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.

Course overview

Distance (Online)
Course Length- One Year Full-Time/ Part-Time. Start dates- September

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.

Course Content

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.

LOCATIONS, LEARNING OPTIONS, & INTAKE DATES

Distance (online)

Intake Date: September

Our Distance Learning degrees are taught by the same leading industry experts who teach our on-campus degrees with teaching delivered online via our dedicated platform GIS Connect which can be accessed anytime making this a flexible study option that fits around your existing commitments.

Each module typically has 6 live teaching sessions for you to attend, enabling you to interact and collaborate with academics and your peers. These sessions are also recorded.

DEGREE SPECIFICATION DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION

The Global Institute of Sport is an embedded college of the University of East London. All GIS graduates will receive a degree from the University of East London.

Course length: One year (full-time) and two year (part-time) options available

 

 

Entry requirements-

Standard Entry Requirements

• Undergraduate degree – minimum 2:2 (ideally a 2:1) or international equivalent
• Applicants with a 2:2 should have some experience of studying or working in business or sports related areas.
• English language qualifications: 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.

Offers to applicants currently studying an undergraduate degree will be conditional on them going on to achieve the entry requirements on completion of their degree.

Flexible Entry Requirements

We welcome applications from those who do not meet the standard entry requirements but can demonstrate relevant education and/or work and/or life experience in the course subject area that will enable them to succeed on the course.

This may include those that have been out of education for some time and/or who do not have an undergraduate degree. We will assess your eligibility from the information provided in your application – in particular your personal statement – to help us decide on your eligibility for the course.

 

APPLICATIONS

Apply for the degree via the GIS Website.

SCHOLARSHIPS

The Global Institute of Sport is proud to offer an extensive suite of scholarships to support outstanding students as they embark on their postgraduate study. From scholarships to aid our elite athletes, to attracting aspiring sports leaders, and scholarships which support inclusivity and diversity within the sporting industry, our scholarships are there to support students who want to make a meaningful difference to the future of the sporting world.

 

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. Graduates of the MSc Football Communications & Digital Marketing degree have gone on to work in roles for organisations such as:

• Academy Analyst and Video Recruitment Consultant - Brentford FC
• Marketing Assistant - EFL Trust
• Marketing Executive - MK Dons Football Club
• Partnerships Account Executive - Everton Football Club
• Press Officer - Legends Tour
• Senior Commercial Strategy Executive - Rangers Football Club
• Editor - Sprint eSport

 

Benefits:

All GIS students, including those studying online, and alumni have access to GIS Global Locations at London’s Wembley Stadium, Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium, Toronto FC’s BMO Field, Melbourne Cricket Ground Sydney Cricket Ground, and the Allianz Stadium. At each location, students and alumni can attend week-long GIS Global Summits, which are designed to enhance attendees’ knowledge and expertise of the international sports industry as well as build a global network for future employment prospects.

Additional benefits to GIS students and alumni include:

• Oversight from a 36-person strong Industry Advisory Board, allowing students to benefit from the network of sports executives from across the EMEA, Americas and APAC regions
• Employment, guest speaker and other unique opportunities from GIS’ partnership network, which includes The Premier League, The Football Association, League Managers Association, The National League, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, Soccerex, Hudl, United Soccer Coaches, Football Coaches Australia, Women Sport Australia, A Leagues and MLS clubs, giving students access to some of the biggest and best minds in football and sport.

As a result of the industry-led degree and employment opportunities, 99% of GIS graduates are in employment with 79% working in sport and 97% in highly skilled roles, based on the 2023 Graduate Census. GIS degrees also rank in the top 25 sports programmes by SportsBusiness Postgraduate Rankings, and number 1 in the world in employment prospects in 2022 and number 1 in the world in employment salaries in 2023.

Apply now!