PCA PRESS RELEASE
PCA members receive bursary support for 2022 intake.
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Current and former professional cricketers can receive financial support when they enrol on the Institute of Sports Humanities’ (ISH) MA Leadership in Sport programme.
The programme is designed for sports industry professionals, and a 33% bursary is available for all PCA members, with a 50% scholarship on offer for those members who have represented their country at senior level.
Modules within the course include Management & Decision-making, The Sports Industry & Entrepreneurship and The Sporting Event, with a dissertation on any subject of the student’s choice to conclude the MA.
The ISH prides itself on offering an athlete-focused student experience, and sessions are presented by specialist speakers, with past input from the likes of Google, the Bank of England and The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Delivered by the ISH, which was co-founded by former national selector and PCA member Ed Smith, in partnership with Buckingham University, the next intake begins in January 2022 and can be studied over a period of either 12 or 24 months.
Smith explains why he believes the MA Leadership in Sport can be invaluable for PCA members: “We set up the ISH to help the next generation of leaders in the sports industry. On our MA Leadership in Sport programme, we’ve had some outstanding current and former professional cricketers.
“Studying the MA can help to improve your decision-making within cricket, while also helping to prepare you for life afterwards. Cricket needs good leaders and there is so much leadership talent within the game.
“At the ISH, leaders from across sports share leadership insights, and also learn transferable lessons from other sectors. Sport is always evolving, and the edge is increasingly found in smart thinking and improved decision-making.”
"The module on decision making in particular has given me different perspectives on leadership and how I function as a leader and make decisions."
HEATHER KNIGHT, PCA VICE CHAIR & ENGLAND CAPTAIN
PCA members who have studied the MA Leadership in Sport include England skipper and PCA Vice Chair Heather Knight, ex-England international Nick Compton and former Warwickshire man Jim Troughton.
No prior academic qualifications are required for future applicants, and all PCA members are eligible to apply by way of their professional cricket experience.
Knight reflects on what she has taken away from her studies: “I’ve really enjoyed the MA, it’s given me a much broader understanding of the sport industry as a whole. The module on decision making in particular has given me different perspectives on leadership and how I function as a leader and make decisions.
“The specialist speakers have also been really interesting and insightful – they were a big draw of signing up for the course in the first place. The university has been really flexible with fitting in my studies around my day job, and doing the course over two years rather than one has allowed me the time needed to complete it.”
PCA Personal Development Manager (PDM) Tom Jones, who is currently studying the course, said: “The MA Leadership in Sport is a fantastic opportunity for both current and former players to engage in postgraduate study whilst still playing or in a full-time role elsewhere.
“Studying alongside leaders from across the sports industry allows for brilliant networking opportunities whilst the access to specialist guest speakers makes the course unique in its position to better equip leaders across the sector.”
For more information on the MA Leadership in Sport programme and to find out how to apply with PCA support, contact your regional Personal Development Manager.
