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A Sport Administration student in the box at Dix Stadium

Sport Administration - M.A.

Transform your passion for sports into a rewarding career with our master's degree in sport administration. Gain the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the dynamic sports industry through our innovative curriculum and hands-on experience. Whether your dream is to work for a professional sports team, manage a sports facility or lead a sports marketing campaign, our program will empower you to turn your passion into a successful and fulfilling career.

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M.A. in Sport Administration

Kent State University’s M.A. in Sport Administration provides targeted education in sport administration best practices. This program offers career benefits for students looking to specialize in sport administration.

Program Information for Sport Administration - M.A.

Program Description

Full Description

The Master of Arts degree in Sport Administration provides students a knowledge base in management theory and application in sport settings. The program culminates with an internship, research project or thesis.

Students have the opportunity to complete a dual degree program with the Master of Business Administration degree.

Admissions for Sport Administration - M.A.

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
  • Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
  • Official transcript(s)
  • Goal statement
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:1
    • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
    • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
    • Minimum 58 PTE score
    • Minimum 110 DET score
1

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores will not be considered for admission.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • Rolling admissions
  • Spring Semester
    • Rolling admissions
  • Summer Term
    • Rolling admissions
Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate the knowledge and experience necessary to become successful as a professional in the sport industry.
  2. Apply theoretical and practical knowledge of the industry in a professional career.
  3. Engage and expand the number of international promotional, scholarly and educational research/presentation opportunities in the profession.
Dual Degree

Dual Degree With Master of Business Administration

Students have the opportunity to complete a dual degree program with the M.A. degree in Sport Administration and the M.B.A. degree in Business Administration. A separate application must be submitted for each program. Students can view admission requirements for each program on their respective catalog page.

The dual M.B.A./M.A. in Sports Administration provides students with an integrated business and sports management education and prepares students for responsible leadership positions in sports settings.  The program culminates with an internship, research project or thesis.

Dual Degree Requirements

Major Requirements
ACCT 63037FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING FOR DECISION MAKING 2
ACCT 63038MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING FOR DECISION MAKING 2
BA 64005ANALYTICS FOR DECISION MAKING 2-3
or RMS 65510 STATISTICS I FOR EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
BA 64026SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT 2
CIS 64042GLOBALIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY 2
ECON 62021MACROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS 2
ECON 62022MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS 2
FIN 66060MANAGERIAL FINANCE 2
HRM 64271HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 2
MGMT 64158LEADERSHIP 2-3
or SPAD 65042 LEADERSHIP OF SPORT
MGMT 68051BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT I 1
MKTG 65051MARKETING MANAGEMENT 2
SPAD 65008SOCIOLOGY OF SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 3
SPAD 63091RESEARCH SEMINAR 1
SPAD 65039FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF SPORT 3
SPAD 65045SPORT MARKETING 3
Law Elective, choose from the following:2-6
FIN 66050
LAW AND ETHICS
SPAD 53018
SPAD 65033
ETHICS IN SPORT
and SPORT LAW
Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship Electives, choose from the following:6
Accounting (ACCT) Courses
Business Administration (BAD) Courses
Business Analytics (BA) Courses
Computer Information Systems (CIS) Courses
Economics (ECON) Courses
Entrepreneurship (ENTR) Courses
Finance (FIN) Courses
Human Resource Management (HRM) Courses
Management (MGMT) Courses
Marketing (MKTG) Courses
Sport Administration Major Electives, choose from the following: 16-9
CI 55015
PSYCHOLOGY OF COACHING
HIED 66657
LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS
HTM 56000
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND RECREATIONAL TRAVEL
RMS 68714
FACTOR ANALYSIS IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
RMS 68713
MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
RPTM 56060
ADMINISTRATION OF LEISURE SERVICES
RPTM 56070
PARK PLANNING
SPAD 55022
EVENT PLANNING AND PRODUCTION
SPAD 55029
HISTORY AND CURRENT ISSUES IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
SPAD 55031
SPORT TOURISM
SPAD 55032
SALES MANAGEMENT IN SPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT
SPAD 55033
CHANGE YOUR MIND, GAME AND LIFE
SPAD 56028
SPORT IN FILM
SPAD 56030
DYNAMICS OF LEISURE BEHAVIOR
SPAD 63195
SPECIAL TOPICS IN SPORT ADMINISTRATION
SPAD 65006
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN SPORT MANAGEMENT
SPAD 65008
SOCIOLOGY OF SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
SPAD 65021
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SPORTS PROGRAMS
SPAD 65034
CONTEMPORARY SPORT LAW
SPAD 65036
SPORT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
SPAD 65038
SPORT PROMOTION AND FUNDRAISING
SPAD 65046
FACILITY MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS
SPAD 65048
INTRAMURAL AND CLUB SPORT ADMINISTRATION
Culminating Requirement
MGMT 64399BUSINESS STRATEGY 3
Choose from the following: 13-6
SPAD 63098
RESEARCH
SPAD 63199
THESIS I
SPAD 65092
INTERNSHIP IN SPORT ADMINISTRATION 2
Minimum Total Credit Hours:56
1

