The associate degree in sports management places a strong emphasis on subjects such as management and business with a focus on sport. In addition to this, the associate’s in sports management degree program integrates fundamentals of event planning and marketing to provide student with the knowledge required to become an efficient professional in the field of sports management.
Furthermore, this degree program also introduces students to various aspects of sports management such as intercollegiate sports, athletic training, club management, fund raising, sports medicine, corporate fitness, sports journalism, public relations and sports law in the United States.
The associate’s in sports management degree program may be offered as a distance learning program only, on-campus or as a hybrid degree program, depending upon the college or university you choose to attend.
Typically, students successfully complete this degree program in two years as full time students. In addition, most colleges and universities allow students to transfer credits from this degree to a four year bachelor’s program in a related field.
How to enroll in an associate’s in sports management degree program?
If you choose to pursue an associate’s in sports management degree program, the university or college that you intend to apply to may ask you to fulfill certain requirements before they consider giving you admission. These prerequisites may also serve as basic eligibility criteria for the program. The admission requirements may vary with different institutes but normally include the following:
-
A high school diploma, GED or equivalent
-
An acceptable GPA, a GPA of 3.0 or above is preferable
-
Personal statement
-
Letter of recommendation
-
Proof of proficiency in the English language in some cases, such as in the case of international students
-
Official high school transcripts
Some colleges and universities may give preference to students with previous high school coursework in related subjects such as management, law and journalism, during the admission process.
What will you learn from an associate’s in sports management degree program?
The curriculum of the associate’s in sports management degree program is designed in such a way that it integrates various sports management specialized courses with a variety of general academic skills. The curriculum builds a core foundation for the students in the fundamentals of sports management, in addition to introducing them to principles of event and facility management, concepts of training and fitness, history of various sports and athletes in the United States and, laws and regulations regarding sports in America.
The coursework may vary but normally includes the following core courses:
-
Principles of sports management
-
Fundamentals of microeconomics
-
Sociology of sports
-
Principles of accounting
-
Human behavior
-
Business information systems
-
Contemporary issues in sports
-
Sports law in the United States
-
Sports coaching
-
Olympic games
-
Sports injury care and prevention
-
Sports and athlete psychology
Most university and colleges require students to complete a professional sports internship as part of the curriculum. The primary aim of including this internship in the curriculum is so that the students can learn how to apply various theories and techniques learnt in the classroom to real world situations.
Career statistics related to the field of sports management
There are several careers related to this field. These careers include management of educational and professional athletic teams and programs, business managers of professional sportsmen, agents for professional athletes and, health and fitness clubs.
-
Business managers and agents of performers, athletes and artists
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the combined annual median salary of business managers and agents of performers, athletes and artists was $64,490 in May 2013.