Sports management professionals work within major and minor league organizations worldwide. Graduates who have pursued an Online MBA in sports management have many exciting career possibilities to choose from. In addition to athlete representation, MBA graduates are qualified to work in many other business areas. They are also eligible to lead in team management, player recruiting, sporting goods manufacturing and distribution, sports marketing and publicity, and facilities management. With these and many more factors involved, here are ten of the top online MBA sports management specializations.
Athletic Administration
Graduate students interested in an online MBA in Athletic Administration can prepare for careers in the athletic industry. This continually expanding and popular field includes management careers at the interscholastic, intercollegiate, and professional sports levels. These MBA grads are also qualified for opportunities in campus recreation, community and youth sports programs, and various programming and management careers.
This Master of Business Administration emphasis integrates practice and theory to train current and future business professionals. The online component of the degree makes it the perfect option for students who cannot relocate to attend classes on a brick-and-mortar campus. Professional courses focus on the most relevant concerns facing business administrators, including accounting, legal issues, finance, strategic planning, human resources, managing change, and policymaking. An online MBA with a concentration in Athletic Administration fuses traditional MBA training with a particular emphasis on the field of athletic administration. The curriculum prepares working professionals for the ever-evolving economic, political, and legal concerns that are components of the athletic sports industry.
Health and Human Performance/Sports Management
An online Master of Business Administration in Health and Human Performance/Sports Management provides working professionals with a foundation for leadership and decision making in sports marketing, facilities management, planning, and promotion. These students also gain awareness and comprehension of legal issues in health and human performance. Specialized courses within this Top Online MBA in sports management specialization can include Sports Planning and Promotion, Legal Issues in Health and Human Performance, and Facilities in Physical Education and Athletics.
This distance degree gives graduate students an overview of the various techniques and strategies utilized to meet sports industry customers’ needs. Areas addressed include the uniqueness of sport versus traditional marketing, an overview of the sports industry segment, essential market research and identifying the right sports consumer, endorsement packages, and how data-based marketing reaches the development of endorsement and sponsorship packages. Students in this degree also receive a basic introduction to the legal principles of the sports and recreation industry. The curriculum can also include studying current developments and design trends for the construction of new and renovated facilities used for athletics, physical education, and recreation. Online MBAs in Health and Human Performance/Sports Management are excellent programs.
Sport Business
One of the top Online MBA sports management specializations is Sport Business. Sport Business is a varied concentration encompassing everything from facilities management of major athletic franchises to professional, collegiate athletics. Traditionally, sport management programs were an extension of a physical education department. Those programs were suitable for graduate students pursuing careers as recreational sports, municipal recreational activity directors, or high school athletic directors. However, professional and collegiate sports development and popularity have created a greater need for leaders and administrators trained explicitly in business leadership.
This type of business program provides distance learners with an education in the business aspects of overseeing professional athletes and major/minor league facilities. These online degrees typically follow the same curriculum as the MBA foundation and core courses; however, nine to twelve hours of electives may consist of the sport business core and sport business electives.
Sport Entertainment Management
It is common for universities and professional sports departments to combine their expertise to create a professional online MBA degree that allows graduate students to become business world thought leaders. Guided by case studies, best practices, and industry insights, a program with this Online MBA in sports management specialization can be delivered through the collective lens of business school faculty and local business professionals with solid industry knowledge and experience. An online MBA in Sport Entertainment Management will include an advanced curriculum with real-world applications so graduate students can partake in immersive boot camps at multiple locations and through distance learning using Zoom and other virtual meeting programs.
One such popular program is featured at the University of North Texas. UNT has partnered with the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas. The Sport Entertainment Management program offers students the chance to tour and meet at AT&T Stadium in Arlington and at The Star in Frisco, Dallas Cowboys World Corporate Headquarters and Training Facility. The innovative and forward-thinking approach a program like this one affords students introduces learners to traditional industry categories as they dive into how the organization spurs innovation and change into Esports, branding, hospitality, data and analytics, marketing, and merchandise.
Sport Event Security Management
An online Master of Business Administration specializing in Sport Event Security Management is an excellent option for distance learners wanting to invest in their future. Today, it is essential for working professionals seeking top management positions in the sport security industry to harness the business knowledge needed to manage operations, including the skills of presenting a business case for return on investment for security management solutions.
By pursuing an online Sport Event Security Management degree, MBA students can differentiate themselves by acquiring the standard principles of business in relation to real-world experience security practitioners rely on daily. Some of the jobs graduates with this online credential have landed include Chief Security/Risk Officer, Director of Safety and Security at Professional Sport Venues, Director of Facility/Event Operation, Director of Public Safety, and Emergency Management Director. This degree goes well beyond the basics of business leadership training.
Sport Leadership
As the global sports industry continues to develop, so does the need for business-trained administrators within athletic organizations. An online MBA in Sport Leadership degree is designed to introduce distance learners to the sports industry while giving them the trusted business foundation they need in today’s market.
