Sports Management Degree and Career Guide
Find the information you need to get a sports management degree and start your sports management career.
Choose Your Sports Management Degree Wisely
Sports managers get to combine some of America's great passions: sports, business and health.
Sports are one of the world's biggest and most lucrative industries, and they're not just the traditional American sports triumvirate of football, baseball and basketball anymore. Think of how NASCAR has exploded in popularity, or of the universal appeal of the world's #1 sport, soccer.
So how do you set foot into the arena when you can't hit a 155-mile-an-hour serve like tennis pro Andy Roddick or drive a golf ball like Dustin Johnson? If you're more brains than brawn but still want to be a part of the sports scene, a degree in sports management could help open doors. But you'll need the same competitive spirit as an athlete to succeed. Use our sports management guide to gain the edge on careers, traditional and online degrees and salary data.
Ace the Competition
The field of sports management is growing increasingly popular and you'll find yourself in the ring with business majors, communications majors and law students in order to have a "sporting life." Here is a list of tips to help you navigate your way past the competition.
- Be resourceful – A sports management degree alone won't necessarily open doors. Sports management requires a shrewd, pragmatic disposition, good decision-making skills and the ability to adapt quickly to changing conditions.
- Location, location, location – There are certain areas of the country that are geographically closer to major sports markets or have greater concentrations of teams. These regions make it easier for students who hope to attain internships, summer jobs or part-time positions with a professional or college team while going to school.
- Pick your academic department wisely – Know where your school's sports management degree program is located. Is it in the business school or in the physical education department? This will affect the type of education you'll receive by determining whether you're focusing on the physical or sports medicine aspect of sports, or the business side of the industry.
- Learn to network – The old adage "it's who you know, not what you know," rings at least partially true in sports business. Jobs in the industry are rare, so learn to speak up for yourself. Promote yourself first and put yourself out there.
- Use the Internet to find internship opportunities – Check out some of the legitimate internship programs on the web. Sites like the National Collegiate Athletic Association (ncaa.org) offer one-year paid internships for college graduates and provide invaluable on-the-job learning experience.
- Choose your school with an eye on your future – An accredited, sports-focused school, such as one of the Pac-10 Conference schools, could provide job leads or have a sports placement service to help you get your foot in the door toward your dream career.
