Sport Administration Program MS Sport Admin Online
The University of Louisville SPAD program is truly about the people. From the Professors, to the fellow masters candidates, to the University community itself, this is a place that feels like a family.
Joe Caito, Sport Administration Student
The University of Louisville offers a Master of Science in Sport Administration. The graduate program is designed to prepare students to enter careers in the sport industry. The SPAD program has a diverse student population representing a variety of geographical, cultural, educational, and professional backgrounds.
The SPAD major includes 36 credit hours of required courses (including three hours of internship) and nine hours of electives (students choose from many available courses).
Our students gain valuable experience working, interning, and volunteering on many significant service-learning projects for local and community agencies. We utilize many guest lecturers from sport business organizations each semester to speak with our students about how to excel as a business professional in the sport industry.
The Louisville community provides numerous opportunities for students to gain practical experience while completing their academic programs. Our students have worked with local organizations such as Bellarmine University, Churchill Downs, YMCA, UofL Athletics, Louisville Bats, Louisville Slugger, Louisville Sports Commission, Mid-South Conference, and the KFC Yum! Center.
In addition, Louisville hosts dozens of major indoor and outdoor recreational and professional sporting events, including the Kentucky Derby, Ironman Triathlon, Kentucky Derby Festival, NCAA Championship Events, and Breeders Cup.
SPAD is a great program because the faculty utilizes the curriculum in a way that not only allows for the students to excel in the classroom, but also out in the real world. We discover, dissect, and discuss topics that are applicable to any setting within our desired professions, whether it be in a sales office or in an administrative role.
Charles Eisner, Sport Administration Graduate
Our curriculum is COSMA accredited. Students take six required sport administration courses, two research methods courses, and complete an internship. In addition, students are required to take three elective courses. These can be any of the variety of sport administration electives or approved courses from other academic departments.
For details about this program, visit the Graduate Catalog.
SPAD 604 | FINANCIAL PRINCIPLES
Examines basic financial and managerial accounting concepts necessary to be financially literate in the business of sport. Special emphasis will be placed on understanding annual reports, using financial analysis ratios, and examining methods for increasing revenue and controlling costs in the sport industry.
SPAD 625 | MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
Provides an overview of the nature and scope of the sport industry. This course will expand the students’ understanding of management theories and their application to sport administration.
SPAD 635 | RESEARCH IN SPORT ADMIN
Enables students to understand and develop a comprehensive overview of the practical and theoretical skills needed to plan and conduct health and sport sciences research.
SPAD 645 | SPORT COMMUNICATION
Explores sport communication theories and how they apply to current issues and topics within the sport communication realm, and examines more practical concepts and behaviors.
SPAD 637 | SPORT ANALYTICS
Emphasizes the use of data driven decision-making in sports through the use of data and quantitative methods to measure performance and make decisions to gain advantage in the competitive sports arena.
SPAD 683 | SPORT MARKETING
Introduces students to the unique nature of sport marketing as it relates in various business industries. This course is also designed to introduce students to all aspects of planning, organizing, marketing, evaluating and conducting special and sport events.
SPAD 684 | SPORT POLICY
Trends and issues of importance to the practitioner in sport administration.
SPAD 689 | LEGAL ASPECTS OF SPORT
Examines legal issues including negligence, constitutional law, employment law, intellectual property law, and contract law as it applies to the sport industry.
SPAD 509 | INTERNATIONAL SPORT
Examines sport from an international perspective, identifying differences in governance and social issues affecting sport managers.
SPAD 524 | MANAGEMENT OF PRO BASEBALL
Examines professional baseball from a managerial perspective, identifying the sports history, governance structures, and the social issues affecting sport managers.
SPAD 525 | SPORT EVENT MANAGEMENT
This course introduces students to principles and hands-on practices of planning, funding, operating, and evaluating events within the sport industry.
SPAD 529 | WOMEN IN SPORT
An effort to understand the role of the American woman in sport. This course studies concepts about women, sport, and society in contemporary and historical perspectives.
SPAD 530 | PROMOTION AND SALES
Covers the application of various promotional strategies such as advertising, direct sales, sales promotion and publicity, and examines how those strategies are integral to a sport organization’s marketing plan.
