Bachelor Degrees in Sports

A Bachelors degree in sports and athletics can open the door to more positions within the sports world. Career opportunities include mostly entry-level positions in business and/or management of a sports team in a professional, semi-professional, or college setting. Beyond management, graduates can enter positions as fitness trainers, legal experts, and financial advisors. Of course, you can also further your education with a Master of Sport Administration or Master of Sport Management degree.

Here are the top types of Bachelors in sports degrees:

• Bachelor of Sport Management
• Online Bachelor of Sport Management
• Bachelor of Sport Administration
• Bachelors in Sport and Recreation Management
• Bachelors in Sports Analytics
• Bachelors in Business Administration with a concentration on Sport Management or Administration

Many sports degrees at the undergraduate level are offered through management and administration disciplines. Majors provide an opportunity to explore advanced principles in business and leadership skills involving sports. This can blend into various aspects of the sports field, including team marketing, franchise finance, and player health care.

Click for more 100% online sports programs that are taking applications for 2024.

Why consider an undergraduate Bachelor degree in sports?

Professionals that hold a Bachelor's degree can also increase their salary potential compared to those holding a lesser degree. According to PayScale, the average salary for individuals with a Bachelor's degree in sports management is approximately $55,622. This tends to be higher for positions such as assistant athletic directors and other specific management and administration positions.

Through a public lens, talented athletes in popular sports often attend universities to improve their ability and get a chance to be drafted to a professional team. This is also an ideal approach to gain any professional position in the sports field. Not limited to athletes, it can be in jobs coaching teams, managing a franchise, and participating in marketing and public relations.

Review of Top Online Bachelor's Degrees in Sports, List Updated for 2024

One of the most convenient ways to complete a Bachelor's degree is through online education. Students have the ability to pursue most or all of their education at various institutions across the country. With some exceptions, along with a growing technological infrastructure, this has become a more normal route to complete education.

With an undergraduate program, there may be some limitations to completing an online program. There is an expectation of completing the entire Bachelor's degree through full-time enrollment at the university. For some students, it may be easier to have complete focus at the university campus for this duration.

View more featured 100% online sports degree programs that are taking applications for 2024.

University of Florida Bachelor of Science in Sport Management

The College of Health and Human Performance features a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management. Students gain advanced education in marketing, finance, management, and law pertaining to the sports industry. This program is available both online and on-campus.

An 12-credit hour internship is required and completed across 13 weeks of a seasonal semester. Pursuing the internship blends together theory and hands-on experience outside of the classroom. A total of 520 clock hours are needed to satisfy the internship requirement.

University of Minnesota-Crookston Bachelor of Science in Sport and Recreation Management

The Crookston campus offers a Bachelor of Science in Sport and Recreation Management on-campus and online. Goals in the program are to give students general business and soft communication skills to succeed in a sports-focused business career. An internship is required within the core curriculum of the Sport and Recreation Management major.

An alternative cheaper option is considering the Sport and Recreation Management certificate. This focuses on topics in the major and requires 18 credit hours to complete. This option is available on-campus or completely online with core foundational topics, marketing principles, and facility and activities management.

University of Iowa Bachelor of Science in Sport and Recreation Management

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences features a Bachelor of Science in Sport and Recreation Management. 48 total credit hours account for the major selected, which includes foundational coursework, concentration focus, and field experience. Eight different concentrations are available, including Business Studies, Event Management, and Journalism and Public Relations.

Students have an opportunity to pursue the field experience through a guided or individual process. The independent experience gives the students less oversight and can branch toward specific goals fit for their desired career. A number of industry partners are available locally with select PGA tournaments, professional and minor league franchises, and management in the Special Olympics or fan-focused events.

Grand Canyon University Bachelor of Science in Sports Management

The Colangelo College of Business offers the Bachelor of Science in Sports Management. This program is available both on-campus or completely online. The curriculum breaks down into 56 total credit hours in the major and 24 to 30 credit hours for open electives. This ultimately concludes with 120 total credit hours needed.

