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The global sports industry is worth over $500 billion, and it’s only getting bigger. And it’s not just the elite athletes who are in demand. Behind every winning team is a growing need for skilled business professionals who understand how the industry works.

If you’re looking to score a highly sought-after role in sports management, employers will expect you to have all bases covered when it comes to skills and experience.

If your goal is to one day call the shots in sports management, you’ll need more than passion. To truly hit it out of the park, you’ll need a first-class sports business education.

Not sure where to begin? Go for gold with this line-up of game-changing sports management programmes that have recently launched in some of the world’s leading business schools…

Hult International Business School and Barça Innovation Hub: Sports MBA

• Start date: September 2025
• Application deadline: July 31^st 2025
• Location: Online with option to study in Barcelona

Created in partnership with Barça Innovation Hub, Hult International Business School’s new Sports MBA offers firsthand insights through keynote lectures from top executives, behind-the-scenes tours of world-class facilities, and hands-on workshops with industry experts. 

Delivered over 26 months, the part-time programme includes 40 percent live online sessions and 60 percent self study, giving students the flexibility the chance to learn at their own pace. Students can also opt for the Barça Immersive Experience, which offers the opportunity to visit the Barça Innovation Hub in Barcelona, grow their network in person, and put their online learning into a real-world context.

Indian Institute of Management, Indore (IIM Indore) and University of Liverpool Management School: Global Sports Management Programme

• Start date: September 2025 (launched March 2024)
• Application deadline: 29^th August 2025 (UK), 25^th July (international)
• Location: Online, and at Indore and Liverpool campuses

Designed for professionals with at least two years’ experience in the sports industry, this joint programme from IIM Indore and the University of Liverpool Management School offers exposure to the latest thinking and best practices in sports management.

The nine-month hybrid course includes both online learning and in-person sessions at the Indore or Mumbai campuses of IIM and at the University of Liverpool in the UK, giving students a truly international experience.

San Diego State University: Sports Management MBA

• Start date: August 2025
• Application deadline: passed, but next year’s cohort is likely to have an application deadline of October 2025
• Location: San Diego

San Diego State University’s Sports MBA is a full?time, accelerated 18?month MBA delivered in person at the Fowler College of Business in San Diego, California.

The curriculum initially focuses on sports business fundamentals, marketing, finance, analytics, global sport management, followed by a four?month supervised internship or consulting project with a sports organisation, during which many students secure full?time roles

EU Business School: MBA in Sports Management

• Start date: October, January & March
• Location: Geneva, Munich, Barcelona

EU Business School’s MBA in Sports Management is taught across multiple campuses, with students able to choose their preferred location. Alongside the core MBA, students can also earn a UK state-recognised degree from London Metropolitan University.

The programme prepares students to meet the challenges of the sports industry through courses in sports marketing and management, as well as financial management applied to sport and sponsorship.

Vytautas Magnus University: Sports Business MBA

• Start date: September 2025
• Application deadline: 31 July 2025
• Location: Lithuania, Barcelona, Kaunas

This 16-month MBA, offered in partnership with the Euroleague Basketball Institute, combines four in-person sessions with online learning. It provides a comprehensive overview of the sports industry – from marketing and finance to law, strategy, and media.

This MBA is great for students who are hoping to gain an international perspective on sports management. Students gain global exposure by studying at the Euroleague Basketball HQ in Barcelona, Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania, Žalgiris Kaunas, and the host city of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. The programme culminates in an MBA thesis using research to solve real-world sports business problems.

George Washington School of Business: MSc in Sports Management

• Start date: Choice of fall or spring semester
• Application deadline: Fall 2025: 31st July
• Location: Washington DC

Located in Washington, D.C. the programme makes the most of the close proximity to major sports leagues, media outlets, and government agencies. The curriculum blends core business education with specialised courses in sport law, marketing, analytics, and event management.

With access to internships, networking events, and expert faculty, students gain practical experience and industry insights, positioning them for careers in professional sports, collegiate athletics, sports media, and related sectors.

ESSEC Business School, WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management and Stockholm School of Economics: European Sports Business Program (ESBP)

• Start date: Various dates
• Application deadline: Various dates
• Location: Düsseldorf, Stockholm & Paris

The European Sports Business Programme (ESBP) is an initiative from three prestigious European business schools: WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management (Düsseldorf), Stockholm School of Economics (SSE), and ESSEC Business School (Paris).

Tailored for both current and aspiring leaders in the sports sector, the programme is split across three transformative modules. Participants will explore how to turn strategy into commercial success at SSE, and dive into leadership, goal-setting and change management at ESSEC.

em lyon business school: MSc in Sports, Entertainment & Lifestyle

• Start date: Various dates
• Application deadline: Various dates
• Location: Paris and Quebec

With an emphasis on employability, the two-year MSc in Sports, Lifestyle & Entertainment helps students to thrive in global markets by connecting them with leading brands, agencies, and organisations worldwide. Offered in collaboration with Laval University and HEC Montréal, the programme exposes students to diverse business environments and global market dynamics.

Students study in Paris and spend a term in Quebec, gaining insights into both European and North American markets. With deep connections to brands, agencies, and organisations in the worlds of sport, entertainment, and lifestyle, this programme opens doors to internships, international job opportunities, and entrepreneurial ventures.

University of Miami: Master’s in Sports Administration

• Start date: September 2025
• Application deadline: 11th August 2025
• Location: Miami, Online

The Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) in Sport Administration is designed to help students build expertise in sport industry management, leadership, marketing, and analytics. The programme offers both on-campus and fully online delivery options, and can typically be completed in 12 months (on campus) or up to 20 months (online).

Select students are invited to the Sport Industry Program (SIP), which offers enhanced opportunities including a $1,000 monthly stipend, $10,000 tuition assistance, and a 12?month professional internship position.

University of Bath: MSc Sports Management

• Start date: 29^thSeptember 2025
• Application deadline: Various dates
• Location: Bath, UK

Co-developed by the University of Bath’s Department for Health and School of Management, this MSc has a strong industry focus. Students benefit from the university’s combined sporting and business expertise and its close ties with professional partners.

Students will study core management concepts and practices, with a focus on the types of business involved in sport and exercise provision. The programme enhances students’ ability to assess sports and exercise services and events, and respond to the challenges of this rapidly evolving industry.

Gain an edge in sports management

From elite club partnerships to cross-continental modules, these new sports management programmes reflect the global nature and growing complexity of the sports business world.

Whether you’re already in the industry or looking to break into it, these forward-thinking programmes are designed to help you gain the edge, combining academic rigour, industry exposure, and international networks.

It’s a competitive field, but the right education can set you apart.

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