South Carolina Sport Management Degree Programs

There are around 25 sports degrees in South Carolina, with programs available at the Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral levels. The Bachelor's in Sport Management is the most widely offered sports degree in South Carolina. There are options for multiple Masters programs in Sport Management, Athletics Administration degrees, and more.

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

Are There Online South Carolina Sports Degrees?

Yes. While the majority of sports management degrees are taken in-person at universities, there are certainly options for distance learning in South Carolina. Many accredited universities are expanding their on-campus programs to be more inclusive to those looking to educate themselves from home, and that applies to sports management degrees too

In depth review of top 3 Online South Carolina Sports Degrees

University of South Carolina - online sports degrees

Though academic work is done online, the program's hands-on experience with organizations like Colonial Life Arena, Williams-Brice Stadium, Gamecock Athletics, AEG, and Live Nation help in creating an education that easily translates to post-grad experience.

Students electing the thesis option complete 21 credit hours of required courses, six credit hours of thesis, and at least nine credit hours of electives. Students electing the non-thesis, or professional, option complete 21 credit hours of required courses, at least 15 credit hours of elective course work, and a comprehensive final exam. Admission to the program is competitive and limited to 30 new students per year.

Enrollment Requirements:
Online students must meet the following standards and submit the following information:

• Application and application fee
• A current resume
• A statement of career objectives
• At least two letters of recommendation
• One official transcript from each college or university attended

Most applicants generally have a GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale

• GRE/GMAT may still include those exam scores for consideration optional
• TOEFL or IELTS scores for non-english speakers

Classes Offered With Curriculum:

SPTE 730: Advanced Sport and the Law - This advanced course covers legal issues that frequently arise in the context of professional and amateur sports. This includes law as it affects athletes and other professionals, as well as how it affects spectators, fans, organizations, media, and organizers.

SPTE 760: Principles of Sport and Entertainment Marketing - This course covers the basics of sports marketing including brand strategy, campaign development, and social media for the 21st century to ensure students know not only how to run an organization, but how to promote one.

SPTE 790: Sport and Entertainment Finance - This applied finance program teaches students to apply the fundamentals of economics to budgeting, spending, and allocating funds in the field of sports marketing, facility management, and other industry areas of interest.

STAT 515: Statistical Methods - In this statistics course, students learn how to integrate concepts such as probability, probability distributions, sampling, and estimation into data analysis for use in a sports industry context.

Clemson University - Master of Science in Athletic Leadership

For those looking to make a career in discovering and inspiring the future heroes of athletics, Clemson University's M.S. in Athletic Leadership is an ideal fit. Focused primarily on collegiate athletics and athletic program administration, this program helps students create unique coaching philosophies and develop their skills as leaders, communicators, and educators in the field of athletic training.

Graduates of this program often get jobs as assistant coaches, athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, student athlete academic service providers, student affairs professionals and athletic administrators.

Enrollment Requirements:
Online students must meet the following standards and submit the following information:

Application and application fee
A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university
Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Unofficial transcripts
Current resume
Two recommendation forms
Recommendation forms are emailed directly to recommenders via the online application process
A personal statement
TOEFL/IELTS scores for international students

Classes Offered With Curriculum:

AL 8530: Legal Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics - This course looks at legal implications of college athletics including the duties and responsibilities of institutions, administration, coaches, and others in positions of power over athletic programs.

AL 8700: Intercollegiate Athletics Finance - This course explores the way financial decision making in athletic departments is completed, and the various ways in which budgeting and spending can be used to build and maintain a successful program.

AL 8490: Athletic Leadership Development - This course explores principles and functions of leadership as they relate to athletic coaching. Students analyze and discuss the ways coaching philosophy can affect the performance of individual athletes as well as whole teams and franchises.

Winthrop University - Masters of Science in Sport and Fitness Administration

This online program provides the credentials and experience needed to lead in the sport and fitness industry. A full-time student can finish in under two years, taking a fast track to careers in athletics, facilities management, sports law, and beyond. Students benefit from small class sizes that foster engagement with peers and faculty, and graduate prepared to immediately join the workforce in the sports industry.

Enrollment Requirements:
Online students must meet the following standards and submit the following information:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Official transcripts from all institutions attended (undergraduate and graduate)
• Personal Statement
• Resume or CV
• Two recommendations
• An undergraduate minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

GPAs below 3.0 can be considered based on an applicant's GPA in related course content.

Classes Offered With Curriculum:

SPFA 610: Legal Issues in Sport and Fitness Administration - The purpose of this course is to identify basic legal principles that are applicable to sports and fitness management careers and learn how to effectively manage potential legal issues associated with injury, contracts and employee relations.

SPFA 625: Management and Leadership in Sport and Fitness - This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of management and leadership through a presentation of foundational and contemporary research, practical examples, and analytical exercises.

SPFA 630: Sports and Fitness Facility Management - This is a comprehensive course focused on applied rather than theoretical knowledge. It covers topics such as construction, naming rights and concession, facility management, and back-of-the-house.

SPFA 619: Sport and Fitness Promotion - This course will review, discuss and analyze fundraising and promotion/marketing principles, techniques and strategies as they relate to athletics and fitness. Students will apply these concepts to a sport promotion and fundraising project.

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

Associate and Bachelors Sports Degrees in South Carolina

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

Graduate: Doctorate and Masters Sports Degrees in South Carolina

Career Paths with a South Carolina Sports Degree

If it is your goal to work with athletes or in the sports industry – whether it’s with student or professional athletes – a degree in sports management from a South Carolina university can be a major step towards your goal.

Sports management is the study of business as it relates to the sports industry including elements of coaching, facility management, sports marketing, event planning, public relations, and more. Students study a wide range of topics from business, finance, and economics, to sports history and facility management. For those who want to combine their love of sports with a sharp business acumen, a South Carolina sports degree can be a perfect place to begin.

Collegiate or Professional Scout

If your passion is for the future of athletics, becoming a scout might be a good fit. This involves travel around the country discovering and recruiting talent, managing relations between teams and players, negotiating, and building a team not only of talented individuals but of athletes that can work together to be more than a sum of their parts.

Athletic Coach

Coaches help athletes to play their best individually and as a team in sports such as football, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, track and field, soccer, tennis and golf. Whether it’s with professional teams like the Columbia Fireflies, or with high school or college teams like the Lexington County Blowfish coaches are not only experts in the sport, but experts in interpersonal communication.

Athletics Administrator

For those interested in working at a collegiate or high school level, athletic administrators supervise teams and programs within the school to help young athletes thrive. These sports professionals hire coaches and other athletics staff, give salary raises and promotions, manage events schedules, and oversee budgeting. They also ensure students are emotionally and academically prepared for their future while balancing their athletic careers and passions.

Sports Marketing Specialist

For those looking to combine business acumen with their love of sports, marketing specialists in the sports world do just that. They control the way the team is seen which, in a world increasingly reliant on social media representation, is an incredibly important task. Sports marketing takes strategy, intelligence, and creativity, and can be just as important – maybe even more – than what happens on the field.

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