Congratulations on securing a place on the MSc Sports Business and Management programme! We are very much looking forward to welcoming you to our thriving learning and research community at the University of Liverpool Management School.
My name is Dr Sue Minten and I am a Senior Lecturer Sports Business.
My PhD examined graduate employability in the sports industry, focusing on transition into the workplace and I also have an MSc in Leadership Practice and Responsibility and an MBA. My research focuses on organisational culture and leadership within the sports industry as well as graduate careers in sport.
Prior to entering academia I worked in sports facilities management and am still actively involved in the sports industry as a community director and board member for Burnley Leisure Trust. I also deliver executive education in leadership for organisations such as the Football League Managers Association, the Professional Cricketers Association and a number of small businesses.
I sincerely look forward to welcoming you to Liverpool, where, alongside the Sports Business and Management team, I hope to share my insights and perspectives and encourage you to discuss and debate ideas around the business of sport, and the opportunities and challenges facing the sector.
Before starting the programme, try to familiarise yourself with the threats and trends currently evident in the sports industry. What are the foundations of the opportunities? (i.e. technological) and what of the threats (maybe technological too?). If you have time to read, choose an autobiography of a sports leader or international athlete. This will help familiarise you with the ‘cultural context’ of sport, crucial for our first module ‘global context of sports business’.
MSc Sports Business and Management is a tough programme. PG study is a big step from undergraduate studies in general, but this programme is designed to push you at a pace aligned with industry practice. Many of your assessments will be “authentic assessments” which means they will be derived from real-world tasks and projects from real sports organisations. There are no “right answers” and many of your marks will come from the strategy and approach you design and implement to complete the task and your engagement with the latest academic research. In this sense, you have to work at pace, but also have the conviction and drive to plan and push ahead with your own evidence-based ideas that enable you to be persuasive in your communication.
At Liverpool, whether on campus or online, you will have the opportunity to engage with leaders from across the sports industry who will offer their ‘Expert Insights’ to help you develop your learning. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or if there is anything you would like to discuss.
I look forward to welcoming you soon!
Back to: Management School