Core topics in the curriculum feature event planning, accounting fundamentals, basic economics, and ethics and legal issues. Each course is distributed in a seven or eight-week module online, which is less than the typical 15 weeks needed on campus. Graduates have gone on to become marketers, merchandising, and athletic administrators.

View more featured 100% online sports degree programs that are taking applications for 2024.

Most Affordable Bachelor’s Degrees in Sports

Higher education at the undergraduate level should be looked at as an investment to move into a particular career pathway in sports. Many business and management programs provide soft skills in leadership and communication along with applying theory to a real-world setting in an internship. In many cases, these positions require a Bachelor’s degree to show competency in the career field, which can substitute for multiple years of work experience.

This process to achieve a degree does not have to be considerably expensive. Prospective students can find many ways to cut back on expenses, such as looking at four-year public universities in their own state to avoid paying out-of-state tuition. Other pathways include completing an associate degree at a community college or online education.

Florida State University Bachelor’s in Sport Management

The Department of Sport Management features a Bachelor’s degree within the discipline. Core subjects in management skills blend together with various electives in different segments of the sports field. A practicum is not required, but culminates the student’s education with real-world experience with volunteer or paid work.

Electives may focus on theory and practice in specific sports, coaching, finance, and international concepts. Four credit hours are dedicated specifically to practice and theory courses. At least nine elective credit hours must be at the 4000 course level or higher.

Columbia Southern University Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, including Sports Management

Numerous concentrations are available through the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, including Sports Management. All 120 credit hours can be earned in a convenient online format. 51 credit hours are dedicated to the business major with topics in accounting, micro and macroeconomics, leadership, and business ethics.

The tuition rate in 2023 was $235 per credit hour for undergraduate programs, which is on the cheaper end of other online-based programs. Other pathways to save money are transferring in up to 90 credit hours from other institutions. Flexibility in learning includes the LifePace Learning program where students can finish courses between 4 and 18 weeks with 24/7 enrollment.

Winston-Salem State University BS Sport Management

This institution offers a major in Sport Management through the Bachelor of Science. Options for concentrations include Marketing and Administration, Marketing and Promotion, and Sport Communication. Eventual graduates have gone on to various roles within the sports industry, including media, marketing, and recruiting.

120 total credit hours are needed to complete all curriculum requirements. Half of this curriculum is dedicated to topics in sports management and administration. Example courses in the core aspect of the curriculum include Issues and Ethics in Sport, Facility Management and Design, and Organization and Management.

Davenport University Bachelor of Business Administration with focus in Sport Management

The Bachelor of Business Administration program has a focus in Sport Management. Topics in the major feature digital marketing, analytics, and the business of sports on a global level. This program is accredited by the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA), which one of two programs in this field have the designation in Michigan.

There are general topics in economics, composition, and statistics, which are under the Foundations of Excellence. Students have the ability to complete two internships to gain practical experience in a potential sports career. This would equate to 300 clock hours of professional experience.

Bellevue University Online Bachelor of Arts in Sport Management

The Bachelor of Arts in Sport Management is available both 100 percent online or on-campus in Bellevue, Nebraska. The online format gives students the opportunity to complete courses at any time and they have one-on-one sessions with a student coach. 127 total credit hours are needed across the major, general education, and various electives.

36 total credit hours are needed within the major. Example courses feature Introduction to Sport Management, Business Communication, and Legal Aspects of Sport and Physical Activity. Each student must complete nine total credit hours in topics on American freedom, and social and cultural change.

Typical Coursework for a Bachelor in Sport Management or Administration

Sports Degrees by Level

• Bachelors degrees in sports
• Online Bachelors in Sports Management
• Online Masters in Sports Management
• Doctorate degrees in sports

Sport Program Areas

• Athletic Administration Degrees
• Exercise Science Degrees
• Kinesiology Degrees
• Coaching Degrees
• Health and Wellness Degrees
• Sports Industry Management
• Sports Analytics Degrees
• Sports Marketing Degrees
• Sports Psychology Degrees
• Recreation Management Degrees