College of Education and Human Development

School of Kinesiology

Bachelor of science (BS) in sport management

The bachelor of science (BS) program in sport management is for students who are interested in working with professional, collegiate, or community sports and athletic organizations. Students will gain knowledge and experience in the many aspects of sport, enabling them to find a career path that will excite and challenge them.

39 students

in a major-specific course on average

Career opportunities

many sports teams and organizations located right here in the Twin Cities

Start your journey

    Program details

    Understand the business side of the sports industry

    The Sport Management major is designed for students who are passionate about sports and eager to explore the dynamic business side of the sports industry. This program immerses students in key areas such as facilities and event management, marketing, social responsibility, and sport administration.

    The Sport Management B.S. prepares students to be successful in a wide range of careers across the sports sector. By blending classroom theory with practical application, this major equips students with the skills, insights, and confidence to pursue diverse and exciting career paths in sports and entertainment, whether working with professional teams, leading community-based programs, or leveraging sport as a tool for social impact.

     

    • Facility, event, and organization management: Explore the principles and practices of managing sport venues, events, and entities.
    • Business of sport: Develop an entrepreneurial mindset to shape the future of sport and make data-driven decisions
    • Sports ethics: Understand historical, philosophical, and sociological perspectives and how they apply to ethics in sports
    • Sports law: Discover how the US legal system, structure, and processes relate to legal issues in sport and physical activity settings.
    • Sports marketing: Learn marketing concepts and how to apply them to sports consumers in unique ways
    • Research methods in sport management: Understand how to interpret, evaluate, and critique research related to sports
      Apply as a freshman

      If you are a current UMN undergraduate or an incoming first year student and want to declare a major in sport management, visit the Office of Admissions for complete directions.

      Apply as a Freshman
      Transfer
      • You are a transfer applicant if you graduated from high school and already took classes at another college (in or outside the UMN) or trade school that might transfer to the UMN for your bachelor’s degree.
      • This includes individuals with an associate’s degree.
      • If you are a current UMN undergraduate in another college within the University of Minnesota.
      • In addition, if you need to know how your credits will transfer, the UMN Office of Admissions has resources for all transfer students. Visit their site.
      Transfer
      Declare a major

      Are you a current CEHD student who is ready to declare your major? Follow these steps.

      Declare a Major

      Careers

      A degree in sport management prepares students to become leaders in the sport industry. With this degree, there are a wide variety of career options to explore, including but not limited to:

      • Account management
      • Community relations
      • Facilities management
      • Recreation director
      • Sales and marketing
        More career info

        There are many career options that connect to a sport management degree beyond the ones listed. Once admitted to the major, students also have the support of CEHD Career Services. This unit helps with resumes, exploring graduate school and career options, as well as finding job and internship opportunities.

        Coursework

        Coursework

        The courses in the sport management BS program are divided into three different types: Core courses, focus electives, and physical activity courses.

        View a sample plan to get a better picture of what your course schedule could look like.

          Core courses

          Core courses help students gain an in-depth and diverse understanding of sport management. All sport management students are required to complete the following core courses, totaling 29 credits:

          • SMGT 1701 - Introduction to Sport Management
          • SMGT 3111 - Sports Facility and Event Management
          • SMGT 3143 - Organization and Management of Sport
          • SMGT 3421 - Business of Sport
          • SMGT 3501 - Sport and Physical Activity in a Diverse Society
          • SMGT 3601 - Ethics and Values in Sport
          • SMGT 3631 - Sport Marketing
          • SMGT 3861 - Sport Law
          • SMGT 3826 - Research Methods in Sport Management
          • SMGT 3881W - Senior Seminar in Sport Management
          • SMGT 3696 - Applied Professional Practice and Career Planning

          Through the senior seminar and applied professional practice, sport management BS students apply their knowledge to real-world situations and graduate with experience in the industry. More information about the core courses can be found in the course catalog. 

