Sports Management Degrees and Certificates

Read about the different kinds of sports management degrees and certificates that are available.

Find Sports Management Degree Programs

sports management student with basketball

Getting your degree in sports management can initially seem daunting because there are so many program possibilities to consider. Do you want to become a sports agent, a public relations liaison or a sports facilities manager? Is sports medicine, which offers career options such as athletic trainer, physical therapist or coach, your strong suit, or would you prefer to delve into sports law? These are just some of the programs available to students considering a career in sports management.

To get into the field, you'll need to complete a sports management degree program from an accredited college or university. When selecting your school and training, find out whether it has the program approval of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM), the Sport Management Program Review Council (SMPRC) and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). While the approval of these associations isn't mandatory to a school's degree program legitimacy, their dedication toward promoting, stimulating, and encouraging study, research, scholarly writing and professional development in the area of sport management ensures that you'll receive a quality education.

Sports Management Degree Options

Associate's Degree Options

The best way to think of your associate's degree is as a foundation or stepping stone to your future education and career. Associate's degree programs are broad-based programs that cover introductions to, and fundamentals of, such fields as physical education, coaching, management and business ethics and law. The Associate of Business Science degree focuses on the business side of sports management, such as accounting or finance, while the Associate of Science in Sports Medicine degree provides entry-level theories on health and fitness assessment as well as a basic understanding of exercise, injury prevention, care and therapy.

Bachelor's Degree Options

A bachelor's degree is a crucial first step to prepare for a successful career in sports management. Aspiring sports managers are fortunate to have many different options in developing a sports management degree plan. Choices for a bachelor's degree in this field include the following specialties, as well as areas such as risk management or fitness and wellness:

Sports Management

Marketing

Business Administration

Accounting

Students who earn their bachelor's degree in sports management might consider a career managing a sports-related business, coordinating leisure recreational programs or managing collegiate or professional athletic organizations.

Master's of Business Administration (MBA) Options

An MBA degree with a concentration in finance, marketing or sports management qualifies students for leadership roles in this fiercely competitive industry. Considering the significant amount of money involved in athletes' contract negotiations and product endorsements, an MBA degree is especially crucial for prospective sports agents. Other sports management career paths that benefit from an MBA degree program include sports marketers, athletic directors and sports facility managers.

Master of Science in Sports Medicine

A master's degree in sports medicine is a two-year intensive program that focuses on health care issues for athletes and teaches the student about the prevention, assessment, management and rehabilitation of injuries. A master's degree-holder can become a valuable asset to a college or professional team or individual athlete. A Master of Science in Sports Medicine paves the way for a career as an athletic trainer, exercise physiologist, physical therapist or kinesiologist.

Master of Science in Sports Management

A Master of Science in Sports Management is a multidisciplinary degree that prepares graduates for a career in sports management at all levels, including recreational, juvenile, inter-scholastic, amateur, collegiate and professional. Graduates who earn the degree, which generally takes two years to complete, are prepared to work as a sports administrator, corporate sponsorship director, head coach or general manager.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Sports Management

A PhD in sports management generally originates in education or sports administration but PhD candidates may also focus their research in areas like interscholastic athletics, sports marketing, sports leadership, sports medicine, risk management or the psychological and sociological aspects of sports. A PhD is a requirement for those who want to teach and train future sports management professionals in a secondary college or university.

Doctor of Education (EdD) in Sports Management

The Doctor of Education in Sports Management generally offers two areas of emphasis for graduates: sports medicine or Olympism, which studies the structure and issues originated by the Olympic Games and encourages the balanced development of the body, will and mind. Optimally, your EdD program should be approved by the Sport Management Program Review Council, which is highly selective in approving sports management and medicine programs.

Certificate Programs in Sports Management

The two most popular certifications available in sports management are the sports management certificate offered to those students who are pursuing a bachelor's degree, and the graduate certificate in sports management, which allows already practicing sports managers a way to enhance their skills and professional credentials. A certificate is worthwhile because it teaches a certain set of skills and allows established professionals a means to stay current on physical and psychological theory or new business developments within the sports industry. These certificates can cover a wide range of specializations, from sports marketing to facilities management. Governing bodies for sports certification programs include the following: