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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.

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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.

"Sport is still a rapidly growing industry. Our program is designed to provide students with various foundations of knowledge in the sport industry and business aspects behind the game. Students will learn how to apply academic theories to real work situations. Graduates from our sport management program are prepared for a career in any position in the sport industry, including professional sports, intercollegiate athletics, interscholastic sports, sports marketing, and facility management."
Jeongwon Choi
JEONGWON CHOI
Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator, Sport Management
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:

Business Core Courses 4
AC171Principles of Financial Accounting3.0
AC172Principles of Managerial Accounting3.0
EC181Principles of Macroeconomics 13.0
EC182Principles of Microeconomics 13.0
IS224Introduction to Business Analytics3.0
BU121Quantitative Business Concepts 1,23.0
BU213Mgmt Theory & Org. Behavior3.0
BU221Business Statistics & Probability3.0
MK241Principles of Marketing3.0
BU242Managerial Communications3.0
or CM251 Intercultural Communication
or CM252 Organizational Communication
IS320Management Information Systems3.0
BU335Financial Management I3.0
BU350Internship & Career Preparation1.0
BU351Internship 32.0
BU491Business Strategies & Policy3.0
Sport Management Courses
SM213Principles of Sport Management3.0
SM241Sport Marketing3.0
SM311LegalAspectsinSport 43.0
SM375Sport in Society3.0
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 Credits60.0
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.



View the full curriculum and admission requirements.

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

The Minor in Sport Management requires 18 credits from:

Requirements
BU213Mgmt Theory & Org. Behavior3.0
MK241Principles of Marketing3.0
SM213Principles of Sport Management3.0
or ES325 Wellness Program Management
SM241Sport Marketing3.0
SM375Sport in Society3.0
or ES315 Sports in Society
SM417Special Events Management3.0
Total Credits18.0



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
Sports, thinking and coach planning a strategy for fitness training, workout and exercise on a clip

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.

Georgian Court University Sports Management Students at the Lakewood BlueClaws Stadium
"GCU's sport management program helps you learn the business side of the sports world with the use of the latest trends and technologies. Between experienced faculty members, in-class discussions, coursework, and visits to sports facilities such as BlueClaws Stadium and Wells Fargo Center you will always feel engaged and excited to learn."
Sports Management major Shane Williams
SHANE WILLIAMS ’23

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Georgian Court University has extended the deposit deadline to June 1 in response to the U.S. Department of Education announcement concerning delayed data availability from the revised Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Additionally, deposits are also refundable up to June 1. Click here for more information about the deposit extension.