Chat "How can I assist you?"
X
Toggle Nav

Online Bachelor of Science BS in Sport Management

Get in the Game with a Sports Management Degree Online

Marc de Grandpre talks in his office at Red Bull Arena

If you have a passion for sports, as a participant or fan, earning your BS in Sport Management degree online at SNHU 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.

Request Info Apply Now

See Yourself Succeed in Sports Management

Gain industry knowledge and practical experience with SNHU'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, SNHU has one mission - to help you see yourself succeed. The benefits of earning your sports management degree online at SNHU 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 percent 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 SNHU coursework, you'll be ready to make a fast break toward your sports career.

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

Required Core Courses
General Education Program
Business Core Program

Degree Courses
SPT 111 Introduction to Sport Management

This introductory course emphasizes the management principles related to the business of sports. It includes personnel, programs, marketing, media, financial management and an overview of career possibilities in this growing field.
SPT 208 Sport Marketing

Students study current sports marketing problems and apply marketing techniques to develop an effective sports marketing plan. Writing Intensive Course.
SPT 333 Sport, Society, and Ethics

This course examines the major issues and controversies of sport in society. Students will develop an appreciation of the ways sport in society contributes to analyzing and understanding human behavior in sports contexts; and a basic understanding of the theories and principles related to socio-cultural issues and ethics and morality in the sport industry.
SPT 360 Brand Management

Learn how to develop and drive a brand through social media, advertising, marketing, player recognition and the various verticals within a business, with a focus on gaining market share and increased customer loyalty through consumer insights, strategic thinking, and innovation.
SPT 401 Sport Facilities Management

The elements of managing sport facilities, including arenas, stadiums and athletic complexes, form the content of this course.
SPT 461 Seminar in Sport Management (Capstone)

This course serves as the capstone course for the sport management major and concentration. Students will apply the knowledge and skills obtained from courses in order to solve problems that a sport manager is likely to encounter. Instructor permission required.
SPT 111 Introduction to Sport Management

This introductory course emphasizes the management principles related to the business of sports. It includes personnel, programs, marketing, media, financial management and an overview of career possibilities in this growing field.
SPT 200 Sport Business

This course educates students on the business of the sport industry, exposing students to functional areas such as sales, financing, funding, sponsorships, and human resources. Establishing distinctions between sport products across varying sports and levels within the management of the business is taught.
SPT 208 Sport Marketing

Students study current sports marketing problems and apply marketing techniques to develop an effective sports marketing plan. Writing Intensive Course.
SPT 333 Sport, Society, and Ethics

This course examines the major issues and controversies of sport in society. Students will develop an appreciation of the ways sport in society contributes to analyzing and understanding human behavior in sports contexts; and a basic understanding of the theories and principles related to socio-cultural issues and ethics and morality in the sport industry.
SPT 350 Sales within Sport

Explore the critical skill of selling within the sport industry, including sales strategies, promotions, negotiating, communication and interpersonal skills, sales process, and creating sales pitches.
SPT 360 Brand Management

Learn how to develop and drive a brand through social media, advertising, marketing, player recognition and the various verticals within a business, with a focus on gaining market share and increased customer loyalty through consumer insights, strategic thinking, and innovation.
SPT 401 Sport Facilities Management

The elements of managing sport facilities, including arenas, stadiums and athletic complexes, form the content of this course.
SPT 461 Seminar in Sport Management (Capstone)

This course serves as the capstone course for the sport management major and concentration. Students will apply the knowledge and skills obtained from courses in order to solve problems that a sport manager is likely to encounter. Instructor permission required.

Complete one of the following Experiential Learning courses:
SPT 307 Sport Law

This course examines the legal issues prominent in the world of sport. The legal liability and responsibilities of coaches, athletic administrators, and sport managers at the professional, college and community levels will be discussed.
SPT 319 Sport Sales and Promotions

This course provides a cross-disciplinary approach to a variety of marketing, sales and promotions issues that confront sport managers.
SPT 320 Media/Public Relations in Sport

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the role of media and public relations in the sport industry. The primary aim is to familiarize students with media relations, public relations, and community relations in sport organizations and how these areas are integrated into the field of sport and the engagement of interdisciplinary thinking.
SPT 401 Sport Facilities Management

The elements of managing sport facilities, including arenas, stadiums and athletic complexes, form the content of this course.
SPT 402 Sport Revenue

This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the many traditional and innovative revenue acquisition methods available to sport organizations. Students will be exposed to conventional income sources, including tax support, ticket sales, concessions and fund raising, and will examine more recent innovations related to licensing sport products, media sales and corporate sponsorship.
SPT 425 Sport Licensing/Strategic Alliances

This course will explore why and how sport licensing is used effectively in the global business of sport. Both theoretical and applied perspectives will be used. The course will examine the strategic rational and different forms of sports licensing and how sport managers can use sport licensing to lead their companies to achieve growth and other key objectives. Course content will include examining US and international sport leagues and how they administer their licensing programs. The course will cover the process of identification of licensing opportunities, selection of business partners, process of establishing a license agreement, international licensing and the management of licensing relationships. In addition, students will be introduced to strategic alliances with an emphasis on why and how domestic and international alliances may be used to achieve sport enterprise objectives.

Undergraduate students with a cumulative GPA of a 2.75 or greater who wish to take graduate classes as electives to complete their remaining undergraduate requirements may do so only if they have earned a minimum of 90 credits and completed all of their major requirements, including the capstone. Students must receive a B or better to receive credit in their graduate program. Students must apply through their academic advisor to enroll. The acceptable graduate classes are: SPT-501 Research Methods in Sport Management and SPT-600 Management of Sport Organizations.

Free Elective Credits: 15

Total Credits: 120

Program Outcomes

Featured Videos

  • Stephanie Arpaia: Networking with Alumni

    Stephanie Arpaia: Networking with Alumni

    Thanks to her online sports education at SNHU, Stephanie Arpaia scored a major advantage in kickstarting her sports career. Today, she’s director of consulting for a sports management firm where she puts her MS in Sport Management to the test every day.
  • Greg Gosselin sits in his office in the professional hockey team’s ice arena

    Greg Gosselin: Making a Career Change

    Looking to equip himself with the best skills for sports careers, Greg Gosselin earned his MS in Sport Management at SNHU. Greg credits his experiences earning his master’s – from the faculty to the coursework – to his smooth transition to a career in professional hockey.

Tuition & Fees

Tuition rates for SNHU's online degree programs are among the lowest in the nation. We offer financial aid packages to those who qualify, plus a 30 percent tuition discount for U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty.

Online Undergraduate Programs Per Course* Per Credit Hour*
Degree/Certificates $960 $320
Degree/Certificates
(U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty) 		$675 $225

*Tuition Rates are subject to change and are reviewed annually.

Additional Costs
No Application Fee, $150 Graduation Fee, Course Materials ($ varies by course)

University Accreditation

Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges as well as several other accrediting bodies. More...

This program is accredited by both NEASC and ACBSP. Consumer information is available on the College Navigator.

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the Internet, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/public-relations-specialists.htm (viewed online November 6, 2017). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.