If you don't want to spend your life pursuing a position as a professional athlete, you may want to consider pursuing a sports management degree. When you have a higher education degree, you can pursue a professional position within a sports organizations so that you can earn a salary working in a field that you love even if you're not the athlete. Before entering into any undergraduate or graduate program, you must know what type of knowledge the program will provide you with. Here's what you can expect from Sports Management Degree programs:
What Does a Sports Management Degree Program Focus On?
The overall purpose of any sports management program at a four-year college or a grad school is to prepare students to fill managerial roles in the sports industry. You could work in all types of different settings. From a youth recreation center at a local government level to a college sports program with a huge fan base.
When students enter into sports management programs at any level, they will learn how to solve real-life problems that are related to the sports profession in either an office setting or even on the field as a trainer. You must complete 120 credits to earn a four-year bachelor's degree. If you expand on your education and aim to earn a two-year graduate degree, you'll complete around 40 to 60 credits and then you'll be ready to manage the business dynamics that exist in sports organizations.
What Are Typical Curriculum Requirements?
Every school sets their own curriculum. If the school is accredited through a prestigious accrediting body like the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation, it does have to comply with the rules that have been set by the accrediting body. If you're not sure what you'll be studying when you enroll in a bachelor's program, here are the major courses you'll have to complete after you complete the prerequisites:
- Intro to PE and Sports Studies
- Intro to Sports Management
- Sport Ethics
- Sports Facilities and Events Managments
- Natural Science
- Humanities
- Global Awareness
- Critical Thinking
- Personal and Community Health
- Sociology of Sport
- Sport Law
- Applied Sport and Performance Psychology
- Sports Marketing
- Communication in Sport
- Sports Finance and Economics
- Personnel Management in Sports
What Types of Specialties Can You Choose From?
If you already possess a four-year degree and you're going to return to school to earn your master's, you'll need to choose a specialty in sports management. The first step that you must do is decide if you're going to go for an MBA in Sports Management or a Master's or PhD. in Athletic Administration. You will be best suited for an MBA if you're working towards being a director or manager of operations. The master's classes are best for positions who need to focus more on research than strictly business courses.
Related Resource: 20 Most Affordable Small Private Colleges for Online MBA Programs
You can become an athletic trainer, a coach, a marketing manager, a director, an agent, or even a facilities manager when you have the right level of education. If you're ready to take the plunge and enter back into school, compare accredited Sports Management Degree programs so that you can compete in an industry that's all about competition.