California Sports Degree Programs, Online Included

Alexis Bennett

Collegiate D1 Golf Coach; MS Sport Management, University of Florida. Last updated February 20, 2025.

There are 20+ sports degree programs in California. There are Bachelors in Sport Management programs in California and options for graduate level sports degrees. While the majority of undergraduate and graduate degrees in California are administered on-campus, there are a few online Masters degrees in Sport Management offered from universities and their accompanying campuses based in California.

Are there online sport administration or sport management programs in California?

Yes, there are options for online sports degrees in California. Fresno Pacific University offers an online Masters in Sport Administration degree, while California State University, Dominguez Hills offers a certificate program.

Click for more online sports programs that are taking applications for 2025.

In depth review of a few top Sports Degrees in California

All accredited by one or more accreditation body, these programs all have the ability and tools to elevate your understanding of the sports business and sports industry management landscape and prepare you to either enter the job market for the first time or move up to a higher rung on the corporate ladder. With their hands-on experiences and connections to university athletics departments, sports agencies, professional teams and beyond, students will leave these programs prepared for competition.

Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo - B.S. with Concentration in Sport & Recreation Management

Because this degree falls under Cal Poly's Experience Industry Management program within the College of Agriculture, Food, & Environmental Sciences, it has one of the most robust options for elective courses of any Sport Management concentration on the market. Students have unique course selections to choose from such as: Specialized Operations for Golf Courses and Athletic Fields, Turfgrass Management, Directed Field Experience, Festival and Event Management, Visitor Services in Experience Industry Management, Parks and Public Spaces, Responding to Emergencies and more.

With just over 21,000 undergraduate students enrolled last year, San Luis Obispo's ranking in their region, according to the 2022 edition of Best Colleges, was #2.

California State University, Fresno - B.S. & M.S. Kinesiology with Emphasis in Sport Administration

This accredited university offers an undergraduate and graduate option in Sports Administration under the Department of Kinesiology umbrella. Because of that association, these degrees dip heavily into movement science and exercise principals. A subsection of activity courses are offered as electives, of which students in these degree programs must complete 12 hours. Activity classes are dynamic and diverse (aquatics, dance, team sports., etc.), not to mention fun and a quality workout.

Fresno also offers degree emphasis in Exercise Science and Sport Psychology, as well as a minor in Sports Coaching if a student's interests reach outside of Sport Administration. The facilities at Fresno offer a gymnasium; 12 tennis courts; tumbling/gymnastics modalities; a weight lifting and cardio room; two dance/yoga studios; an all-weather track; multi-purpose fields for softball, soccer, football, ultimate Frisbee, and golf; and a swimming complex. These well-equipped, instructional, and research labs offer students a very in-depth and hands-on bio-metrics education and experience.

Pepperdine University - B.A. in Sport Administration

Pepperdine is uniquely known for it's foundation rooted in the Christian faith. This religious component paired with a small 13:1 student to professor ratio provides an intimate environment to learn. Global experience is also a central theme to the Pepperdine education as 80% of students participate in a university sponsored international program. A demanding program with accountability measures built in, graduates from Pepperdine enter the workforce with confidence not just in their work, but in who they are becoming as people.

California State University, Northridge - B.S. in Tourism, Hospitality, and Recreation Management

CSU Northridge provides a comprehensive program for future tourism professionals who can, and do, make a difference in the quality of life for all travelers by facilitating maximizing leisure time, whether that is at home, while traveling, through recreation and sport, or via planned entertainment. The Tourism, Hospitality, and Recreation Management degree educates students in leisure and play theory, event planning tactics, team leadership, management and working with diverse groups while embracing the sustainability of resources.

Students complete practicum and internship experiences in various leisure service settings in the for-profit, government and nonprofit sectors. Students can expect to encounter courses such as Recreational Experience and Lab, Customer Service Management, Play and Human Potential, Accommodations Management, and even electives in Backpacking, Rock Climbing, or Rope Courses.

Fresno Pacific University - Online M.A. in Sport Administration

Offered fully online, Fresno Pacific's M.A. in Sport Administration offers an optional emphasis in physical education. Though it is online, there a couple of restraints to be aware of. First, the program can only be started by a new student in the Fall semester, unlike many institutions that offer online courses starting in multiple time-frames. The other note is that, though they are working to eliminate this barrier altogether, there are still currently 6 states in which FPU does not have authorization to offer their online degree. Those six states are Georgia, Michigan, New York, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. This program curriculum requires 30 credit hours at an average cost of $560 per unit.

