Accessible and flexible – all-new sport management training

The new Certificate of Higher Education in Sport Management from Cardiff Metropolitan University offers stackable micro-credential modules

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Cardiff Metropolitan University will soon open applications to the first module within their new Certificate of Higher Education in Sport Management. The course is the first of its kind for the sport and physical activity sector, providing a formal education pathway designed to suit the busy schedules of working professionals.

By centring around specific knowledge and competency areas relevant to sports management, the certificate and each module within will allow professionals to develop their skills in a targeted way. This means that individuals and their employers are able to enhance performance in current roles or support future career progression.

Cardiff Metropolitan University has created this sport management training in response to strong demand from the sector workforce. Both employers and individuals have found that across the sport and physical activity sector, there has been a lack of availability for management-specific training catering to working professionals. Traditional education options tend to be inaccessible to those already in employment, as work and other commitments leave little time for extended academic studies.

The training has been designed to empower professionals to expand their knowledge while continuing in their career. To do so, the university has broken down the new Certificate of Higher Education into six micro-credential modules.

These micro-credentials present an exciting opportunity to learn through focused, bite-sized modules. Their stand-out feature is this: by completing a single module, professionals gain a standalone and professionally recognised qualification, even if they do not go on to complete the remaining modules and gain the full certificate.

Unlike traditional long-term formal degree programmes, these compact standalone qualifications allow learners to personalise their education journey. With no expiration date like many CPD options, it is possible to pick and choose when to complete each module at relevant points in the learner’s career. If they choose to, they can then stack them together to complete the full certificate.

These manageable learning segments make micro-credentials ideal for studying alongside work, family and life commitments. Even within an individual module, learners are able to set their own pace. Although modules are completed over a set period, studying can be done whenever – be it a couple of hours after work or before collecting the kids from school. With the training delivered entirely online, learners can also save travel time and pick up their study wherever they need to.

An additional benefit of this flexible approach to learning is its cost effectiveness. By paying for only individual, targeted modules as and when they are needed, learners or employers can save money in comparison to completing a full degree course with potentially irrelevant sections. Even when pursuing all six modules of the certificate, the major up-front cost of traditional courses is avoided – it is simple to spread the payments by completing each module when it is financially viable to do so.

In a further effort to offer the best value for money in the micro-credential education pathway, Cardiff Metropolitan University will take into account prior learning and professional experience when awarding module completion. On a practical level, this means that a manager with several years of work under their belt will be able to provide evidence of their knowledge, skills and any previous accreditation received to count towards up to 50% of the full qualification – three of the six modules in total.

This additional strategy to help learners and employers to avoid duplicating learning and the associated costs showcases the university’s dedication to real-life application. By ensuring that the all-new education pathway is designed with learners and employers in mind, it allows users to get the most out of the training opportunity at the best price-quality ratio.

The first module to be taught is Principles of Sport and Physical Activity Management and Marketing. This standalone micro-credential offers practical knowledge covering competencies such as management theories and leadership principles to consumer behaviour and strategic planning, providing a well-rounded understanding of the topics in the context of our sector.

This forms an ideal starting point for increasing professional knowledge in sport management and the perfect introduction to the new education pathway.

Applications for this initial learning opportunity open on 2 September 2024, closing later the same month on 30 September 2024. If you would like to be reminded when the application window opens, please follow the link below to register your interest.

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