Graduate students enrolled in this program study modern leadership, communication strategies, global issues in sport, operations, and traditional business methods like business policy, accounting, finance, and economics. Graduates of this distance degree are experts in gathering, interpreting, and analyzing research to inform decision-making at strategic and operational levels within an organization. They also use advanced communication skills and a keen awareness of cultural differences in domestic and global business interactions. The curriculum of a sport leadership trains students to analyze problems from a diverse perspective, propose practical solutions, and evaluate the impact of executive decisions. A Sport Leadership-focused online MBA is an excellent option for tomorrow’s business leader.
Sports Administration
An online Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Sports Administration is designed for graduate students interested in an Online MBA but who would also like to pursue a successful career in Sports Administration. Experienced and knowledgeable course instructors assist distance learners throughout the Sports Administration program. An online MBA degree program integrates the sophisticated academic world, the technologically dependent career world, and the practical world into a business curriculum that fits an active working professional’s life.
Many graduate students who decide on an MBA already know the fields they intend to work in. These distance learners benefit from the chance to add a specialization of their choice to the core MBA curriculum. Concentrated courses provide a focused study of topics and issues related to the management of sports programs. Some courses which may be present within a Sports Administration degree could include Legal and Regulatory Environment for Sports, Current Issues and Trends in Sports Administration, and Venue and Event Management.
Sports and Recreation Management
An online Master of Business Administration concentration in Sport and Recreation Management is the perfect degree for graduate students seeking a comprehensive understanding of sport and recreation management as the topic relates to the roles and responsibilities of the intercollegiate coaching staff. Enrolled students earning this degree learn the conceptual and theoretical aspects of sports management and understand the psychological aspects of coaching.
Research courses within the program have been designed to provide graduate students with the skills they will need to investigate practice issues and improve evidence-based decision-making. Course delivery is specifically designed for active professionals to make the most of their time and optimize their learning experiences. Most distance programs like this can be completed in less than two years.
Students enrolled in a Sport and Recreation Management program get equipped to apply leadership and critical thinking to the various concepts of the sport and recreation management industry. They also learn how to analyze the dynamics of collegiate coaching with a specific emphasis on the psychological components of sport coaching. This degree is an excellent investment.
Sports Management
Graduate students can take steps toward becoming athletics managers at the intercollegiate or professional level when they pursue an online MBA in Sports Management. MBA students apply the financial and leadership skills that this stellar program offers to sports and fitness management organizations within this distance degree. The curriculum within an online sports management MBA gives learners the chance to create an optimal environment for business and interpersonal development while examining the topics that affect the industry’s future.
Online MBA students also gain practical knowledge by applying management theory and valuable techniques to real-world challenges involved in organizing a successful athletic department. Some programs like this offer a specialization internship requirement that broadens students’ networks and gives them access to real-world experience.
This specialization provides a focused and relevant set of skills to help working professionals become invaluable assets at all levels of the sports administration field, including recreational, collegiate, and professional. The coursework covers diverse issues specific to sports management, including Title IX compliance, athlete salary, scholarships, and recruiting policies. An online MBA in Sports Management has got what it takes.
Sports Management and Recreation
Graduate students can apply their love of sports and fitness to the business world with an online MBA in Sport Management and Recreation program. This distance degree is designed to enhance sports leadership and management skills while deepening business knowledge in the industry. Some of the nation’s best business schools feature a stellar business curriculum and supportive educational community that has helped graduate students achieve success since the degree’s inception. Potential career paths for this degree’s recipients include the chance to work with teams in the MLS, NFL, MLB, UFC, NBA, NHL, NCAA, NASCAR, and more.
MBAs with this education become general managers, presidents, or managers of professional sports teams, college teams, or sports organizations. They also represent professional athletes by becoming sports agents and sports information directors. Sports Management and Recreation graduates improve teams by working as scouting directors, marketing directors, development advisers, and coaches. Online MBA courses in this field can include Sports Marketing, Physical Education and Sports Administration, Sports Management: Economy and Finance, and Probabilities and Statistics.
Action Plans
You know you’re interested in a career in sports management. But how do you start looking for a Top Online MBA in sports management that will get you there? Here are some action plans you can make to start your journey:
Start by surfing business schools’ websites
Begin by researching a school’s website. Read about their admissions process and requirements. Look into the classes the schools offer (both required and elective) and take note of the courses that interest you.
Sign up for webinars
Business schools host webinars with admissions staff and students are an excellent way to learn about schools. These sessions offer business school candidates opportunities to ask questions, so come with prepared questions and conversation topics. Check with individual schools to see when sessions are being delivered and plan accordingly.
Schedule campus visits
Once you have narrowed your choices down to a few schools that offer interesting online MBA programs in sports management, it is time for a road trip. It can be helpful to visit b-schools in person. Program candidates can participate in class visits, information sessions, and campus tours. Even virtual students will discover that being on campus is a valuable way to picture themselves as students at a particular school while understanding the culture.
