Listed below are the opportunities available to you outside of your degree programme. Each programme you take part in counts as credit towards earning your exclusive UCFB Award in Football & Sports Leadership.
Personal development
The UCFB Freshers’ Week is created and developed by the Students’ Union and Student Experience teams to ensure that you have a fantastic start to student life at UCFB.
Whether presenting to a board room or giving a press conference, chances are in your sports career you will have to speak in front of a crowd.
Our intimate public speaking classes are led by industry-leading professionals and will develop the way you speak, stand and deliver in these situations.
The training course is intended to help students improve their basic foreign language skills. This covers writing, reading, listening and speaking.
The UCFB Athletic Union enables students to take part in a number of sports during their time here, whether competitive or recreational. We have teams across both campuses for male and female students, including football, rugby, squash and basketball, with more sports being added all the time.
The Students’ Union’s role is to represent UCFB students and make your time here as exciting and rewarding as possible. The SU is also responsible for student involvement around each campus, such as planning unforgettable social events and being the student voice and point of contact with senior management.
With two world-class campuses at UCFB, it’s important to ensure all students utilise the unique facilities and opportunities each one offers. Cross-campus visits also enable students to interact with their peers in another part of the country.
The world’s football and sports industry is now more inclusive than ever, so it’s important all students understand and embrace how different cultures work within it. UCFB is an inclusive institution which promotes equal opportunities for all.
Cutting-edge research shows how important a healthy, balanced diet and state-of-mind is to being a happy, well-rounded individual. With this in mind, we believe it's vital for students to recognise the importance of nutrition and mental health by developing their knowledge in this area.
This challenge provides a range of intense but fun team and leadership activities delivered by Waktu, the experts also used by the Premier League, Manchester United and Burnley FC. Our exclusive higher education agreement sees these challenges run amongst some of the most beautiful yet challenging landscapes in the UK.
Professional development
Students have the opportunity to graduate from UCFB not only with a fantastic university degree, but also an impressive CV with a number of important work experiences in the football and sports industry. Work placements are an important way to improve your employability and utilise your education before beginning a successful career. Placements for UCFB students to date have included positions at Premier League clubs, national governing bodies and sports brands in the UK and abroad. These have also included placements with The National League, its clubs, and the United Soccer League (USL) thanks to just some of UCFB’s exciting industry partnerships.
Get your coaching career off to the best possible start by gaining prestigious FA badges alongside your degree. Your time at UCFB will allow you to train and study for the FA Level 1 Coaching Award and FA Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Football – the first steps on the ladder towards possible UEFA badges.
A potentially lucrative career option, this programme offers UCFB students the chance to learn from the very best on the day-to-day dealings of a sports agent.
This unique programme, led by Neil Doncaster, Chief Executive of the Scottish Professional Football League and a former director of both The Football Association and English Football League puts students’ management skills to the test.
Throughout the academic year, students have opportunities to visit the plethora of world-class stadiums that the UK has to offer. This provides an insight into how a stadium operates for international sporting events. Previous trips have included Old Trafford, Anfield, White Hart Lane, The London Stadium and The Emirates.
Students at UCFB have the opportunity to learn from senior practitioners in the football and sports business. In our Executive Guest Speaker Series, guest speakers visit UCFB to deliver lectures to students on an area of their expertise and to answer questions.
Guest speakers include the Chief Executives of Premier League football clubs, the directors of major corporations, senior figures in football governing bodies and in the core related industries of finance, marketing, media and broadcasting, along with leading journalists, academics and sports professionals.
This event takes place during Freshers’ Week and brings programme related work opportunities and casual jobs to UCFB students. The fairs also offer the opportunity for students to network and enhance their chances of employment.
We’re delighted to be able to offer our students the chance to learn the ropes of match day commentary with The Football Commentary Workshop. Professionals from the likes of Sky Sports visit our campuses, before they then head off to live matches to put the classroom learning into real practice.
During their time at UCFB, students are able to undertake a financial project in order to hone their business acumen and prepare themselves for the multi-billion-pound football and sports industry.
Football and sport is a truly global business, and as such, students must develop sharp business skills to excel in the sector. Throughout their time at UCFB, students can undertake various programmes in order to refine their sports business capabilities and get ahead of competition before they graduate to ensure that they hit the ground running in the world of work.
This agreement provides students the opportunity to gain valuable work experience across the league’s clubs and divisions throughout the U.S. and Canada, including the USL, North America’s second-division league, the USL’s Division III, a new third-division league launching in the U.S. in 2019, and the Premier Development League (PDL). These work experience opportunities include the chance to manage teams of interns at various clubs, providing invaluable exposure to the world of international sports business, media, coaching and events.
Workshops are in place throughout the academic calendar that focus on improving the skills and competencies of UCFB students in order to be ready for their graduate job-hunter needs.
With the global Esports industry taking the world by storm, there have never been so many opportunities to break into professional gaming. UCFB graduates Brandon Smith and Richard Buckley are already leading the way as Esports commentators and this tournament gives other UCFB students the chance to be involved in the industry.
This incredible event brings together the best in leadership from across the football industry. Figureheads from the world of football management, media and business gather for one day at the epicentre of the national game to deliver a series of talks, seminars and practical sessions to UCFB students.
Expect guests from some of our esteemed partners, including The Football Association, League Managers Association and The National League.
UCFB students will learn football performance analysis on a leading software platform. Industry endorsed and used by leading clubs around the world, you will learn the how to use this game changing technology to identify and develop talent, as well as scout the opposition.
This Dragons’ Den-style competition provides students with the opportunity to compete for real company investment, by presenting their sports business ideas to a panel of sports leaders and field any questions they might have. Previous winners of this competition have gone on to feature on Sky Sports and work with Premier League football clubs.
This annual event brings some of the most recognisable and relevant names from the professional world into the UCFB campuses to outline the jobs they have on offer and what they can do for UCFB students as they graduate. These fairs also offer the opportunity for students to network and enhance their chances of employment.
Academic development
The academic writing workshops will sharpen your skills to produce copy for academic papers and your dissertation, among other vital skills.
Research is an important part of any university degree, especially upon the time to write your dissertation. Here you’ll learn how to research in the most time effective and productive manner in relation to your programme.
UCFB provides an inclusive learning environment. We provide guidance and information for both applicants and current students seeking continuing support for dyslexia, medical conditions, mental health difficulties and other disabilities. Our Learning Support team is happy to discuss your individual needs at any stage of your application and help you to source the right support during your studies.
At UCFB we are dedicated to maximising the career opportunities of all of our students. This is why we offer unparalleled opportunities beyond the learning environment, enhanced by exclusive partnerships with some of the biggest and most influential names and organisations in world sport.
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