What course are you currently studying?
I am currently studying towards an MSc in Sports Business and Management.
Why did you choose to study a master’s at the University of Liverpool Management School?
I chose to study here following my four years of undergraduate, achieving a First Class Degree in Marketing BA with Industry. It was the best four years of my life in an environment that exemplifies everything I adore about the city I’m from. The support staff, module coordinators, lecturers and coursemates all contribute to an institution that is second-to-none in a city that is second-to-none.
What’s the best thing about studying your programme?
The best thing about studying for an MSc in Sports Business and Management is the real progression from undergraduate level that you can see in all your modules. Undergraduate in the Management School is where you explore and analyse theory and concepts, and postgraduate is where you learn how to apply these to real-world, dynamic projects and case studies. All of the module leaders have vast experience in the sports world, working with incredibly successful businesses and institutions, and to be able to learn from the best of the best is a privilege.
How do the facilities in the University and the Management School help you with your studies?
The facilities in the University are the perfect balance of work and leisure. The Management School specifically treat us incredibly well, with friendly staff and easy choices for dinner, or a morning coffee for the 9am sessions that we definitely all love…
The Guild of Students houses a vast area for a more relaxed study space during the day, transforming into a great bar to start your nights out in the evening! Beyond that, everything you possibly need while you’re on campus can be found within a 10-minute walk from University Square.
Having now five years’ worth of experience with these facilities, it’s safe to say I wouldn’t have done half as well in my studies without them.
What kind of support do you get from academic staff and tutors?
As I briefly mentioned earlier, our academic staff in the Management School are absolutely invaluable to the University.
From my undergraduate directors who helped to shape and guide me when I was unsure what I really wanted to do after my degree, to our current postgraduate directors - Dr Parnell and Dr Cockayne - who have provided me with personal inspiration and support and have truly gone above and beyond anything I’d have expected from them.
Dr Cockayne helped to support me at the beginning of the year during a tough time personally, and without realising it, he completely reignited my passion for the course and kept my spirits high. Dr Parnell is an incredibly talented motivator who has managed to bring a wholly international cohort to sing from the same hymn sheet, all the while fostering close relationships with all of us.
I truly can’t speak highly enough of all of the staff involved with the programme. They’ve delivered insightful sessions every week and made all of the content exciting.
Have you accessed any of the support services available to you, such as the School’s postgraduate careers team? If so, how did you find the service?
I utilised the careers service as an undergraduate and found them to be tremendously helpful in shaping my loose ideas into a coherent plan for what I wanted to achieve after I graduate, and alongside our Director of Studies Dr Ahmed Al-Abdin, sparked my passion for sports marketing and really helped push me to achieve my goals.
At postgraduate level, the Handshake portal is extremely effective in enabling me to search for opportunities with very narrow parameters, ensuring that I can pinpoint the exact jobs I want to explore.
In a more unique experience, my Year in Industry was spent working closely with the mental wellbeing services in a Project Team spanning Higher Education institutions (HEIs) in Liverpool. The services that the University have in this regard are filled with inspiring people who go above and beyond to help students with any problems or stresses they are encountering.
What do you enjoy most about the whole experience and what value has that added?
The most enjoyable part of the year on the Sports Business and Management MSc is undoubtedly the camaraderie I have built up with my project group throughout the year. Coming from four different countries and vastly different backgrounds, we have grown incredibly close over the year and, all the while achieving high marks in all of our projects, developed both as a close professional network and as best friends.
This extends to the wider cohort also, where I have been blessed to meet incredible people with varied backgrounds that have gone from total strangers, to close friends. The network we have all gained from the year is absolutely invaluable and I truly hope we can all stay in touch as we watch our careers grow.
On a personal note, the unbridled joy I get from people from such varied backgrounds coming to the city I have grown up in and cherish saying that they love it in Liverpool never gets old. Whether it’s the Scousers, the pubs, the restaurants or my beloved Everton, it always puts a smile on my face.
Were you involved in any extra-curricular activities outside of the Management School?
Alongside my master’s study, I was fortunate enough to be elected to be the President of the University of Liverpool Golf Club, which remains the biggest honour I have ever received. To be trusted by my team to lead them was a privilege. Combining the running of one of the High Performance sports teams at the University of Liverpool was a challenge, but it was incredibly fulfilling to flourish both academically and athletically.
Given that it’s the year of the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool, the Golf team at the University of Liverpool has taken centre-stage in the collegiate sports world. We have been volunteering, caddying, playing and representing Royal Liverpool Golf Club as our home club and it has been an incredible year. I had the pleasure to host an ‘In Conversation with… The R&A’ session for our cohort where my fellow students took a look into my world in golf and gleaned valuable insights into just what happens when planning an Open Championship, the session was very well-attended and incredibly rewarding.
I have had a year of cultivating friendships I know will last for the rest of my life. Combining that with the incredible opportunities that the Sports Business and Management MSc gives us, I know I’ll look back on this year as the best decision I ever made.
To be a part of a sports team at University is the best thing you can do and I’d implore everyone coming to study in the Sports Business and Management MSc to get involved with one of our amazing teams. Whether you want to play competitively or socially, there is an opportunity for everyone.
How do you believe undertaking master’s study will help your career prospects?
Undertaking a master’s has absolutely boosted my career prospects, there’s no doubt in my mind. It has helped me really hone in on what I want to do straight after University, by giving us exciting projects to work on that touch upon every facet of the sports business sphere. It’s allowed all of us access to a network and connections that simply isn’t possible in any other environment - as well as opportunities to connect with various companies for roles that give us a kickstart into our careers.
Beyond that, it allows us to specialise in many different areas through highly independent projects where we can really follow our interests. Whether it be golf like myself, others may choose to conduct their work on football finance, rugby performance etc. The vast majority of work allows for great levels of flexibility.
What advice would you give to anybody considering master’s study?
The most important piece of advice I can give is simply this: go for it. The entire experience of a master’s at Liverpool is incredible, from the people you’ll meet to the places you’ll visit.
A master’s is where you can really specialise in your passions and explore the real world of the theory you’ve been studying. And that leads me on to the second bit of advice I’d give, which is that you really need to enhance your time on the course by reading up-to-date journals and research to see how the field you wish to start your career will evolve. It’s no good if, by the time you finish your master’s, you’re a year behind the current research and happenings in your field.
Lastly, to those coming to Liverpool to study, you’re coming to the best city in the world, so embrace it wholly, and it’ll love you back.
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