Five Graduate Degrees that Pair Well with a Bachelor's in Sports Management

A Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management prepares students to promote or manage sports teams. An undergraduate degree provides training in marketing, communications, legal studies, and business. With this in mind, there are numerous graduate degrees that can pair well with a Sports Management background.

1. Business

Many students who enter the Sports Management industry seek additional education in the realm of business. Some programs even require business minors while completing a Bachelor’s degree. Becoming an expert in the business area through a Masters program certainly strengthens the most basic skills of a Sports Management degree holder. These skills include contract management, negotiation, financial accounting, and knowing how to handle large sums of money when a lot is at stake. Becoming an expert in this area through a Masters in Business will help you build and perfect the skills necessary to succeed in a Sports Management career.

2. Marketing

Sports Management careers also require an ability to promote an athlete or even an entire team in order to increase success. This increased success might rely on endorsements or appeal from the public to land bigger contracts. By specializing in the area of marketing, you will increase skills and knowledge of marketing strategies for media, online, and print promotion. With this kind of promotion in place, athletes and teams will have more success and your career profile will benefit. There are many career perks to pairing a Bachelors in Sports Management to a graduate degree somewhere in the marketing field.

3. Pre-Law or Related Legal Studies

When managing a team or an athlete as a sports manager or agent, a number of legal issues come up in daily business. This includes the use of contracts, managing licenses, and sometimes even having to mitigate a scandal. Pursuing a graduate degree that incorporates pre-law can provide the knowledge needed to handle these various situations. Although not a replacement for consultation with legal counsel, a strong background in pre-law topics can help you have the training necessary to handle situations efficiently and effectively. Consider the kinds of graduate or furthering education programs that an provide a substantial law background.

4. Communications

Sports management requires a plethora of business skills, and communications is included in one of those. Having skills in communications can help on several levels, not just from being able to manage clients and negotiate contracts but also in putting together reports, presentations, or any other documentation required of your position. By pursuing a Masters in communication, you can become an expert in these skills. Using your ability to collect, read, and present data can make you a stronger promoter for the team or athlete that you represent. Better promotion like this often results in more success for all parties.

5. Physical Education & Psychology

Having a background in Physical Education or even Psychology will improve your skills as a Sports Manager. A strong knowledge in areas like Exercise Science means you can better relate to and support your clients. As health is key to athletic performance, having this oversight can also mean better success for your athlete or team as a whole. By pursuing a graduate degree in an area that can fine tune your relationship with an athlete, you will be more aware of how to allocate time for rehabilitation, training, or other nutritional concerns an athlete may have, thereby saving time later.

Sports Management is a competitive field requiring many skills. Post-undergraduate studies therefore requires honing in on these skills. Many options exist for pairing graduate degrees with Sports Management Bachelors.

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