Last Updated: November 13, 2025

Study Sports Management in Wisconsin

A degree in sports management is much more than learning the business aspect of running a sports organization. Instead, depending on the program, you might concentrate on finance, marketing, sports performance, or sports leadership, to name a few.

Likewise, you can earn a degree in this field at the bachelor’s or master’s level. While a bachelor’s degree can get your foot in the door, you can really advance your sports management career by completing a graduate program.

The programs described in this guide are among the most popular in Wisconsin. In each case, you will find a well-designed, rigorous curriculum that meets today’s sports management industry standards. By comparing these programs, you can find the one that fits your needs best and prepares you for the next step—a long career in sports management!

Accredited Sports Management Programs in Wisconsin - Best Sports Management Degrees in Wisconsin Online

Sports Management Programs in Wisconsin

Listed below are some of the popular schools offering sports management programs in Wisconsin:

  • University of Wisconsin-Parkside
  • Concordia University Wisconsin
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Carthage College
  • University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
  • Grand Canyon University
  • American Public University

University of Wisconsin-Parkside

Bachelor of Science in Sports Management

The Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside is an interdisciplinary program that focuses on business, management, sports performance, and other critical areas of sports management. You will learn from faculty with real-world sports management experience who offer their expertise as guidance for your development as a professional in this field.

Most students need four years to complete this program. However, you can finish your studies in 3-3.5 years if you take just one extra class each semester or take numerous summer courses over the course of your studies. Conversely, this program is flexible for part-time studies, too, in case you have work or life obligations that preclude you from studying full-time.

Your initial classes will mostly be general education courses that explore areas such as the following:

  • English
  • Math or statistics
  • Reading
  • Public Speaking
  • Natural Sciences

You will also likely take classes in social sciences, the humanities, art, and other traditional liberal arts areas, too.

The sports management component begins your first semester with introductory courses like Introduction to Sports Management. This class offers a broad survey of this field, including the history of sports management, career options in sports management, and current issues in sports.

You will build on your basic understanding of this field by taking more specific classes. For example, while you will get an introduction to current issues in sports in the class noted above, you will dive deep into this area in Current Issues in Sports Management. From business to finance to on-field issues, this class analyzes problems and concerns that you will be sure to encounter in your career as a sports manager.

Another key course you will complete early on in the program is Ethics and Issues in Sports Management. This class explores common ethical issues you might have to deal with in your career, such as athlete welfare, financial integrity, gender issues, and fair play issues. Likewise, this class explores basic legal considerations, such as contract law, tort law, and constitutional law.

Other areas of study include the following:

  • Sports Marketing
  • Sports Sales and Customer Service
  • Sports Business and Finance
  • Junior Seminar in Sports Management
  • Senior Seminar in Sports Management

You must also complete 21 credits of electives in business, management, finance, and sports management.

This degree further requires you to complete fieldwork in sports management. The fieldwork component ensures you have the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned in a real-world setting. For example, let’s assume you’re interested in working as an administrator for a municipal youth sports program. In that case, the university would assist you in finding a placement in that type of setting where you would have supervised practice with an experienced manager. This experience occurs at the end of the program and serves as a bridge from your academic experiences to your professional experiences.

You can apply to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside online at any time. The requirements for admission as a first-year student are as follows:

  • Have a high school diploma or its equivalent.
  • Submit official high school transcripts or equivalency scores.
  • Provide transcripts from every college or university from which you’ve earned credit, if applicable.
  • Direct admission is available if you are a graduate of a participating Wisconsin high school, have an appropriate GPA, and have taken the necessary high school coursework.

Concordia University Wisconsin

Bachelor of Science in Sport and Entertainment Business

Concordia University Wisconsin’s Bachelor of Science in Sport and Entertainment Business takes a different approach than traditional sports management programs. Instead of focusing mostly on the business management aspect of sports organizations, this program explores everything from media relations to facilities management to front-office issues for sports and entertainment organizations.

The curriculum is rigorous, current, and relevant. You will take courses specifically designed by industry insiders so you get the experience you need during your studies to be successful in your career. Not only that, but you will develop critical skills that allow you to take charge and be a quality leader in whatever sports or entertainment setting in which you work.

