This course is open for applications
Page last updated 15 November 2024
This is a ground-breaking course run by Bristol City Robins Foundation based at Bristol City Football Club that gives you three years of hands-on experience of setting up and running your own business alongside your studies.
What makes a successful entrepreneur, in sport or business generally? Research and experience suggest it comes down to resilience, the creativity of a team with shared goals, aspirations and values, and an unwavering passion to succeed.
BA(Hons) Sports, Business and Entrepreneurship is a radically different degree for those looking to study entrepreneurship in a leading sports business environment.
If you love sport, and want to learn more about setting up and running your own projects and ventures, this course is ideal.
You'll be based at the Bristol City Football ground at Ashton Gate, with access to the stadium's impressive facilities, staff, coaching and networking.
Inspired by the pioneering Finnish 'Team Academy' approach, UWE Bristol was among the first to introduce this type of course to the UK. It's particularly relevant if you're looking for a practical, hands-on approach, and the chance to take charge of your own studies.
In the first few weeks you'll form a team company of up to 20 students, and work on real projects, with support from leading experts at the club and Bristol City Robins Foundation.
Based in your own office environment at Ashton Gate, you'll attend meetings, manage budgets and build useful skills and contacts.
You'll gain first-hand insight into how a leading sports business operates, and get to address real challenges and pursue your own ventures, with the possibility of earning your own income alongside gaining valuable experience.
Your team company will run its own training sessions with support from an experienced team coach. You'll also have access to mentors and other professionals at the club, as well as internship opportunities, workshops and personal development sessions to develop your ideas and potential.
This applied course prepares you for work in the same way a graduate development programme does, ensuring you'll be a confident, motivated and resilient graduate.
You'll know your strengths, interests and aspirations. You'll have key skills and valuable contacts to hit the ground running in your career.
You'll graduate with diverse and exciting career options. You could set up your own sports-related venture or apply what you've learnt to another kind of business start-up.
There could also be opportunities to work at the football club itself.
Alternatively, you could also move into mainstream employment in areas such as marketing, HR, coaching, education or development.
You'll study:
You'll study:
You'll study:
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.
On this course you'll train on the job, writing reports, delivering presentations, and managing cash flow. By joining this with academic work, you'll develop the habits of a lifelong learner.
Throughout the course, you'll provide evidence of how you have learned from your projects and your study. You'll work within your own team company, supported by your team coach, to share and develop your learning.
Get used to keeping work hours, managing day-to-day challenges, dealing with customers and clients, and learn how a real business works. Learn by doing real work on real projects, alongside other members of your team company.
You'll be provided with an extensive list of relevant books and journals. Read up on topics such as sales and marketing, leadership and entrepreneurship so you can apply these skills to your own projects. Develop insight into how these ideas work in practice.
Join professional workshops and mentoring sessions as you explore the issues involved with setting up and running your own ventures. There are no lectures on this course, though you can attend selected lectures offered on other courses.
Your team coaches will support and guide your team company through the duration of the course. Where you need more specialist guidance, your coach will help you find a suitable source.
You'll demonstrate your learning by completing projects and project reports, making presentations and by undertaking research and writing reflective essays.
Your learning will be enhanced by giving and receiving feedback with fellow team entrepreneurs and your team coach.
See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.
You'll be expected to attend eight hours of team coaching each week for 36 weeks of the year.
As well as these sessions, there will be a range of workshops, tutorials and collaborative sessions to attend so that you fully benefit from the course.
You and your team mates will be running your own company and you should expect this course to be a full-time commitment.
You'll be assessed through your learning portfolio and written coursework assignments. There are no exams.
You'll show the knowledge you've gained, and the application of that knowledge, through your learning portfolios, which typically include:
See our full glossary of assessment terms.
We are part of the Team Academy Learning Network, a group of universities offering similar courses in Europe, China and South America. With this comes the opportunity to attend network meetings, or arrange a short exchange.
You'll be based at Ashton Gate, Bristol City Football Club's stadium, which has recently undergone £45 million of redevelopment.
Your team company will have its own open-plan office space, giving you experience of running an office while you study. It's well-equipped with networked PCs, phones and presentation facilities.
You'll have access to other impressive facilities at the stadium as well, including corporate boxes for welcoming clients.
Occasionally, you'll also attend the Bristol Business School at Frenchay Campus, to use the University's cutting-edge learning spaces and conference rooms.
As a UWE Bristol student, you'll have access to specialist library facilities, recommended books, trade press, academic journals and industry databases on and off campus.
Learn more about UWE Bristol's facilities and resources.
Take a Virtual Tour of the Business Management facilities and see what's on offer here for you.
This course offers inspiring sessions with industry experts, business and social entrepreneurs who share their experience and answer questions.
These include:
With guests from such diverse backgrounds, you'll be able to speed up your own development through the real-life experiences of others.
An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.
A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.
There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.
We provide support in the way you need it.
Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.
This applied course gives you a thorough preparation for setting up your own venture in sport or another field, or for working in an existing start-up or established business. You could also go into mainstream employment in an area such as marketing, HR, coaching, education or development. Whichever path you choose, you'll graduate with excellent and diverse career prospects.
Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.
We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.
Visit our employability pages to learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.
*The UK Government recently proposed that tuition fees for Home students will increase by 3.1% to £9,535 from 1st August 2025. This increase is subject to Parliamentary approval and the vote is expected to take place later this year.
Any tuition fee which is impacted by this change will be updated following approval.
Please see GOV.UK for further information.
Learn more about fees and funding.
This refers to items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.
If English isn't your first language, you will need to meet the UK Border Agency's and the University's minimum English language requirements such as the International English Language Test (IELTS) overall score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component.
For information on required Guided Learning Hours please see our minimum entry requirements page.
We won't be able to accept your application for this course if you require the Student Route visa.
Read more about entry requirements.
Read more about undergraduate applications.