A Top-Ranked Master's Degree for Sport Business & Administration

This 12-month master's degree features a convenient online delivery, and is one of the nation’s most highly-regarded programs. In the Sport and Exercise Science MS – Sport Administration Concentration, you’ll study sport finance, program management, marketing, law, events & facilities, fundraising & development, and current issues in the sport industry.

Through this program you will...

Discover new resources and expand your networking contacts
Transfer new skills to your work and open up new career options
Demonstrate greater expertise in your field
Incorporate your talents and interests into your degree

Prepare for a Rewarding Career in Sport Management and Administration

Graduates have secured jobs with organizations in the NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL and in university athletic departments across the country. The network of alumni from this UNC program includes professionals with:

The Denver Broncos
Colorado Avalanche and Rapids
The New York Yankees
Multiple U.S. Olympic sport organizations
The Air Force Academy, University of Colorado, Colorado State University and UNC

Where will you head with your sports career? Specialize your studies to pursue opportunities with team organizations, sponsorship, apparel and licensing, facilities, ticketing and more.

Hear It From Our Graduates

The experiences of our students tell the story best. Read about why our graduates love our program.

I'm Ready to Apply

SNAPSHOT

Credits Required:
30

Time to Completion:
12-15 months

Tuition:
$665/credit hour

Delivery Option & Start Term:
Online program: start any term

Get Started/Apply

APPLICATION INFO

Request Information

Meet with Admissions Coach

Program Coordinator

Alan Morse, Ph.D.
alan.morse@unco.edu
970-351-1722

Delivered Fully Online

This online program can be completed in one calendar year, and you can still work while pursuing your master's degree. Some students coordinate their internships during one additional term.
The program internships provide special opportunities to help you bridge the gap between theory and experience, which means you will complete our program with working knowledge and connections in the field.
You can complete the program via a thesis option, or a non-thesis (comprehensive exam) option.

Coursework (30 Credit Hours)

For an example of upcoming courses, visit the Current Students page for this program.

For full program requirement details, see the official program listing in the UNC Graduate Catalog.

Admission Requirements

Possess (or be in the process of finishing) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or a comparable degree from a foreign institution.
Have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better (on a 4.00 point scale) for the most recent degree earned or current degree in progress.
If you are still completing your bachelor's degree at the time you apply, admission will be based on your current cumulative GPA, and you will need to re-submit your official transcript (showing your conferred degree and final GPA) during your first semester. If your final GPA fell below 3.00, you will be given additional requirements as defined by the academic program that must be met within one calendar year to remain enrolled at UNC.
If you have completed a master's degree, or at least 18 credit hours towards a master's degree, the GPA of your master's work will be used.
If your undergraduate GPA (last 60 hours) is under 3.0, please contact the Program Coordinator for advisement regarding your situation.
Note: the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is NOT required for this program.

Eligibility by State

At this time, UNC can provide distance education to students from every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. UNC cannot provide distance education in American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

Certain distance education activities that occur outside of Colorado may have additional state approval processes or requirements. This most commonly occurs for experiential learning placement activities such as practica, internships, student teaching, and healthcare clinicals. Please review the State Authorization (SARA) page for additional information on UNC’s ability to offer distance education across state lines and a list of activities and states where approval may be required. For additional information or questions, please contact jake.henderson@unco.edu.

International Student Eligibility

International students residing outside of the United States are eligible to apply to our online programs. Applicants for online programs must demonstrate English proficiency, or enroll in the UNC Intensive English Program, in order to be considered.

Students in completely online UNC programs are not required to come to the United States. You will not need a student visa or receive any immigration documentation, and do not need to provide financial documentation.

Please visit the International Students Admission Requirements page for details about English proficiency requirements and applying as an international student.

Transferring Credit

UNC graduate school accepts applicable graduate credit with a grade of C or higher from accredited institutions. Please note that if your chosen program has a higher grade minimum for any program coursework, that minimum would apply to transfer requests for those courses. Graduate program faculty are responsible for reviewing any proposed transfer credit to ensure that course content and objectives match program content.

Students must complete at least 50% of their graduate program credits at UNC, not including research, capstone, seminar, internship/externship/practicum, thesis, dissertation proposal, dissertation and any credits graded with S/U (P/F).
Courses requested for transfer must not be more than five years old for master's degree credit, and cannot have been used to fulfill requirements for a previously awarded degree. See the full Graduate Transfer Credit Policy.

Tuition

This is an Extended Campus program, which means:

We charge a flat per-credit tuition rate for all students (in-state or out-of-state).
There are no added student fees or technology fees. However, certain courses may carry specific course fees to support additional services and materials.

