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College of Applied Human Sciences: School of Sport Sciences

Sport Management, MS

The on-campus Master of Science in Sport Management program prepares you to compete in the global job sport market as an industry leader. This 36-credit hour program provides real-world training in a range of areas including sport marketing and finance, fund-raising and development, sponsorship and sales, NCAA compliance and more.

Our students maintain a variety of professional and career goals, so the curriculum is designed to provide you with a broad professional preparation in the sport management field. The plan of study also affords you the opportunity to further specialize in one of two tracks:

  1. Professional Track with a required internship
  2. Thesis Track with a research component

We have a long history of preparing sport management professionals at the graduate level. A degree in sport management from WVU affords you access to an expansive alumni network working across all sport settings. Our graduates have made significant contributions in intercollegiate athletics, professional sports, facilities and arenas, event marketing and promotions, business law and other sport industries. This world-class network includes university faculty and staff, program alumni and our many organizational partners, including WVU Athletics.

Your Degree Plan

Intro

Aerial view of Martin and Woodburn Halls

The Master of Science in Executive Sport Management is designed to prepare you to work behind-the-scenes of the sport industry, one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S.

This broad-based program prepares graduates to enter any sector of the sport industry through its professional and thesis degree pathways.

Graduates leave the program with a competitive advantage related to the development of the knowledge and skills needed to be successful across a range of sport industry positions. The related courses address a wide range of contemporary issues, challenges and opportunities that confront leaders in today’s dynamic sport industry including technology application, business and marketing plan development, budgeting and fundraising strategies.

As a member of the Big 12 Conference, WVU is home to one of the nation’s premier college athletic programs. This back-drop provides you with access to a world-class network of sport management professionals including university faculty and staff, program alumni and organizational partners. Courses also afford frequent opportunities to build connections with your many colleagues in the program. Graduates become their own best resource!

Tailor this major to your interests by focusing your coursework in one of these areas:

Tailor this major to your interests by focusing your coursework in one of these areas:

  • Professional Track

    This track is developed for those students who are seeking entry into the sport management workplace immediately following degree completion. The internship requirement represents the signature feature of the Professional Track. Learning across a range of applied settings, the internship provides you with hands-on work experiences targeting knowledge and skill development that is unattainable in the traditional classroom, while also enhancing your job marketability.

  • Thesis Track

    The Thesis Track option is available for students who are considering doctoral level work in the future. Sport Management has continued to emerge as a popular area of study in colleges and universities across the world. The completion of a master’s thesis remains an important benchmark for those students who aspire to faculty and/or research positions in higher education. The ability to effectively collect, manage, analyze and interpret data also has implications for leaders of many non-profit organizations and sport associations.

    For more information about the thesis track, contact Dr. Gonzalo Bravo at gonzalo.bravo@mail.wvu.edu.

Take advantage of special options related to this major:

  • Honors

    Expand your curiosity — and enhance your curriculum — through the WVU Honors College. Two programs are offered: Honors Foundations for first- and second-year students and Honors EXCEL for third- and fourth-year students.

    Explore Honors

The WVU Difference

What sets this program apart from its competitors?

Rankings
  • Ranked
    Top 40
    in the 2019 Sport Business Sport Management Postgraduate Course Rankings
  • Ranked
    Top 40
    in North America by Eduniversal Masters Ranking (2018)
  • Our MS in Executive Sport Management program is consistently ranked as one of the best world-wide.
  • Graduates are now major college athletic directors at the University of Oregon, Virginia Tech, Ohio University and WVU.
  • 100% student placement rate into industry internships and/or job opportunities.
  • Publishes two unique promotional pieces annually — The Starting Line-Up and the Graduate Sport Management Alumni Directory.
  • The WVU School of Sport Sciences was recognized as one of the best in the country by Newsweek.

Learn by Doing

Learning happens outside the classroom. Get involved.

As a Carnegie-classified R1 university, or very high research activity institution, WVU is ranked among the top research-focused schools. Our internationally recognized faculty contribute to this mission area through their research on a range of topics, including:

  • Fan and consumer behavior
  • International sport policy and organization
  • Sporting events in emerging economies

The internship experience enhances your job marketability. Host organizations often use internships to evaluate potential future employees while also providing invaluable professional experience. Compensation and duration of the internship are negotiable based on the needs of the host organization. Visit the CAHS Internships Hub for more information.

WVU Executive Sport Management students have completed internship placements with college athletics, sport businesses and professional sport organizations. Some examples are listed below.

College Athletics

  • Arizona State
  • Boston College
  • Campbell
  • George Mason
  • Georgia Tech Athletic Association

Sports Businesses

  • Burns Sports @ Celebrities
  • Comcast -Spectacor
  • Disney Sports
  • Edelman PR Worldwide
  • ESPN

Professional Sports

  • Akron Aeros
  • Buffalo Bisons
  • Cincinnati Bengals
  • Cleveland Indians
  • Colorado Rockies
  • WV Black Bears
Outside of the Evansdale Crossing building.

