PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This program is the only sport business management program emphasizing diversity, moral, ethical, and social issues in sports, as well as focusing on sports leadership while giving the students a rigorous business education. The DeVos Sport Business Management Program is ranked as one of the top five programs in America by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and ESPN the Magazine. Students are required to perform 42 hours of service per semester for a Central Florida organization that works with underserved youth. Students will also spend a minimum of two weeks helping to rebuild homes in post-Katrina New Orleans. A major emphasis of the DeVos Program is to have our students leave understanding the power of sport to build communities.
Students in the DeVos Sport Business Management master’s program gain hands-on experience in the business of sports management, work in teams with fellow students on sports business projects from conception through implementation, and develop a network in the sports industry.
Please note: This program is in the process of making changes to the curriculum and admissions processes starting with the Fall 2014 semester. The changes will be updated on this site in early September 2013.
Graduates of the program will understand the relationship between sport and social issues, the business of sport both nationally and internationally, and how the legal system impacts sports business. They will understand and embrace the strengths and complexities of a diverse workforce and the importance of multicultural marketing as an actual component of overall business strategy and will be prepared to lead organizations to be corporate good citizens in the community. Graduates will also be able to develop and implement integrated business and marketing plans, optimize the use of the technology, and design and carry out research necessary to make successful management and business decisions.
Job opportunities for graduates in sport management include areas such as intercollegiate and professional sport, event and facilities management, corporate and international sport, and marketing.
The DeVos Sport Business Management Program develops professionals who have critical sports business management knowledge and skills, a commitment for using sport to improve life in society, well-developed leadership abilities, and uncompromising ethical standards.
Students in the Sport Business Management program have the opportunity to be admitted to the MBA program and receive a MBA as an additional degree.
Please note: This program is in the process of making changes to the curriculum and admissions processes starting with the Fall 2014 semester. The changes will be updated on this site in early September 2013.
CURRICULUM
The DeVos Sport Business Management MSBM program requires a minimum of 42 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. The program includes 18 credit hours of professional core courses, 21 credit hours of sport business management core courses, and 3 credit hours of an internship. This is a nonthesis program in which the internship serves as a capstone experience. Students will complete 42 credit hours if they hold a bachelor's degree in business or 54 credit hours if they do not have the undergraduate business courses.| Total Credit Hours Required: |
| 42
Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor's Degree |
The two-year full-time curriculum includes the College of Business Administration’s foundation core; selected required courses from the college’s professional core for solid business skills and knowledge; and required sport business management courses that will create a unique knowledge base for our students.
Prerequisites
Foundation Core—12 Credit Hours
The foundation core for this program consists of equivalent undergraduate business coursework in the areas of accounting, economics, business statistics, and finance. The program adviser will determine what foundation core coursework you may need after a review of your official transcripts.
Required Courses—42 Credit Hours
Professional Core—18 Credit Hours
The professional core consists of 18 credit hours of advanced course work that substantially extends and applies knowledge developed in the foundation core.
- MAN 6245 Organizational Behavior and Development (3 credit hours)
- MAR 6466 Strategic Supply Chain Management (3 credit hours)
- ACG 6425 Managerial Accounting Analysis (3 credit hours)
- FIN 6406 Strategic Financial Management (3 credit hours)
- ECO 6416 Applied Business Research Tools (3 credit hours)
- ECO 6115 Economic Analysis of the Firm (3 credit hours)
Sport Business Management Core—21 Credit Hours
The sport business management core consists of 21 credit hours of course work in the related areas of sport.
- SPB 6506 Moral and Ethical Issues in Sport (1.5 credit hours)
- SPB 6606 Diversity and Social Issues in Sport Business Management (1.5 credit hours)
- SPB 6725 Leadership in Sport (1.5 credit hours)
- SPB 6716C Strategic Sport Marketing (3 credit hours)
- SPB 6406 Sport Law (3 credit hours)
- SPB 6806 Business of Sport Media (3 credit hours)
- SPB 6735 The Global Environment of Sport (3 credit hours)
- SPB 6715C Professional Selling in Sport (1.5 credit hours)
- SPM 6108 Facilities and Event Management (1.5 credit hours)
- SPB 6608 The Sport Industries in the United States: Challenges and Opportunities (1.5 credit hours)
Internship—3 Credit Hours
An internship equivalent to three credit hours with a designated sport organization is required. It would normally be a full-time, 15-week internship taken after the completion of all academic courses. The internship is an independent learning activity that takes place in authentic settings (all settings are professional sports settings, such as the NBA, NFL, etc.) in which students must apply, reflect upon, and refine knowledge and skills acquired in the program.
MBA Option
Students must have a 3.0 Graduate Status GPA at the end of their first semester to be eligible for admission into the MBA Program. If admitted, they must successfully complete two additional, adviser-approved, graduate courses (6 credit hours); students will earn a MBA degree and receive a MBA diploma, in addition to a Master of Sport Business Management diploma. If accepted into the MBA portion, students must complete MAN 6721 Applied Strategy and Business Policy (3 credit hours) and MAR 6816 Strategic Marketing (3 credit hours).
INDEPENDENT LEARNING
All students are required to participate in an internship in professional sport settings in which students must apply, reflect upon, and refine knowledge and skills acquired throughout the curriculum.
Application Requirements
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. All requested materials must be submitted by the established deadline.
In addition to the general UCF graduate application requirements, applicants to this program must provide:
- One official transcript (in a sealed envelope) from each college/university attended.
- Official, competitive GMAT score taken within the last five years.
- Three professional letters of recommendation.
- Essay (for details, see http://www.bus.ucf.edu/sportbusiness/?page=931)
- Résumé.
- All finalists will be required to have an in-person or Skype interview.
- A computer-based score of 233 (or 91 internet-based score) on the Test of English as a Foreign language (TOEFL) if an applicant is from a country where English is not the official language, or if an applicant's degree is not from an accredited U.S. institution, or if an applicant did not earn a degree in a country where English is the only official language or a university where English is the only official language of instruction. Although we prefer the TOEFL, we will accept IELTS scores of 7.0.
- Applicants applying to this program who have attended a college/university outside the United States must provide a course-by-course credential evaluation with GPA calculation. Credential evaluations are accepted from World Education Services (WES) or Josef Silny and Associates, Inc. only.
We admit students based on their total package of academic success, professional and community service experience, commitment to teamwork, and other factors that show the admissions committee if the applicant is a good fit for the DeVos program.
Application Deadlines
| Sport Business Management MSBM |
Fall Priority
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Fall
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Spring
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Summer
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Domestic Applicants
| Nov 15 | Jan 15 | - | - |
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International Applicants
| Nov 15 | Jan 15 | - | - |
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International Transfer Applicants
| Nov 15 | Jan 15 | - | - |
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FINANCIALS
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see
Funding for Graduate School, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The
Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowships
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student’s graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see Fellowships, which includes descriptions of UCF fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.