MICA Post Graduate Certificate in Management Sports Management
Build a career in India’s fast-growing sports industry with MICA’s 1-Year Postgraduate Certificate Programme in Sports Management.
Develop expertise in sports business, marketing, media, data, governance and strategy for careers across leagues, franchises and sports organisations.
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Programme Overview
Indian sport has changed considerably in the last fifteen years. The IPL, the Pro Kabaddi League, the Indian Super League, and more recently the Women’s Premier League have created a network of governing bodies, leagues and franchises, that now function as professional commercial enterprises. They negotiate media rights, manage sponsor portfolios, build fan communities, and compete for attention in a crowded content environment. The people running these organisations need to be professionally trained along with a passion for sports.
Currently, formal education in sports management in India is limited in depth and lacks a direct connect with the industry it claims to serve. The gap between what professional sports organisations need and what the education system has provided is apparent and widening as the industry grows.
MICA’s 1 Year Post Graduate Certificate Programme in Sports Management addresses this gap directly. Over thirty years, MICA has trained communication, brand, and commercial professionals who work across India’s media, consumer, and marketing industries. In the last five years, a specialisation in media, entertainment, and sports within MICA’s flagship MBA has taken some of those graduates into the sports industry. They have taken up roles like franchise operations, brand management, athlete representation, and league strategy. The current proposed certificate programme formalises the specialization into a focused, one-year programme built specifically for those who want to work in sport. The program draws from MICA’s existing faculty, industry relationships, and placement track record.
The AICTE approved 1 year post graduate certification in management (Sports Management) will prepare graduates with an understanding of how sports organisations are run commercially-the sponsorship structures, the media ecosystems, the fan and data intelligence, and the governance frameworks that underpin professional sport in India. They will be equipped for roles across franchises, leagues, governing bodies, consulting firms, and corporate sports verticals, at a point when the industry is actively looking for people with precisely this combination of business training and sports domain knowledge.
Programme pillars
Governance
the institutional structures, operations, and policy frameworks that make leagues, federations, and franchises function and endure
Data
analytics, fan intelligence, and the commercial measurement that increasingly shapes decision-making in modern sport
Culture
brand strategy, content, storytelling, fandom, and athlete identity all rooted in the social and cultural aspects of the sport and communities involved in it
Commerce
the financial and commercial architecture of professional sport, media rights, sponsorship, franchise economics, and revenue models
Who is this programme for?
For graduates and early professionals who want to build a career in sport not as athletes, but in the strategic, commercial, and creative work that makes a full-fledged career in sport viable as an industry. A theoretical, yet practice-anchored residential (off campus) postgraduate certificate programme in sports management. Candidates with a relevant work experience in the Sports industry, exposure to professional sports or recent graduates with a passion towards working in the sports industry and making a difference may apply writing about their credentials in the application form.
MICA’s presence in the sports industry is a familiar one. This happened through a media, entertainment, and sports specialisation offered in the MBA programme. These MICA alumni now play leadership roles in franchise strategy, brand management, athlete representation, and league operations. This sports management certification is the next step: a focused programme that adds structured sports domain knowledge to the communication intelligence, analytical rigour, and business fluency that MICA’s training develops.
The current PGCM – Sports Management is designed to carry forward the MICA legacy of a diverse learner group, immersive studio-based learning and an interdisciplinary approach to management and business issues, all contextualised for the sports domain. Courses in sociology of sport, culture, and storytelling will be taught alongside finance, data analytics, and commercial strategy to build sports professionals who can analyse and take decisions about sponsorship contracts, strategize promotions and build a fanbase, build a data model and tell a story with it, and manage a broadcast negotiation.
Where Graduates Go: Career Outcomes
The graduate who passes out will be equipped to work across India’s franchises, leagues, consultancy firms, governing bodies, corporate sports verticals and entrepreneurial ventures with a range of capability that the sports industry in India has not yet had consistent access to. Typical profiles include Sports Analyst, Sports Strategist, Business Development- Sports Business, Marketing Manager- Sports Division, Digital content and media co-ordinator, Media rights and broadcast manager, Sports consultant and Brand Manager-Sports vertical.
