West Virginia University Sports Management Degrees
West Virginia University appears in our ranking of the Top 30 Bachelor’s in Sport Management Degree Programs.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, sports management positions earned an average salary in 2018 of $90,870 per year. Most positions in sports management require a bachelor’s degree although some may require graduate degrees. West Virginia University offers several degree programs that prepare individuals for careers in this growing industry.
Bachelor of Science in Sport Management
The Bachelor of Science in Sport Management prepares students for careers related to professional, intercollegiate sports as well as facilities that host sporting events. Three internships are required as part of the program in order to provide hands-on experience in the field. The program emphasizes business and management skills as well as instruction in other disciplines. These include media, economics, arts, and sciences. Courses required may include:
- History and Philosophy of Sport
- Introduction to Computer Applications
- Introduction to Public Relations
- Issues in Sport Studies
- Leadership in Sport Management
- Liability in Sport
- Managing Individuals & Teams
- Organizational Communication
- Orientation in Sport Management
- Principles of Macroeconomics
- Principles of Marketing
- Psychological Perspectives of Sport
- Sport Facility and Event Management
- Sport Finance and Economics
- Sport Governance
- Sport in American Society
- Sport in the Global Market
- Sport Management
- Sport Marketing & Sales
- Survey of Accounting
- Survey of Economics
- Technology in Sport Management
The program is only available on campus.
Accelerated Bachelor to Master’s in Sport Management
West Virginia University offers an accelerated Bachelor to Master’s program in Sport Management that allows students to earn their graduate degree in less time which can also save them tuition. There are 12 credits shared across both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The shared courses contain the same subject matter but different depths. By teaching these courses only once, combining the more in-depth information in the undergraduate program, students are able to complete two courses at once. These credits include Legal Issues in Sport Administration, Sport Management Processes, Sport Finance and Sociocultural and Ethical Dimensions in Sport.
Master of Science in Sport Management
The Master of Science in Sport Management prepares students for leadership positions in sports management. The program offers a unique curriculum that includes real-world training in finance and compliance. The program is only offered on campus and offers real-world training in a wide range of sports management areas. These include fundraising, marketing, finance, sponsorship, sales, marketing, NCAA compliance and more. Students may choose from the professional track which requires an internship or a thesis track. Courses required may include:
- Fund-Raising and Development
- Legal Issues in Sport Administration
- NCAA Compliance and Current Issues
- Sociocultural and Ethical Dimensions of Sport
- Sport Finance
- Sport Management Processes
- Sport Marketing
- Sport Publicity/Public Relations
- Sport Sponsorship and Sales Management
About West Virginia University
The state of West Virginia was established in 1862 and immediately accepted the terms of the Morrill Act, a program that offered federal lands that could be sold to establish an institute of higher education in the new state. The Agricultural College of West Virginia opened in Morgantown in 1867 as an all-white, all-male institute of higher learning.
The school was located in the former Woodburn Female Seminary building where the first president of the school, Alexander Martin, lived with the students who were enrolled there. In 1868, the school became West Virginia University. At first, the school offered programs in sciences and humanities but to meet the requirements of the Morrill Act, which required programs in agriculture, students planted a garden on the Woodburn Circle. Unfortunately, soon after the garden was planted, students left on summer vacation and, by fall, the garden was nothing but weeds.
A cadet corps was also established in order to meet the Morrill Act requirement for military studies. This program eventually became the ROTC program during World War I. Women were admitted in 1889 and, until 1895, students were required to attend chapel daily as well as a service on Sunday. In order to keep the school open during the Great Depression, students were offered the ability to work on campus to cover the cost of tuition. During World War II, enlisted men in the 48th College Training Detachment lived, trained and studied on the campus.
Today, there are almost 29,000 enrolled at West Virginia University.
West Virginia University Accreditation Details
West Virginia University is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Higher Learning Commission which certifies that the school provides students with excellence in education by meeting specific criteria developed by the Commission. It also indicates that the school has the resources to meet its stated goals and objectives. Programs at the university are also accredited by the following organizations:
- ABET
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
- Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications
- Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
- American Academy of Forensic Sciences
- American Bar Association
- American Dental Association
- American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education
- American Physical Therapy Association
- American Psychological Association
- American Society of Landscape Architects
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
- Association for Clinical Pastoral Education
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
- Council on Education for Public Health
- Council on Rehabilitation Education
- Council on Social Work Education
- Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
- Liaison Committee on Medical Education
- National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences
- National Association of Schools of Art and Design
- National Association of Schools of Music
- National Association of Schools of Theatre
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
- Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration
- Society of American Foresters
West Virginia University Application Requirements
Applicants to the Bachelor of Science in Sports Management must provide official high school transcripts and must have a GPA of 3.0. They must also provide official ACT or SAT scores.
In order to apply for the accelerated BS/MS in Sport Management, applicants must apply for regular admission to the program the semester after they complete 75 credits but not after they have earned 95 credits. Transfer applicants must have completed 24 credit hours at West Virginia University before they apply. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.25 and no provisional admission is permitted. The program is limited to 10 students per admission cycle.
Applicants to the Master of Science in Sport Management must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited university and must provide official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. They must provide a resume and personal statement along with two letters of recommendation. Applicants must also have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher.
West Virginia University Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition for the Bachelor of Science in Sport Management is $402 per credit hour for residents and $1,091 per credit hour for non-residents. Full-time graduate tuition for in-state residents is $10,098 per year and for out-of-state residents is $25,632 per year.
All students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) regardless of income as some aid is awarded based on merit rather than need. Students may be offered grants, loans, scholarships or work-study programs to cover the cost of tuition.
West Virginia University has a mission to seek opportunities to serve others, to ask questions and to seek change through innovation.
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