National endorsement for University of Chichester’s sport management degree
- Chichester’s BA (Hons) Sport Management degree given accreditation by CIMSPA
- Endorsement from chartered body recognised by industry employers as mark of quality
- Degree students become CIMSPA members and will benefit from improved job prospects
A SPORT course at the University of Chichester has been recognised as one of the UK’s best after it received an official endorsement from a leading body.
The Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity, known as CIMSPA, has given its backing to the BA (Hons) Sport Management degree.
The agreement with the chartered body will provide an official accreditation for the course, which is recognised as a mark of quality by industry employers.
Programme leader Paul Wheeler said the CIMSPA partnership with build on the University’s desire to provide degrees that offer real-world experiences underpinned by evidence-led academic rigour.
He added: “The BA (Hons) sport management degree delivers students a choice of two pathways, from their second year onwards, to specialise in either business or physical activity focused modules to match their career aspirations. Both pathways will provide our students with the essential employability knowledge and skills to help prepare them for employment after graduation.”
While the University of Chichester is already a CIMSPA member, the new endorsement will see the partnership strengthen.
The agreement will also align the BA (Hons) Sport Management’s curriculum with CIMSPA’s standards framework, ensuring students graduate with the qualifications and skills needed to work in the UK’s sports and physical activity industry.
Helen Hiley, the Higher Education Officer at CIMSPA, said: “We want to create a respected and regulated sector. As many begin their journey at university, understanding that their degree is endorsed against employer-led professional standards is continually important.
“Our partnership with the University of Chichester will be strengthened thanks to these degree endorsements. These endorsements allow students to realise their potential by having a clear route into and through our sector.”
For the partnership, students will become CIMSPA members and get access to free training and learning resources, as well as networking opportunities with the body’s many industry partners for volunteering, placements, and internships.
It builds on the University sports courses’ national reputation, within which 93 per cent of students find employment or undertake further education just six months after graduating.
Professor Mike Lauder, Director of the University’s Institute of Sport, said: “We are delighted that our sport management programmes have received professional endorsement from CIMSPA. As an Institute, we actively seek professional endorsements across our range of programmes and this endorsement will be the first of many planned programme endorsements with CIMSPA.
“We are committed to providing our students with an outstanding academic experience that is aligned with professional recognition and inextricably linked to the standards required in the employment sector. This endorsement will allow our students to take advantage of the many benefits they stand to receive from their CIMSPA membership such as opportunities to engage in continuous professional development in sport, physical activity and beyond.”
For more about the University of Chichester accreditation with CIMSPA go to www.cimspa.co.uk.
Read how the BA (Hons) Sport Management degree can help students pursue a career in the sports and physical activity industry at www.chi.ac.uk/sport.
