Master in Sport Management
San Francisco, USA
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 Feb 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
Jun 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 26,560 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for living on campus and living in off-campus housing
Introduction
Educating industry professionals since 1991, USF has established itself as one of the leading sport management master's programs in the world. Our mission is to develop responsible, ethical, and inclusive leaders for the sports industry, who have the current and future technical and management skills required to build winning sports organizations that benefit society. Our locations in San Francisco and Southern California give you broad access to opportunity, and our long track record gives you an inside advantage.
The 36-unit sports management program serves the needs and schedules of today's busy students. Classes meet one evening per week from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., allowing students to complete their master’s degree in just 23 months.
The interdisciplinary graduate curriculum is designed to provide students with management and social science theory, quantitative theory, and analytics practice. It is structured with cohort-based students taking one course at a time and meeting one evening per week so that working adults who have professional goals in the sports marketplace may complete their degree in approximately 23 months, including over 160 hours of internship experience and an optional Business Research Project. It provides professional preparation for operational, analytical, management, and leadership positions with professional sports teams, intercollegiate athletics programs, recreational sports facilities, amateur athletic organizations, health and fitness organizations, sporting events and tournaments, stadiums, and arenas, and the marketing, management, technology, and communications firms that support the sports marketplace.
Admissions
Curriculum
Required Courses (30 units)
Core Courses for MS in Sport Management:
- SM 601 - Sports Commerce & Innovation
- SM 602 - Leadership & Critical Thinking in Sport Management
- SM 603 - Sport Law
- SM 604 - Sport Economics & Finance
- SM 605 - Quantitative Analysis in Sport
- SM 606 - Strategic Management & Human Resources in Sport
- SM 607 - Accounting & Budgeting in Sport
- SM 608 - Internship in Sport Management
- SM 609 - Applied Sport Internship
- SM 610 - Analytical Business Development & Sales
- SM 612 - Marketing Science & Practice
Elective Courses (6 units)
Choose from the following:
- SM 614 - Sport Business Research Project
- SM 630 - Global Sport Management Immersion Week
- SM 631 - Entrepreneurial Brand Building
- SM 632 - Sponsorship Activation
- SM 633 - Social Media in Sports
- SM 634 - Strategic Communications
- SM 635 - Sport, Society, and Culture
- SM 636 - Marketing a Professional Team
- SM 637 - Event Management & Marketing
- SM 638 - College Athletics in the Digital Era
- SM 690 - Special Topics in Sport Management
- SM 698 - Directed Reading/Research
Program Outcome
Students will:
- Recognize, classify, and demonstrate knowledge of the breadth and depth of the sports marketplace, including the development of leadership, communication, data-driven decision-making and problem-solving, and networking skills
- Recognize, discuss, and demonstrate knowledge of globalization, themed entertainment, culture, sociology, and commerce in the sports marketplace with the development of critical thinking and analytical skills.
- Demonstrate skills in business writing, research, and qualitative and quantitative analysis.
- Demonstrate practical analytical, management, and leadership skills within the industry.
- Recognize the role of economics, accounting, finance, marketing, strategic management, law, and quantitative analysis in sports, and demonstrate and apply the analytical tools of those fields to issues in sports.
- Demonstrate relevant knowledge by creating a business plan, team financial plan, marketing plan, cultural analysis, team management plan, stock portfolio prospectus, strategy plan, career plan, legal analysis, quantitative analysis, and Business Research Project.
- Demonstrate knowledge of specific components of sports management such as public relations, facilities management, fundraising, and brand management.
Scholarships and Funding
The MSCS program offers a limited number of merit-based scholarships to incoming and current graduate students, both domestic and international, on a competitive basis.
MSCS Admission Scholarship
Awarded to incoming MSCS applicants with outstanding applications from all backgrounds. Approximate awards range up to $5k over the first year of study.
MSCS Merit Scholarship
Awarded to incoming MSCS applicants with outstanding applications from all backgrounds, or current MSCS graduate students who demonstrate outstanding skills and leadership. Approximate awards range from $5–10k over one to two semesters.
The Dean's Scholarship
An award of up to $15,000 to use toward tuition, research, and conference travel. Connect with other Dean's Scholarship recipients and leaders across the College of Arts & Sciences. Serve as a program representative to USF donor initiatives to help transform the lives of other USF students. For more information please see the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Scholarships website.
Double Dons Scholarship
USF Alumni and current students can be awarded the USF Double Dons Scholarship upon admission. The scholarship covers 20% of the program tuition, and may not be stacked with other USF scholarship awards. Exceptions may apply.
Career Opportunities
With a network of over 2,500 alumni working in the United States and throughout the world, we help you find USF Sport Management graduates all over the sports industry. Our alumni work in executive, administrative, and support positions in organizations ranging from professional sports to nonprofits.
Top Employers of USF Sport Management Alumni
- Golden State Warriors
- University of San Francisco
- UC Berkeley
- SF Giants
- Stanford University
- Oakland A's
- University of Southern California
- Las Vegas Raiders
- San Jose Sharks
- SF 49ers
- San Diego State University