          Electives

          These courses enhance the core courses, providing a greater understanding of physical activity and health while supporting a student's individual interests. Sport management students take a total of 12 elective credits from an approved list in the course catalog. Below are a few popular choices:

          • SMGT 3632 - Sports Sales and Fundraising
          • SMGT 3141 Contemporary Esport Management
          • KIN 3001 - Lifetime Health and Wellness
          • KIN 5321 - International Sport: The Impact of the Olympic Games
          • KIN 5461 - Issues in the Sports Industry
          • ACCT 2051 - Introduction to financial reporting
          • ABUS 4022W - Management in Organizations
          • COMM 3201 - Introduction to Electronic Media Production
          • JOUR 3759 - Sports Media and Information
          • LEAD 3961 - Leadership, You, and Your Community
          • MGMT 3015 - Introduction to Entrepreneurship
          • OLPD 4401 - E-marketing
          Physical activity courses

          Physical activity courses allow students to learn about movement and physical activity first-hand. Kinesiology students take a total of 5 credits of these courses from the course catalog of over 60 options. Popular options include:

          • Pickleball
          • Soccer
          • Tennis
          • Marathon training
          • Scuba and skin diving
          • Self defense
          • Rock climbing
          • Bowling
          Tuition and funding

          Tuition and funding

          Tuition

          Visit the College of Education and Human Development's Tuition and Financial Aid page for information on tuition.

          Funding

          Visit the Office of Admissions scholarships page for more information on this and additional CEHD scholarships available to incoming first-year students.

          What our alumni say

          “This major was the perfect combination of business and sports for me, allowing me to begin a foundation for a career in sports, access to internships in baseball, and the ability to add minors which interested me and supported my eventual degree.”

          “Having three advisors by my side has made my experience as a sport management major increasingly better. I would not be where I am today without their support and confidence in me.”

          “I knew that this was the place for me. All of the connections with a Power 5, Division I athletic department, all of the professional teams in the area, all of the volunteer opportunities, the reputation of the program, and the connections to the Sport Management Association. It was not a hard sell.”

          Student experiences and support

          Inside the classroom

          Within their coursework, students learn in a variety of ways. Class discussions and group work are common in the sport management major. Modern technology is also used to support learning. Faculty bring in leaders in the sport industry to guest lecture, providing real world learning while also expanding professional networks.

          Students are taught by world-renowned faculty who are committed to student success. Our faculty's expertise is diverse and will expose students to a variety of areas in the field.

          Outside the classroom

          Hands-on experiences are essential to support your long-term professional and educational goals. Students in the sport management BS program are encouraged to explore opportunities to volunteer, work, and potentially earn academic credit through research supervised by a faculty member. 

            Study abroad

            Studying abroad is a great way to explore new areas of the world while earning academic credit. The School of Kinesiology's study abroad programs are related to health and wellness:

            There are many opportunities through the Learning Abroad Center as well. Some popular programs include:

            Directed study

            Directed study gives undergraduate students the opportunity to work with faculty on physical activity and health-related research. To get a better sense of the various research areas and labs in the School of Kinesiology, visit our research page. 

            Field experience

            Field experiences support our student's classroom learning and broaden their professional skills. Students are encouraged to explore opportunities in advance of the term they may wish to participate in the experiences. Faculty, academic advisors, and career coaches are great resources to discuss ideas for these experiences. Some areas that our students have held their field experiences in include:

            • Game day experience
            • Membership services
            • Facility management
            • Equipment manager
            • Event planning
            • Ticket sales
            • Community recreation
            Student organizations

            There are over 1,000 student organizations on campus. Some common groups that physical activity and health promotion majors join include:

            • Sport Management Association
            • Sport Analytics Club
            • Sports Law Association
            • Ad Club

            View a full list of student organizations on the University's student group page. 

            Contact

            We’re here to help. Email us at kin@umn.edu and a member of our department will be in touch.