SPAD 536 | SPORT ADMIN IN NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
Provides a comprehensive introduction to the principles of management and their practical applications to sport, leisure and recreation organizations in the nonprofit sector.
SPAD 561 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN SPORT ADMIN
Examines one or more topics in sport administration.
SPAD 571 | SPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT & PEACE
The sport for development (SFD) movement will be explored from its inception to current practice. Students will explore different philosophical underpinnings for SFD and will be encouraged to compare and examine their personal understandings and philosophies.
SPAD 605 | FACILITY MANAGEMENT
Examines several different types of sporting facilities. The course will also delineate the factors involved in the planning, design and management of each facility. Students will be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of several facilities and will be able to design a hypothetical facility.
SPAD 680 | ATHLETICS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Examination of the historical development of athletics within American institutions of higher learning with an emphasis upon concept and ideas that underlie the developments and the major problems affecting contemporary intercollegiate athletics.
Note: Meeting GRE score and GPA minimums does not guarantee a student will be accepted to the program.
I chose UofL's Sport Administration program because it comes highly regarded throughout the country and because it offers a wide variety of courses to educate students about a variety of career paths. I have had many volunteer, internship, and hands-on experiences while a graduate student in the SPAD program that have helped further my knowledge in my desired career field of sport event management that I feel I could not receive from many other Sport Administration programs; it truly has been a one-of-a-kind experience!
Brooke Gilbert, Sport Administration Alumnus
Prospective students must submit an online application for admission to the University of Louisville School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies.
Applicants who have attended a college or university outside of the United States are also required to submit an evaluation of their transcript through either WES (World Education Services) or ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators). Please note that transcript evaluations can sometimes take several weeks.
Please have transcripts sent to:
School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292
If transcripts are sent electronically,
please have them sent to the following e-mail: gradadm @ louisville.edu
In addition to these requirements, admission to the degree program may require completion of specific prerequisite undergraduate courses.
Faculty may require interviews in addition to written credentials as part of the admission process.
Applicants will be considered for admission during a given review cycle only if all of the above materials have been received by the due date. Incomplete applications will not be considered. The due dates for each review cycle are as follows: February 1 (for Summer or Fall Admission), April 1 (for Summer or Fall Admission), June 1 (for Fall Admission), and November 1 (for Spring Admission). After the initial review of admission materials, the committee members can either choose to reject the candidate without an interview or decide to proceed with an interview. Following the interview phase, the Admissions Committee makes its final recommendation to accept the candidate for admission or to deny admission.
If you have questions about applying to the program, please contact Lynne Ernst, Admission Counselor, at 502-852-7697.
Learn more about our SPAD program faculty.
Megan Shreffler
Department of Health & Sport Sciences
College of Education & Human Development
Room 104M - SAC E
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292
502-852-5040
In general, the sport industry is divided in commonly recognized segments, including, but not limited to, professional sport, intercollegiate athletics, voluntary athletic associations such as the NCAA and high school athletic associations, recreational sport, facility management, event management, promotions & marketing, health & fitness, and sporting goods retail operations, just to name a few. Within each of these segments, job opportunities exist ranging from sales, marketing, box office management, ticketing, player development, golf course management, accounting and finance, facility operations, athletic training, operation of intramural sports, restaurant management, pool management, academic services for athletics, fitness club operations, outdoor recreation programs, compliance in college athletics, internet web design, sponsor development, special event coordinator, sports reporters, sports editors, sports information director, sport talk show hosts, and other diverse and unique opportunities.
Visit the Sport Administration Internships page for more information
In addition to the financial aid opportunities offered by the University, the College of Education & Human Development also has information about financial aid.
Other financial aid opportunities available include graduate assistantships and other employment opportunities.
Once you are admitted to the program, you may request to transfer up to 6 credit hours if your UofL advisor approves the request. Transfer requests are then submitted to the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies.
Most students can complete the program in 1 1/2 to 2 years. The length of the program typically depends on three factors:
Most classes are offered in the evenings (4:30 pm or 5:30 pm). All required courses are offered during fall and spring semesters. Additional courses are often offered during summer sessions.
More information on sport administration internships is available online.
Admissions are competitive. We receive between 100 and 125 applications each year. Over the last two years, we have enrolled 25-30 new students each year.
