been developed for those with aspirations towards senior positions within the core media and marketing departments of football and sports clubs and similar organisations.