Students can now learn the business side of sports through a new program at the University of Pittsburgh College of Business Administration.
Pitt Business will launch its Certificate Program in Sports Management in fall 2019.
The certificate was created to prepare students for a career in the sports industry. In 2019, sports-related ventures are projected to generate about $74 billion in revenues in North America alone.
“The City of Pittsburgh has a well-earned reputation as the City of Champions. We’re proud to build on that legacy offering a challenging certificate that will prepare our students for working in the exciting world of sports,” says Audrey J. Murrell, associate dean of Pitt Business and director of the David Berg Center for Ethics in Leadership.
The sports management certificate will be 18 academic credits. As with the other certificate programs at the business school, it is designed to complement the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree.
Through the sports management certificate, students will learn about business practices, processes, and management strategies within the sports industry. Students can complete hands-on courses in sports management, sports marketing, analytics, e-commerce, revenue management, and business law. They also are required to complete an experiential learning project that will give them the opportunity to practice sports in the field.
“Pitt Business and sports management education are a perfect match,” Murrell says. “We have strong partnerships with the city’s professional sports franchises, the Pitt athletics office, and many corporate leaders in the sports industry, including DICK’S Sporting Goods, which has its world headquarters in the Pittsburgh area.”
Pitt Business students and alumni have gone onto successful careers at sports. The roster includes hires at the National Football League, Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Minnesota Timberwolves/Lynx.
Pitt Business offers internships with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Riverhounds through its Tafel Summer Internship Program.
Learn More
- Students can connect with Pitt Business alumni working in sports through our Mentoring Match program.
- Pitt Business alumni Katie Hazelbach, a partnership activation executive with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx, offers her tips for “Launching a Career in Pro Sports” through our AlumniCast Insider Series.
- Check out what it’s really like working for a pro sports team in internship spotlights of students working for the Pittsburgh Pirates and working for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
