Executive Graduate Certificate of Sport Business

Course summary for international students

Year	2026 course information
Award granted	Executive Graduate Certificate of Sport Business
Campus	This course is only offered Online
Length	1 year part-time
Fee paying annual fee - commencing 2026	$19,400 AUD
Level	Postgraduate (Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma)
Deakin course code	M539
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS – Please note that due to Australian Government regulations, student visas to enter Australia cannot be issued to students who enrol in Deakin online courses.

Course sub-headings

Course overview

The next decade is set to be a transformational era in Australian sport and will require skilled professionals to oversee the vast behind-the-scenes logistics. With no comparable courses in Australia, Deakin's Executive Graduate Certificate of Sport Business offers an unrivalled level of knowledge for managers and executives looking to grow their skills and take their next step in the sport industry.

Are you looking to develop the expertise to help steer Australian sport through the next decade and beyond?

Over the coming years, Australia will host major international events in rugby, football, netball and cricket, culminating in the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.
This highly anticipated era in sport will present exceptional career opportunities for suitably skilled professionals in the sport management and allied leisure industries.
The Executive Graduate Certificate of Sport Business will prepare you to step up and navigate this dynamic era in sport. You will have the flexibility to tailor the course to your specific employment goals, with delivery designed to fit the schedule of busy working professionals.

Explore a variety of units, which will prepare you to:

understand the application of contemporary sport workforce planning tools and respond to current issues in sport
develop negotiation skills and an awareness of the theories behind behavioural decision-making, game theory, decision analysis and dispute resolution
consider, articulate, and work within the ethical and social responsibilities of sport organisations
understand the governance functions and the role of non-executive directors as key leaders of sport leagues, professional clubs and national and state governing bodies
understand the regulation and commercialisation of sport and the interaction between sport regulation and the law.

Deakin is world-renowned for sport academic excellence and is ranked #11 in the world for sport subjects.* You’ll learn from experienced academics and will build specialised knowledge in sport management to take the next step in your career.

* QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024

Professional recognition

Deakin Business School holds both AACSB and EQUIS accreditations. These prestigious accreditations are awarded to business schools that meet strict standards of quality, academic and professional excellence, and demonstrate a commitment to ongoing improvement and innovation in their courses, ensuring our graduates are employable worldwide.

Fees and charges

The 'Estimated tuition fee' is provided as a guide only based on a typical enrolment of students completing this course within the same year in which they started. The cost will vary depending on the units you choose, your study load, the length of your course and any approved Recognition of prior learning you have.

The 'Estimated tuition fee' is calculated by adding together four credit points of study. Four credit points is used as it represents a typical enrolment load for a Graduate Certificate.

Each unit you enrol in has a credit point value. You can find the credit point value of each unit under the Unit Description by searching for the unit in the handbook.

Learn more about tuition fees.

Career opportunities

This course is an ideal entry point for mid to senior-level executives and managers who want to elevate their career in the rapidly evolving sport industry.

As the sport industry enters a period of significant growth and transformation, graduates will be well-positioned to lead in a range of strategic and operational roles across governance, commercial operations, and stakeholder engagement.

As a graduate, you may pursue roles such as:

development or engagement manager
executive or senior manager within sport institutions, professional clubs, or national and state leagues
commercial operations or sponsorship manager sport business strategist or analyst sport marketing or communications manager
governance or compliance adviser in sport organisations.

Course learning outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities	Demonstrate advanced, discipline-specific knowledge of executive leadership, management and workforce planning within the sport business sector, through the integrated analysis, synthesis and application of theories and practices drawn from business and allied disciplines.
Communication	Employ advanced written, oral, and visual communication skills to critically interpret, articulate, and disseminate complex and specialist sport industry knowledge to diverse stakeholder groups—including expert and non-expert audiences across government, corporate, and community-to-elite sport settings.
Digital literacy	Not explicitly addressed as a learning outcome in this award
Critical thinking	Critically employ advanced technical and cognitive skills—including high-level analysis, and evaluation to diagnose complex challenges and generate evidence informed solutions for leadership and decision making to lead sport organisations and the broader sport industry.
Problem solving	Analyse and interpret the complex interdependencies within management and leadership systems to formulate innovative, evidence-based strategic solutions that advance both commercial and social outcomes in sport organisations and the broader sport industry.
Self-management	Not explicitly addressed as a learning outcome in this award.
Teamwork	Not explicitly addressed as a learning outcome in this award.
Global citizenship	Not explicitly addressed as a learning outcome in this award.