You must complete 120 credits to graduate. Typically, students need four years to complete a program like this. However, as noted earlier, you can finish this program in 3-3.5 years by taking additional classes each semester.

The bulk of your initial coursework is in the general education field. As discussed above, general education courses are introductory in nature and explore basic liberal arts fields, such as:

  • Natural sciences
  • Mathematics
  • English
  • Social Sciences
  • Communications

Between 45 general education requirements and 15 free electives, you must complete 60 credits in this portion of the program. The other 60 credits needed to graduate come within the sports and entertainment business major.

Your major studies begin with fundamental coursework in fields like Business Statistics, Macroeconomics, and Public Speaking. Likewise, you will take classes in Interpersonal Communications, Business Law I, and Business essentials.

The Accounting and Finance for Business Professionals class is another important part of your studies. You will learn how to create and analyze financial statements, discuss the time value of money, and explore the greater financial system. This course also discusses loans and deposits as well as general accounting principles.

The Management Information Systems class offers different insights into working in this field. You will learn about various communication systems and theories while also exploring the costs of data processing hardware and software. You will even have opportunities to learn how information systems are designed.

Other core coursework you’re required to complete includes the following:

  • Business Policy and Ethics
  • Microeconomics
  • Management and Leadership
  • People-Focused Management
  • Introduction to Sport and Entertainment business

Of course, you must take a variety of other sports and entertainment-focused classes. Marketing of Sports and Entertainment is a good example of this. You will learn about essential marketing principles in this field while also discussing consumer markets, target markets, and how to design a marketing mix.

As another example, you must take Event and Production Management. This class examines sports, entertainment, and hospitality issues, in particular those related to management techniques and strategies. You will learn how to plan and promote events, implement event activities, and evaluate the success of events, too.

The final component of this program is a senior capstone. As part of the capstone, you’re required to complete a detailed research project in an approved area within sports and entertainment management. The project must research a current business issue at a real-world organization.

You must meet the following criteria to be considered for admission:

  • Complete a high school curriculum that includes three units of English, two units of math, two units of natural science, two units of social studies, two units of liberal arts, and five units of electives.
  • Submit official high school transcripts or equivalency scores.
  • Submit official transcripts from any colleges or universities where you’ve earned credit.
  • Provide ACT or SAT scores if you choose.

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Master of Science in Sports Leadership

The University of Wisconsin-Madison offers a Master of Science in Sports Leadership that you can use to advance your career as an athletics administrator, coach, or another leader in the sports industry. This program is completely online, giving you added flexibility for finishing your degree on your schedule.

During your time in this program, you will learn about the complex and diverse nature of sports. You will also dissect the roles and responsibilities of athletic leaders and the problems that might arise in your day-to-day administrative duties. Likewise, you will learn about:

  • Coaching Practices
  • Athletic Leadership
  • Strength and Conditioning
  • Athletics Administration
  • Strength and Conditioning principles

You must complete 30 credits to graduate, which takes four semesters. Your first semester of coursework will include courses like Introduction to Intercollegiate Athletics Administration, which discusses the application of sports management principles in higher education settings. Not only will you learn about the theoretical bases of sports administration, but you will also discuss the practical application of those theories in real-world settings.

Another key course you’re required to take is Leadership and Justice in Sports. This class discusses cultural, social, economic, and human influences on the landscape of athletics. The course uses articles, books, documentaries, and other resources to highlight different leadership principles and explore issues of poverty, race, activism, and other emerging issues in this field.

You are also required to take Psychology and Coaching in Sports. As you’d expect, this class examines essential principles of psychology and their application in athletic settings. You will explore the psychological elements of competition, how psychology can improve processes on the field, and how psychology can be used to enhance participants’ holistic development.

Additional required courses analyze issues related to the following:

  • Coaching Athletics 1: Everyday Practices of Top Leaders
  • Coach as Teacher: Mastering Instructional Practice On and Off the Field
  • Running a Championship System
  • Coaching Athletics 2: A Bell Cow Way
  • Higher and Post-Secondary Education Capstone Seminar

This program requires you to take one elective class, too. You can choose from three approved options: Group Development and Behavior Management, Principles of Strength and Conditioning, and Sports Science and Athlete Monitoring.

