Georgia Southern University is also featured in our ranking Top 50 Master’s in Sports Management Degree Online Programs.

Georgia Southern University Online Master of Science, Sport Management

With a focus on practical experience and academic groundwork, graduates of the online Master of Science in Sport Management program at Georgia Southern University are uniquely prepared to enter a fascinating career. Graduates may go on to employment with professional sports teams or the athletic department at a college. Others choose to manage events and sporting facilities while still others select the marketing and promotion of sporting events. Employment on state or county sports commissions, with athletic leagues or in sports media also is possible.

Georgia Southern’s graduate program for sport management is designed for working professionals. Accordingly, it can be completed wholly online. Attending full time can lead to graduation in 24 months. More flexible options are available, with students being able to take courses as their schedule allows.

Graduates must complete a total of 12 courses for 36 credit hours. Eight core courses are required for all students while an additional four elective courses are chosen by the individual student. In the first year, the core courses are Sport Administration, Current Trends in Sport Administration, Revenue Generation in Sport and Sport Facility and Event Management. Year two includes the core courses: Financial and Strategic Management in Sport, Sport Marketing, Research and Analysis in Sport and Sport Law and Risk Management.

Examples of possible electives include Social and Ethical Issues of Sport and Leisure, Sport Sponsorship, Consumer Behavior in Sport, Management of Personnel in Sport and Selected Topics in Sport Management.

This online master of science program is a well-respected one as it was recently named one of the best in the country by CollegeAffordabilityGuide.org.

About Georgia Southern University

A public research university with a flagship campus in Statesboro, Georgia Southern was established in 1906. In its early years, the institution had just 15 students and four faculty members. Academics were focused on modern agricultural techniques and home economics, and the students were children. In 1924, it transformed into the Georgia Normal School with a focus on training new teachers. A four-year curriculum was devised five years later, with the school being renamed South Georgia Teachers College.

Integration came in 1965 when the institution was known as Georgia Southern College. By 1990, the college had adopted its current name and achieved university status. Graduate programs and research were now being regularly carried out at the campus.

In 2005, GSU was named a doctoral/research institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Newsweek placed GSU on its list of Top 12 Business Schools in 2014, and U.S. News & World Report ranked it among the country’s Most Popular Universities in 2012. Additionally, the same publication recognizes GSU as a National University and as having one of America’s Best Graduate Schools.

Today, GSU is part of the larger University System of Georgia. It has satellite campuses in Hinesville and Savannah, and it is the largest institute for higher education in the state’s southern half. The more than 27,000 students hail from every state and additionally represent nearly 90 nations.

Georgia Southern University Accreditation Details

GSU is accredited as an institution by the Commission on Colleges/Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Initial accreditation occurred in 1936 with the most recent accreditation happening in 2015. The Institution is due for a review of its accreditation in 2025.

Georgia Southern University Application Requirements

Potential students must fill out an online application and pay a non-refundable application fee of $50. The application is part of the ApplyYourself Application Network and is safeguarded by a password and PIN, making it possible to complete the form in several sessions if necessary.

In addition to the application form, candidates for this program must submit a Personal Statement. This statement is described as including an explanation of why the applicant wants to pursue the degree and why they are an excellent candidate. Admissions officers look for aspects such as the applicant’s career goals for the next five years and the preparatory work that the applicant has undertaken to assume this role. The department requests that the statement be no longer than two pages with double spacing.

Applicants also must submit official transcripts for all prior college degrees. Prospective students must already hold a four-year degree to be considered eligible for the program, and it is possible to submit transcripts for other graduate degrees that have already been earned. A minimum GPA of 2.5 during undergraduate work is required. Students who already hold a master’s degree may demonstrate a GPA of 3.0 in that program as an alternative.

The department further requests a resume from each applicant to assess any work experience that may be applied toward earning the degree and considering the applicant’s fitness for the program. GRE or GMAT scores from fewer than five years earlier similarly are required.

All students in the Master of Science in Sport Management program begin classes in the fall semester. The priority deadline to apply is March 1, and the final deadline is July 1.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Students in the wholly online Master of Science in Sport Management degree program pay $358 per credit hour. With 36 credit hours to complete, that calculates at approximately $12,900 for the entire program.

GSU provides a variety of opportunities for students to make learning more affordable. The MyScholarships application portal at the university’s website is the ideal forum for finding an appropriate scholarship offered by GSU. The database includes eligibility requirements so that students may quickly see whether or not they qualify and should apply. The Department of Financial Aid further supplies information regarding external scholarships that may be helpful to sport management students.

Federal Pell Grants are available to GSU students as well. Certain students also may qualify for grants such as the Public Safety Memorial Grant or the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants if their parent or guardian was a law enforcement officer, prison guard, fireman or member of the armed forces that died or was permanently disabled in the line of duty.

Students attending GSU on campus or online further are eligible for a variety of federal government loans for education. Such loans also may be available from banks and credit unions.