Many professional footballers would like to combine their active football career with education. But where can you find an educational programme which will fit in with your active career? Because your football career should not have to suffer due to the hours you have to put into your educational programme! Training camps, matches abroad and injuries are just three examples of how important it is for you to be flexible. Traditional full time educational programmes simply cannot be combined with your football career.

FIFPro has developed an educational programme with the Danish University UCN which can be combined with your sports career. This programme is especially designed for footballers to be able to follow an educational programme alongside their football career. The lessons will be given when it suits you, online in a virtual class with a real teacher. If you cannot attend because of training or your match schedule, all lessons are recorded so that you can follow them at another time! This gives you all the freedom you need as professional football player. After finishing the programme, you will receive a BA-degree in Sport Management!

Studying anytime, anywhere!

This educational programme offers you complete freedom to study when it suits you best. You will have your own tutor to keep a close eye on your study progress and motivate you when needed. You can always contact your tutor with any questions.

The course is related to the sports industry and examples are all taken from the sports business. This makes it even easier for you to empathize with the subjects!

Andy Hughes (Scunthorpe Utd FC, England):

"To be able to obtain a degree by Distance Learning while still playing at Leeds United was a big advantage for me. The course was very flexible and I could choose when and how much work I wanted to do in any given week, which was always subject to the number of games we had. I was able to contact my tutors for assistance and advice whenever I was unsure about a particular element of the course. The interaction with other players doing the course also provided great support.

Learning online is hard work and you need to be committed, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to other players. To know I have a Degree under my belt before my playing days are over certainly takes the pressure off. When the time comes for me to hang up my boots and look for an alternative career I know my CV will look good and make me even more attractive to prospective employers."

Joost Broerse(APOEL Nicosia, Cyprus):

"During my first year at the Online Academy I was transferred from Holland to Cyprus. Because of the flexibility of the online courses, this was no problem for my education. Studying in Cyprus is similar to studying in Holland, I follow the courses the same way and I contact my teachers and fellow students like I did in Holland. This transfer has proven the advantage of online studying for footballers to me!"

The educational Sport Management programme runs over 7 semesters.

Courses that are given during the programme -

• Sport Marketing
• Leadership
  
• Human Research Management
• Sport Management
• Sport Law
• English

Possible professions -

• Sport Consultant
• Club Manager
• Key Account Manager
• Sport Marketing Co-ordinator
• Sport Executive
• Event Co-ordinator

All students have to complete an internship in semester 3 and semester 7 (both 13 weeks). The FIFPro Online Academy is working with UCN to build up a network of clubs and sports organizations for student internships. Maybe even your own club will give you the opportunity to do your internship there!

The 7 semesters will take you approximately 4 years to finish before you receive your BA degree in Sport Management.

You need at least the Leaving Cert to join the FIFPro Online Academy. All courses are given in English. To make sure your level of English is good enough to follow the courses, we will give you an English test. If your English needs to be improved, we will offer you a summer course in English!

All you need to follow courses in the FIFPro Online Academy virtual classroom is a laptop with an internet connection, a headset and a webcam!

Exams will be taken by Skype, in the virtual class or at a university near your home. Thanks to these solutions there is almost no travelling involved in the Sport Management programme at the FIFPro Online Academy.

After semester 1, costs will be around €200 per semester for your books (except for semester 3&7 when you do your internship)

For more information please contact your union -

Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland
Room 214 Players' Union Offices
National Sports Campus
Abbotstown
Dublin 15

Tel:   + 353 1 899 9350
Email:   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it