Programming for Sports Innovation - Galway

Course Overview

The world of sport is now digital. Technological innovation in sport is producing increased revenue streams and vast quantities of data. Managing and leveraging actionable insight from all this data is the biggest challenge in the sports industry.



This course will focus on the data architectures and programming skills needed to maximise the potential of the available data within a sporting organisation. This includes player data, fan engagement patterns and IoT devices that can provide real time, evolving data streams which can be harnessed to form a cohesive data strategy as an integral part of digital transformation.



Students will gain in-depth knowledge of immersive and connected technologies in sport and their application to athlete monitoring, performance analysis and increasing stakeholder engagement and experience. The course is future focused supporting learners to identify innovative solutions to industry challenges.



Who Should Apply?

There are significant opportunities for computer graduates and established professionals to specialise in designing and building innovative solutions which help sports organisations generate, integrate and analyse data.



This course is aimed at graduates and professionals with a background in programming seeking to specialise in the sports industry. It is particularly suited to those working in one particular domain of the SportsTech industry who want a better understanding of the breadth of challenges and opportunities for innovation across the whole spectrum of sport, active living and Esports.



The course offers a unique professional development opportunity which is university certified at post-graduate level (15ECTS) and can be used to contribute to further study in ATU or other institutions internationally.

Modules:

• Data Architecture and Programming for Complex Sports Systems

• Applications Programming for Sports Innovation

Level 8 Bachelor (Hons) degree H2.2 or equivalent. Evidence of English Language Proficiency (IELTS). Significant level of software development experience is required.



Option for Recognition of Prior Learning according to ATU policy.

Flexible learning courses are popular, and they fill on a first come, first served basis. There are two major intake periods throughout the academic year, September and January.



For January start courses, applications typically open in October, and for September start courses, applications typically open in February. Closing dates for applications are listed on the individual course webpage.

1 semester part-time online delivery.



Recommended Study Hours per week

This short part time course will be delivered completely online with high levels of peer interaction. There are up to 6 hours of live online lectures per week for 12 weeks with additional independent learning and coursework of up to 10 hours.



On-Campus Attendance Requirement

The course is delivered completely online with optional attendance at 1-2 in person workshops or industry engagement events in the course of the semester.

Start Date: January 2026.