Sports Management Degree Programs in Oklahoma - Sports Management Degree Guide

Sports management degree programs from accredited colleges and universities in in Oklahoma prepare students for working with all types of players and athletes after graduation. You might use your business skills to work as an agent, or you might decide to manage a sports complex in your hometown.

Rankings

Graduates of these programs also have the skills needed to run leadership conferences, create contracts for players, help injured athletes recover and even coach and train those players. As Oklahoma is home to professional teams, college teams and community organizations, you’ll find loads of ways to gain the experience that you need.

Bacone College

Division of Business

Bacone College is the oldest college in Oklahoma. Founded in 1880, the college saw its enrollment rise from fewer than 10 students in its first semester to more than 50 students by the end of its first year. Enrollment grew steadily in the coming years because it was the only college in the state at that time. A professor by the name of Bacone was on its founders and one of the first people in the territory to see a need for a college. The college continues its commitment to the Native Americans who once lived there was its own Center for American Indians.

BS Sports Management

The BS Sports Management program offered by Bacone College looks closely at several areas associated with the topic, including leadership, management, law, marketing and finance. Finance courses teach you the importance of creating a budget and following that budget, while marketing courses look at how you might market and advertise both the athletes you work with and the complexes or facilities where you work. This program deals more closely with college and professional sports than other areas of the sports world, but you’ll discover how you can help those teams grow and thrive. Students must complete 124 credit hours or more of work and maintain a grade point average of 2.25 or higher to graduate. A few of the required sports management courses that students in this program take include sales management, sports facility management, technical applications in business and prevention and care of injuries.

Accreditation

- - - North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Contact

2299 Old Bacone Road
Muskogee OK 74403
(918) 683-4581
dixons@bacone.edu

Oklahoma State University

Department of Management

Oklahoma State University is the largest public college in Oklahoma. Sometimes called Oklahoma State University-Stillwater because of its location within the state, most refer to the campus as simply OSU. Founded in 1890, it opened as an A&M school that offered courses in agricultural and mechanical subjects. As its enrollment increased steadily in its early years, OSU quickly brought in new programs and introduced new courses to keep up with the interests of those students. When creating lists of the top universities in the country, Forbes, Washington Monthly and U.S. News & World Report all included Oklahoma State University.

BS in Management in Sports Management

In addition to its basic program in management, OSU also offers a BS in Management in Sports Management. This helps you gain a better familiarity of general management topics at the same time that you concentrate your studies on sports management. The university has its own sports management club that lets students meet professionals working in the field, learn more about internship opportunities and even take field trips to watch their favorite teams play. OSU can also help students seek employment with some leading sports agencies and do internships working for teams like the Dallas Stars, Arizona Diamondbacks, Oklahoma City Thunder or Philadelphia Eagles. The program itself starts with an introduction to sports management course that all students must take. This course looks at sports management as a whole and ensures you understand what the college expects of you. You can then take courses like strategic sports management, international sports management and advanced management.

Accreditation

- - - North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Contact

Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74074
(405) 744-5000

Oral Roberts University

College of Science & Engineering

Those hoping to combine their faith with their interest in higher education may find Oral Roberts University helpful. Established in 1965, the idea for a new university came from Roberts himself and his belief that God spoke to him and called for the building of the college. Though the university has an affiliation with the Christian Church, it welcomes students from most major religions. Enrolled students must agree to follow a strict code of conduct that applies while students are both on and off campus. ORU highly encourages its students to attend the weekly church services held on campus too.

Bachelor of Science in Sport Management

The Bachelor of Science in Sport Management program at Oral Roberts University offers a number of ways for students to get involved in the sports world. The Kenneth H. Cooper Aerobics Center, which is where may of the management courses meet, has exercise equipment, basketball courts, a swimming pool and other amenities that are available to students who want to get or remain in good shape. The program itself consists of required courses that ensure students have a strong foundation in writing, research and communications. At the same time that you take those classes, you can begin taking sports management courses. ORU offers courses like global perspectives in sports, program administration, sports psychology and legal aspects of the sports world. Students enrolled in this program can also gain practical experience and course credit for doing one or more internships for a team on campus or for a sports agency off campus.

Accreditation

- - - North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Contact

7777 South Lewis Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74171
(918) 495-6161

Rogers State University

School of Business & Technology

Though Rogers State University notes its foundation date as 1909, that early college was actually a preparatory academy that offered programs designed for students who wanted to attend college. The school closed less than two decades after opening. It reopened as the Oklahoma Military Academy, which later became a small junior college. Enrollment grew significantly after the junior college opened and grew even faster once the school expanded into four-year programs. Rogers State University now has a population of more than 4,300 students and has a good reputation for both its business and management degree programs.

Bachelor in Sport Management

Rogers State University offers a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management program through its Division of Business & Technology, which provides students with a better foundation in business aspects. This program actually has two topics of study or concentrations available. If you prefer working in fitness centers and gyms, you might enroll in the fitness management track. The sport business track is better suited for those who want to work for professional agencies or college teams. You also have the option of choosing a major in business with a minor in sport management. The traditional sport management program requires that you complete 126 credits, but you may earn more credits depending on the number of internships you do and the minor you select. At least 21 credits must come from your concentration. Accounting, principles of microeconomics, care and prevention of athletic injuries, sports nutrition and first aid are some of the required courses for those concentrations.

