Best Online Master’s in Sports Management

Best Online Master’s in Sports Management

By James Barham

Published: Jul 7, 2021
Updated: May 22, 2023

Find top-ranked online master’s degree programs in sports management for students who want to further their careers as coaches, sports agents, facilities managers, and more.

Top 10 Online Master's in Sport Management Degrees

University of Miami

63%

Wayne State University

61%

University of Cincinnati

60%

North Carolina State University

56%

University of Louisville

54%

University of Memphis

47%

Samford University

44%

Adelphi University

43%

Hampton University

43%

Goucher College

42%

Liberty University

99%

Baker University

99%

Western Kentucky University

98%

Old Dominion University

96%

University of Southern Mississippi

96%

University of Memphis

95%

Southern New Hampshire University

92%

Georgia Southern University

91%

East Tennessee State University

87%

Northwest Missouri State University

86%

Georgia Southern University

22 to 1

Southern New Hampshire University

21 to 1

Northwest Missouri State University

19 to 1

University of Cincinnati

19 to 1

Southeast Missouri State University

19 to 1

University of Louisville

19 to 1

Western Kentucky University

19 to 1

Old Dominion University

18 to 1

East Central University

18 to 1

University of Southern Mississippi

18 to 1

University of Miami

$54,760

Goucher College

$48,200

Adelphi University

$42,475

Samford University

$35,360

Baker University

$31,700

Hampton University

$29,312

Liberty University

$22,713

Bob Jones University

$20,950

Mississippi College

$20,364

Southern New Hampshire University

$15,380

Adelphi University

$43,040

University of Miami

$39,834

Samford University

$20,935

Southern New Hampshire University

$18,900

Wayne State University

$16,920

University of Louisville

$13,524

University of Cincinnati

$13,224

Hampton University

$13,099

Western Kentucky University

$12,140

Mississippi College

$12,060

East Central University

22%

University of Central Missouri

30%

Northwest Missouri State University

31%

Southeast Missouri State University

32%

Baker University

32%

Mississippi College

32%

East Tennessee State University

33%

Georgia Southern University

34%

Southern New Hampshire University

35%

Bob Jones University

36%

University of Miami

28%

North Carolina State University

47%

Mississippi College

49%

Arkansas State University

63%

Wayne State University

63%

East Central University

65%

University of Louisville

75%

University of Central Missouri

76%

Adelphi University

77%

Southeast Missouri State University

79%

Goucher College

9 to 1

Baker University

10 to 1

University of Miami

12 to 1

Bob Jones University

12 to 1

Samford University

12 to 1

Adelphi University

12 to 1

Arkansas State University

14 to 1

North Carolina State University

14 to 1

Wayne State University

15 to 1

Mississippi College

15 to 1

Georgia Southern University

$4,371

Arkansas State University

$5,232

Northwest Missouri State University

$5,461

East Central University

$5,791

North Carolina State University

$6,535

Old Dominion University

$7,029

Southeast Missouri State University

$7,461

East Tennessee State University

$7,486

University of Central Missouri

$7,758

University of Memphis

$8,352

East Central University

$4,402

Arkansas State University

$4,986

Georgia Southern University

$4,986

Southeast Missouri State University

$5,858

Northwest Missouri State University

$6,301

University of Central Missouri

$7,836

Liberty University

$7,847

East Tennessee State University

$8,784

University of Southern Mississippi

$9,094

North Carolina State University

$9,095

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Sports Management Degrees

How long does it take to get a master’s in sports management?

In as few as two years, students can earn their master’s degree in sports management either online or in person.

What will you learn while getting a master’s in sports management?

This roughly 30-credit degree can help working professionals expand their network, fine-tune their industry knowledge, and advance their careers. Courses in this degree cover topics like sports finance, human resources in sports organizations, and strategic management. Programs also typically have an internship or professional experience component, which can help students network and gain relevant workplace skills. Additionally, a thesis or final project may be required. Specializations, like sports marketing, allow students to align their advanced degree with their immediate career goals.

Related ranking: Best Online Master’s in Coaching and Athletic Training

What can you do with a master’s in sports management?

Graduates may qualify for careers as sports agents, contract negotiators, coaches, and facilities managers.

Learn more about what you can do with a master’s degree in business administration (MBA).

Best Online Master's in Sports Management

How do we determine the best online sports management master's degree programs?

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

Related ranking: Best Online Master’s in Coaching and Athletic Training

Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes Salaries by Percentile in the U.S.

The following graph depicts the average salaries of Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes for each percentile in the U.S.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

SVG Attribution: Wikipedia

Total Employed: 12480

10%

15%

50%

15%

10%

bell-curve

473706116078410162930N/A

10th Percentile25th Percentile75th Percentile90th Percentile

Best Online Master’s in Sports Management Degree Programs

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier is actually getting there. Taking the commute out of the equation means getting to class should be a lot more manageable. But that’s where it ends. In general, your online courses will incorporate the very same materials, concepts, and testing methods as would a traditional classroom.

And in many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning or working with remote learning technology for the first time, online college may even be a little more challenging for you. For a few insights on how to manage this new experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.