Top 10 MSc Programs in Sports Management

Columbia University is the only Ivy League institution that offers a sports management graduate program. The Master of Science in Sports Management, delivered partly by Columbia Business School, includes an up-to-date curriculum, developed with the industry, on top of access to sports leaders and experts thanks to Columbia’s ace location in New York City. This provides extensive industry networking, internship, and employment opportunities — across a wide variety of sports.

The MSc in Sports Industry Management is offered by Emlyon Business School in France. One important aspect is that students work with industry experts who feature as guest speakers on the program. The course was established with company executives in the sports, lifestyle and entertainment sector, so it remains responsive to recruitment needs. Students go on to work in fields like sports marketing, sales, accounting, brand management, communications and more.

The University of Liverpool Management School runs the Sports Business and Management MSc. Liverpool holds triple accreditation (AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS) which puts it amongst an elite group of business schools. It also has an excellent reputation and network within football, horse racing, cricket, rugby and other sports. Students will have opportunities to visit Premier League football clubs as well as high profile sports businesses from other sports.

The Master of Science in Sport Management (MSSM) program at the GW School of Business prepares students for careers in a wide array of fields: events and facility management, sports marketing, athlete representation, sports analytics, sports media and the sporting goods industry.

The School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, at Temple University’s Fox School of Business, runs the MSc in Sport Business. Students on this program will learn new ways to think analytically and critically about top situations facing professional sports teams, whether that’s analytics, sales and promotion, or event and venue management. What is more, students can complete a dual degree through a partnership between the Fox School and Real Madrid–Universidad Europea Graduate School in Spain.

France’s Kegde Business School offers the MSc in International Sport and Event Management. The program is highly commended, as it placed first in the EdUniversal sport management rankings. The program is also well established, having been created in 1997 in collaboration with the industry. The curriculum is constantly updated, so students graduate ready to hit the ground running in the global sports industry.

The Isenberg School of Management, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, offers an MS in Sport Management, which is designed to give students the skills, credibility and network they need to succeed in the industry. Run out of the McCormack Department of Sport Management, this is one of the few sport management programs housed within a business school. Students gain access to a network of more than 5,000 alumni working in sports.

The Master of Business in Sport Management, run by Deakin University, prepares students to enter a leadership role in the global sports industry. Students can fast-track the degree, depending on their previous qualifications and professional experience, by completing it in one year instead of two. Deakin University is one of Australia’s leading schools when it comes to sports management.

The University of Bath School of Management, in the UK, run the Sport Management MSc. The program takes a cross-disciplinary approach, having been developed by the Department for Health and the School of Management. Students can take a Practice Track, an alternative to a dissertation, which gives them the chance to work on a consultancy project with a real organization, using the skills and knowledge gained during the degree.

The University of Stirling Management School in Scotland puts on the MSc Sport Management. The school has been ranked as sports university of the year by the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide. The MSc includes a sports internship, allowing students to gain valuable professional experience. Participants take a holistic look at sport management – from conducting research into event planning, to advising organizations on the impact of policy changes.