What studies should I do to work in sports?

Contents

Opportunities

What training do you need to work in sport?

You can pursue a career in sport through a range of courses, from post-baccalaureate to higher education (Bac+3 and Bac+5).

Training to work in sport

A wide range of training courses are available if you want to work in sport.

There are several main categories:

STAPS, sports managementqualifications and diplomas , which are practical training courses in sport, if you wish to teach a sport discipline to people practising it as a teacher or sports coach;
Journalism schools if the student wishes to join a media specialising in sport;
More generalbachelor’s and master’s degrees from business schools and universities will enable students to practise a wide range of sports management professions. In general, the scope is more business-oriented, and the opportunities are wide-ranging, from joining a sports federation to working for a sports equipment manufacturer as a marketing manager or events manager.

Where can I work in sport?

Sport allows you to work in a wide range of private and public structures and organisations, including :

Sports federations and associations;
With athletes or agencies representing athletes ;
Sponsors and brands that sell or produce sports-related equipment and services;
Sports media to become a journalist;
Within local authorities and the Ministry of Sport;
Or sports-related event agencies.

What careers are there in sport?

There is a wide range of jobs available, including marketing manager at Nike, sponsorship manager at Paris Saint Germain, sales manager at Décathlon, lifeguard at a Paris City Hall swimming pool, and manager of a professional sportsperson.

Why work in sport?

Sport is an interesting career choice:

A passionate profession ;
The Olympic Games in 2024, for example, as well as the World Cups and Champions Leagues, are all highly topical and dynamic events ;
An industry that promotesinnovation, particularly with the arrival of e-sport and international competitions that are driving strong digital developments;
An international industry;
A wide range of professions with almost 360,000 sports associations and 112,000 companies;
Sport is at the heart of the French economy. The industry is worth almost 91 billion euros in France.

Advice

How can I work in sport without a degree?

Working without a degree in any industry can make a student’s task more difficult. In fact, although internships and jobs are necessary to complete a training course, theoretical lessons can help save time and steps throughout a career.

However, a student without a degree can start practising a sport, get involved in the federation where he or she lives, ask a coach to assist him or her, join the sales team in a sporting goods shop and progress throughout his or her career by opportunity. It’s a longer road, but it’s not impossible.

Diploma

Which BAC to take to work in sport?

Choosing the type of bac depends on the orientation choices mentioned above, for :

STAPS, state certificates and diplomas , vocational baccalaureates or general scientific and economic baccalaureates are preferable;
Journalism schools with a general baccalaureate in economics and literature are preferable;
For bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business schools and universities, it is preferable to have a general baccalaureate, especially in economics, although scientific and literary baccalaureates are also valid.

Bac +3

Which Bachelor’s degree do you need to work in sport?

As part of a higher education course in sport, it makes sense to opt either for a general degree in business or directly for a degree more specialised in sport.

Business schools offer a wide range of courses to give students a solid grounding in marketing, communications, finance, accounting and law. This course provides an understanding of all the concepts essential to management, marketing and organisational management.

Bachelor’s and bachelor’s degrees in business schools also offer internships, work-study programmes and foreign exchanges.

This generalist foundation enables students, if they so wish later on, to change sector if one day sport is no longer the only path they wish to follow.

Bac +5

Which Master’s degree do you need to work in sport?

As part of the Master’s programme, students can continue their studies in a specialised business school.

A number of schools offer the opportunity to study the sports industry and its various professions. This course gives students the opportunity to meet professionals in the sector and to understand the codes, the players and the workings of this industry.

It is important for students to continue their studies to Master’s level in order to qualify for positions of responsibility with attractive salaries.

Once again, business schools offer internships, sandwich courses and international exchanges.

Offers

What courses does INSEEC offer for working in the sports sector?

INSEEC is an integral part of the OMNES Education group. It is a state-recognised business school offering specialisations in the field of sport.

The campuses are located in several French cities and internationally through partnerships with other schools. Among others, INSEEC offers courses in Chambéry, Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon and Rennes.

INSEEC offers a full catalogue of courses specialising in sport after the baccalauréat, from bachelor’s to master’s degrees, for example :