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Wednesday 2 December • 3-6pm GMT

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  • Tuition Fee

    £15,000 (UK/EU)
    £18,500 (INT, US)

  • Duration

    4 Years (Full-time)

  • Location

    Leeds, UK

Programme Overview

Combine your passion for soccer with a BA in International Sports Management which will give you a head start on and off the pitch for a career in the sports and leisure industries.

Join our highly qualified, internationally renowned team at Leeds-based Richmond International Academic and Soccer Academy (RIASA) for your coaching training and all of your studies.

Once graduated, you’ll be unbeatable. You’ll have studied one programme and gained two degrees, achieving a BA in International Sports Management from both the UK and US, opening the door to more international opportunities.

Not only that, you will have gained an FA Level 1 Certificate in Coaching Football, a highly prized and practical asset for your future career.

At RIASA you’ll have the fantastic chance to play in a top quality soccer academy with professional coaching and playing opportunities. You’ll be taken through a rigorous soccer training and playing schedule, with coaching focusing not only on your technique, speed and tactics on the field but on your nutrition and health. Get career advice from our professional UEFA A licensed coaching team on your future soccer options, such as how you can achieve a licensed UEFA coaching qualification.

Alongside the practical side of the programme, you will examine the theory and practice surrounding the management and the business of sports in various parts of the world, and gain the vital business skills required for a successful career in sports management.

Like our other undergraduate programmes, our BA in International Sports Management is based on the American liberal arts tradition, which helps broaden perspective and develops practical skills which are highly appealing to future employers in a global economy.

As a result, you’ll begin the programme with a combination of modules on business and sport, together with topics such as Creative Writing and Scientific Reasoning, to provide a broadened outlook.  The second year has a financial focus on Accounting, Calculus, Probability and Statistics, together with a look at other subjects such as Sports Psychology.

The third and fourth years see a blend of diverse subjects, including Marketing, Nutrition, Legal and Ethical Concepts in Management, Sports Events Planning and Promotion and Sports Journalism. Along with a wide-ranging choice of electives in the final year, you’ll also have the option to do an integrated internship in Sports Management, extending your knowledge and expertise in a specialist area of your choice.

As a RIASA Student-Athlete, you will have the opportunity to play against professional academy teams across Europe on our annual tour to countries such as Finland, Slovenia, Latvia, Sweden and more.

Top 5 reasons to study this programme:

  • Gain all-round knowledge of International Sports Management which will equip you for a career in the sports industry anywhere in the world
  • Develop your soccer skills as you train with professional UEFA A licensed coaches and gain highly valued soccer coaching qualification
  • Gain practical experience through an integrated internship in International Sports Management, enhancing your career options
  • Benefit from membership of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) while you study, providing resource portals, ManagementDirect and an employment opportunities database
  • Opportunities for trials with clubs in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Slovenia & Latvia

  • After you graduate

    Career Paths

    Professional Football, Coaching, Sports Management, Sports Promotion, Sales and Marketing

  • Career Support

    We offer career support and advice through our Careers & Internships Office that will assist and guide you in your study choices to make sure you stand out from the crowd when you graduate. Through internships you will gain business acumen, beneficial work experiences and transferable skills which will give you a competitive advantage in a fast-paced working environment.

  • Study Abroad

    Whether you’re studying in another country, or studying here at the university in London, with Richmond University you have the opportunity to study abroad. That could mean trying out university in London for a semester to a year, studying overseas at any of our partner locations across the world, or taking part in a world internship – designed to give you the experience you need to complement your programme.

Modules Breakdown

Football Training and Coaching

Football training and coaching sessions with FA and UEFA qualified coaching staff four times a week (2 hours per training session) in modern, state of the art training facilities with a minimum of one scheduled League match each week.

YEAR 1
YEAR 2
YEAR 3
YEAR 4
Foundations of Business Introduction to Sports Business Sport Economics Coaching and Team Management
Functions and Applications Financial Accounting Corporate Finance Senior Project in Business
Sport and Society Managerial Accounting Research Methods Sport Law
Transitions I Introduction to Microeconomics Legal and Ethical Concepts in Management Talent Identification: Principles and Practice
Transitions II Introduction to Sports Psychology Principles of Marketing Team and Leadership Dynamics in Sport and Coaching
Scientific Reasoning Computer Applications in Management Exercise Nutrition and Lifestyle Management Sports Marketing
Creative Expression Probability & Statistics I Sports Events Planning and Promotion Sports Finance
Research and Writing I Research and Writing II Sports Management  
2 QCF Level 3 Electives      
  2 QCF Level 4 Electives    
YEAR 1
YEAR 2
YEAR 3
YEAR 4
History of Football Intercultural Communications Sport in Documentary Film Plus three of the following OR Internship and one of the following
    Sports Journalism PR and Self-Presentation in the Media
      Foreign Trade Policy
      World Internship in Sport Management (6 CREDITS)
      Internship in Sport Management (6 CREDITS)
      Competition and Strategy
      Marketing Planning and Strategy
      Policy Making in the Globalized World

Entry Requirements

☐ A Level: 96 UCAS points

☐ US High School Diploma (or equivalent): 2.5 GPA minimum (on 4.0 scale)

☐ International Baccalaureate: 24 IB points (year 1) BTEC National Diploma: MMM.

