Working in the realm of sports is a dream job for many. Countless children have grown up idolizing professional athletes and connecting with family members while loyally watching games on television and at sports arenas. High school and college athletes enjoy a high level of competition and camaraderie while playing team sports. Interestingly enough, many professionals in the sports industry continue to enjoy some of these qualities while working in close proximity to professional and college athletes, traveling the world while visiting some of the most-well-known sports venues on the planet, and enjoying the thrill of competition not only in sports but in business as well. One of the best ways to prepare for a career as a sports manager is to complete a Master's of Business Administration with a specialization in sports management. While pursuing a higher education used to mean relocating and committing ones entire schedule to a master's program, today we find that many excellent business schools offer an online MBA program. Here are three reasons why pursuing an online MBA in sports management may be a great decision for your future.
More Opportunity
As the old saying goes, "it's not what you know, but who you know." One advantage to traditional on campus education is the networking potential that any students can enjoy. Online education has been making tremendous strides in this area as some of the best online MBAs in the country are structured as cohort programs. This means that students begin their coursework at the same time and work on projects together over their years of study. Some programs also offer intrinsic mentoring programs which also work to add to a student's networking potential. Add these features to internships and exposure to executive alum and it does not take long to see how opportunities for employment and advancement can become a reality.
Higher Earning Potential
While some fields of business experience greater gains than others, business experts have been able to come to some conclusions about the value of higher education in business. Forbes author, Ronald Yeaple, reported after researching the topic that "post-MBA Starting Pay was up 50% over Pre-MBA Pay for full-time students. This is consistent with the 50-60% increase reported in my 1994 book, The MBA Advantage (page 37), and with the 51% increase published in my 1997 book, The Success Principle (page 242). This suggests that the 50% step-up in pay at graduation has been stable over time and across different schools surveyed." The financial advantages then are huge for MBA students. As some of the nation's highest-ranking online MBA programs feature total tuition fees of less than $14,999, students can expect a generous ROI not only as new higher but for the extent of their professional careers.
Sharpen a Professional's Skill Set
This quality speaks to the inherent design of any higher education: that the student be served with content which aids her in developing as a competent professional in the workforce. Business schools spend many years and millions of dollars to develop and execute an educational experience which will deliver a quality curriculum taught by a respected staff of educators. The best programs are those which combine sound business theory with relevant application which combine to produce graduates well-equipped for years in the marketplace.
These are just three reasons why pursuing an online MBA in sports management is a worthy endeavor. This type of degree offers many advantages to the professional desiring to work in the sports industry.
