RIOU opens application process for third MSA Programme in 2015/16

The Russian International Olympic University (RIOU) in Sochi has opened the application process for the third edition of its groundbreaking Master of Sport Administration (MSA) course, which starts in September 2015 and concludes in June 2016.

RIOU’s MSA programme is designed for individuals who have a higher educational qualification, with its target demographic being ambitious individuals who already have experience working in the Olympic Movement and the wider sports industry. The course aims to provide students with the strategic and operational management skills needed for successfully managing sports organisations, events and venues in the socio-economic climate of today.

The course structure is designed by distinguished Russian and international sports management experts and there is a strong focus on the operational components required to stage a technically excellent Olympic Games.

The course runs for 39 weeks (three semesters) and is comprised of five core modules: "Economics of sport and the Olympic Games", "Governance, politics and the Olympic Movement", "Research methods for sport management", "Business of sport and the Olympic Games", and "Sport marketing and communications". Instruction is offered in both English and Russian.

The curriculum mixes the regular teaching models of lectures and seminars found at traditional universities and business schools with innovative approaches such as case studies, cascade training and workshops.

One of RIOU’s core priorities for its MSA is to provide students with practical experience of working at sporting events. Work experience for students on the first two editions of RIOU’s MSA was offered throughout the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and during the recent Russian Grand Prix held at the Sochi Autodrom. The University is committed to continuing with this approach so that students can experience working with organising committees at other major international events, at Sochi 2014 Olympic venues and with leading sports industry companies.

RIOU Rector Professor Lev Belousov said:

"I believe the opportunities for MSA students at RIOU are unparalleled within sport. We have a state-of-the-art campus with exceptional facilities and a faculty of lecturers made up of highly respected Russian and foreign sports management experts. Furthermore we recruit guest lecturers from leading universities and Olympic centres from over 10 countries to give our students the most up-to-date perspective on the sports industry.

"RIOU is also the direct beneficiary of all the data and best practice knowledge collected by the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee over the past seven years. For sports managers looking to develop new skills and broaden their knowledge base, our MSA is the ideal career booster."

The MSA curriculum fully complies with the standards of the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Education and Science, ECTS standards and international qualification criteria.

Applications for RIOU’s third MSA programme can be submitted until the end of July 2015. For further information about the application process, admission terms and the MSA programme content, please visit RIOU’s website at: http://www.olympicuniversity.ru/en/web/msa-eng1

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