Sports History and Culture MA

This online distance learning course will develop your understanding of all aspects of the history of sport, taught by experts from the International Centre for Sports History and Culture, the only centre of its kind in the world. Our well-established Sports History and Culture MA will give you a firm grounding in modern sports development, from traditional forms to present day practices. This is a flexible and interactive programme that, thanks to its close links with the International Centre for Sports History and Culture (ICSHC), ensures your learning is at the cutting edge of research in this area. You will investigate the origins of modern sport, examine its cultural and global significance, discover how sport can help us understand society and different communities, as well as consider how historians of sport can use primary sources. The scope of the course is global, not only analysing how modern sport spread from its British origins, but also how other nations embraced sport within their own cultural contexts. While you will study via online lectures and study materials, you will also be invited to attend seminars and conferences organised by the ICSHC and partnership groups such as the British Society of Sports History and the European Committee for Sports History. These partnerships, coupled with our academic team’s expertise and real-world experience, will provide you with a challenging and rewarding intellectual experience. Alongside gaining a deep understanding of the history of sport, you will develop skills in independent research by producing sustained pieces of writing and primary source analysis assignments. As a graduate, you will be ideally placed for a career in sports writing, sport development, management, the media, teaching or to undertake PhD research.

You should have the equivalent or above of a 2:2 UK bachelors honours degree in a relevant subject such as history, other humanities-based subjects, sports studies or sociology. We welcome applications from a wide sector and all non-standard applications will be carefully considered.