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Master of Business Administration

Sports Management Degree

Online or On Campus
Classes Start May 13 and July 1. Reserve your seat today!
Classes Start Six Times Per Year For Ultimate Flexibility

a professional degree for a winning career

32-36 Credit, 14-Month Program

Experience and access to sport professionals around the country is what differentiates Tiffin University’s MBA sports management program from traditional sports management degrees. This is where the classroom meets the real world of sports. Our professional program will equip you with the real-world knowledge, skills and experience you need to succeed in this dynamic industry, including our 200-hour mentorships with sport franchises, athletic departments, sports agencies, athletic facilities and more.

The Sports Management concentration is one of just a few programs in the U.S. offered entirely online. Our program is designed to maximize convenience while providing the necessary structure to enhance your marketability and to improve your business skills. Faculty are prepared to help you make connections with a growing network of alumni working in sports or with the extensive list of sport industry contacts that have professional relationships with our faculty.

  • You’ll study with professors who bring years of industry experience, having worked in a variety of athletic administrative roles including athletic director, marketing, fundraising, NCAA compliance, facility management and advising, as well as international work in global and intercollegiate sport administration.
  • Tiffin University is the only sports management program in the world coordinating an Olympic academic experience. Since 2004, our students have traveled to the Games to interact with Olympians, IOC members, and directors associated with the host city organizing committee.
  • Our MBA Sports Management program is collaborating with Horizons University in Paris, France, to create a Graduate Certificate in Martial Arts Management to meet the needs of professionals employed in martial arts studios, clubs, and gyms.
  • Our students have nationwide access to sport professionals with a connection to Tiffin University. These relationships make possible invaluable mentorships, internships, professional connections and even job opportunities.
  • Our program has a strategic partnership with the MLB Cleveland Guardians (formerly Indians) and NBA Detroit Pistons. Students are able to interact with team executives, gaining practical, hands-on training and experience.
  • Our Sport Management Advisory Council is comprised of alumni and practitioners in the sports industry who provide input on current trends, insights to ensure a relevant curriculum and experiential learning opportunities such as internships, practicums and mentorships.
peregrine results

On a standardized test called the Peregrine Exam, which is also given at other universities, Tiffin University Sports Management students scored on average 13.95 percentage points higher as compared with students from ACBSP (Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs) schools, and 17.60 percentage points higher when compared with students from AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) schools.

One of the great advantages of the MBA in Sports Management is that you will be required to participate in a supervised 200-hour mentorship program with a professional from the sports industry. We personally assist all students in identifying their potential mentor. We have an extensive list of over 200 alumni that have participated in a mentorship and we have a network of sport professionals that stretches across the U.S. and around the world. Some mentorships have become full-time positions.

Mentors have included sports agent and President of MWF Enterprises (Molly Fletcher), Indiana Pacers Broadcaster (Chris Denari), New York Liberty Vice President (Kristen Bernert), Dallas Cowboys Assistant Director of Suites (Heather Fuxa), Oakland Raiders Director of Personnel (Dane VanDernat), Georgia State Soccer Association Director (Jade Beaulieu), Sports Agent and President of Merit Management Group (Stephanie Stanley), CEO of AWP Sports Performance (Mike Ledo), National Recruiting Analyst for FOX Sports Los Angeles (Chad Simmons), CEO of Vahid Management and Production Company (Thomas Robinson), Cincinnati Reds Park Operations Manager (Sean Brown), Houston Rockets Promotions Coordinator (Chirslord Templonuevo), National Sports Manager for Tampa Bay Sports (Teri Parnell); Greater Cleveland Sports Commission Senior Vice President of Events (Meredith Scerba), New York Mets Vice President of Venue Services (Mike Landeen), Pittsburgh Penguins Director of Government Affairs (Abass Kamara),, First Job in Sports Executive Director (Brad Freeman), Atlanta Hawks Coordinator of Community Development (Margo Kline) and NBA Player Representative (Darryl Greene) – to name just a few!

We make it easy for you and can accommodate flexible scheduling for mentorships in any semester – spring, summer or fall.

FORMAT

On Campus – Offered in two terms per semester starting in January, May, August and October

Online – Offered in two terms per semester starting in January, March, May, July, August and October

Core MBA courses are offered online or on campus; remaining concentration courses are offered exclusively online.

SAMPLE COURSES

Communication and Fund Raising in Sports (SMG 532) – Students will recognize communication as integral to the management, marketing and operational goals of sport organizations at all levels. Students will also recognize the needs of professional and volunteer fundraisers in an exploration of the tools, tips and techniques used to fundraise through solicitation, events and grants common in the sports industry.