Course Design and Curriculum
Orientation: MICA Core- Foundation Core
- Ways of being
- Ways of seeing
- Ways of learning
Term-1 Context and Culture
| No | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Socio-Historical Foundations of Sports | 2 |
| 2 | Understanding Sports Ecosystem and Culture | 3 |
| 3 | Diversity and Inclusion in Sports | 1 |
| 4 | Women in Sports Business | 1 |
| 5 | Sport and Social Issues | 1 |
| 6 | Critical thinking in Sports | 1 |
| 7 | Principles and Frameworks of Management | 3 |
| 8 | Sports for Development: Grassroots and Government Schemes | 1 |
| 9 | Sports Diplomacy and Public Policy | 1 |
| Total credits | 14 | |
| Seminar and Project – Cultural Analysis of a Sport | 3 days |
Term-2 Customer, Community and Communication
| No | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sports Marketing | 3 |
| 2 | Brand Management and Sponsorships in Sports | 2 |
| 3 | Sports Media, Broadcasting and Rights | 2 |
| 4 | Digital, OTT and Fantasy Sports Business | 1 |
| 5 | Digital Marketing-Performance Marketing in sports | 1 |
| 6 | Consumer Behaviour in Sports | 1 |
| 7 | Fan Engagement and Community building | 1 |
| 8 | Storytelling in Sports | 1 |
| 9 | CSR and Impact Communication for Sports | 1 |
| 10 | Sports Innovation & Design Thinking | 2 |
| Total credits | 15 | |
| Local Learning Tour | 3 days | |
| Project – Sports Property Growth Challenge | 3 days |
Term-3 Commerce
| No | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sports governance, law and policy | 3 |
| 2 | Sports Metrics and Measurements | 2 |
| 3 | Sports Analytics and Vibe Coding | 2 |
| 4 | Sports Economics & Finance | 3 |
| 5 | Valuation of Leagues, Franchise and players | 1 |
| 6 | Sports Consulting and Advisory | 2 |
| 7 | Athlete, Team and League Management | 2 |
| 8 | Management of E-sports and Gaming | 1 |
| Total credits | 16 | |
| Immersive workshop – Professional Development | 3 days | |
| Immersive workshop – Entrepreneurship in Sports | 3 days |
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility
- Admission to the 1 year Post Graduate Certificate Programme (Sports Management) require a Bachelor’s degree (10 + 2 + 3 system) or an equivalent qualification in any discipline recognised by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
- Bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA in any discipline from a recognised university.
- Candidates appearing for the final year bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification examination and those who have completed the degree requirements and are awaiting results can also apply. It is mandatory for such candidates to complete the following:
- Produce a certificate from the principal/director/registrar/head of the department of the institution/university certifying that the candidate is currently in the final year/is awaiting final results, stating that they have completed all the requirements (the result may, however, be awaited) for obtaining the bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification on the date of issue of the certificate. This certificate should be submitted latest by June 30, 2027,
- Such a candidate, if selected, and submits the above-mentioned certificate will be allowed to join the programme provisionally. The admission will be confirmed only when the candidate submits the final mark sheet and certificate of having passed the bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification.
The deadline for submission of the final mark sheet and passing certificate is December 31, 2027. Non-fulfilment of this condition will automatically result in the cancellation of the provisional admission.
- A valid CAT/XAT/GMAT score
Admissions and Selection Process
The admission process comprises Online Application, MICAT and Personal Interview (PI). MICAT is conducted twice a year, in December 2026 and February 2027, and candidates may appear for both, with the better score considered. Shortlisted candidates are invited for the Personal Interview. Final selection is based on the candidate’s performance in MICAT, CAT/XAT/GMAT and PI.
MICA's Sports Legacy
The Sports Management Programme is a part of MICA’s wider creative ecosystem, with alumni building careers across leading sports leagues, franchises and ……
Prominent MICAns working in the sports industry include:
Siddharth Raman: Chief Executive Officer at Sportz Interactive (Ex. Sports Business Head- DDB Mudra)
Neha Rastogi: Founder at WordWorks Communications Consulting (Co-Founder Khel Coach, Secretary FICCI Sports Committee)
Abhinav Shukla: Head of Marketing, Gujarat Titans (Ex. AVP- Dream11, Brand Manager-Star India, Assistant Manager- Sony Entertainment Television)
Gautam C: Business Development, Partnerships, Sports – Disney Star (Ex. Executive Director- Star Sports, AVP- Star India)
Parag Agarwal: Brand Marketing – Disney + Hotstar (Ex. Sports Marketing Manager-Sony Pictures Networks India, Digital Social Lead- Decathlon Sports India)
Rohan Pujari: VP & Head, Programming Strategy & Insights- Sports cluster- Sony Pictures Networks India (Ex. Manager-Programming Strategy-Star India)
Neha Rastogi: Founder at WordWorks Communications Consulting (Co-Founder Khel Coach, Secretary FICCI Sports Committee)
Abhinav Shukla: Head of Marketing, Gujarat Titans (Ex. AVP- Dream11, Brand Manager-Star India, Assistant Manager- Sony Entertainment Television)
Gautam C: Business Development, Partnerships, Sports – Disney Star (Ex. Executive Director- Star Sports, AVP- Star India)
Parag Agarwal: Brand Marketing – Disney + Hotstar (Ex. Sports Marketing Manager-Sony Pictures Networks India, Digital Social Lead- Decathlon Sports India)
Rohan Pujari: VP & Head, Programming Strategy & Insights- Sports cluster- Sony Pictures Networks India (Ex. Manager-Programming Strategy-Star India)
Teaching Academic Faculty
Harmony Siganporia: Professor of Culture and Communication, Associate Dean Knowledge – MICA, 15+ years of experience
Khushboo Benani: Professor of Brand, Culture and Consumer Engagement. Led Global Culture Marketing for Johnnie Walker and helped shape cultural relevance of the brand along with looking into artist collaborations, influencer marketing, brand advocacy function and creating a robust creator & celebrity eco-system.