Students who select SPAD 63098 or SPAD 65092 as the culminating requirement must select 9 credit hours of Sport Administration electives.

2

Students choosing SPAD 65092 may be required to complete state or Federal background checks for their practicum or internship experience.

Coursework

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements
RMS 65510STATISTICS I FOR EDUCATIONAL SERVICES 3
or RMS 65511 RESEARCH IN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
SPAD 53018ETHICS IN SPORT 3
SPAD 65008SOCIOLOGY OF SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 3
SPAD 63091RESEARCH SEMINAR 1
SPAD 65033SPORT LAW 3
SPAD 65039FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF SPORT 3
SPAD 65042LEADERSHIP OF SPORT 3
SPAD 65045SPORT MARKETING 3
Sport Administration (SPAD) Graduate-Level Electives (50000 level or higher) 16-9
Culminating Requirement
Choose from the following:3-6
SPAD 63098
RESEARCH 2
or SPAD 65092
INTERNSHIP IN SPORT ADMINISTRATION
SPAD 63199
THESIS I
Minimum Total Credit Hours:34
1

Students may take other graduate courses with advisor approval.

2

Students who select research or internship for their culminating requirement must select 9 credit hours of major electives to meet the overall minimum credit hours for the degree. Students choosing SPAD 65092 may be required to complete state or Federal background checks for their practicum or internship experience.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
- 3.000
  • No more than one-half of a graduate student’s coursework may be taken in 50000-level courses.
  • Grades below C are not counted toward completion of requirements for the degree.
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus
Plan of Study

View the M.A. Plan of Study.

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Sport Administration - M.A.

Those who complete the M.A. in Sport Administration at Kent State University can benefit from specialized career opportunities in the sport administration industry.

Coaches and scouts

11.8%

much faster than the average

292,000

number of jobs

$36,330

potential earnings

Education administrators, all other

8.1%

much faster than the average

52,100

number of jobs

$87,580

potential earnings

Fundraisers

14.3%

much faster than the average

100,600

number of jobs

$59,610

potential earnings

Market research analysts and marketing specialists

17.7%

much faster than the average

738,100

number of jobs

$65,810

potential earnings

Marketing managers

6.7%

faster than the average

286,300

number of jobs

$142,170

potential earnings

Sales and related workers, all other

1.9%

slower than the average

142,900

number of jobs

$30,550

potential earnings

Sales managers

3.5%

about as fast as the average

433,800

number of jobs

$132,290

potential earnings

Miscellaneous entertainers and performers, sports and related workers

4.2%

about as fast as the average

33,300

number of jobs

$N/A

potential earnings

Personal service managers, all other; entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling; and managers, all other

-1.8%

decline

1,189,200

number of jobs

$116,350

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.

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