Additionally, you will take Field Experience in Educational Leadership, which is a supervised placement in an elementary, secondary, technical, vocational, or higher education setting. During the field experience, you will learn how to utilize the leadership and coaching tools you’ve developed to help athletes improve their on-field and off-field performance.

The admissions requirements are as follows:

  • Have a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
  • Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • Provide official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
  • Provide a current resume or curriculum vitae.
  • Submit an admissions essay.
  • Provide three letters of recommendation.

You must also provide evidence of English language proficiency if it is not your native language. In some cases, students will be considered for admission even if they do not meet all the criteria listed above.

Carthage College

Master of Science in Sports Management

The Master of Science in Sports Management from Carthage College is an accelerated 10-month program that’s available either in person or online. In either case, you will learn from knowledgeable faculty who have real-world experience in sports management. Moreover, the curriculum you will take part in was developed with advice from leaders in professional sports, including hockey, basketball, and baseball.

This 39-credit program requires you to complete classes in three consecutive semesters—fall, J-Term, and spring. You will start in the fall by taking Business Metrics, which examines various business functions, like financial analysis, financial accounting, and managerial accounting. This class further discusses statistics and quantitative methods used in decision-making processes.

Another essential course you will take in your first semester is Sports Media—Digital and Traditional. This class gives you insights into various types of promotional platforms, ranging from print to broadcast to social media. Furthermore, you will analyze the impact of each type of media as well as its ease of delivery and effectiveness.

You are also required to take Ethical Decision-Making. Taking this class ensures that you understand the common ethical dilemmas sports managers face. You will acquire skills that enable you to analyze ethical issues, use reason to find a solution, and implement those solutions with success. Moreover, this class examines issues related to business law, discrimination, and equal employment opportunities.

Four other classes are required in the fall:

  • Sports Marketing, Public Relations, and Promotion
  • Designing and Developing High-Impact Teams
  • Complementary Workshop I
  • Complementary Workshop II

Two classes are required during the shortened J-Term or January term: Esports and Innovative Leadership. The Esports class examines appropriate business model frameworks in the Esports industry. For example, you will learn how to create value for Esports platforms, solve technical problems, and fulfill the needs and wants of consumers as well. This class additionally examines issues related to business model development.

The Innovative Leadership class prepares you to be on the cutting edge of leadership in the sports and entertainment industries. You will study many different models of leadership, learn how to be a better leader, and how to help others become better leaders, too. The Innovative Leadership class also discusses topics like organizational culture, power and influence, and motivation, among many others.

The final semester in the program requires 18 credits of coursework. Some of the classes you will take include the following:

  • Sports Industry, Economics, and Financial Analysis
  • Disruptive Innovation
  • Sports Business and Player Analytics
  • Sports Sales
  • Sports Governance

You must also complete two fieldwork assignments. First, Experiential Learning—Sports Governance puts you in a real-world sports setting in the private, public, or nonprofit sectors. Over the course of the semester, you will learn essential skills that help you be an effective leader on governance issues and have opportunities to put that learning into action as well.

Second, you’re required to take Sports Management Capstone. This three-credit experience connects you with a sports organization. As a cohort, you and your classmates will work on an innovative business design that addresses a key development challenge for the organization. This experience is critical for your development because it enables you to get real-world experience working in sports management prior to graduation.

What’s more, the capstone project is an ideal means of making professional connections. On the one hand, working with your classmates helps you build relationships with other would-be professionals with whom you can forge professional relationships as you begin your careers. On the other hand, you will have opportunities to network with more experienced sports managers, which could help you find employment once you complete the program.

You must meet the following requirements to be considered for admission:

  • Have a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution.
  • Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
  • Provide a current resume.
  • Submit a personal statement.
  • Participate in an interview with the program director.

How Much Can You Earn With a Sports Management Degree in Wisconsin?

As of May 2025, sports management professionals in Wisconsin earn an average annual salary of approximately $67,454. More experienced sports management professionals in Wisconsin earn well over $140,000 per year.

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