The Sports MBA at San Diego State University Fowler College of Business Administration was recently ranked as one of the best programs in the world—fourth overall to be exact. SDSU received its new ranking thanks to SportBusiness International, which is one of the leading classification systems for postgraduate sports management courses.
About the Ranking
To determine the ranking, SportsBusiness interviewed alumni and courses leaders from more than 70 programs worldwide. They assessed each interview and survey based on a few factors including quality of course content, guest speakers, provision and quality of work placements and internships, as well as alumni support. Each interview was then combined with the institution’s overall academic reputation, the experience of the staff and its research capabilities.
In the end, after 1,000 surveys, each program was distilled down to a final score, with SDSU’s Sports MBA coming in fourth. The winner was Ohio University’s Master of Sports Administration, followed by the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s MS in Sport Management and George Washington University’s Masters of Sport Management.
The SDSU Sports MBA
This was the first time in twelve years that SDSU has been ranked on the listing.
“I’m thrilled to see SDSU Sports MBA recognized as one of the world’s best sports business programs alongside programs that have been around for decades,” Program Director Scott Minto said in a press release. “Top students are drawn to SDSU because we offer the right type of degree for today’s sports industry, an analytics-heavy MBA that is focused on building business skills.”
The SDSU Sports MBA enrolls around 30 students each year—both men and women. Students in the program take a week-long trip to the Dominican Republic to learn about Major League Baseball (MLB) and how it operates in a developing country. They also learn from some of the most prestigious teams and brands around the world.
“I wouldn’t have two Stanley Cup rings as a career achievement without the help of the people and curriculum of this outstanding program,” said Jack Tipton (’06), the Director of Partnership Sales for the Pittsburgh Penguins.