Introducing the Global Institute of Sport

University Campus of Football Business (UCFB) is excited to announce the launch of the Global Institute of Sport (GIS) – its new destination for Master’s degrees and executive education around the world.

Utilising a global network of industry leaders and elite stadium venues, the launch of GIS will also see the addition of a world-class executive education portfolio led by VSI Executive Education (VSI), brand new professional qualifications for students, graduates and sports business people, and an Industry Advisory Board packed with leading names in the world of sport.

GIS will offer current and aspiring sports professionals the chance to excel in the industry with a number of university degrees and specialist programmes spanning leadership, business, and coaching delivered by some of the most experienced and respected practitioners in world sport.

Find out more about the Global Institute of Sport's portfolio of programmes Postgraduate degrees Executive education courses Professional qualifications

Brand new benefits to GIS students and alumni will include:

The chance to access short courses and professional qualifications including Leading Sporting Organisations and Professional Media Training, at a discounted price to further enhance their skillset
Access to an exclusive La Liga Summit, with guest speakers including club officials, coaches and league representatives
Oversight from a leading Industry Advisory Board, allowing students to benefit from the network of sports executives from across four continents
Increased cross-campus networking opportunities between students based at Wembley, Etihad Campus and online.

Students will learn at some of the world’s leading sports destinations as part of their studies, including UCFB’s existing campus locations in London and Manchester, which include Wembley and Etihad stadiums respectively.

Further first-class stadium surroundings include GIS Study Hubs at Red Bull Arena in New York Metro, Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Toronto FC’s BMO Field and the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where annual GIS Sports Summits are hosted. Some degree programmes are also available to study online, allowing students greater flexibility around their studies.

GIS students will also have the opportunity to attend an exclusive La Liga Summit for the first time in 2020/21 to grow their network and understanding of Spanish football.

Commenting on the organisation’s launch, GIS President Sharona Friedman said: “The launch of the Global Institute of Sport is the culmination of several years’ work to build the best Master’s-level sports education experience in the world.

“We’re proud to present an enviable Industry Advisory Board and Executive Leadership Team spanning four continents to guide our curriculum and mould the future leaders of this sector. We’re providing students with increased networking opportunities between our iconic stadium venues and online, as well as short courses to ensure they have the soft skills that will matter in tomorrow’s market. The education on offer to GIS students will be truly one-of-a-kind and I’m excited to meet our cohort starting in September.”

As part of the launch, GIS has partnered with VSI – a market leader in executive education – and will be offering its leading MSc Sports Directorship degree programme, as well as its CEO of a Sports Organisation and Executive Athlete courses. Alumni of VSI include ECB Director and former England cricketer Ashley Giles, Olympic medal-winning gymnast Beth Tweddle and Zoran Krneta, Sporting Director of Charlotte’s new MLS expansion team.

Having founded UCFB in 2010 and overseen its rapid growth since, GIS Chairman Brendan Flood said: “The introduction of the Global Institute of Sport marks an historic milestone in the journey of UCFB and our postgraduate provision. In our 10th year since our beginnings at Turf Moor in Burnley, we are proud to be delivering world-class higher education across the globe to over 2,500 students. This is is an exciting moment as we diversify further into multi-sport education on four continents.

“Having admired what VSI has been doing for many years, we’re delighted to partner with them to provide unique executive education for sport. Their addition to the UCFB and GIS family solidifies our place as the go-to organisation for lifelong learning in sport globally.”

As part of the launch, four GIS Networking Centres in Dubai, Mumbai, Shanghai and Singapore will also open for events to allow students and alumni the chance to expand their contacts base, as well as enable these destinations to take their respective sports industries to the next level through GIS’ executive education portfolio.

Questions about GIS? Check out our FAQ guide

GIS will be home to UCFB’s Master’s degree programmes from September 2020, whilst undergraduate programmes will remain under the UCFB banner.

For press enquiries, please contact Neil Hawkins, Senior Marketing Communications Executive at UCFB at n.hawkins@ucfb.com.

For more information, please visit www.GIS.sport.

Download the brand new Global Institute of Sport prospectus Download