Business Strategies in Sports (SMG 634) – The case study approach will be used in a critical analysis of business concepts related to decision making, leadership, ethics, communication, marketing, sponsorship, budgeting, policy development, public relations and fundraising in the sport industry.

Personnel Management in Sport (SMG 637) – This course provides a study of the principles of personnel management including recruiting, staffing, development of human resources, maintaining a favorable work environment, compensation administration, benefits, security and system appraisal as they apply to sport agencies. The course emphasizes the value of diversity and inclusion in human resource practices of sport organizations.

Sport Mentorship (SMG 670) – Students are required to participate in 200 contact hours of field experience under the direction of an approved mentor in the sports industry. To enroll in the mentorship, students must complete an online application the semester prior to the requested course enrollment period. Students will maintain an e-portfolio and engage in professional development / career management activities as part of their course requirements. Students must have completed a minimum of 12 graduate credit hours with a minimum GPA of 3.0 for eligibility to enroll in the mentorship.

The global sports industry is worth up to $620 billion today. With growth that is faster than global GDP, the industry’s long-term prospects appear strong. Highly sought after by sports-related organizations, Tiffin University MBA sports management graduates are succeeding in all sectors of the sports industry.

Careers You Can Get with a Degree in Sports Management
  • Amateur & Professional Sports
  • Assistant Athletic Director: Career Enhancement
  • Associate Director of Athletics Development
  • Associate Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
  • Athletic clubs
  • Client Manager & Agent Assistant
  • Collegiate Athletics Manager
  • Director of Finances and Events Team
  • Director of Football Administration
  • Director of Major Gifts
  • Director of Premium Seating and Hospitality
  • Featured Sports Columnist
  • High School & College Athletic Departments
  • Manager of Business Development
  • Marketing & Event Manager
  • Media Manager
  • NFL Agent
  • NFLPA Contract Advisor
  • Parks & Recreation Facilities Manager
  • Promotions and Events Manager
  • Sport Consultant
  • Sports Editor
  • Sporting Goods Firms
  • Sports Complexes
  • Stadium & Arena Management
  • Stadium Operations Manager

where tu grads have worked

  • Alliance Management Group
  • Arizona Coyotes (NHL)
  • Beijing Starz Sports International Management Co.
  • Bleacher Report
  • Bowie Bay Sox
  • Bowling Green State University
  • CCTV (Beijing, China)
  • Cleveland Browns
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Cleveland Guardians
  • Cleveland Soccer Club
  • Creative Artists Agency
  • Indianapolis Colts
    KingsTalent
  • Louisville Sluggers
  • Michigan State University Athletics
  • National Fastpitch Softball Association
  • National Football League
  • Northwestern University Athletics
  • Oakville Basketball Club
  • ONE Championship
  • Penn State University Athletics
  • Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Privit
  • Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
  • Southern Methodist University Athletics
  • Tiffin Parks & Rec
  • Weber State Sports Properties
  • Yale University Athletics
What is Sports Management?

Sports management includes a wide range of business-related activities involved in overseeing sports and recreation, including team finances, logistics, acting as a liaison between all stakeholders and more. Sports management focuses on the whole sport and team from a business perspective.

What is an mba in Sports Management?

An MBA in sports management prepares students for management roles in a variety of sports and recreation settings and exposes them to courses in managerial economics and finance, quantitative business, human resources, global and transnational management, strategic management, legal and ethical issues in management, marketing, decision making and more.

What can i do with an mba in Sports Management?

With an MBA in sports management, you will be qualified for a variety of management opportunities in sports and recreation, including positions with professional teams, high school and college athletics, non-profit and community organizations and more.

What will I learn as a sports management graduate student?
  • Legal aspects of professional sports
  • Business of sports management
  • The processes of professional sports organizations
  • Sports marketing

MBA Sports Management Program Requirements

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“The mentorship with the MLB Tampa Rays allowed me to lean on some experienced industry veterans at a time when I needed that in my career. I could not have gotten to where I am today anywhere else, or any other way.”

Tim Lillis
MBA in Sports Management
Class of 2015
Stadium Operations Management
MLB AA Bowie Baysox

“I saw an immediate return on investment from my education at Tiffin University as I was able to interview and accept a dream job with Northwestern University Athletics. Satisfied would be an understatement when describing my overall experience with TU.”

Amanda Brown
MBA in Sports Management
Class of 2017
Assistant Director: Career Enhancement & Employer Relations
Northwestern University Athletics