Program tuition for the 2024-25 academic year (which runs Fall, Spring, and Summer terms) is $665 per credit hour. Tuition for the 2025-26 academic year will be determined mid-June 2025.

Estimates of additional costs: For the purposes of determining financial aid, UNC follows Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and federal guidelines to develop an estimated, average Cost of Attendance (budget) for different student classifications. For your personal tuition estimates, we recommend using the program-specific tuition information above. But UNC's official Cost of Attendance/Student Budgets page can help you identify other estimated expenses for which you may be responsible while completing your program.

Financial Aid

Degree-seeking students who cannot pay for tuition alone are encouraged to apply for federal financial aid. Students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The UNC FAFSA/financial aid page for graduate students has key dates and support, including the release date and deadline for each academic year (a Fall-Spring-Summer cycle which begins each August).

Late submissions of the FAFSA are still accepted throughout the school year but you may not be considered for the maximum amount of aid. If the priority deadline has passed for the upcoming/current school year, we encourage you to apply for FAFSA consideration as soon as you enroll for your first courses. Depending on the time of year, you may be able to submit an application for the current academic year and an early/priority application for the following academic year.

Master's degree students must be enrolled in a minimum of 5 credits per academic term for financial aid eligibility. Full time enrollment is based on 9 credits per term.

To apply for federal financial aid assistance

Fill out the FAFSA form at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

For more specific help, contact the Office of Financial Aid: ofa@unco.edu, 970-351-4862 or via the UNC Financial Aid website.

Students can also find helpful information such as the Guide to Federal Student Aid at https://studentaid.gov/resources. Most of the resources are available in English, Spanish and Braille.

Student Health Insurance

The University of Northern Colorado offers a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) to all degree-seeking students who enroll in courses on our main UNC Campus, an Extended Campus Center, or Online.

Degree-seeking graduate students enrolled in 6 or more credit hours will automatically receive this benefit each term. SHIP premiums will appear on your semester bill. If you have comparable insurance coverage, and do not want to be charged for SHIP coverage, you must opt out of this plan each Fall via an online waiver process.

Please visit the UNC Student Health Insurance pages for more information about the insurance plan.

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What Our Students Say...

When I was deciding on where to get my Sport Administration Master’s degree, I was looking for several things: the experience of the faculty, convenience and a small class size. UNC's Sport & Exercise Science department checked all of these boxes. During my time in the program I was challenged to think outside of the box, and given the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse group of classmates. I can truly say my degree from UNC made it possible for me to get to where I am today.

– Alex Yack, Senior Associate AD for Development, Boston College

Alex Yack, Sport Administration Master's Graduate

I chose the Sport Administration program because I had heard that this was one of the top programs in the country. My professors provided an outstanding education where they were able to share their real life experience and didn't just teach us out of a book. The program was challenging and they kept us engaged because we used the knowledge and tools we acquired on projects we completed for sports organizations.

– Terry Anderson, Dean - Allied Health and Wellness, Aims Community College

Terry Anderson, Sport Administration Master's Graduate

The UNC Extended Campus program allowed me to step into the sport industry as a versatile professional. Our industry constantly reflects cultural, economic and societal changes in a highly public forum, and the sport administration program at UNC prepares students to succeed in that environment. From marketing and financial aspects to cultural and research elements, UNC produces students prepared for any career path in sports. I am forever thankful to Dr. Morse and his staff for pushing me to be a better student and continuing to stay in touch as an alumnus. I will always be a Bear!

– Tyler Boone, Director of Development, Ohio State University

Tyler Boone, Sport Administration Master's Graduate

The Sport Administration program at UNC was an incredible experience! I chose this program because of the diverse curriculum and the faculty’s excellent reputation. This program has given me a leg up as I have navigated the early years of my career in the sports industry. The Extended Campus program offered me the flexibility to complete the program online while challenging me to be a better student and opening my eyes to a comprehensive range of topics within the industry. I highly recommend this program to anybody pursuing a career in the business of sports!

– Quinn Conroy, Inside Sales Lead Account Executive, Colorado Rockies

Quinn Conroy, Sport Administration Master's Graduate

I cannot say enough good things about the UNC Sport Administration program. I had been working in collegiate athletics for 10 years prior to beginning the program and I did not realize how much I did not know about athletics and effective athletic administration. I have been able to take the knowledge I gained in each course and apply it to my day-to-day activities. The program challenged me to rethink my assumptions, guided me to look around for problems I was not even aware existed, and gave me the knowledge to solve problems before they became an issue. I would highly recommend this program to anyone that wants to prepare themselves for a career in athletics.

– Chris Cicere, Chief Intercollegiate Liaison Division/Student Athlete Affairs, US Air Force Academy

Chris Cicere, Sport Administration Master's Program Graduate