☐ Completion of Year 12-13 International equivalent secondary school qualification with a minimum grade average of grade of C including mathematics and English

English Language Requirements (Non Native English Speakers)

Qualification

Undergraduate

Validity Period

IELTS (Academic)

5.5 with 5.5 in Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing

2 Years

TOEFL IBT

72 with 17 Listening, 18 in Reading, 17 Writing, 20 Speaking

2 Years

Pearson Test of English

51 with 51 in each component

2 Years

First, Advanced, Proficiency – taken after January 2015

162 overall (no less than 162 in each component)

No Expiry

Cambridge First: Advantage, Proficiency – taken before January 2015

Cambridge First: Grade B overall (No less than B in any component)

No Expiry
 

Cambridge Advanced: Grade C (no less than C in any component) less than C in any component)

No Expiry
 

Cambridge Proficiency: Level C1 certificate

No Expiry

How to apply

Once you have been accepted on the Soccer programmme www.riasasoccer.org, you can apply directly to Richmond using our online application system. In order to submit a complete application you will need the following information:

  • Apply to the Soccer Programme on RIASA website
  • Once accepted complete Richmond’s Direct Application Form
  • Details of your education history, including the dates of all exams/assessments
  • The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively an electronic copy of your academic reference
  • A personal statement – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online
  • An electronic copy of your in-process or completed transcript or high school certificate
  • An athletic-soccer training video or attend a RIASA ID Camp
  • Physical Evaluation Form

When to apply

We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible even if you are completing your undergraduate programme of study.

Selection process

Admission is determined by your academic qualification (your achievement in high school or secondary school), your athletic review, which consists of an attendance at one of the RIASA ID Camps or evaluation of your submitted athletic training video and your completed physical evaluation form.

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  • The programme is recognised in the US via our MSCHE accreditation.
  • Major
  • US Federal Aid is available

Full Time 3-4 Years

Including one year at QCF Level 3
(subject to credit transfer)

Contact our admissions team for more details:
admissions@richmond.ac.uk

Please note: Non US students are eligible

Useful Links

Programme Specification
How to apply
Scholarships
Careers & Internships

Undergraduate Prospectus

What our students say

My experience at RIASA has been nothing short of amazing. I have been able to grow as an individual in scholarly knowledge through the continued support from my lecturers, made possible via the small class sizes that ensured specialized attention in the sessions. Outside the classroom, the programme grew me as an athlete, as I navigated the semi-professional football scene in England with fellow teammates who have now become like brothers to me. I have over the years been equipped with valuable skills in time management, discipline and planning. I didn’t just get a degree, I was wholly built up to be a competitive and competent individual in my further studies and the professional work-space.

I am currently doing my Master’s degree in Sport Business at Leeds Beckett University. I hope to further my knowledge in running a successful sporting business and by God’s grace, bring some much needed development in the football academy system in my home country, Kenya.

RIASA provided me the opportunity to experience substantial personal growth in every aspect of my life. I graduated as a completely different person than the one who stepped in as a Freshman. I experienced the day-to-day dynamics of a diverse, multicultural atmosphere both at practice and in our accommodation. RIASA will aid in your development as you become your best self.

Making the decision to study abroad was just as hard as deciding what to study in the first place; however after looking back on my four years I spent studying International Sports Management in England, I couldn’t imagine doing it anywhere else.

Along with my studies, I was also playing at a high level of football (soccer). Being able to continue my playing career while studying was very important to me, and being able to do so in a country that lives and breathes the sport was a dream come true. The RIASA programme in Leeds gave me the chance to do both and to meet some lifelong friends as well.

The experiences of living in another country and adapting to its culture continue to be invaluable to me back home. It is an understatement to say the least, that it pushed me outside my comfort zone. This required massive personal growth on my part to meet the challenges and demands living in a new country faced.

The teaching staff were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, if any assistance was needed they were more than happy to help either through email or face to face before or after class.

When I reflect on the time I spent at RIASA, I can’t help but be thankful for the opportunity of learning from some of the best academics and football managers. A great academic staff that were always supportive and who challenged me to achieve my full potential as a student and athlete.

After graduating from RIASA, I got a Master’s degree in Marketing Management in Barcelona while working at a marketing company. Currently, I own a digital marketing agency where we help our clients promote their apps for maximum user engagement.

My time at RIASA was a huge turning point. I learned skills that continue to be valuable in life and business.  A unique and invaluable experience all-round.

Where to find us

RIASA

218-221 Priestley Hall
Leeds Beckett University
Headingley Campus
Leeds
LS6 3QS