As we near the 100 day countdown (April 27) to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio on August 5, excellence in sport and sports management are firmly in the spotlight.
With 10,500 athletes from 206 countries competing, 7.5 million tickets available, 6,500 direct local employees and more than 100,000 volunteers and outsourced staff at this year’s Games alone, the scale of the global sporting industry, and the professional workforce which fuels it, is indisputable.
“From local sporting clubs through to elite level teams and individual competitors, high-level sporting success starts off the field, beyond the pitch and outside the stadium with strong sports management,” said Gregory Harper, Pro Vice Chancellor for Business at Torrens University Australia which delivers two industry aligned programs in Sports Management.
“From visionary leadership to identifying and nurturing potential, building community support, brokering broadcast deals and securing sponsorships, the demands on today’s sports management personnel are enormous and constantly evolving.
“The global sports industry is currently estimated to be worth approximately US$145 billion, with annual compound growth of around 3.7%. In Australia alone, the industry is worth over $15.5 billion – a figure expected to increase by another $2 billion over the next 5 years.
“As a result of this ongoing growth, and the cultural and economic influence of sport increasingly crossing global boundaries, the industry now more than ever requires qualified professionals with sports-focused expertise in business, management, finance and communications to drive the commercial side of the industry’s performance,” explained Mr. Harper.
To meet this growth in demand in Australia and internationally, Torrens University Australia offers two specialist Sports Management programs including a Bachelor of Business (Sports Management), and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Sports Management – the latter of which is delivered in conjunction with the Real Madrid Graduate School and sees students graduate with a joint degree from both institutions.
The Real Madrid Graduate School is a collaboration between Universidad Europea de Madrid and the iconic Real Madrid Football Club, which has established itself as one of the world’s top 10 Sports Management MBA programs. Students enrolled in the program will spend two weeks at Real Madrid Graduate School gaining hands-on experience at an elite level at the famous football club in an authentic example of Torrens University’s focus on ‘learning through doing’.
“We are a nation obsessed with sport and we are one of the world’s top 10 performers when it comes to competitive sports and sports success,“ explained Mr Harper.
“To ensure the future success of the industry and drive forward Australia’s strength in sport, we need industry innovators – just as we do in all fields of business.”
Torrens University Australia’s Sports Management programs specifically address industry needs, covering aspects including management and operation of sports venues, entrepreneurship, sustainability and social responsibility in sport and sports marketing to equip graduates with the knowhow to boost their employability – from day one.
In addition, flexible, online delivery options help professionals, club administrators and even sports players to juggle study with their busy work and lifestyles.
For more information on how to succeed in the dynamic Sports Management sector and Torrens University’s Sports Management programs, visit www.torrens.edu.au/courses/sports-management
Trimester 2 (June 2016) enrollments are open now, with some limited scholarships still available, on merit.
About Torrens University Australia. As Australia’s 40th comprehensive University, Torrens University Australia aims to deliver an innovative environment for learning, scholarship and research that is culturally diverse, career-oriented, and with a distinctive global perspective. Offering a range of undergraduate, postgraduate and higher degree by research programs – for study on-campus, online or a mix of both depending on the program selected – Torrens University Australia is a part of Laureate International Universities, with more than 1,000,000 students at 80 institutions in 28 countries.