Rasananda Panda: Professor of Economics, 25+ years of teaching and research experience
Ruchi Tewari: Professor of Communication, Chief Marketing Officer – MICA, 20+ years of teaching experience
Santosh Patra: Associate Dean Academics, Professor of Media and Digital Sociology. Expert in Content, Consumer and Community Studies, 19+ years of experience
Sukaran Thakur: Professor in Brand Management, expert in AI in marketing, semiotics and cultural identity
Taral Pathak: Academic Head, Professor of Finance, 20+ years of teaching experience
Utkarsh Dwivedi: Professor of Media and Content Analysis, brings in expertise in Audience and Platform analytics
Khushboo Benani: Professor of Brand, Culture and Consumer Engagement. Led Global Culture Marketing for Johnnie Walker and helped shape cultural relevance of the brand along with looking into artist collaborations, influencer marketing, brand advocacy function and creating a robust creator & celebrity eco-system.
Rasananda Panda: Professor of Economics, 25+ years of teaching and research experience
Ruchi Tewari: Professor of Communication, Chief Marketing Officer – MICA, 20+ years of teaching experience
Santosh Patra: Associate Dean Academics, Professor of Media and Digital Sociology. Expert in Content, Consumer and Community Studies, 19+ years of experience
Sukaran Thakur: Professor in Brand Management, expert in AI in marketing, semiotics and cultural identity
Taral Pathak: Academic Head, Professor of Finance, 20+ years of teaching experience
Utkarsh Dwivedi: Professor of Media and Content Analysis, brings in expertise in Audience and Platform analytics
Life@MICA
MICA sits on a 19-acre fully residential campus in Shela, Ahmedabad, where students and faculty live, eat, and work alongside each other. That setup changes the texture of learning. Late-night project debates spill out of classrooms onto open plazas. The amphitheatre and auditorium host everything from guest lectures to student-led events. The 24×7 library means a 2 AM idea has somewhere to land. It’s a learning environment that’s deliberately different from urban commuter campuses – where contact hours end when the building closes.
The 180-seat PGDM cohort is intentionally diverse, drawing students from engineering, commerce, arts and design, and management backgrounds, and a near-even gender mix. Over 64% arrive with prior work experience, so peer learning is as substantive as classroom learning. What makes the PGDM peer group particularly distinctive is the combination of orientations in the same room – data-analytical, marketing-oriented, and creative – which shapes how problems get debated and solved.
Campus life is anchored by signature events that are MICA-specific: Micanvas, the institute’s annual cultural and creative festival, and Mic-Drop, alongside the ongoing rhythm of immersions, club activities, and cohort traditions that turn a two-year programme into the experience of becoming a MICAn.
FAQ
What is the 1 Year Post Graduate Certificate in Management (Sports Management)?
The Programme in Strategic Communication is the first programme from MICA’s School of Strategic Communication. It develops professionals who combine linguistic, analytical, creative, narrative and technological capability to lead communication in the AI era, and launches in Academic Year 2027–28.
How long is the programme, and how is it structured?
The programme duration is one year and structured across a 15-day orientation and three terms across the year.
Who should apply?
Candidates with a relevant work experience in the Sports industry, exposure to professional sports or recent graduates with a passion towards working in the sports industry and making a difference may apply writing about their credentials in the application form.
What is the programme fee and intake?
The programme fee is ₹14.50* Lakhs (subject to change) and intake is 40 students.
What scholarships are available?
For the 1 year Post Graduate Certificate Programme in Sports Management, the students are eligible for MICA’s merit-cum-means scholarships, ranging from 25% to 100% of tuition fees*, with family income as the principal criterion.
Is the programme residential?
It is a residential programme but the accommodation provided is off campus.
Does the 1 year Post Graduate Certificate Programme (Sports Management) require appearing for MICAT?
Yes. Candidates need to appear for MICAT to be eligible to secure admissions for the 1 Year Post Graduate Certificate Programme (Sports). MICAT is MICA’s own entrance exam, conducted twice a year – (typically in December and February). The better score from two MICAT attempts is considered.
Does 1 year Post Graduate Certificate Programme (Sports Management) require submitting CAT/XAT/GMAT score?
Yes, in order to secure admission to 1 year Post Graduate Certificate Programme (Sports Management) a valid CAT/XAT/GMAT score is required.
Is this Programme AICTE approved?
Yes. This is an AICTE-approved, one-year certification programme.
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