Bachelor of Science in Sport Management
Sport management is a global, dynamic, and exciting field concerned with the management of operations, finances, marketing, legal, sales, and other business functions in professional and amateur sports and recreational organizations. In addition, some graduates with sport management degrees work directly with athletes as coaches, agents, and athletic directors.
Bachelor of Science in
Sport Management
Georgian Court’s B.S. in Sport Management applies a robust business management background to the wide-ranging and continuously changing needs, challenges, trends, technologies, and opportunities of the sport industry—one of the fastest-growing fields globally.
GCU’s ideal location for studying sport management—just one hour from both New York City and Philadelphia and their abundant professional, amateur, and recreational sports teams—provides multiple opportunities to grow and connect as you earn your degree and search for internships and your first job.
Ph.D. in Sport Administration
Why Earn Your B.S. in Sport Management at GCU?
GCU’s bachelor’s program in sport management combines 34 credits in core business classes with 20 credits in sport management (e.g., Sports Law, Sports Marketing), and 6 credits in elective sport management courses (e.g., Research Design and Methods in Sports Management, Facility and Event Management in Sports”) in addition to General Education requirements. You’ll be ready for a variety of career opportunities in marketing, operations, event management, sales, scouting, athlete management, and more.
Sport Management
Program Highlights
HIGHLY EXPERIENCED PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Our sport management program is led by a professor holding both an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. in Sport Management with real-world professional experience in sports marketing, public relations, operations, and research in the U.S. and Asia.
ONE HOUR TO NEW YORK CITY AND PHILADELPHIA
GCU’s location, close to New York City’s and Philadelphia’s sports teams (professional, collegiate, and recreational), provides plentiful opportunities for internships and jobs.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Field trips and site visits to colleges and minor and major league teams provide real-world learning and networking opportunities with sports professionals including sports marketers.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCH
With classes averaging just 13 students, you’ll have opportunities for student-faculty research to help build your resume and differentiate yourself from other job candidates. Students are encouraged to work on research projects and may publish and/or present their work at sport management conferences presented by College Sport Research Institute (CSRI) and North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM).
B.S. in Sport Management Program Information
To earn this degree, students must successfully complete at least 120 credits, including General Education requirements and the major requirements below.
Major Sequence
To earn a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management, students must successfully complete 120 credits which includes the business core, which is 45 credits in accounting, business, and economics coursework, plus additional courses in sport management as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Business Core Courses 4 | ||
| AC171 | Principles of Financial Accounting | 3.0 |
| AC172 | Principles of Managerial Accounting | 3.0 |
| EC181 | Principles of Macroeconomics 1 | 3.0 |
| EC182 | Principles of Microeconomics 1 | 3.0 |
| BU121 | Quantitative Business Concepts 1,2 | 3.0 |
| BU213 | Mgmt Theory & Org. Behavior | 3.0 |
| BU221 | Business Statistics & Probability | 3.0 |
| IS224 | Introduction to Business Analytics | 3.0 |
| FIN235 | Introduction to Finance | 3.0 |
| MK241 | Principles of Marketing | 3.0 |
| BU242 | Managerial Communications | 3.0 |
| or CM251 | Intercultural Communication | |
| or CM252 | Organizational Communication | |
| IS320 | Management Information Systems | 3.0 |
| BU350 | Internship & Career Preparation | 1.0 |
| BU351 | Internship 3 | 2.0 |
| BU491 | Business Strategies & Policy | 3.0 |
| Sport Management Courses | ||
| SM213 | Principles of Sport Management | 3.0 |
| SM241 | Sport Marketing | 3.0 |
| SM311 | LegalAspectsinSport 4 | 3.0 |
| SM375 | Sport in Society | 3.0 |
| Elective Sport Management Courses | ||
| Select two of the following (at least one must be an ES-designated course): | 6.0 | |
ES211 | Theory of Coaching | |
ES310 | Sport & Exercise Psychology | |
ES315 | Sports in Society | |
ES325 | Wellness Program Management | |
ES326 | Wellness Program Practices | |
ES360 | Administrative Aspects of Sport | |
MK246 | Social Media Marketing | |
SM417 | Special Events Management | |
| Total Credits | 60.0 | |
- 1
Course may also satisfy a General Education requirement.
- 2
BU121 Quantitative Business Concepts may be waived if the student has achieved a B or better in MA109 College Algebra, MA110 Precalculus, or MA115 Calculus I.
- 3
A sport management student is required to identify and search for internship opportunities in sport management.
- 4
SM311 LegalAspectsinSport satisfies the BU211 Business Law requirement from the Business Core.
A minor in sport management is also available at GCU. This degree requires 18 credits of coursework in business, exercise science, and sport management. Some students majoring in marketing, business administration, exercise science, wellness, and health, and management opt for the minor in sport management to broaden their career options.
Minor Sequence
Up to two three-credit courses (six credits total) may double-count for a student’s major, other minor, or general education requirements and the sport management minor.
The Minor in Sport Management requires 18 credits from:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | ||
| BU213 | Mgmt Theory & Org. Behavior | 3.0 |
| MK241 | Principles of Marketing | 3.0 |
| SM213 | Principles of Sport Management | 3.0 |
| SM241 | Sport Marketing | 3.0 |
| Select two of the following: | 6.0 | |
SM311 | LegalAspectsinSport | |
SM375 | Sport in Society | |
SM416 | Research in Sport | |
SM417 | Special Events Management | |
| Total Credits | 18.0 | |
For more information on program requirements, consult the Undergraduate Catalog.
Sport Management Degree Jobs
It’s almost impossible to count the number of job titles in sport management! It’s a wide-ranging field that includes professionals across many business disciplines who work with professional, intercollegiate, interscholastic, and youth sports teams in marketing, media relations, human resources, operations, sales, finance, events, and more. Some work in fitness clubs, youth clubs, ticketing, and media.
In addition, there are sport management professionals who work directly with teams and athletes as agents and athletic directors. A good resource for jobs is the article “The Ultimate List of Sports Management Jobs and Careers” on Jobs in Sports—an online sports job board and database of over 7,500 employers in sport management.
As an industry, sport management is also growing rapidly, especially post-pandemic. According to the Global Sports Market Report 2021, the annual revenue of the global sports market is projected to grow to $556 billion by 2023 and over $707 billion by 2026. As a result, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects jobs in entertainment and sports occupations to grow by 13% from 2021 to 2031 resulting in over 95,500 new jobs across a broad spectrum of business disciplines.
Sport Management Degree Salary
A sampling of job titles in sport management and median annual salaries from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, PayScale, salary.com and Forbes are below. Actual salaries are dependent on experience, academic degrees, type and size of employer, geographic location, and other factors. There is opportunity to earn significantly more than the salaries shown.
- Sports Event Planners – $49,150
- Sports Information Analyst – $82,620
- Sports Facilities Manager – $108,110
- Sports Agent – $116,410
- Sports Sales Manager – $119,410
- Sports Operations Manager- $119,840
- College Athletic Director – $123,200
- Sports Marketer – $128,090
- Sports Financial Manager – $165,810
- NFL Commissioner – $64,900,000
B.S. in Sport Management
What Students Might Be Interested in Sport Management?
Students with a passion for sports and business are a natural fit for this degree. Sensitivity to socio-cultural issues and the ability to work in a highly competitive environment in teams of diverse backgrounds are critical for success. Strong interpersonal, planning, communication, and organizational skills are a big plus.
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