If you love sports, a master's degree in Sports Management can be the ticket to a satisfying career doing something you really enjoy. Graduates of Sports Management degree programs go on to positions as athletic directors, league managers, camp directors, coaches and more.
Recommended online Master's in Sports Management Programs
We've put together a ranking of some of the best online Master's in Sports Management degree programs to help you in your search for the best program suited to your particular needs. All of the school's on the list offer reputable online programs with regionally or national accreditation (read more about our rankings methodology).
#1. Southern New Hampshire University
Located in Manchester and Hooksett, New Hampshire, Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a nonprofit institute of higher learning that awards undergraduate and graduate degrees in the liberal arts, science, business and education. SNHU's online program consistently ranks as one of the best in New England.
Program Overview
Southern New Hampshire University offers three degree programs in sport management at the master's level: the Master of Science in Sport Management, the Master of Business Administration in Sport Management and the International MBA in Sport Management. The MS program uses experiential learning opportunities to prepare students for careers in the industry and offers certificate programs in athletic administration and international sport management. The MBA program focuses on sport business, marketing, finance and accounting, and the international MBA program includes additional coursework focused on doing business globally in the sport industry. Each program can be completed in as little as 21 months.
Accreditation
Southern New Hampshire University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education and the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
>>>Click HERE to request more information about Sports Management programs from SNHU
#2. Saint Leo University Online
Founded in 1889, Saint Leo University is a non-profit Roman Catholic university located in Saint Leo, Florida. In the 1970s, Saint Leo became one of the first institutions of higher education in the United States to offer distance learning by educating military servicemen and women. Saint Leo University's Center for Online Learning was launched in 1999 and today enrolls most of the university's students.
Program Overview
Saint Leo University Online offers a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program with a concentration in Sport Business. The concentration includes coursework in sport marketing, strategic management, legal and ethical issues, risk management, facility management, finances and research in sport, supplementing the core MBA curriculum of business management, oral and written communication, team membership and leadership, business technology and professional ethics. The program can be completed in as little as one year.
Accreditation
Saint Leo University is regionally accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Saint Leo University's MBA Sport Business Concentration is accredited by the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA).
>>>Click HERE for more information about Sports Management programs online from Saint Leo University
#3. Liberty University Online
Liberty University, a private, Christian college based in Lynchburg, Virginia, enrolls over 80,000 students in its distance learning program, Liberty University Online. Liberty Online offers a wide range of professional degrees at the associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels and consistently ranks in the top 10 online programs according to the Online Education Database.
Program Overview
Liberty University Online offers a Master of Science in Sport Management degree program with two distinct concentrations: Sport Administration and Outdoor Adventure. The former is a traditional sport management program designed to prepare students for careers in athletic marketing, broadcasting, facility management and intercollegiate athletic administration, while the latter provides skills needed for careers as camp directors, park rangers and outdoor education leaders. Students can also choose to complete a general program. Either concentration can be completed through either a thesis or non-thesis track and requires 36 credit hours, including a six-credit culminating experience.
Accreditation
Liberty University Online holds regional accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
#3. Lasell College
Founded by Edward Lasell in 1851, Lasell College is a private college based in Newton, Massachusetts. Originally a women's seminary, the college has grown to offer a broad range of undergraduate and graduate degrees in the liberal arts and professional studies. Lasell presently has 1,800 enrolled students at its Newton campus and offers multiple online degree programs.
Program Overview
Lasell College offers an online Master's of Science degree in Sport Management with three distinct concentrations: sport hospitality management, sport leadership and sport non-profit management. Regardless of concentration, all students complete a core curriculum with coursework in the history of sports, current issues, sport marketing and legal issues along with courses in executive development, financial management and media relations. Each concentration then adds three courses focusing on skills specific to the student's chosen field within the industry, such as grant proposal writing, management of facilities and special events, sales strategies, intercollegiate athletics and more.
Accreditation
Lasell College is regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
#4. Drexel University
Founded in 1891 by philanthropist Anthony J. Drexel, Drexel University is a private research university based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel offers over 70 undergraduate degree programs and over 100 graduate and professional degrees and features a cooperative education program that regularly ranks among the best in the United States. Recently, Drexel was ranked in the top 50 research universities in America in terms of salary potential.
