“FIFA Master” Academic Partner Awarded GOLD Status in Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)

In July 2017, De Montfort University who deliver the first module of the “FIFA Master” - International MA in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport course, received the highly significant news that it had been awarded the highest possible rating of GOLD in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). TEF is the British Government’s assessment of universities teaching quality and student experience.

The TEF assessment panel highlighted factors such as the way employability is embedded in the curriculum in every faculty, the way that real-world research feeds into student learning, the outstanding student support on offer at the university and a culture which encourages, recognises and rewards excellence in teaching.

The GOLD TEF rating places De Montfort University in an elite band of only 30% of UK universities who achieved the same status in the government assessment.

De Montfort University Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dominic Shellard, was able to share the outstanding news as a special guest during the graduation ceremony for the 17th edition “FIFA Master” class. Prof. Shellard, who has also recently joined the English Football Association Council, was joined during this special visit to CIES by Chairman of the Board of Governors at De Montfort University, Mr Ian Blatchford, Pro Vice-Chancellor for International, James Gardner, and the Vice-Chancellor's Chief of Staff, Simon Ambrose.

The CIES was delighted to be able to welcome such an important delegation to Neuchâtel as part of the end of year graduation events.

De Montfort University is the home of the International Centre for Sports History and Culture (ICSHC) which is today widely acknowledged as the leading centre for the study of sports history in the world. The ICSHC delivers the first module of the “FIFA Master” each year on the Humanities of Sport, with teaching led by Scientific Directors Prof. Martin Polley (Centre Director) and Prof. Pierre Lanfranchi. Overall module Co-ordination is provided by Mr James Panter.

The ranking success followed further awards news earlier in the year that the “FIFA Master” had again been ranked as the No.1 course in Europe for 2017 by the SportBusiness International global survey for an unprecedented fifth time.

The CIES extends its congratulations to everybody at De Montfort University on its outstanding achievement of GOLD status in the Teaching Excellence Framework.