What you learn outside of the classroom is just as important as what you learn during class. We’ll help you follow your curiosity.

Careers and Outcomes

How does this degree prepare students for a career?

Where our grads have gone

Graduates from this program have been extremely successful in gaining entry into the sport industry. Our alumni maintain a strong connection to the program and often serve as mentors to current students.

Common career areas include:

  • College Athletics
  • Professional Sport — major and minor leagues
  • Sport Facilities — Arenas, Stadiums, Fields
  • Sport Media — ESPN, NBC Sports, Golf Channel
  • Sport Businesses — Nike, Commonground Marketing, PGA of America, Paciolan Systems

Example employers and job titles of graduates:

  • Tajma B. - Coordinator of eCommerce, Minor League Baseball, St. Petersburg, FL
  • Josh C. - Player Affairs, NFL Players Association, Washington DC
  • Mark C. - Director of Ticket Operations, Houston Astros, Houston, TX
  • Tony H. - Athletic Facilities Coordinator, University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics, Cincinnati, OH
  • Abby M. - Associate Director, Academic and Membership Affairs, NCAA, Indianapolis, IN
  • Joe M. - Director, NBS Sports and Olympics, New York, NY
  • Ryan M. - Operations Manager, Detroit Lions, Detroit, MI
  • Robert M. - Athletic Director, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
  • Ryan O. - Senior Production Manager, Bleacher Report, New York, NY
  • Stephanie S. - Coordinator of Social Media Operations and Live Content, NFL, New York, NY
  • Keli Z. - Deputy Athletic Director, WVU Athletic Department, Morgantown, WV

Meet Your Community

The Sport Management family will inspire and support you.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission into a graduate program at WVU an applicant must submit official, bachelor's degree transcripts from a regionally accredited institution and hold a GPA of at least 2.75. WVU operates decentralized admissions. Decentralized admissions allows each graduate program to set its own application requirements in addition to the University requirements.

  • Admission Requirements

    To be considered for admission, applicants must upload the following documentation within the graduate application:

    • Résumé: including any professional experiences in the sport industry
    • Personal Statement: 1-2 written pages on professional goals and reasons for seeking admission (students interested in the thesis track should describe their research interests)
    • Two (2) letters of recommendation

    You will not be able to submit your application until the above documents are uploaded. Once the application is submitted and (unofficial/official) transcripts are received, your application will be reviewed for an admission decision. International applicants will not be reviewed with unofficial transcripts. Applicants must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 (4-point scale) for regular admission.

    Applicants with a GPA below 2.75 may be admitted as a provisional graduate student. Once admitted provisionally, students are required to achieve a 3.0 GPA in their first 9 hours of graduate coursework to be reclassified as regular status and remain in the program.

    Please contact the Office of Student Success at 304-293-4800 for more information about the application process.

    Additional program admission information

    Apply by December 1 for priority consideration. Applications that are incomplete or are submitted after the deadline may be reviewed if openings remain. Admission is limited to a fall start only.

    Applicants are encouraged to submit their application with unofficial transcripts from all previously attended institutions. Submitting unofficial transcripts speeds up the application review process as most graduate programs make admission decisions using unofficial transcripts.

    If you are offered acceptance, you are required to submit official transcripts from all previously attended institutions to be fully admitted into your intended graduate program. You will not be able to register for classes until the official transcripts are received. The preferred method to submit your official transcripts is through a secure online service, such as eScript, The National Clearing House or Parchment, to graduateadmissions@mail.wvu.edu.

    Alternatively, if you are unable to submit an electronic version of your official transcript, the physical, sealed, un-tampered with documents can be mailed to:

    WVU Graduate Admissions, PO Box 6510, Morgantown, WV 26501

    OR

    WVU Graduate Admissions, 1 Waterfront Place, 2nd Floor, Morgantown, WV 26505

    Review Process

    Following the application deadline, program faculty will evaluate applicant credentials based on the materials submitted. After that initial review, a limited number of applicants will be invited to a personal online and/or on-campus interview with the program faculty prior to a final admission decision. The final selection of candidates will be based on overall qualifications and relevant work experiences. The program faculty prioritize the selection of candidates who will make a significant contribution to the field of sport management.

    Program Contact

    If you have any questions about this graduate program, please contact Gary Lhotsky at gary.lhotsky@mail.wvu.edu.

  • Application Deadlines

    Each graduate program sets their own terms for admission and application deadlines. Applicants can only apply for admission for the terms displayed below. Any questions regarding the application deadline should be directed to the graduate program representative.

    • Fall: December 1

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