By Lauren Lavelle

Soccer is just a game, right? Wrong. Soccer, known in most countries as football, is more than a game. It is also a global business—a highly lucrative business evident by the big paychecks earned by top English soccer players and the number of managers, agents, and assistants sure to be crowding the sidelines of the World Cup tournament.

Cass Business School in London, in partnership with England's Football Association, recently decided to capitalize on the business behind the sport by introducing what is said to be the world's first soccer-industry MBA (see BusinessWeek.com, 2/3/06, "A Hot Ticket For Sports-Biz Rookies").

"Cass recognizes the importance of all of the leisure industries as huge businesses, and as a business school in London, where finance and leisure are major sectors, the more sensible question might be 'Why haven't schools been more aware of these industries earlier?' " says Chris Brady, professor of management at Cass.

GLOBAL VISION.  Both industry practitioners and professors will lead the course, beginning in the fall of 2007, and will offer instruction in soccer-related legislation and marketing, along with traditional courses such as accounting and economics. Courses will cover topics such as image rights, player valuation, and club governance. The course costs around $50,000, and it will be offered as a yearlong regimen for full-time students and as a 22-month program for part-time students.

Brady expects about 20 students to enroll in the initial class, saying that number is adequate to facilitate sufficient discussion and teamwork. So what is the main goal?

"We would hope that in due course the program will develop globally with involvement by the global body, FIFA, and national associations," says Brady. The ultimate hope for the program: to teach students how to help the industry—and themselves—score big in the soccer world.

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Defense MBA
Back in the days of the Vietnam War, college was something that kept young men out of war. Today, it might be something that leads them into it. England's Cranfield School of Management in Bedfordshire and the Defence College of Management and Technology at Shrivenham have teamed up to offer what they say is the world's first MBA focusing on the defense sector.

"There is a demand for an MBA (in defense), particularly recognizing the need to operate in an increasingly commercial environment—using approaches from the commercial sector around procurement, project and program management, supply chain and logistics management, and so forth," says program director Graham Clark.

The qualification costs $49,000 and will be offered in varied forms to allow for the demanding and sometimes rigid military schedules of its students. The full-time course will take one year to complete, and the part-time course will take two years. Cranfield will also offer a four-year distance-learning plan for military officers stationed abroad.

According to Clark, the majority of students will be officers serving in the British armed forces, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence. Other participants will include managers from companies in the defense sector. Clark anticipates up to 20 participants in both the full-time course and in the EMBA program in 2007.

STRATEGY STUDIES.  The program will begin in the fall and consists of two types of coursework. First, students will study traditional topics in finance, economics, and marketing with Cranfield MBA peers. Following these courses, students can graduate to courses specific to the defense world such as defense-sector leadership, defense economics, and crisis management taught by leaders from the Defence Academy at Shrivenham.

The qualification is a revamped model of a 21-year-old course offered at Shrivenham in which senior military officials studied specialized topics such as guided weapons systems and explosives ordnance technology. While these courses may not be on tap at Cranfield, the new program will give students a more comprehensive understanding of war and the financial and managerial motivations behind it.

"The prime purpose of the program is to equip serving officers or managers in the defense sector to be more effective in developing and implementing effective strategies in their current and future roles," says Clark.

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Boosting the Bubbly
Reims Management School (RMS), France's leading business school, is located deep in France's Champagne region, and, like most businesses and organizations in the area, can attribute some of its own success to the thriving champagne industry. With increasing challenges facing the industry, RMS has decided to create a chair of champagne to aid with industry research.

"We are delighted to create this chair that will develop much needed research for the champagne industry," RMS's Director and Dean François Bonvalet said in a news release. "The professorship and associated research activities will be strategically developed with key champagne wineries located in the region."

RMS considers such a position vital to the success of the region. According to the school, "more than 300 million bottles of champagne are produced each year by the wineries of the Champagne region in France, generating more than 4 billion euros each year." A chair of champagne could potentially help maintain the success of the region, according to RMS.

SEEDING FUTURE SUCCESS.  The new chair comes as business schools around the world are adding programs specializing in the wine industry to meet a growing need for professionally trained managers (see BusinessWeek.com, 2/15/06, "A Vintage Crop of MBAs"). While it thrives in northeastern France, the champagne industry still faces challenges such as competition from the sparkling-wine industry, as well as issues about how to raise its exports. The chair is being funded by the CIVC (the interprofessional council for Champagne wineries), the city of Reims, and a number of the most prestigious champagne houses including Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot.

Potential candidates for the job include professors with strong academic backgrounds and renowned expertise in the wine industry. And when someone gets the job, we know what he or she will use to toast the occasion.

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Early MBAs
If it seems that MBA students are getting younger, be thankful you're not going to school in China. Chinadaily.com, citing a Beijing newspaper, says Shanghai youngsters between the ages of 3 and 6 are being enrolled in a children's EMBA program, with the "E" standing for "early." The program is said to help kids improve communication and creative abilities, but the Web site reports that many children cry through the classes. Add to the three R's a fourth—Return on Investment.