Following the exciting announcement that UCFB is to open four new global hubs in New York, Atlanta, Toronto and Melbourne, it’s time to delve into the past and discover UCFB’s journey to this point. It started with an idea in North West England eight years ago…
The worldwide sports industry has a worth upwards of $700bn (US). In the EU alone it employs 1.7m people, and nearly a third of those work in the UK. None of these figures show any sign of slowing down, with new and emerging markets and sectors appearing on a regular basis.
From marketing to coaching, media to finance and event management to hospitality, new roles and new opportunities are consistently presenting themselves. The concept of UCFB was born from the idea of training and teaching ambitious and talented individuals with the knowledge, principles and ideas to fill such roles.
After initially opening at Burnley FC’s Turf Moor in 2011, UCFB opened its second campus, with the iconic Wembley Stadium at its heart, in 2014. The opening of a third campus in Manchester at the state-of-the-art Etihad Campus in 2016 marked a significant step in the growth of UCFB. This was followed by the opening of the Manchester Sports Village teaching facility at Belle Vue in 2019. Today UCFB delivers university degrees from its London and Manchester campuses, whilst our original home at Turf Moor sees BTEC diplomas delivered to sports students.
Our ground breaking partnership with the Real Madrid Graduate School - Universidad Europea allows our MSc International Sport Management students to experience the football and sports industry in another iconic sporting city. But it’s not just in the UK and Europe where UCFB is making great strides. UCFB’s latest announcement, the opening of global hubs in the US, Canada and Australia through unique partnerships, is a world-first initiative that allows students to access the Red Bull Arena in New York, Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, BMO Field in Toronto and the MCG in Melbourne for once-in-a-lifetime learning and networking opportunities with the biggest organisations in world sport.
We’re proud that 90% of our graduates are in employment within six months of graduation, with nearly two thirds working in sport – far above sports graduate averages.
As we continue to deliver on our promise to provide highly qualified, ambitious graduates ready to make an impact in the world of football and sport, we welcome you to be part of the growing UCFB story.
