Master's graduate progresses into senior teaching role

Our Master's programme provides a platform to a variety of careers in the Sports Management industry.

Catherine Elliott started her Master's soon after becoming a teacher, after realising she wanted to teach sport at a University.

She joined UCLan on a part-time basis, juggling a near full-time role at Preston's College with family life, but Catherine says her hard work has definitely paid off.

She commented: "There was a small cohort and we were really supportive of each other. I still keep in touch with a small group of friends I made at UCLan.

"The teaching staff were very helpful and understanding towards my work/life situation – they all provided excellent support and feedback and my writing and approach to coursework improved throughout the course.

"I even surprised myself by securing high grades in Economics and Sports Finance despite hating Maths! Sue Minton was my dissertation supervisor and was very supportive. I really struggled with trying to find the time to write, culminating in having to hide in Anglesey for a month on my summer holiday to get my dissertation written, but Sue was never more than a phone call away."

During her time on the course Catherine took part in a weekend visit to Lilleshall National Sports and Conferencing Centre, where she was able to see the practicalities of managing a large sporting facility which caters for several sports at an elite level.

After graduating, Catherine moved into programme leader roles in further education, before becoming Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). She has also just started her PhD researching volunteering in sport.

Catherine added: "I found the course to be really useful as it looked at the wider picture of Sports Management and I was able to link the coursework to case studies and real life situations at my place of work.

"It also enforced my opinion that as an academic member of staff we need to be involved with sport, so I volunteer at my daughters gymnastic club and at other events - the most recent being the Sainsbury's 2014 School Sport Games as a team attaché."