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The Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) is a specialized accrediting body committed to recognizing excellence in sports management as it relates to professional experience. AMU’s master’s in sports management is accredited by COSMA, the only organization offering discipline-specific accreditation in sport management.
When researching higher education options, it’s important to identify accredited institutions. Similarly, when exploring sport management programs, accreditation should also be considered. AMU’s COSMA accreditation status signals that our sports management programs are accurately and fairly described. This accreditation also shows employers that our sports management programs demonstrate a high level of academic rigor and quality to meet widely accepted educational standards.
As the premier sport management accrediting body, COSMA promotes excellence in sport education, encourages innovation and creativity in teaching and learning, as well as fosters ethical practices in sport management. COSMA accreditation is given exclusively to high-quality programs at the baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral levels. As part of its evaluation process, COSMA reviews a program’s learning outcomes in all relevant topics, including sports administration, business administration, sport event management, sport finance and sport public relations to ensure those outcomes have been achieved.
What is a Master’s in Sports Management?
A master’s in sports management can broaden your skill set to impact decision-making while helping you reach new goals. Some programs refer to their degree as sports administration and essentially cover the same general material. An MS degree in sports management or sports administration usually requires approximately 30-40 credit hours, which typically takes about two years of full-time study. Part-time students may take three or more years to complete their sports management degree.
An MS degree in sports management allows you to take your interest in the sports industry—whether it’s men’s or women’s basketball, football, baseball, or other popular forms of athletics in professional sports or at the interscholastic level—and integrate that with business administration.
In fact, the employment of athletic coaches and scouts is projected to grow by 20 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics1, from 2021-2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.
This program can appeal to a variety of students, and it may have particular appeal for active-duty military, military spouses, or veterans aiming to apply their military skill set toward a grad school course of study to integrate sports.
AMU’s MS degree in sport management is a 30-credit-hour program designed to advance your knowledge by combining hands-on learning opportunities with strong business skills. Coursework will range from topics such as business to sports marketing to sports finance. Our master’s in sports management challenges students to evaluate effective management on a worldwide scale, employing leadership and theory to sports administration.
In addition to general coursework, AMU provides a series of concentrations within its master’s in sports management program to help students focus their studies on their area of interest.
Through the AMU sports management community, you may meet leaders in the field and connect with sport industry professionals to expand your network. Our sports management students proudly strive to be leaders in the sports profession.
1Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, [Entertainment and Sports Occupations, accessed March 2023] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/entertainment-and-sports/coaches-and-scouts.htm. Employment conditions in your area may vary.
AMU’s MS in Sports Management Curriculum Highlights
Coursework in AMU’s master's in sports management online program explores critical interdisciplinary sports administration skills typically needed to be competitive in today’s sport industry. Our curriculum helps bridge the divide between theory and application in the real world.
It can provide practical tools you may apply immediately in professional endeavors—from the management of sports organizations to advanced knowledge in sports finance and sport event management. Application may be possible in a range of areas, from professional teams’ front-office management to collegiate athletics leadership.
Additionally, students have an opportunity to complete a practicum or experiential learning activity. This end-of-program option is a key part of our degree in sports management and allows students to obtain further insight through real-world experience.
Our core classes are designed to expand your knowledge about relevant sport management and sports administration topics and cover the following areas:
- Sports Law, which provides an overview of the major legal issues associated with sports and sports administration
- History, Culture, and Social Context of Sport, which uses analytical techniques to scrutinize the theoretical, historical, social, and cultural aspects of sport
- The Sports Industry, detailing a macro view of sports as a major component of the modern corporate, social, economic, and recreation world
- Sports Marketing, Promotion, and Public Relations, which offers practices and methods involved with all aspects of sports communications
- Sports Finance, a class that analyzes the application of principles and practices of financial management, as it applies to organizations in the sport industry
- Sports Event Management, which provides the fundamental knowledge and skills for designing and managing sport and recreation facilities and organizing sport events
Concentrations in AMU’s Master’s Degree in Sports Management
Our MS degree in sports management concentrations can provide pertinent knowledge to address the needs of sports organizations, whether professional or amateur athletics. You will select from these concentration options:
Completing Your MS Degree in Sports Management
Students choose a final 3-credit course to complete their master’s in sports management: Sports Management Capstone or Sports Management Practicum and Integration Project.
- Sports Management Capstone is designed to offer students a culminating research project based on theories, research methods, and analytical skills—using substantive knowledge gained through their online master’s in sports management. Research options include concepts and applications covered in the master's program, such as sports marketing, finance, leadership, legal considerations, and sociology relative to sports administration and management.
- The Sports Management Practicum and Integration Project is an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge of sports organizations and the industry by performing voluntary services in a specific work environment. The selected organization or site for the practicum must align with the content of the student’s coursework and/or concentration as part of the sports management degree. Designed to be an experiential learning opportunity, this selection enables students to demonstrate how they’ve integrated the concepts and skills developed through their learning and the experience.
How Military Service Pairs with an MS Degree in Sports Management
American Military University’s sports management degree is an option for active-duty military servicemembers preparing to transition to civilian life. Our online program is also appropriate for veterans, military spouses, and military family members who want to advance their understanding of the sports administration and management. Those who enroll can build upon their existing sports knowledge while engaging with leaders in the field and expanding their network.
Whether it’s building a team or other skills like accountability or leadership, many veterans, military spouses, and servicemembers discover that aptitudes learned in the military can be relevant to their master’s in sports management.