International Centre for
Sports Studies
Avenue DuPeyrou 1
2000 Neuchâtel
Switzerland
Tel +41 32 718 39 00

Course Programme

Overview

The FIFA Master is a one year postgraduate sports executive programme that consists of three modules that are taught across three prestigious universities in Europe, and concluding with a final project.

The three modules and the respective universities at which they are taught are:

Humanities of Sport - The first term is taught at the International Centre for Sport History and Culture (ICSHC) at the De Montfort University, Leicester. The ICSHC was established in 1996 and is today widely acknowledged as the leading centre for the study of sports history in the world. The Humanities of Sport modules addresses the birth of modern sport, professionalisation and internationalisation of sport and sport ethics.
Sport Management - The second term is taught at the SDA Bocconi School of Management, Milan, one of Europe's most prestigious business schools. This term addresses the area of Sports Management and covers topics such as finance, marketing, organization and governance, strategy, business planning, and event management, applied to the context of sport.
Sport Law - The third and final term is taught at the Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, whose Law Faculty is one of the top law faculties in Switzerland. This term addresses the area of Sports Law and focuses, in particular, on the organisation of world sport, the legal aspect of events, dispute resolution in sport, and ethical issues.

The Final Project is seen as an opportunity for postgraduates to conduct original research, demonstrate creativity and independent thinking, as well as to develop and defend their ideas. Working in a small research team, postgraduates develop an inter-disciplinary research project with reference to the course themes of Management, Law and the Humanities of Sport. The final work, which is expected to have an applicable nature to issues faced in world sport, is presented to a specially invited audience of industry and academic experts during a special conference event in Neuchâtel. Previous Final Projects have been implemented directly by sports organizations or by course Alumni in the sports industry.

Our postgraduates are examined throughout the course by a variety of assessment methods. These include group assessments, written examinations, oral examinations, and research papers. The assessment timetable is devised by each of the three partner universities.