Masters in Sports Management Degree Programs Online

Those with a master's degree in sports management or athletic administration will be experts at the business of sports, and should be able to advance their sports management careers in a variety of settings, including college athletics management, recreational sport management, event management, sports finance, sports information, professional sport front office management, sports marketing, and more. The degrees described below are offered by the nation's top accredited online universities.

MS: Sports Management	Liberty University : The MS in Sports Management online degree program from Liberty University teaches its students the skills needed to organize and administer athletic programs across a variety of different levels, from high school to college to the pros. The coursework completed within this program will focus on social and ethical issues pertaining to sport management.
MBA: Sports Management	Southern New Hampshire University : The MBA in Sports Management from Southern New Hampshire University offers students core MBA coursework with a concentration of sports management. To accommodate students busy schedules, the program is offered both online and on-campus. Internship and volunteer opportunities are available to provide hands-on learning.
MS: Sports Management	Drexel University : The online Master of Science in Sports Management from Drexel University is designed to provide sports administrators and managers the connections between nutrition, psychology, management skills and athletics at an graduate level. Graduates are equipped with the tools to become leaders of the sports management field that maintain a breath of knowledge across business and science.
MA: Athletic Admin	Ohio University : The MS in Athletic Administration at Ohio University provides a program that develops managers capable of becoming athletic directors. Ohio University designed this program in consultation with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association for professionals that wish to become leaders in interscholastic sports.
MBA: Sports Management	Saint Leo University : The Saint Leo University MBA in Sports Management program prepares students for the dynamic and exciting field of Sports Management. The curriculum focuses on managerial skills and technical knowledge. Courses examine managing complex interactions and problem solving. Students learn leadership, communications, teamwork, and ethical practices, under a sports management environment.
MEd: Athletic Admin	Northcentral University : At the Northcentral University Master of Education in Athletic Administration, students learn how to enhance their leadership, teaching, and administrative skills, while applying the highest standards of ethics and values. The curriculum is designed for educators interested in K-12 athletic administration and is a integral tool for obtaining leadership positions in the field.
MBA: Sports Management	Tiffin University : At Tiffin University's MBA in Sports Management program, students engage in the essence of managerial skills that combine academic theory with contemporary business applications in the sports industry. A facet that sets Tiffin apart from the rest is its mentorship program, partnering a student with an individual experienced in the field.
MS: Sports Psychology	Capella University : At Capella University, students can combine their love of sport with the fascinating field of psychology with the MS in sport psychology degree. The curriculum teaches you how to apply psychological methods to both amateur and professional athletes. Topics include performance enhancement, individual and team motivation, injury recovery, and stress management.
MS: Sports Management MS: Collegiate Athletics	California University of Pennsylvania : The California University of Pennsylvania offers two outstanding sports management degree programs through their online program. The MS in sports management emphasizes preparing students for leadership positions within the sports industry. The MS in sports management - intercollegiate athletics degree readies students for leadership positions within NCAA schools' athletic departments.
MS: Sports Management	Lasell College : Students enrolled in Lassell College's online MS in sports management program will find a trio of concentration options for their degree: sport leadership, sport hospitality management and sport non-profit management. Students will participate in capstone internship and thesis projects after completing core curriculum and concentration courses toward their degrees.
MS: Sports Management	Full Sail University : At Full Sail University's MS program in Entertainment Business & Sports Management, students work towards a degree designed around an advanced curriculum in business education that focuses on the sports industry. Graduates are successful in a variety of sports related fields, including operations, marketing, and ticketing.
MA: Sport-exercise Psych	Argosy University : As a highly respected leader in education, Argosy University has focused its efforts on helping students to the center of exciting and fast-growing industries. AU works with industry professionals to develop curriculum that follows the industry's standard and best practices. In response to changing demographics in education, AU has added a Masters of Arts in Sports-exercise Psychology to its course catalog.

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What is a masters in sports management degree?

