Gonzaga University is also featured in our ranking Top 50 Master’s in Sports Management Degree Online Programs.
Sports Management Program
Sports management is an area of business that focuses on the management and operations of sports companies and organizations. Gonzaga University offers a Master of Arts in Sport and Athletic Administration that teaches students the ins and outs of this field. Graduates of this program work in sales, marketing, accounting, management, and administration. The university offers this MA program online to allow students to earn their degrees while living anywhere in the country. Those students can connect with alumni who work for major sports organizations and teams, including the University of Hawaii and the Seattle Thunderbirds. Alumni work for major professional teams outside of Washington too.
The online version of the program features 10 required courses and one internship. Students can work with the university to secure internship placements in their own cities and states. The traditional version of the program requires that students take all 10 courses on the university’s campus. These students will also do two internships. The internship component ensures that students make real-life connections and that they learn the skills they will need when working in sports management later.
Each of the 10 required classes in this program will address a different area of sports management. Facility Management in Sport and Athletics is a class that looks at what managers do, while Administration in Sport and Athletic focuses more on the tasks that happen behind the scenes and the things that the general public do not see. Another required course is Research Methods and Statistics in Sport and Athletics. This course not only teaches students how to conduct research in the sports field but how to analyze and evaluate their sources.
Gonzaga also offers a Special Topics in Sport and Athletics course that is only available online. The topic addressed in this class changes each semester. Students can take the class multiple times for credit. They will also take a Sport and Athletic Promotions class that looks at the history of sports promotions and the types of promotions that students can run on their own. Gonzaga University sport management majors can focus more on professional, collegiate or amateur sports.
About Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is one of the most well known Roman Catholic schools of higher learning in the United States. Established in 1887 as Gonzaga College by the Society of Jesuits, it started out as a small private college and slowly expanded over the next few decades. It became a university in 1912 and retains its connection to both the Society of Jesuits and the Roman Catholic Church today. Gonzaga is home to seven colleges that maintain different departments. Those colleges offer degrees at the bachelor’s, masters and graduate levels.
Located in Spokane, Washington, Gonzaga University has a campus that sits on more than 150 acres. This campus is home to more than 100 buildings that feature modern amenities for students. U.S. News and World Report ranks Gonzaga as the fourth best college in the region, while Washington Monthly ranks it as the 17th best graduate school in the nation. Forbes included the university on its own list of the best American colleges. The university accepts more than 60% of the applications submitted each year and sees around 25% of accepted students enroll the following year. Gonzaga now offers a wide range of online programs for its students too.
Gonzaga University Accreditation Details
Graduate students who want to use government loans to pay their tuition costs must make sure that the schools they attend have regional accreditation. As Gonzaga has regional accreditation, students can apply for that type of aid. Students can also use this type of accreditation to transfer credits into the sports management program or to take the credits they earned in that program to another university. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) granted Gonzaga and its business schools and programs with accreditation also.
Gonzaga University Application Requirements
Classes in the MA Sports Management program start at the end of August every year. Gonzaga accepts only a limited number of students into the program each year and recommends that students submit their applications by the beginning of spring. If there are any spots remaining, the university will continue accepting applications. Students should check with the university to ensure that they can enroll in this program. Some states do not allow students to enter this online program. The university maintains a list of states that gave approval to its online programs.
Incoming students must have a bachelor’s degree and an undergrad grade point average of at least 3.0. Students will submit official transcripts to the university as part of the application process. Gonzaga will automatically submit official transcripts to its graduate school if students earned their degrees from the university. Those who have a lower GPA can use a statement section on the application to explain why still deserve a spot in this program. Gonzaga also asks for two letters of recommendation. Those who earned their degrees less than three years ago can submit both an academic letter and professional letter.
Students who earned their degrees more than three years ago must submit two letters of recommendation from supervisors and bosses. They will also write a letter that addresses their reasons for studying sports management at Gonzaga. These students must also provide contact information for at least two references. The university requires that all students fill out a questionnaire and create a video of between three and five minutes in length. This video should show them answering specific questions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The sports management online program that Gonzaga University offers is a 31-credit program. Students will pay $995 for each credit that they take. Most students take between six and nine credits each semester. Unlike the financial aid available for undergrads that the government bases on their families’ income levels, graduate tuition goes to any student who needs help. Grad students can complete the FAFSA to apply for student loans. The government gives loans of $20,500 to graduate students every year.
While there are graduate assistantships available for students working on the Gonzaga campus, online students can only use loans and scholarships. The university has its own database that allows students to search for scholarships and apply for funding. Gonzaga University also allows students to set up payment plans for the coming school year.