Our Sport Management master’s programs prepare students to work in nearly every facet of organized sports. With a focus on the business side of sports, graduate students learn the skills necessary to succeed in a successful professional organization. Students will be enrolled in courses that cover aspects of
- marketing,
- event planning,
- sport analytics,
- ethics,
- law,
- sport communication, and
- strategic planning.
We welcome students from all academic backgrounds with a passion for sport, recreation, and physical activity.
On- and Off-Campus Master’s Degrees
There are three degree options at the master’s level to enable our graduates to excel in future careers. Our traditional, on-campus masters’ program offers students the opportunity to complete either an M.Ed., or an M.S. in face-to-face classes with the faculty here in Austin. The faculty below serve on thesis committees for M.S. students.
We also offer a two-year online master’s (M.Ed.) program that does not require students to travel to Austin. All classes are delivered via the internet, so students can pursue a career and be a graduate student.
The On-Campus Master of Education (M.Ed.)
Our traditional master’s program is entirely taught on the main campus of the University of Texas at Austin. Each fall, a new cohort of master’s students arrives in Austin. We admit approximately twenty students each year. The cohort takes most of its classes together during the first year so that the class builds a network of friends/colleagues that will sustain them as they launch their careers. All incoming students enter the M.Ed. Program, and the vast majority of our students graduate with that degree.
Most students come to Texas because they want to work in some aspect of the sport industry. Our strong links to the sport industry and on-campus program offer unique opportunities for industry experience while attending class.
The culminating experience for the M.Ed. is a semester-long internship. Central Texas has many opportunities for students to work in marketing; with collegiate and professional sports teams; in recreation and the fitness industry; and, as one might imagine, within UT’s renowned Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
On-Campus Master of Science (M.S.)
Students interested in doing research on sport management practices or, those who are considering a Ph.D. following their master’s, should discuss with their advisor the possibility of shifting into the M.S. track in the fall semester of their first year in the program. M.S. students follow a different academic track after the first semester, so be sure to discuss this with your advisor during fall advising.
Some M.S. students then enter our affiliated doctoral program in Physical Culture and Sport Studies that prepares students for academic careers in sport history, sport management, and the cultural study of sport and physical activity.
The Online Advantage
The Sports Management program also offers an online master's degree (M.Ed.). The online degree is flexible and can be completed while continuing your professional career. Classes can be taken from anywhere at your own convenience, and the master's degree can be earned in 2 years.
Faculty
 Kimberly BeckwithAssistant Professor of InstructionTeaches courses on sport history and strength and conditioning. Research focuses on physical culture history. |
 Matthew BowersAssociate Professor of InstructionExamines the management of systems for athlete development, including how different sport settings influence performance and participation over the lifespan. |
 Erik GnagyClinical Assistant ProfessorSpecializes in behavior, sports performance, and decision making in golf; teaches golf and courses need to be certified in physical education. |
 Thomas HuntAssociate ProfessorExamines the intersection of sport and international political history. |
 Darren KellyAssistant Professor of InstructionAssociate Vice President, Div. of Diversity & Community Engagement Research focuses on race and sport, leadership, and community building via sport. |
 Brian MillsProfessor and Graduate AdvisorStudies managerial economics in sport relating to the market power of pro sports leagues under three primary branches: industrial organization, labor markets, and public policy and economic development. |
 Tolga OzyurtcuAssociate Professor of InstructionStudies the historical, sociocultural, and political dimensions of sport and physical culture. |
Aquasia ShawAssistant Professor of InstructionFocuses on sociology of sport and cultural studies, sport management and diversity, inclusion and social justice. |
 Emily SparveroAssistant Professor of Instruction, Coordinator On-Line Masters ProgramFocuses on the development of sport policies and the ways in which professional sport teams can be leveraged to generate economic, social, and tourism benefits for host communities. |
 Jan ToddProfessor & Interim Department ChairSpecializes in the history of strength and conditioning, doping, women and sport, and physical culture; directs the Ph.D. program in Physical Culture and Sport Studies and the master's program in Sport Management. |
Labs and Research Areas
Physical Culture and Sport Studies at the Stark CenterThe world’s most extensive collection of materials, books, journals, and artifacts covering topics of sport training, sport history, sport philosophy, sport management, physical culture and alternative medicine. |
Sport + Development LabAn innovative network of research groups and practitioners working to advance the development of sport systems and sport’s impact on individuals and communities. |
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