A masters in sports management can stem from undergrad work in business or also in sports management. Sports management revolves around managing sports teams and various sectors within the industry such as products or venues. There are many different avenues a person can take once obtaining a masters in sports management.

Sports psychologist

A masters in sports management can be a stepping stone to a PhD for working with athletes and their mental health. Professional athletes are under a lot of stress and function in a high pressure environment. Because of this, most teams have a psychologist on duty to work with players should they have personal or professional issues. Psychologists are also employed by private companies to conduct research and can also be employed by universities that have a high profile athletics department that may lead to high stress situations for players/students.

Operations manager

In this position, someone with a masters in sports management works as the head of a sports venue. This can be a large venue where pro sports is played or a medium or small-sized venue that caters to minor league teams or stadiums where high profile high school teams play sports. An operations manager works in the front office and oversees everything from schedules for games, to concessions and hiring staff for the arena or stadium.

Talent manager

With a title like talent manager you might work as a manager for one or more players. Most managers or agents work to get endorsement deals and public appearances to raise a player's profile outside of their team, building the player as an individual personality. Often those who have a masters in sports management go on to law school or have completed law school. This is a difficult area to break into and works best for those who have vast networking skills and work in a city in the entertainment field such as Los Angeles or New York City.

Editor or writer

Sports magazines may seek out a person with a masters in sports management to work as an editor or writer. This also goes for online magazines, which are now as prevalent in the sports industry as conventional magazines. A masters in sports management shows you how a team and management work from the inside out, so analyzing the game or industry becomes easier with this background.

Front office position

Just because you have a masters in sports management doesn't mean you'll be able to snag a gig as an operations manager from the get-go. A front office position may be one of the many positions you take on, whether it's working in payroll or working with teams to schedule games and events. You might also work in promotions to market the home team or events that players are participating in.

Sports scout

This is a difficult area to get into. Scouts usually have an extensive background studying a sport and are familiar with statistics and how a player will perform and develop later down the road. This is a job that involves some natural ability to spot players, but that gift can be honed by studying sports management. A masters in sports management isn't requires for this position, but it is common among scouts.

General manager

Obviously there aren't a ton of general manager jobs to go around, but you might land one. It won't be solely because of your masters in sports management, but that does substantially up your chances if you already have a background in sports and interplay politics. General managers typically work their way up through the ranks of an organization and are moved to another city or team after they have already reached general manager status. General managers in sports work with other teams to trade players and negotiate player contracts.

Assistant manager

This position works similar to the general manager. Many who go on to work in management begin their careers in the front office in an entry level position. An assistant manager on a sports team assists the management in contracts, negotiations and budgets involving salary caps. There are often several assistant managers on a team.

Sports broadcasting

In addition to a degree in broadcasting, some may seek out a masters in sports management to work as a commentator or reporter on a sports television show. Sports management teaches you the interplay of a team and in the same way it provides a concrete foundation for editors and writers, it does the same for those commentating on the sports scene at any level. This job is difficult to come by and often originates by working in writing.

Sports marketing

One may work in many different positions with a career in sports marketing. You might market a team, a product, a store or individual player. Sports is a far reaching industry with many levels of marketing. Some marketing positions may work on a contract basis (such as marketing for a U.S. Olympic team) or you may be permanently employed (as in the case of marketing a sports brand). You might also work trying to make a brand a sponsor of a player or team. Marketing is a high stress career in any capacity and sports marketing is no different.

Public relations for a sports team

You might work in PR for a sports team with a masters in sports management. This is a common career for those with upper level degrees in sports. Public relations positions are available for players, teams, sports venues and leagues. This is a fast-paced career that involves building relationships for a client and spinning stories in the client's favor when possible.

Athletics director

This position exists at most colleges and universities. Those with expansive teams and large budgets can pay well into the seven figures. An athletics director manages the coaches, players, office and business ends of a team at a college or university. Most athletic directors also work with the marketing department of a school to present the right image.