Athletic Administration & Sports Management Degree Online

What Is Sports Management?

This degree is most often called some variation of Sports Management, but it can go by many names: Recreation and Sports Administration; Sports and Fitness Administration; Sport Marketing Management; Athletic Administration; or Athletic Administration and Coaching. There’s even a BS in Sports Management with Golf Focus, and an MBA in Sports Administration. Quite a variety!

In light of these variations, it is important (as with any major, really) to read the fine print before signing on the dotted line. Look at a college program carefully before committing. What specific courses does a program offer? Make sure a specific program will help you meet your individual goals.

With all that said, in short, these different Sports Management degrees will teach you similar things: to manage teams, games, and the individuals who play those games. But a Sports Management degree isn’t all fun and games. You’ll also study the economic, business, political, and legal aspects of Sports Management. You’ll study sports marketing and sales, fiscal management, employee management, program development, and athletics administrations. Some programs also include coaching education.

Sports Management is often a graduate level degree, though there are schools (such as the aforementioned golf experts) that offer a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management.

Is Athletic Administration a Good Major / Degree for Me?

Do you love sports? Do you like to work with people? Are you a strong communicator? Do you think you would be comfortable managing passionate athletes and coaches? Does dealing with an athlete’s upset parent or spouse sound like fun? Would you enjoy settling a conflict between two players, or between a player and coach? Does designing a new website for a college softball team sound like fun? Are you good with numbers and budgets? Are you pretty sure you will never outgrow your love for athletics? Do you want to have lots of crossover between what you love to do for fun and what you do for work? Then you might want to look more at Sports Management as a degree.

High School Classes Needed for a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management:

• 4 English Credits
• 3 Math Credits
• 3 Science Credits
• 3 Social Study Credits
• 2 Foreign Language Credits
• If your high school offers the following opportunities, take advantage!
  • AP Psychology
  • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Team Sports
  • Student Government

Common Athletic Administration / Sports Management Courses in College:

• Fiscal Practices in Sports Management
• Personnel Management in Sport
• Public Relations in Sports
• Recreation and Sports Law
• Revenue Generation in Sport
• Sports Administration
• Sports Marketing
• Sports Medicine Management
• Sports Research
• Theory of Recreation and Sport

Note: Some programs will require an internship.

Similar Degree Programs You Might Want to Explore:

• Business Management Degree: the study of how to plan, organize, and control a company in order to earn a profit
• Parks and Recreation Degree: the study of how to manage natural resources and the people who use them for recreation
• Physical Education Degree: a course of study that prepares students to work as Physical Education teachers

Athletic Administration / Sports Management Careers:

The career options can make a degree in Sports Management tempting. This degree will usually land you a career working with and around people who are passionate about what they do. However, this same passion can create a lot of stress for people in administrative positions.

Sports Management graduates may end up working for: schools, colleges, health and fitness clubs, community / town recreation programs, country clubs, sports media companies, professional sports franchises, sporting good merchandisers, or sports agencies. Here are just a few sample job titles:

• College Athletic Director / Assistant Director
• Coordinator or Recreation and Wellness
• Golf Course Manager
• Health Club Manager
• High School Athletic Director
• Middle School Athletic Director
• Sport Club Manager
• Sports Agent
• YMCA Director