FIFA Master Award – No. 1 in the World

The strengths of the FIFA Master in the key areas of graduate employability, alumni networks, quality of teaching and international appeal has seen the programme named as the top postgraduate sports management course in the world by SportBusiness International in their 2014 rankings.

At a special awards ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Wednesday evening (7th May) CIES Director Prof. Denis Oswald received the prestigious award on behalf of the course Scientific Committee from SportBusiness International representatives and British Olympian Colin Jackson CBE. The awards evening was part of the WISE Work in Sports international convention.

Established in 2000, the FIFA Master scooped the top global award at this year’s ceremony, having previously been named as the leading course in Europe by the same rankings in both 2012 and 2013. More than 500 international sport management courses and alumni submitted data to the 2014 rankings process.

CIES President Bertrand Reeb expressed his delight at the award and also the contribution of the course Scientific Committee and co-ordination teams. He said, “I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who contributes to the great success of the FIFA Master year after year. Without their involvement this would never have been possible. Thank you!”

Vincent Schatzmann, CIES General Secretary, added, “To be ranked as the best sports management programme in the world is a fantastic achievement. This result is both a reward and an encouragement. It rewards the hard work of the CIES scientific and administrative teams and especially the work of the professors at our partner universities of the FIFA Master.”

The programme is organised by the CIES in partnership with the International Centre for Sports History and Culture at De Montfort University (United Kingdom), SDA Bocconi School of Management (Italy) and the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland). FIFA Master postgraduates study modules on the humanities of sport, sports management and sports law in three different European countries as they equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and skills for a career in international sport management.

As noted by the 2014 SportBusiness International Award judges, key strengths of the FIFA Master are the quality of the course alumni networks, which now include over 400 alumni, and also the success of FIFA course graduates now working in international sport. Today, more than 90% of the course graduates are working in the sports industry for organisations that include FIFA, the IOC, the International Federation of Basketball (FIBA), the International Ski Federation (FIS), Adidas, IMG, and Sauber Formula 1 Team.

We are extremely proud of their achievements and this award is as much for them as it is for the academic and co-ordination teams of the course partners in Switzerland, Italy and the United Kingdom.