5 Concentrations for a Master’s in Sports Management
Master's in Sports Management Concentrations
- Organizational Management
- Event Management
- Sports Law
- Sports Media
- Sports Project Management
If you are working on your Master's in Sports Management, then you may already have an idea of what career field you would like to get into, and therefore what education concentration you should focus on with your degree. However, if you currently don't know what concentration you're interested in, or what types of concentrations are available, then this guide will give you a valuable overview of what you need to know.
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Organizational Management
This is working as management for different types of sports organizations, such as leagues, teams, sports events, and sports organizations. You will learn how to understand the structures of an organization within the sports industries, and how to successfully navigate them. The size and importance of the organization you work with can vary greatly, starting at the grassroots, municipal level, working all the way up to the global level. You will learn how to work within any type of organization, no matter what the size.
Event Management
Event management is learning of how to manage almost all aspects of a sports event, but mainly focusing on planning and promoting. This could include events like a major league baseball game, the Olympic games, popular marathon races, and more. Working in event management could mean working on your own or with a team, depending on the size of the event, the frequency, importance, and even the scope of popularity. You will learn how to plan, manage, and sustain effective sports experiences in a variety of settings. You will typically need to develop an understanding of the sport community that you are working within, as each has nuanced differences.
Sports Law
Sports law is different in that you need to know theoretical ideas as well as practical ideas that need to be put into physical practice. You will learn about legal concepts that relate to sports, especially sports business, contractual relations, unions, collective bargaining, and issues with ownership and licensing. You will also learn about antitrust laws and rights of publicity, image, and copyright. With sports law, you may find positions working directly for an athlete who is seeking personal representation, or for a team or league as an on-call lawyer. You may even work at the organization level.
Sports Media
Sports media is addressing the complex effects of global sports organizations, and their integration and reliance on emerging new technologist and models of delivery. You will gain a very in-depth understanding of different sports media strategies that drive the current sports media business model. This can include modern sports business and creating new opportunities for licensing and merchandising within the industry. Typically, sports media jobs are at the league or organizational level, as ways to generate new ideas for emerging revenue streams. For example, it may be your job within an organization to come up with a new, popular product that can be sold during live games.
Sports Project Management
With this concentration, you will focus more on how to manage projects within the sports industries. This could include a victory tour for a reigning baseball team, or a high-profile parade to showcase the opening of a sports season. You will focus on efficient and successful planning techniques. Sports project managers are typically hired by organizations or by consulting firms who then send management teams out to requested areas.
This guide is intended to give you a well-rounded overview on the various areas in which you can concentrate in sports management. It should give you an idea of what each type position requires within a certain career, as well as at what level you can expect to be employed. By gaining a master's in sports management, you will have a variety of options for how you choose to use your degree.