Course rules

To complete the Executive Graduate Certificate of Sport Business, you must pass 4 credit points. This includes;

DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first study period
3 credit points of core units
1 credit point open elective unit.

Most units are equal to one credit point.

All students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.

Note: This course is part-time only.

Course structure

Compulsory 0-credit point module

To be completed in the first trimester of study:-

DAI001

Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin

Core units

MMS708

Sport Workforce Planning

MMS709

Sport Leadership and Governance

Open electives

2 credit point of postgraduate open elective which can be chosen from:

other postgraduate units offered by the University (subject to eligibility)
two (2) 0.5 credit point microcredentials (total 1 credit point)
recommended Sport Management units (see lists below)

Marketing/Commercial Sport Business Focus:

MMS720

Sport Business Innovation and Technology

MMS712

Sport Marketing

MMS773

Sport Media and Broadcasting

MMS706

Sport Business Analytics

MMS702

Fan and Participant Engagement

MMS774

Sport Events and Venue Operations

Up to two (2) Deakin stackable short courses (0.5cp microunits) equal to 1 credit point

Sport Management and Sport Development:

MMS711

Introduction to the Sport Industry

MMS714

The Sport Workplace

MMS704

Sport Ethics and Integrity

MMS713

Sport Policy and Development

MLC710

Sport and the Law

Admission criteria

Selection is based on a holistic consideration of your academic merit, work experience, likelihood of success, availability of places, participation requirements, regulatory requirements, and individual circumstances. You will need to meet the minimum academic and English language proficiency requirements or higher to be considered for selection, but this does not guarantee admission.

A combination of qualifications and experience may be deemed equivalent to minimum academic requirements.

Academic requirements

To be considered for admission to this degree you will need to meet the following criteria:

completion of a bachelor degree or higher in any discipline AND
three years' relevant work experience
OR evidence of academic capability judged to be equivalent.

Examples of relevant work experience include, but not limited to: Managerial responsibilities and non-executive directors and Chairs of sport and allied leisure organisations (i.e., sport governing bodies at all levels, professional sport clubs, government agencies, major facilities and event providers), with a minimum of 3 years’ experience in those roles.

English language proficiency requirements

To meet the English language proficiency requirements of this course, you will need to demonstrate at least one of the following:

bachelor degree from a recognised English-speaking country
IELTS overall score of 6.5 (with no band score less than 6.0) or equivalent
other evidence of English language proficiency (learn more about other ways to satisfy the requirements)

Non-academic requirements

You must provide the following with your application:

a current CV that clearly demonstrates professional / managerial experience
current contact details of two referees who can be contacted concerning your work experience
a one page brief outlining why you believe that your work experience would be valued by your peers in the course

Admissions information

Learn more about Deakin courses and how we compare to other universities when it comes to the quality of our teaching and learning.

Not sure if you can get into Deakin postgraduate study? Postgraduate study doesn't have to be a balancing act; we provide flexible course entry and exit options based on your desired career outcomes and the time you're able to commit to your study.

Credit for prior learning - general

If you have completed previous studies which you believe may reduce the number of units you have to complete at Deakin, indicate in the appropriate section on your application that you wish to be considered for Recognition of prior learning. You will need to provide a certified copy of your previous course details so your credit can be determined. If you are eligible, your offer letter will then contain information about your Recognition of prior learning.
Your Recognition of prior learning is formally approved prior to your enrolment at Deakin during the Enrolment and Orientation Program. You must bring original documents relating to your previous study so that this approval can occur.

You can also refer to the recognition of prior learning (RPL) system which outlines the credit that may be granted towards a Deakin University degree.

Course duration

Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as failing of units or accessing or completing placements.

Workload

You can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include lectures, seminars, online interactions, or professional experiences for Work Integrated Learning (WIL) units. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.

Work experience

This course does not require students to complete compulsory work integrated learning units.