Program Overview
Drexel University's School of Technology and Professional Studies offers a Master of Science in Sport Management degree program. Designed to be completed over the course of two years of part-time study, the program focuses on four main topic areas: sport business, sport marketing, sport media and sport law. The curriculum is designed to balance specific focus with a broad background of knowledge, allowing students to focus on honing their own abilities while keeping their skills diverse enough to qualify for many career opportunities.
Accreditation
Drexel University and its online program are regionally accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
#6. University of the Southwest
The University of the Southwest (USW) is a private Christian university located in Hobbs, New Mexico. Since its founding in 1961, USW has been primarily a commuter college for non-traditional students, although it has expanded to include more on-campus students in recent years. USW offers undergraduate and master's degree programs in a variety of professional fields.
Program Overview
The University of the Southwest offers a fully online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program with a special emphasis in Sport Management and Recreation through its School of Business and Professional Studies. The program focuses on financial, management, programming and risk management skills as they apply to the sport industry and also includes coursework in psychology and legal and ethical issues. Graduates of the program can pursue careers in professional, intercollegiate and professional sports, sport merchandizing, sport tourism, non-profit youth and adult recreation organizations, military recreation and more.
Accreditation
The University of the Southwest holds regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).
#7. Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University (TAMU) is a flagship public institution of higher learning based in College Station, Texas. It is the largest university in Texas, the sixth-largest in the United States and consistently ranks in the top 20 in research funding. The Wall Street Journal ranked Texas A&M second in the country in terms of its ability to help students find jobs in key careers and professions.
Program Overview
Through its College of Education and Human Development, Texas A&M offers a fully online Master of Science in Sport Management. The degree program can be completed on a part-time or full-time schedule and consists of four major components: the research core, the sport management core, electives and field experience. Highlights of the core curriculum include revenue generation, personnel management, diversity, sport marketing, recreation and sports law and research theory. Students can also take elective courses in sport and fitness administration, health and kinesiology administration and more.
Accreditation
Texas A&M University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
#8. Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University (ODU) is a public research university based in Norfolk, Virginia. Taking its name from one of the Commonwealth of Virginia's nicknames, the Old Dominion, ODU was established in 1930 and attained full university status in 1969. Today, ODU has more than 24,000 students enrolled on campus and is one of the largest providers of distance learning in the United States.
Program Overview
Through the Department of Human Movement Sciences in its College of Education, Old Dominion University offers an online Master of Science degree in Sport Management. The core curriculum includes coursework in sport facility management, sponsorship and event planning, marketing, legal issues, leadership and ethics along with general management principles and statistical analysis. Students can choose from three capstone experiences to finish their degree programs: a 400-hour field internship with a sport organization, a faculty-advised graduate thesis project or a research problem project that integrates the two.
Accreditation
Old Dominion University is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Commission on Colleges.
#9. Missouri Baptist University
Established in 1957, Missouri Baptist University (MBU) is a private college based in the greater St. Louis area, with its main campus in Creve Coeur, Missouri. MBU is an evangelical, historically Baptist university that offers extensive adult education programs at its main campus, satellite campuses and online.
Program Overview
Missouri Baptist University offers a Master of Science in Sport Management (MS-SPMGT) degree program exclusively online. The program is set up in a flexible modified cohort system that allows students to complete their degrees in as little as one year or take classes whenever their personal and professional lives allow. In addition to a core curriculum of sport management and business courses, the program encourages students to explore interdisciplinary studies as they relate athletics, sports and similar disciplines to one another and other fields. Graduate certificate programs in sport management, exercise science and fitness management are also available.
Accreditation
Missouri Baptist University holds regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (NCA).
#10. California University of Pennsylvania
California University of Pennsylvania (Cal U) is a public institute of higher learning located in California, Pennsylvania. Since its founding as a kindergarten through college academy in 1852, Cal U has grown to include 9,400 undergraduate and graduate students on campus along with a large virtual school.
Program Overview
California University of Pennsylvania's virtual school offers an online Master of Science in Sport Management Studies. The program, which was the first of its kind to be offered in the United States, consists of 13 consecutive months with cohorts beginning in July and January. Students in the Master's program study a core curriculum that includes coursework in the foundations of the sports industry and choose from one of three concentrations: sport management, sports counseling and intercollegiate athletic administration (IAA).
Accreditation
Cal U is regionally accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The Master of Science program in Sport Management Studies is approved by the North American Society of Sport Management Program Review Council.
Recommended online Master's in Sports Management Programs