At UCFB we are dedicated to the delivery of undergraduate degree courses and postgraduate programmes in the operational and business facets of the football business and wider sports industries, which responds to football’s status as a global multi-billion pound industry that requires specific administrative, management and operational skills and capabilities.

UCFB is located in two state-of-the-art iconic and inspiring locations. UCFB Wembley is located in the leading world-class stadium and spiritual home of English football and sports. Our second campus located at Burnley Football Club, Turf Moor stadium maintains its importance in the global football world as one of the few founding members of the football industry in 1882. This combined heritage provides UCFB students with a unique student experience and to live, learn and work within the football and sports industry during the period of their studies. Football is a worldwide economic and social, as well as sporting phenomenon. It is important to understand its evolution into the modern game and to look ahead to the next innovations. There are many jobs in the football and sports industry but they will increasingly require a combination of graduate qualifications, practical work experience, business imagination and a commitment to continuing professional development (CPD).

Football stadia are now being seen as leisure and entertainment venues where football is a component and not just ‘the only show in town’. For example, at The FA Cup Final match-day, Wembley employs circa 5,022 people, but only 22 are on the pitch. We should consider what the roles of the other 5,000 people are on event day. To facilitate 90,000 people in and out of the building is a highly coordinated and complex operation.

Over half of Wembley Stadium’s event calendar is football-related. Approximately 5% of positions in the industry exist within the Club environment and the majority of opportunities exist outside within organisations such as Nike, Puma, Sky Sports, Castrol, Coca Cola – all the way towards more localised and regional businesses.

Transferability of skills

Many students at UCFB have career aspirations outside of the sports industries and merely wish to learn a traditional academic subject such as a finance degree in the context of something in which they are passionate and have empathy for. Like all things, education is all about motivation and the opportunity for students to read a finance degree within an inspirational environment is unique to UCFB at our two campus locations in Wembley Stadium and Burnley FC’s Turf Moor. A degree certificate is merely an entry ticket in to the job market, allowing a graduate to apply for a job where the minimum entry requirement is to have a degree. No employer will ask what mark you received in your finance or marketing exam in your second year but they will be interested in what your core capabilities and competences are, that you can provide in order to become a valuable member of staff.

UCFB therefore offers degrees, lecture series, workshops and executive speakers as part of its fundamental approach to higher education. Our active involvement in the football and sports industry with organisations such as the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), Scottish Professional Football League, English Premier League, Football League, Football Association (FA), Umbro, BBC Sport, ITV Sport and Sky Sports provides a unique and exclusive undergraduate experience for our students.

Thank you for your interest in becoming part of this pioneering opportunity to understand just how ‘Football IS the Business!’ The UCFB team and I look forward to welcoming you to UCFB. We’ll be meeting you throughout your time at UCFB Wembley and Burnley and sharing in the family pride of graduation day.

Prof. Philip Wilson BA (Hons), MBA
Provost & Chief Executive