UCFB (University Campus of Football Business) is a

higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

institution offering undergraduate and postgraduate

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

degrees and executive education in the football and wider sports industries. UCFB is a college of the

University of East London University of East London (UEL) is a public university located in the London Borough of Newham, London, England, based at three campuses in Stratford, London, Stratford and London Docklands, Docklands, following the opening of University Squar ...

. UCFB became the world's first higher education institution with university degrees in the football and sports industry when it was opened at

Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club () is a professional football club based in Burnley, Lancashire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1882, Burnley were one of the first to be ...

Turf Moor Turf Moor is an association football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire, England, which has been the home of Burnley F.C., Burnley Football Club since 1883. This unbroken service makes Turf Moor the second-longest continuously used ground in Footbal ...

in 2011.

Campus locations

UCFB's first campus, UCFB Burnley, opened in 2011 at

Burnley Football Club Burnley Football Club () is a professional football club based in Burnley, Lancashire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1882, Burnley were one of the first to beco ...

. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited UCFB Burnley during their tour of

and Burnley F.C. as part of the Jubilee Celebrations. In 2014, UCFB expanded and opened its second campus, UCFB Wembley, with

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...

at the heart of the campus. UCFB opened a flagship campus based in and around the

Etihad Stadium The City of Manchester Stadium, currently known as Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons, and commonly shortened as The Etihad, is the home of Premier League club Manchester City, with a domestic football capacity of 53,600, making it the 7t ...

in 2016. The UCFB Etihad Campus, which replaced UCFB Burnley, facilities included access to sporting facilities such as the

Manchester Regional Arena Manchester Regional Arena is a multipurpose stadium in Manchester, England, primarily used for athletics, football and rugby league. History It was originally developed as the warm-up track for the 2002 Commonwealth Games held at the adjacent ...

and the

National Basketball Performance Centre The National Basketball Performance Centre (NBPC) is a 2,000 capacity, three-court basketball arena located in Manchester, England. Background Construction on the £11m Belle Vue Sports Village, including the 2,000 seat FIBA-standard arena, b ...

. The Etihad Campus was the Manchester home of UCFB until the 2023-24 academic year, when the campus expanded across Greater Manchester, and was renamed 'UCFB Manchester Campus.' The expansion involved moving media students to

MediaCityUK MediaCityUK is a mixed-use property development on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal in City of Salford, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. The project was developed by The Peel Group, Peel Media; its principal tenants are Mass media, ...

, and basing students on coaching courses at Curzon Ashton FC's Tameside Stadium, as well as new facilities in

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

Salford Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...

Trafford Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England, with an estimated population of in . It covers and includes the area of Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford and the towns of Altrincham, Stretford, Urmston, Partington and Sa ...

and

Tameside Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England, named after the River Tame, Greater Manchester, River Tame, which flows through it, and includes the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Greater Manchester, Denton, D ...

. In addition to the two UK campuses, UCFB also has a campus in the

United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...

, based at the

Chase Stadium Chase Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. Built on the site of the former Lockhart Stadium, the 21,550-seat stadium is the home pitch of Inter Miami CF of Major League Soccer (MLS) and its MLS Next ...

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, home of

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...

side

Inter Miami CF Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami (), commonly referred to as Inter Miami, is an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (M ...

. UCFB also hosts annual global summits in Miami, as well as

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

and

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

. Its global networking centres are found in

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

and

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

Global Institute of Sport

In July 2020, UCFB launched the Global Institute of Sport (GIS), furthering UCFB's educational breadth to postgraduate studies, as well as undergraduate degrees. The institute offers Master's degree programmes, also relating to the football and wider sports industry, with campuses and global hubs in

and

, as well as the two UK-based campuses. In 2016 UCFB acquired a shareholding in scholarship agency FirstPoint USA. In June 2024, the Global Institute of Sport launched its first solely GIS campus in

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

, based at

Lotto Park The Constant Vanden Stock Stadium (; ), also known as the Lotto Park for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in the municipality of Anderlecht in Brussels, Belgium. It is home to R.S.C. Anderlecht. It also hosted the UEFA Euro 1972 semi- ...

, the home of

Belgian Pro League The Belgian Pro League (; ; ), officially the Jupiler Pro League () for sponsor Jupiler, is a professional association football league in Belgium and the highest level of the Belgian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs from the 2023 ...

side

RSC Anderlecht Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, commonly abbreviated to RSC Anderlecht (, , ) or RSCA (, , ), is a Belgian professional association football, football club based in Anderlecht, Brussels Capital-Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian First Div ...

, alongside

Vrije Universiteit Brussel The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Dutch language, Dutch, ; lit. Free University of Brussels; abbreviated VUB) is a Dutch- and English-speaking research university in Brussels, Belgium. It has four campuses: Brussels Humanities, Science and Engine ...

