Master of Sports Leadership — Boston
The Master of Sports Leadership empowers you with the foundational knowledge and core concepts necessary to run a sports organization - preparing you to excel as a leader in diverse sports-related occupations. COSMA accredited degree.
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Overview
Northeastern University’s Master of Sports Leadership is a practice-oriented degree structured to accommodate mid-career athletic administrators and coaches, and individuals seeking to prepare for sports careers.
Developed in collaboration with Northeastern’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society, the curriculum for this master’s degree program is focused on two main areas of study:
- The foundational knowledge of the core concepts necessary to run functional areas of a sports organization or team, including marketing, finance, and corporate sponsorships.
- Leadership coursework that helps students to refine and develop their leadership abilities to inspire, develop and motivate team members to achieve common goals.
Throughout the coursework, you will be equipped to responsibly and successfully utilize sports to foster diversity, prevent violence, and improve the health of local and global communities - while also building the skills and tools to effectively lead positive change in the industry.
Learning from faculty experts who have worked for the Boston Celtics, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games and Major League Soccer students are able to choose from four concentration tracks - professional athletics, collegiate athletics, eSports or analytics.
The Sports Leadership master’s program is COSMA accredited--the only discipline-specific accreditation in sport management--and is in the COSMA Hall of Fame as a Biz Connector for excelling in creating partnerships with professionals in sports.
Non-U.S. based students are ineligible to participate in this program, as there is a one-week on-ground residency requirement.
Program objectives
- Identify your leadership styles and strengths and take steps to improve your leadership capacity
- Understand what it takes to build highly effective teams
- Obtain approaches and techniques for effectively tackling ethical dilemmas
- Explore the legal issues related to equipment use, facility management, and accommodation for special populations
- Learn how to leverage sports for greater social and economic good
- Examine the planning, scheduling, and financial issues associated with running a successful athletics program
- Discover how to use sports to foster diversity, prevent violence, and improve the health of local and global communities
Unique Features
- Practice-oriented degree offering hands-on experience, internship, and capstone project
- Option to take part in integrated experiential learning
- Four concentrations for a specialized focus on professional or collegiate athletics, analytics, or eSports
- Offered online or on-ground in the Boston and Charlotte locations, with an intensive one-week Summer Institute in Boston or Charlotte for all students.
- Visa-eligible program for the fall term—Professional Sports Administration concentration only
Check out your career prospects
Already a multi-billion-dollar field, the sports industry is projected to experience faster-than-average growth over the next several years. Located all over the country, sports-related organizations and businesses require a variety of educated and skilled employees to manage day-to-day operations. While knowledge is crucial, success is often contingent upon your willingness to work beyond 9-5—with many sporting events and related activities taking place on nights, weekends, and holidays. The sports industry is exciting—filled with people who are driven by a passion for what they do and who are extremely satisfied with their career choice.
Popular Jobs
| Job Title | Growth Rate | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Sports Marketing Manager | 0% | $134,290K |
| Athletic Coaches Scouts | 9% | $44,890K |
corporate partners
alumni across 179 countries
Northeastern's signature experience-powered learning model has been at the heart of the university for more than a century. It combines world-class academics with professional practice, allowing you to acquire relevant, real-world skills you can immediately put into action in your current workplace. This makes a Northeastern education a dynamic, transformative experience, giving you countless opportunities to grow as a professional and person.
Students have the opportunity to participate in additional experiential learning opportunities as they see fit, called co-op or experiential network projects. These opportunities are seamlessly integrated into the curriculum, giving students multiple touch points to apply what they’re learning in the classroom to real-world experiences.
Northeastern University #1 Ranked experiential learning provider nation wide.
Experiential Network (XN)
Apply classroom learning to real-world professional settings during experiential project execution inside of coursework. Students can gain job experience by participating in industry-sponsored virtual experiential projects inside of select curricular and extracurricular courses. Learn more about experiential projects inside of coursework and more at https://experientialnetwork.sites.northeastern.edu/
Summer Institute and Flexible Learning Options
The program is offered in an online coursework format or on-ground in the Boston and Charlotte locations, with an intensive one-week Summer Institute in Boston or Charlotte for all students. The Summer Institute is an integral educational experience that enables students to network and cultivate lifelong relationships with industry leaders, peers and alumni.
Get Set With a Custom Course Plan
Please note: The following is a sample curriculum and is subject to change. Enrolled students should reference the academic catalog for current program requirements.
Concentrations
Follow our leaders
“Courses within sports leadership examine the business and social issues that are critical to effective sports leadership... you can understand how to develop and lead teams by fostering the appropriate culture and positively effecting change.” - Dr. Robert Prior, faculty lead, Master of Sports Leadership
Northeastern's Master of Sports Leadership is one of only 18 graduate programs in the U.S. to receive accreditation from the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA).
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Pamela Wojnar
Assistant Teaching Professor with over 20 years experience in college athletics administration and coachingFull bio
The Sports Leadership program provided valuable networking opportunities, in addition to the curriculum and practical experience that were essential to breaking into the sports industry.
Ameena D. - Master of Science in Sports Leadership '17
Cost and Tuition
Tuition
Avg Institutional Aid
% Receiving Aid
Estimated Total Tuition
This is an estimate based on the tuition rates for Academic Year 2024-2025 and does not include any fees or other expenses. Some courses and labs have tuition rates that may increase or decrease total tuition. Tuition and fees are subject to revision by the president and Board of Trustees at any time. Select programs at select campuses offer additional scholarships of up to 25% off the listed price for domestic students studying on campus. For more detailed information, please visit Student Financial Services.
For students interested in pursuing financial assistance or educational loans, additional educational costs, known as Cost of Attendance (COA) components, can be included in the calculation of aid and loan eligibility. Components may include food, housing, books, course materials, supplies, equipment, transportation, personal expenses, and the cost of obtaining a first professional licensure. You can find comprehensive details on the Student Financial Services website. Please keep in mind that COA can vary significantly depending on academic program, enrollment intensity, and individual circumstances.
Application Deadlines
Our admissions process operates on a rolling basis; however, we do recommend the application guidelines below to ensure you can begin during your desired start term:
Domestic Application Guidelines
International Application Guidelines*
*International deadlines are only applicable if the program is F1 compliant.
Did you know?
Below is a look at where our Sports Leadership alumni work, the positions they hold, and the skills they bring to their organization.
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Where They Work
- Boston Celtics
- Boston Red Sox
- Boston Bruins
- New England Patriots
- NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, MLL
- Colleges and Universities
- International Olympic Committees
- High School Athletics
- Youth Sport Organizations
- Non-Profit Sport Organizations
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What They Do
- Athletic Administration
- Coaching
- Scouting
- Community and Social Services
- Operations
- Marketing
- Sales
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What They're Skilled At
- Leadership
- Communication
- Event Management
- Athletic Development
- Operations Management
- Use of Technology and Social Media
Learn more about Northeastern Alumni on Linkedin.
Related Programs
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Let’s Find Your Path Forward
Our enrollment representatives can walk you through the application process and help you explore your program options.
Call Toll Free: 877.668.7727