San Diego State University - Online M.B.A. in Sport Business Management

SDSU’s degree program is an accelerated 18-month Online Sports Management M.B.A. that begins each January and is intended for highly motivated students seeking an intensive academic environment combined with an incredibly hands-on curriculum for those looking to make a career jump, or even a shift from an unrelated field or industry. This program was recently ranking #4 globally in Sports Business International, the leading ranking for Postgraduate Sports Business programs, giving prospective students the confidence that SDSU is a top choice to study the international world of sports business and management.

Students learn to apply the principles they learn in the classroom and hone their presentation skills with real clients in the sports industry through participation in consulting projects. From ideation through delivery, cohort members develop marketing plans, organizational analysis reports, and pitch new ideas for corporate sponsorship to clients such as the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Oakland A’s, and the U.S. Olympic Training Center. At a total cost near $50,000, it's an investment, but a worthwhile one for the connections made through the SDSU network and experiential learning similar to the consulting projects.

San Jose State University - M.A. in Kinesiology with Concentration in Sport Management

The Sport Management concentration program at San Jose State University is under the Department of Kinesiology umbrella within the College of Health & Human Sciences. There are approximately 100 graduate students overall in the department, which includes a small cohort of roughly 15 Sport Management students accepted annually. Students from a variety of disciplines like business, hospitality, exercise science, sociology, etc. are most likely to have success in the sport management program.

The requirements for the 30-unit program are 1) two core research methods courses, 2) four sport management courses (marketing, finance, legal aspects, and leadership), 3) two electives, 4) an internship course and 5) a final master's capstone project or thesis presentation. This program focuses on achieving a balance between applied research and practical experience to ensure students have a deep and transferable knowledge base as they enter the job market, or potentially influencing sport scholarship by pursuing even higher levels of education.

List of Sports Degrees in California

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

Top Organizations for Sports Careers in California

The Athletic

With headquarters in San Francisco, The Athletic is a subscription-based model sports website that provides ad-free local, regional, and national coverage in 47 of North America’s biggest cities as well as in the United Kingdom. Born in 2016, The Athletic is a private company with over 600 employees and was very recently purchased by The New York Times. National sport coverage is a central theme of The Athletic’s content, from top professional and college sports (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, NASCAR, NCAA Football & Basketball, MLS, MMA, and association football (U.K.). The site’s coverage aims to achieve the perfect mix of long-form journalism, original reporting, and in-depth analysis while reaching those non-local fans who aren’t reached by their local newspaper or primary news source.

California Parks and Recreation Society

More focused on the parks a recreation side of sport management, The California Park & Recreation Society’s mission is to push the education, networking, resources and advocacy for the parks and recreation industry forward. At their core, CPRS members are committed to improving people’s lives. But also, CPRS strives to educate policy makers so they are more well-informed and motivated to vote with the underlying knowledge that parks and recreation is an essential community service. Founded in 1946, CPRS is a non-profit, professional and public interest organization with over 4,000 members – a membership that is well-distributed in that 86% of parks and recreation agencies in California have at least one CPRS individual member represented. Their website includes a job board that houses a wide variety of parks and recreation career opportunities at locations all across the state.

Professional Sports Teams

California is one of the most robust landscapes in the world of professional sports. Amongst the 5 most popular leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and MLS) the state alone is home to these 18 teams; this does not even include their female counterparts!

NFL

• Los Angeles Chargers
• Los Angeles Rams
• San Francisco 49ers

NHL

• Anaheim Ducks
• Los Angeles Kings
• San Jose Sharks

MLB

• Los Angeles Angels
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Oakland Athletics
• San Diego Padres
• San Francisco Giants

NBA

• Golden State Warriors
• Los Angeles Clippers
• Los Angeles Lakers
• Sacramento Kings

MLS

• LA Galaxy
• Los Angeles FC
• San Jose Earthquakes

From internships while still enrolled in a degree program to full-time work, each of these teams has a large team working tirelessly behind the scenes. From concessions and merchandise sales associates, to sponsorship sales, game-day promotions, fan experience and equipment management, to sports information, directors of operations, turf crews, and a full C suite of financial and strategy gurus, each of these teams runs with a full corporate structure similar to many other, more traditional, corporations.

A Career in Sports in California

It’s clear – California covers a large area and with its beautiful scenery and mild climate, sports (and professions within them) are continuing to grow and thrive. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are roughly the number of employees currently working within sectors tied to sports business and their mean salary. These numbers, of course, vary widely by company or team and level of work and experience.

• Entertainment and Recreation Management – $71,000 to $154,000
• Athlete Agents and Managers – $13,000 to $102,000
• Facilities Managers – $41,000 at $115,000
• Marketing and Advertising Managers – $44,000 to $160,000
• Coaches and Scouts – $21,000 to $50,000
• Media and Communications – $7,000 to $60,000

Source: BLS Website

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