Get in the Game with a Sports Management Degree Online
If you have a passion for sports, as a participant or fan, earning your Bachelor of Science in Sport Management degree online at UMS can help turn your enthusiasm into a career. As a leading industry in the U.S., sports has a growing need for well-trained, business-minded professionals at many levels.
Our innovative online bachelor's in sports management degree program has a 25-plus-year history of preparing students for successful careers in the dynamic sports industry. From building a brand to selling a sponsorship, you'll develop real-world skills through coursework and experiential learning that are crucial for sports business success.
An accelerated BS-to-MS pathway option for this online degree program is also available. This lets you:
- Save money: Take up to two graduate level courses (6 credits) during your bachelor's program at the online undergraduate tuition rate
- Save time: Apply your graduate credits to your master’s degree to complete your program in as fast as one year
For more details, scroll down to the curriculum section.
See Yourself Succeed in Sports Management
Gain industry knowledge and practical experience with UMS's sports management degree online. This top-tier program combines sports management, business and liberal arts courses plus valuable sports-related field experiences to give you a solid career foundation that helps you succeed in this competitive job arena. Key elements of the program include:
- Learning to apply conventional analytical tools to sport business situations
- Becoming well versed in ethical conduct principles and values, and learning to express yourself with utmost professionalism in any business setting
- Exploring a global view of sport business by developing a deep understanding of the interrelationships between institutions, culture and humanity and their impact on sport businesses
- Recognizing and understanding the broad spectrum of interrelationships among external forces affecting a sport business and how to respond by aligning company strategies and resources
As a private, nonprofit university, UMS has one mission - to help you see yourself succeed. The benefits of earning your sports management degree online at UMS include:
- Affordability. Take advantage of some of the most affordable tuition rates in the nation
- Convenience. Attend class when it's convenient for you - online education means 24/7 access
- Efficiency and flexibility. Complete your undergraduate degree at your own pace, over six 8-week terms per year
- Expert instruction. Learn from instructors with relevant, real-world experience
- Networking. Tap into our nationwide network of alumni for internship and career opportunities
- Simple application process. Just fill out an online undergraduate application, and we'll retrieve U.S. transcripts from your previous institutions and automatically complete an official credit evaluation. Plus, there's no application fee
- Student support. Count on the ongoing support of dedicated academic and career advisors specialized in your area of study
- Transfer-friendly enrollment. Transfer up to 90 credits toward an undergraduate degree
Career Outlook
Job opportunities in athletic management, marketing, sales, public relations and other positions are expected to grow, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For example, the BLS projects employment of public relations specialists, an important role within the sports management world, will increase 9% by 2026.*
Career options with a sports management degree online are many. Prospective job titles include:
- Marketing assistant
- Sales manager
- Media relations assistant
- Special events coordinator
- Promotions manager
- Guest relations specialist
- Tournament director
- Sports information director
- Athletic director
- Facilities manager
Curriculum
The sports management degree online curriculum includes eight core courses as well as business and liberal arts courses, providing you with a well-rounded background. The program culminates with six credits of experiential learning, in which you'll gain on-the-job training in real-world sports settings. By working closely with mentors and applying knowledge learned from UMS coursework, you'll be ready to make a fast break toward your sports career. The internship experience must be US based. Please ask your admission counselor or advisor for more information.
Accelerated BS-to-MS Pathway Option: Earn your MS in Sport Management - faster. If you're interested in earning both degrees, have a discussion with your academic advisor. You also must meet the following academic requirements:
- Hold a GPA of 2.75 or greater
- Have a minimum of 90 credits
- Complete all major requirements/coursework, including capstone
- Meet the waiver requirements for the associated graduate courses
Courses To Prepare You For Your Career
UMS's bachelor's in sport management program includes:
- General education
- Business core
- Degree-specific courses
General Education Program
Our programs are designed to equip you with the skills and insights you need to move forward. In recent years, employers have stressed the need for graduates with higher order skills - the skills that go beyond technical knowledge - such as:
- Writing
- Communication
- Analysis
- Problem solving
All undergraduate students are required to take general education classes. Through foundation, exploration and integration courses, students learn to think critically, creatively and collaboratively, giving you the edge employers are looking for.
Business Core Program
Programs in the School of Business require learners to complete the business core program, which includes a variety of business-specific courses. This program focuses on 10 core competencies to prepare you for success wherever you go.
Courses May Include
Program Outcomes
- Recognize management and leadership theory in an applied environment
- Use management and leadership theory in an applied environment
- Demonstrate problem solving in an applied environment
- Formulate connections between classroom learning and practical experience
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate
- Understand and practice networking and relationship building
- Employ ethical frameworks in decision-making
- Display a professional personal image
- Use reflection to develop multiple perspectives of self as a professional
- Demonstrate an awareness of factors that contribute to global sport business issues
- Apply sport management principles in an international context
- Analyze the influences of social, cultural, or political institutions on global sport businesses
- Analyze the role of social responsibility in global sport business
- Understand the interrelationships between functional areas in sport organizations
- Employ a strategic analysis to demonstrate an understanding of the forces that a sport business must have in order to achieve its mission
- Integrate strategic analysis into the strategic planning process
- Evaluate external and internal factors and the interrelationships affecting decision-makin
