Pro Tip
Explore a program’s courses and concentration options to determine whether it would prepare you for the role you want to have after graduation.
To find the best online sports management master’s program for you, make sure to consider each program’s potential return on investment. Do a potential program’s tuition and fees align with your budgetary needs, and do you expect the curriculum to help you meet your career goals?
Consider Your Future Goals
A sports management master’s degree can lead to careers in high school, college and professional athletics; event management; facility management; or other sports-related business. Given this breadth of options, it’s important to choose the program that best aligns with your future goals.
One differentiating factor among sports management programs is concentration options. A sports analytics concentration covers much different territory than a sport law or coaching concentration, for example. Consider which subfield of sports you want to pursue, and then decide if you need to choose a program with a corresponding concentration.
Another differentiating factor is whether the program is a master’s in sports management or an M.B.A. program with a sports management emphasis. An M.S. or M.A. program is more focused on sports management, providing greater depth in the field, while an M.B.A. program also includes general business coursework, providing greater breadth.
Understand Your Expenses and Financing Options
Per-credit tuition rates for the 10 programs ranked here range from $340 to $900. Over the course of an entire master’s program, these rates translate to around $12,000 to $27,000 in total tuition costs. Keep in mind that the lower end of this range generally reflects in-state tuition rates, and that students may have additional expenses, such as course materials and distance learning fees.
For a point of comparison, as of the 2021-2022 academic year, the National Center for Education Statistics found that the average graduate program charged $20,513 in annual tuition. The average online sports management master’s program takes between one and two years to complete.
To potentially reduce the cost of your education, make sure you fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA can help you get grants and scholarships through the federal government. You can often pursue similar opportunities through schools themselves.