Sports Business MBA

Programme overview

Would you like to be a stakeholder in the sports world? Would you like to enrich your knowledge? Would you like to change your career? Sports Business MBA by EB Institute equips students with advanced professional knowledge and skills in the field of sports business management.

Taught jointly by Euroleague Basketball Institute and Vytautas Magnus University, it is truly international educational project, benefiting from an extensive global network of academicians, industry leaders, experts and social partners for contemporary sports business and world-class online learning opportunities.

During three 20 week semesters spread over 15 months students will complete 90 ECTS credits.

Students will obtain both a systemic understanding and working knowledge of all major areas of sports business and management: Marketing, Finance, Media and Communication, Law, Strategy and Economics. Students will complete an Internship and Term paper where they will apply the knowledge obtained in a sports business context.

Students will bring their studies to an end by preparing an MBA Thesis adopting modern research methods to solve practical problems in the sports business.

Provision of information will be given using visual aids, case-based lectures, explanation of practical examples and issues, explanation of video examples, formulation and explanation of practical tasks, moderation of discussion, consulting independent work: search for and analysis of information presented in educational literature, periodicals, etc., case analysis preparation and performance of practical tasks.

The first session is being held at the Euroleague Basketball Headquarters in Barcelona. The second session is being held in Vytautas Magnus University and plus on-site visit at Žalgiris Kaunas. The third session is being held in the host city of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. The fourth session is being held again in Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas.

Please find more information about the programme and admission procedure here

Feedback of lecturers and students

VMU has always been a globally focused university and we are very glad that this has been recognised and appreciated by Euroleague Basketball, Europe’s top-level basketball competition organiser.
Prof. dr. Juozas Augutis, the rector of Vytautas Magnus University

Alumni testimonials and interviews

Competencies acquired

Upon completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:

• Understand the principles and structures of different sports business systems and can make effective decisions in diverse organizational contexts.
• Understand the specifics of sports marketing and communication and be able to adopt adequate strategies and instruments both in traditional and digital media environments.
• Understand the diversity of legal entities, contracts, tax provisions, dispute settlement, instruments for legal protection available to sports organizations.
• Understand the economic rationale behind the functioning of diverse sports business systems, analyse financial data and streams, and make financially informed business decisions.
• Have a systemic understanding of different management aspects of sports organizations.
• Formulate and implement business development strategies of sports organizations by adopting innovative business models and mobilising the important stakeholder groups.
• Professionally debate and work in team, co-operate in project teams, to manage them, to make decisions and to take responsibility for results.
• Provide systemic, creative and critical solutions to complex management problems based on the norms of ethics and social responsibility.

Career opportunities

The study programme qualifies students for a wide scope of positions in the sports organizations, ranging from management of professional clubs, businesses in sports-related industries to managing professional sports associations and other system-level bodies (e.g. federations, sports leagues and competitions in private, governmental, and NGOs sectors: manage business companies in middle and higher level; take positions of management in sports federations and associations, in professional and nonprofessional sports clubs, in advertising and other project management; work as sporting goods and service sales manager; as business analyst in certain sports sectors; as business process analyst; as sports services manager / agent; as sports organizations representative of public relations; as sports journalist; as sports sponsorship; as ERP consultant.

Programme structure

Curriculum

Please find more information about the programme here

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor degree diploma in the field of Social Sciences
• Proof of English Language: applicant has to present document proving B2 level (TOEFL 87-109 iBT/534-633 PBT, IELTS 5-6,5, Cambridge English First (FCE) 161-180, BEC Vantage 161-180, Michigan ECCE (min. 650), PTE General Level 3, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785, TOEIC Speaking & Writing 310, Duolingo 100-125, EnglishScore 400-499) if the applicant is not native speaker and/or had not received education in English.
• Motivation letter.
• Admission score counting is based on: Arithmetic average of Bachelor degree diploma supplement * 0.7 + motivation letter * 0.3.