Accreditation

- - - North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Contact

1701 W. Will Rogers Blvd.
Claremore, OK 74017
(800) 256-7511
admissions@rsu.edu

Southern Nazarene University

College of Natural, Social & Health Sciences

Though the name Southern Nazarene University only dates back to the late 1980s, the school has a long history. Texas Holiness University opened in 1899 and later merged with the Beulah Heights Academy and Bible School, which opened in 1906. The school also acquired several other campuses in the surrounding area, which helped it reach a current population of more than 2,100 students. Though SNU is on the small size, it has a low ratio of students to professors and offers the same opportunities that you would find on a larger campus. SNU even has 17 teams and even more athletic organizations open to students.

BS in Sport Management

SNU designed its BS in Sport Management to incorporate aspects of both management and kinesiology. In addition to the more than 60 credit hours of electives and required courses that you must take, you’ll take 31 credit hours of work from the kinesiology department. Those courses include physiology and anatomy, which gives you a better understanding of the human body, how activities can impact the body and the basics of recovering from injuries. The university requires that you take a minimum of 30 credits hours from the business department as well. You may also take courses on athletic training and exercise science, which focus more on the proper training techniques utilized by athletes. Depending on your career goals and where you want to work, you may consider taking a few education classes as well. SNU offers courses designed for future gym teachers and coaches.

Master of Arts in Sport Management and Administration

Once you have a bachelor’s degree, you might look at graduate sports management degree programs from accredited colleges and universities in Oklahoma. One of those programs is available through SNU. Called the Master of Arts in Sport Management and Administration, this program is open to students with a bachelor’s degree and awards students with an MASMA degree. It includes 12 courses that are worth three credits hours each. SNU gives you the option of enrolling in the online program or a combined program. The combined program lets you take classes on campus and online to finish your degree. If you choose the online degree program, you’ll take courses from home. All classes that meet on campus take place once a week and later in the day to better accommodate students who work full-time. Courses in this program include sport marketing, sport finance, media production for managers, sports law and human resources management.

Accreditation

- - - North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Contact

6729 NW 39th Expressway
Bethany, OK 73008
(405) 789-6400

Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Kinesiology

Founded in 1901 as the Southwestern Normal School, the school now known as Southwestern Oklahoma State University opened for classes two years later. As a normal school, it functioned as a teaching school that provided graduates with a certificate or diploma instead of a traditional degree. Though the college originally offered some preparatory classes too, it later shut down that area of the school to focus on its college students. It officially became a full teaching college in the 1920s, which paved the way for its to become an established university later. U.S. News & World Report named SOSU as one of the top regional schools.

M.Ed. Sports Management

SOSU is one of the few universities in the state to offer a graduate program for sports management students. Its M.Ed. Sports Management program includes courses from multiple departments on campus. You’ll take classes on parks and recreation management, physical education, business, marketing, kinesiology and athletic training. SOSU pairs you with an adviser who will help you decide which courses to take based on your interests and career goals. Those who want to earn a teaching license and work directly with students will need to enroll in the similar program available through the education department. This program does not award graduates a certificate, but it may help them meet the requirements needed to get an Oklahoma teaching license. Courses in the sports management graduate program include introduction to counseling, sports management, wilderness medicine, fitness program management, rodeo management and promotional strategy.

Accreditation

- - - North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Contact

100 E Campus Dr.
Weatherford, OK 73096
(580) 774-3181
kinesiology@swosu.edu
https://bulldog.swosu.edu

University of Oklahoma

Price College of Business

The University of Oklahoma opened in the 1890s when the area was still just a territory and not officially a state. Its courses and programs appealed to the settlers moving to the area to build new homes. Some of the more popular buildings on campus date back to its earliest days. Located in Norman, the campus covers more than 3,000 acres and has plenty of space available for its more than 30,000 students. U.S. News and World Report included OU on a list of the nation’s best schools as did organizations and publications like Washington Monthly and Forbes.

BBA General Management in Sports Management

One of the top sports management degree programs from accredited colleges and universities in Oklahoma is the OU BBA General Management in Sports Management program. This program combines elements of sports management while awarding graduates with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. New students must select a concentration in either professional sports, college sports or business and statistics. The professional sports track includes courses on injury prevention, athletic training and marketing sports organizations, while the business and statistics concentration is better suited for those who want to work in sports agencies and not for specific teams. Regardless of the option you choose, you may take courses on sports economics, social statistics, athletic administration and sports law. Students must also take at least one seminar, which will take a detailed look at a current sports topic and ask students to conduct their own research and write a paper based around that topic.

Accreditation

- - - North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Contact

307 West Brooks
Norman, OK 73019-4004
(405) 325-0311
pricecollege@ou.edu
http://www.ou.edu/price.html

Before enrolling in one of these top sports management programs, make sure that you look at the classes you must take and the internships or fieldwork experiences that you can do. After looking closely at the best sports management degree programs from accredited colleges and universities in Oklahoma, you’ll find one you like.

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