. Later that month, a partnership with The Player Dubai to launch The Player Education Programmes, offering training and education for footballers of all levels and aspiring sports industry experts in

Degree courses

UCFB offers undergraduate degree courses relating to the football and wider sports industry, including: *BA (Hons) Football Business *BA (Hons) Football Business and Finance *BA (Hons) Football Business and Marketing *BA (Hons) Football Business and Media *BA (Hons) Football Coaching *BA (Hons) Football Coaching and Management *BA (Hons) International Football Business *BA (Hons) Football Coaching and Talent Development *BA (Hons) Multimedia Sports Journalism *BA (Hons) Physical Education *BSc (Hons) Sport Psychology *BA (Hons) Sports Business & Coaching *BA (Hons) Sports Business & Sports Broadcasting *BA (Hons) Sports Business & Sports Law *BSc Sports Coaching Science *BA (Hons) Sports Management *BA (Hons) Stadium & Events Management *Cert HE in Football Development

Postgraduate courses

UCFB also offers Master's degree courses, primarily focused on the global sports industry, including: *MSc Football Business *MSc Football Coaching & Analysis *MSc Football Communications & Digital Marketing *MSc International Sport Management *MSc Performance Analysis in Football

Executive education and professional qualification courses

UCFB added executive education courses to their undergraduate and postgraduate studies, such as: *CEO of a Sports Organisation *MSc Sports Directorship In addition, the professional qualification courses the institution started offering include: *The Inclusive Leadership in Football Award *The Certificate in Elite Player Care and Wellbeing *Public Speaking & Presentation Skills *Professional Media Training *The Certificate in the Business of Australian Football *Essentials of Soccer Business & Leadership *UCFB Level 1 Award in Assistant Coaching *UCFB Level 2 Award in Sport Coaching

UCFB academies

UCFB's elite football academies based at UCFB's campuses in Manchester and Wembley are tailored for elite-level footballers who have recently been released from professional football clubs, or for those that possess an ability to play at a higher level. The academies allow students to combine working within a professional football environment, led by UEFA-qualified coaches, with a place on one of UCFB and GIS' unique degrees in football or sport. UCFB Academy, Manchester is available to male students and is based at UCFB Etihad Campus, whilst UCFB Academy, Wembley is located at UCFB Wembley Campus. In 2022, UCFB Wembley launched the Wembley Basketball Academy, in partnership with the local team London Elite Basketball, which was designed for aspiring young basketball professionals in the UK to study alongside training, and as an effort to help grow the sport in the UK.

Programmes

The UCFB's Employability and Career Planning programme includes its Executive Guest Speaker Series and work experience opportunities. Previous guest speakers to UCFB have included

Gareth Southgate Sir Gareth Southgate (born 3 September 1970) is an English professional Association football, football manager and player, who played as a Defender (association football), defender and midfielder. A Crystal Palace F.C., Crystal Palace Crystal ...

Harry Redknapp Henry James Redknapp (born 2 March 1947) is an English former association football, football manager (association football), manager and player. He has previously managed AFC Bournemouth, West Ham United F.C., West Ham United, Portsmouth F.C., ...

Guillem Balague Guillem () is a Catalan first name, equivalent to William in the English language, which occasionally can appear as a surname. Its origin and pronunciation are the same as its Occitan variant ''Guilhèm'', with a different spelling. People with t ...

Gabby Logan Gabrielle Nicole Logan (''née'' Yorath; born 24 April 1973) is a Welsh television and radio presenter, and a former rhythmic gymnast who represented Wales and Great Britain. She hosted '' Final Score'' for BBC Sport from 2009 until 2013. She h ...

Chris Hughton Christopher William Gerard Hughton (born 11 December 1958) is a professional football manager and former player. Born in England, he represented the Republic of Ireland national team. He was most recently head coach of the Ghana national te ...

George Cohen George Reginald Cohen (22 October 1939 – 23 December 2022) was an English professional footballer who played as a right-back. He spent his entire professional career with Fulham and won the 1966 FIFA World Cup with England. He is a member o ...

Mauricio Pochettino Mauricio Roberto Pochettino Trossero (born 2 March 1972), also known mononymously by his nickname Poch, is an Argentine professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of the United States men's national team. Pochettin ...

Brendan Rodgers Brendan Rodgers (born 26 January 1973) is a Northern Irish professional football manager and former player who is manager of Scottish Premiership club Celtic. Rodgers began his career as a defender at Ballymena United, where he stayed until h ...

and

Steve McClaren Stephen McClaren (born 3 May 1961) is an English football coach and former player who is currently the manager of the Jamaica national team. McClaren began his coaching career with Oxford United, before joining Derby County in 1995. In 1999 ...

. Through industry partners, including the

National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...

and multiple

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...

clubs, UCFB students are highly regarded across the British football industry for gaining skills and knowledge on work experience placement opportunities alongside their degree courses. The UCFB Strategic Leadership and Management Programme, another aspect of the Employment & Career Planning programme, is led by

Neil Doncaster Neil Doncaster (born 1970) is an association football executive. He was appointed as chief executive of the Scottish Professional Football League in July 2012, having previously held the same position at the Scottish Premier League from 2009 t ...

, Chief Executive of the

Scottish Professional Football League The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) is the national men's association football league in Scotland. The league was formed in June 2013 following a merger between the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League. As well ...

. UCFB students also have the opportunity to work towards a number of internal and external additional qualifications relevant to the industry. These include FA Coaching certificates, STATS (formerly Prozone Performance Analysis) and foreign language qualifications. In 2018, UCFB chairman and founder Brendan Flood launched the UCFB Sports Entrepreneurship Award Scheme, awarding multiple entrepreneurial students an amount of up to £5,000 each year for their sports business-related ideas. Of the award, Flood said: "It is a truly unique opportunity for our students to engage their minds and receive invaluable support for their sports business ideas."

References

Other references

* * * {{Burnley F.C. Universities and colleges in the United Kingdom 2011 establishments in England Educational institutions established in 2011 Education in Burnley Burnley F.C. Higher education colleges in London Wembley Stadium Education in Manchester Manchester City F.C.