Studying for success, competing for gold

Jessica Allen was looking for a master’s degree that would develop her business acumen while giving her the freedom to pursue her sporting career. As a sports scholar with a goal to compete at the LA 2028 Olympics, she needed a course flexible enough to support her training.

After completing her BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, Jessica found her perfect fit in our MBA Global.

“When I began looking at master's programmes, the MBA Global immediately caught my attention. This course stood out due to its strong entrepreneurship focus, which complemented my career as an athlete and my long-term professional goals.”

Jessica chose to study her MBA part-time so she could keep the flexibility she needed:

“Given my sporting commitments, I needed the flexibility of part-time study. Working in partnership with the university, we were able to arrange a two-year programme that enabled me to pursue excellence in both my academic and athletic endeavours.”

Bringing together business and sport

The practical nature of the degree has helped Jessica to explore where her career could grow, both as an athlete and beyond. Jessica says:

“The Entrepreneurship and Innovation module has been my favourite part of the course. It aligned perfectly with my interests and career goals as an athlete looking to build ventures beyond sport. The practical approach to developing business ideas and understanding innovation processes has been really inspiring and has already started shaping how I think about my future career opportunities”

Looking to the future

Jessica says the flexible study options, the network she’s built and the skills she’s learned have helped her prepare for her next steps in both sport and business.

“Derby believed in my potential and gave me the platform to thrive. The flexibility to pursue an MBA part-time while training and competing internationally has been crucial. I've developed strong time management skills, learned to perform under pressure in multiple contexts, and built a network that spans both sport and business. I'm graduating with a master's degree, a European championship title, proven leadership experience, and the entrepreneurial skills to create opportunities for myself for the future.”

Looking ahead, Jessica hopes to keep building her experience in both business and sport, with eyes on the 2028 Olympics, where Jessica hopes to represent Team GB when flag football makes its Olympic debut.

“My immediate focus is finding a graduate scheme that can accommodate my sporting commitments, as I'm determined to pursue both paths simultaneously. Competing in the 2026 Flag Football World Championships is a major goal. We’ve just qualified for by winning gold in the European championships, which is incredibly exciting.

Beyond that, my ultimate dream is to help Team GB secure our place at the LA 2028 Olympics, where flag football will make its Olympic debut. The chance to represent my country on that stage would be the pinnacle of my athletic career.”

Academic support

Reflecting on her time balancing her MBA and her sporting commitments, Jessica says: