Sports Management Degree Programs in North Carolina (N-Z)

Whether you want to work with individual athletes, college teams or operate a sport complex, you should look into the top sports management degree programs from accredited colleges and universities in North Carolina. These programs make it easy for you to take the skills you develop and the knowledge you gain in the classroom into your future career. You’ll have the chance to take classes on coaching, training, recruiting, managing and dozens of other topics that will assist you later.

Rankings

No matter who you want to work with or where you want to work, enroll in one of the state’s top schools. To see more top-notch sports management degrees in North Carolina, visit Sports Management Degree Programs in North Carolina (A-G) and Sports Management Degree Programs in North Carolina (G-M).

North Carolina A&T University

School of Education

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is the biggest black college in the entire nation. Better known as North Carolina A&T, the university was originally an offshoot of North Carolina State University. The founders of that college created North Carolina A&T as a separate school for black students. The college grew at a faster rate than even its founders expected as students moved to the state from across the country, and it now has a population of more than 10,000 full and part time students. Both Forbes and Washington Monthly highlighted North Carolina A&T as one of the nation’s best.

BS Sport Science and Fitness Management

The BS Sport Science and Fitness Management at North Carolina A&T is one of the top sports management degree programs from accredited colleges and universities in North Carolina. Students who receive a grade below a C must retake that class, and repeated failures may result in your dismissal from the program. North Carolina A&T also expects you to maintain a grade point average of 2.3 or higher. While you will take classes on sports, you must also take some general and more specialized business courses. Nutrition for sports and fitness is a popular course that looks at how the foods you eat provide fuel for your body, and first aid and safety is a class that lets you get certification from the American Red Cross. You can also take an internship to gain practical fieldwork experience, and some students do an independent study project that covers subjects outside of their classes too.

Accreditation

- - - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

Contact

1601 E. Market St.
Greensboro, NC 27411
(336) 344-7500

North Carolina Central University

Physical Education and Recreation

James E. Shepherd opened a small school in 1910 that admitted students on a case by case basis. Shepherd relied heavily on progressive styles of teaching and restricted acceptance to black students only. It gained national recognition for its teaching programs, which gave black students the skills needed to foster the next generation of students. The institute went through a few name changes before becoming North Carolina Central University. The University of North Carolina later took over operations of the campus and added it to the UNC school system. Notable alumni include professional athletes, actors, musicians and politicians.

Bachelor’s in Recreation Administration, Recreational Sport Management with Coaching Minor

Though North Carolina Central University does not have a standalone sport management program, it does offer a Bachelor’s in Recreation Administration and a minor in coaching. Coaching is one of the top jobs associated with sport management. As a coach, you help athletes better understand the rules of the game, ensure that they remain healthy and even help them recover from injuries. NCCU has several scholarship programs available that help you cover some of your costs. Some of the courses that students like yourself take include camping and outdoor recreation, therapeutic recreation, administration management and management of exercise, sport and recreation facilities. Depending on the courses that you take, you may meet the qualifications necessary for taking professional exams that let you work as a licensed therapeutic therapist or as a certified parks and recreation specialist. NCCU also rewards students with course credit for any internships they do with approval from the university.

Accreditation

- - - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

Contact

1801 Fayetteville St.
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 530-6100
http://www.nccu.edu/academics/sc/socialsciences/physicaleducation/

North Carolina State University

Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management

North Carolina State University actually opened in 1887 as the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. After slightly changing its name a few years later, students began calling it North Carolina State. Most refer to the campus today as NCSU or NC State. Its flagship campus is a gorgeous and sprawling campus in Raleigh, but NC State also operates a few satellite campus as well as a research facility and biomedical institute. Washington Monthly named NC State as the 47th best college in the United States, and it also appeared on lists from Forbes and ARWU.

BS in Sport Management

The BS in Sport Management degree program from North Carolina State is perfect for students who want to gain general knowledge of management techniques and procedures. You will take a minimum of 121 credit hours to graduate, which includes general education requirements like English, science and math. During the summer semester between your junior and senior year, NC State expects you to complete a 10 week internship that is worth 10 credit hours. This internship can take place in North Carolina or in another state if you want to live at home that summer. Some of the courses you might take include sports administration, sport finance, sport law and sport marketing. NC State also asks that all students do a seminar in the final semester. This seminar allows you to study a topic or subject relating to sport management and create your own project or research paper that highlights your skills.

PRTM Online Masters Degree

NC State also offers an online degree in PRTM. This allows you to work in parks, recreation and tourism facilities as a manager. You will take a total of 31 credit hours or more of classes, which must include 22 hours of required classes and nine hours of electives. Those electives will come from higher level classes inside the department. Mandatory or required courses cover topics like the foundations of management, using GIS and other forms of technology, fiscal or financial management and risk analysis. Risk analysis programs teach you how to identify potential problems in various facilities. The last requirement is an e-portfolio, which you will work on throughout the program. This portfolio should include major papers and projects you worked on, which shows professors that you gained a strong familiarity with those subject areas. You’ll present this portfolio before graduating and getting your sport management degree.

Accreditation

- - - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

Contact

2820 Faucette Dr., Campus Box 8001
Raleigh, NC 27695
(919) 515-6191
myron_floyd@ncsu.edu
https://cnr.ncsu.edu/prtm/

Pfeiffer University

Main Campus

Emily Prudden was a school teacher in North Carolina who decided to work from her home. She began offering classes and teaching students in her own living room. This later became an academy called Oberlin, but when the school caught fire, it moved to a new location that allowed for more growth. This school adopted the name Pfeiffer College and offered two year degree programs. When the college added upper level classes, it became Pfeiffer University and officially granted degrees to graduating students. Pfeiffer works hard to keep its ratio of students to professors low and has a highly selective admissions process.

Bachelor of Arts in Sport Management

Pfeiffer offers a Bachelor of Arts in Sport Management or a Sport Management BA. This program strives to teach students how to balance all aspects in a professional career. While you’ll take classes on teaching and coaching athletes, you’ll also take classes designed to help you with marketing and finance. The History of Sport and Physical Activity is a unique course offered by the school that looks at how sports and physical fitness changed throughout history. Event and Tournament Management is another unique class that focuses on how to effectively budget, manage and advertise a tournament event. Pfeiffer recommends that students engage in some experiential learning opportunities as well. Students were on hand to help with the NBA announcement when the Charlotte Bobcats changed their name to the Charlotte Hornets. You may have the opportunity to work at a NASCAR race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway or for the Panthers NFL team too.

Accreditation

- - - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

Contact

48380 US-52
Misenheimer, NC 28109
(800) 338-2060
emily.carella@pfeiffer.edu
https://www.pfeiffer.edu

Queens University of Charlotte

Blair College of Health

The founders of Charlotte selected the name as a way to pay homage to Queen Charlotte. Queen University of Charlotte, sometimes called Queens University, also honors her. The school originally opened in the downtown area of the city, which locals call Uptown, as the Charlotte Female Institute. After changing its name multiple times and moving to other locations around the city, it finally settled on the name Queen University of Charlotte. In the 1940s, the college established a night school for male students, but as more students enrolled, the college decided to shut down that satellite school and open its main campus to all students.

BS in Sport Management

Sports management degree programs from accredited colleges and universities in North Carolina often partner with professional sports organizations to help students gain practical experience, and Queens College is no exception. It offers a BS in Sport Management degree program that gives you the chance to take your skills from the classroom into the real world. Some of the internships that graduates did in the past include those working for the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Charlotte Bobcats, YMCA and Carolina Panthers. Students can also intern for publications and marketing agencies. Some of the unique courses you might take include digital media marketing, which focuses on Internet and online marketing, and promotion and publicity, which deals more with getting the attention of fans. Queens College also requires that sport management students take a sport event and facility management class that deals with the day to day operations of facilities management.

Accreditation

- - - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

Contact

1900 Selwyn Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28274
(704) 337-2200
admissions@queens.edu
https://www.queens.edu/

University of North Carolina

The Department of Exercise and Sport Science

You cannot think about schools in North Carolina without thinking about the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Also known as UNC Chapel Hill or just UNC, it serves as the flagship campus in the college’s school system. UNC often ranks within the 100 schools in the country and around the world by leading publications. Washington Monthly, U.S. News and World Report and Forbes all put it in the top 50 schools nationally, and ARWU ranked it within the top 100. ARWU, QS and Times all included UNC on lists of the top 100 colleges in the world.

BA in Sport Administration

UNC is home to one of the most loved basketball teams in the country. Both its men’s and women’s teams routinely make it into the NCAA championships every year, and fans love rooting for the Tar Heels. Those enrolled in the undergraduate sports administration program can actually work with those teams and other teams on campus. You will need to take and successfully pass a lower level math, economics and biology class before taking any management courses. The department itself requires that you take classes on human anatomy, emergency care, physiology and an introduction to sports management. In addition to general requirements, you’ll also take a minimum of six higher level sports management classes. The fundamentals of sports marketing class teaches you how to market and advertise both facilities and athletes, while a legal aspects class goes over the laws that you might encounter when working with teams, players or facilities.

Master’s in Sport Administration

Graduates of the UNC Master’s in Sport Administration program have the opportunity to come back to campus every year to meet with other alumni and with currently enrolled students. This program also lets you partner with a graduate and develop a lasting mentor relationship. A lifetime fitness component is just one requirement of the program. This requires that students agree to remain in good physical shape later and that they’ll help others stay in shape too. As a graduate student, you must do a detailed internship at the start of your second year. UNC offers internships at the collegiate level, at the professional level, in media relations, in the business side of sports or for Tar Heels teams. The program also consists of 10 other classes, including legal issues in sports, applied statistics and research methods, NCAA compliance and both a thesis and seminar that you take in your final year.

Accreditation

- - - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

Contact

University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
(919) 966-3621
admissions@unc.edu
http://exss.unc.edu/undergraduate-program/ba-in-exss/general-major/

Western Carolina University

College of Business

Western Carolina University opened as a small high school and preparatory academy in 1889. The school provided local students with a way to take classes that they couldn’t take from other nearby schools and later admitted students from neighboring cities and counties too. It became so large that the state made it a normal school, which provided training for teachers. Though it added technical programs and other courses, it continued operating as teaching school until the 1950s. Western Carolina University now has a great reputation as one of the best places for teachers to study, but the university also provides other degree programs for students.

Sport Management, BS

One of the newer programs offered by WCU is its Sport Management, BS. This program requires that students successfully complete four key areas of study. Those areas include 42 credit hours of liberal arts classes, 36 credit hours of business classes, 33 credit hours of sport management classes and a minimum of nine hours of electives. Before working on your degree, you will need to take some introductory classes and maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.5 or higher. You will also need to maintain that GPA to take higher level classes in the program. Financial aspects of sports, sport ethics, sport administration and sport marketing are some of the core requirements of the program. You will also do at least two internships that are worth up to six credit hours each. WCU can help you get an internship at the amateur or professional level.

Accreditation

- - - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

Contact

1 University Way
Cullowhee, NC 28723
(828) 227-7211
http://catalog.wcu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=29&poid=3372&returnto=565

Wingate University

Porter Byrum School of Business

The Baptist Church had a strong following in North Carolina during the 19th century and wanted a way to help high school students gain more experience. That led to the Church founding Wingate College in 1896. It was one of the few schools in the state at the time that admitted both male and female students equally. Though it originally only offered certificate programs, it later became a junior college and gained the right to offer four year programs when it officially became a university in the 1970s. Wingate now has three connected colleges across the state of North Carolina.

Bachelor’s in Sport Management

The Bachelor’s in Sport Management that Wingate University offers is perfect for students just out of high school and those who decide to go back to school later. Unlike other schools that let you declare your major as soon as you enroll, Wingate asks that you complete some requirements before becoming a sport management major. You must take three introductory courses and earn a C or higher in each class, and you will complete six key areas of study. If you have a grade point average of 2.0 or higher, you can officially submit an application and enter the program. Wingate has a convenient location that puts you close to some major teams and athletes. When you do your internship as a junior or senior, the university can help you get one working for the college, other universities, for a NASCAR racing team or even in the NBA or NFL.

Master of Arts in Sport Management

Wingate offers a Master of Arts in Sport Management for students who earned a sport management degree from the university at the bachelor’s level or those who studied business or management at another school. Completing this program requires that you take courses in several key areas that include sport finances, ethics and laws in sports, managing event venues and marketing of sports and events. Wingate also offers learning experiences for students outside of the classroom. You might work at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, do fieldwork at the Carolina Panthers stadium or even work for the Special Olympics. Those learning opportunities help you form professional relationships with those working in the industry, which may lead to job offers upon graduation. Though classes take place on campus, Wingate also offers some online classes that help you finish your studies even faster and get to work in the sports management field quicker.

Accreditation

- - - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

Contact

13024 Ballantyne Corporate PI Suite 150, Charlotte, NC 28277
(800) 755-5550
j.atkinson@wingate.edu
https://www.wingate.edu

A sports management degree prepares you for working in fields like teaching, coaching and managing. North Carolina is home to so many teams and organizations that you may have an easier time finding a job when you enroll in one of the best sports management degree programs from accredited colleges and universities in North Carolina.

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