Dedicated Alumni Network: One of the premier advantages of the SDSU program is its dedicated network of alumni currently working in the sports industry. In addition to alumni reunions at major sporting events, annual fantasy sports competitions, and student career counseling, SDSU Sports MBA alumni are incredibly dedicated to connecting students and fellow alumni with high-level opportunities in the sports industry.
How to apply:
The application period for the Sports MBA program is from August 1st through September 30th. International applicants are encouraged to submit all required documentation by September 15. The applicant must submit the following to qualify for admission: ❖ Two official transcripts from all undergraduate institutions attended ❖ GMAT score ❖ Professional résumé ❖ Two letters of recommendation ❖ Statement of purpose ❖ TOEFL score (international applicants only) For more information on the admissions process, please visit our website, www.sdsu.edu/sportsmba. International students interested in submitting an application should contact smbainfo@sdsu.edu for more information. If you have more questions about the program and are interested in speaking with a current student or alum, please call (619) 594-6010 or email smbainfo@sdsu.edu.
Why SDSU?
Valuable Business Education: Many graduate sports management programs confer MS or MA degrees, not an MBA. SDSU’s program offers a fully accredited MBA degree that is structured for relevance and maximum utility in the modern sports industry, so our graduates receive an education that is applicable to any field of business. Accelerated Classroom Experience: SDSU’s program is the only sports-specific MBA program – and one of the few MBA programs nationwide – that can be completed in under 18 months. The curriculum includes 12 months of intensive classroom sessions, followed by a four-to six-month internship experience. Located in San Diego: An average annual temperature of 65 degrees, over 300 days of sunshine per year, and world-renowned beaches make San Diego not only an ideal place to live, but also a haven for outdoor sports and recreation. SDSU’s program offers in-class exposure to industry leaders in golf, triathlon, baseball, football, NCAA sports, surfing, action sports, and numerous other sports organizations located in Southern California. Worldwide Opportunities: In addition to our local partnerships in San Diego, SDSU’s connections in the sports industry truly span the globe. Following the 12-month classroom experience, students are encouraged to conduct their “internship” as a sports business analyst anywhere in the world. Recent graduates have put their SDSU Sports MBA knowledge to use for their jobs in Europe, South America, Asia, the Middle East, and in various major U.S. sports markets, extending the SDSU network well beyond Southern California.
Unparalleled Industry Leader: In the program’s first year, SDSU students founded the SDSU International Sports MBA Case Competition, the industry’s first sports-specific case competition. This event attracts an international gathering of top MBA students who compete to develop solutions to a real-world problem provided by an international sports organization. San Diego Padres Partnership: SDSU’s Sports MBA is the only program of its kind that was created in partnership with a professional sports franchise. The affiliation with the Padres promotes a hands-on learning atmosphere, providing each of our students with an exclusive look at the operations of a professional franchise. For those students with a career interest in baseball, the Padres connection has proven to be a critical career resource. In just the first few years of this relationship with SDSU, the Padres have: ❖ Hosted graduation ceremonies and the SDSU case competition at PETCO Park, as well as offered our students exclusive access to the facility for behind-the-scenes tours and class sessions at the park. ❖ Granted our students access to top front office executives, who have partnered with SDSU to assist our students as guest lecturers, career mentors, and professional development advisers. ❖ Offered exclusive in-season front office job opportunities to students and MBA internships in departments such as baseball operations, marketing, community relations, and ballpark operations. An Industry Full of Possibilities: Though the program’s relationship with the Padres has been a tremendous asset for our students and alumni, SDSU’s industry connections extend far beyond the sport of baseball. The robust Sports MBA curriculum prepares students for success in any field of sports worldwide, and our alumni have gone on to work in diverse segments within the industry such as: action sports, advanced media, athlete representation, charitable foundations, college sports, corporate sponsorship, cricket, equipment/apparel, field hockey, golf, international soccer, mixed martial arts, Olympic sports, rugby, triathlon, tennis, and many more. Our graduates have also taken positions with leagues such as the NFL, AFL, NBA, NBDL, MLB, NCAA and NASCAR, and our network of dedicated alumni in the industry grows each year.
Tuition and fees:
Total tuition is $36,015 for the entire 18-month MBA program for students matriculating in January 2008. This includes tuition costs, registration fees, orientation, textbooks and course materials, health services fees, team building exercises, local and international networking opportunities and field trips, guest speaker fees, conference registration fees, graduation expenses, and other administrative costs throughout the course of the program.
Sports Business Management MBA
A truly unique graduate experience A sports-focused business education An inside track to the sports industry
San Diego State University’s College of Business Administration is fully accredited by AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business).
Sandy Alderson, San Diego Padres CEO
Sports Business Management MBA San Diego State University College of Business Administration 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego, CA 92182-8232 email: smbainfo@sdsu.edu phone: (619) 594-6010 www.sdsu.edu/sportsmba
“We wanted to partner with a university because we see an increasing need for specifically trained executives and business managers in Major League Baseball and in other professional sports.” - John Moores San Diego Padres Owner and Chairman
About the Curriculum Alumni Spotlights
Lisa Jenkins, Sports MBA 2006 Account Manager, Action Sports Division, IMG “I came to SDSU with several years of sports event management experience; however, the Sports MBA program really opened the door for me to take that next big step in my career. The business education I received in class and the network I’ve developed through the alumni have proven invaluable to my continued success at IMG.” Nicolas Reis, Sports MBA 2006 Account Manager, Europe, The Active Network “For me, as an international student, the opportunity to live and study in a city like San Diego was amazing. I was not only able to secure a full time management position after graduation with The Active Network, a rapidly growing, San Diego based sports organization, but I also learned to surf and play golf!” Shana Gritsavage, Sports MBA 2007 E-commerce Program Manager, Under Armour “If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, this program is for you. To my core, I love sports, so the opportunity to study, discuss and debate sports on a daily basis in this kind of accelerated atmosphere was perfect for me. The academic curriculum is rigorous, but its intensity and sports business focus will prepare you for success in your internship and beyond.” Jack Tipton, Sports MBA 2006 Manager, Sponsorship Sales, International Fight League “Before I attended SDSU and made the transition into the sports industry, I’d done well in my career but never had a true passion for my work. Now that I’ve decided to pursue my dream of working in sports, I find myself loving every minute of what I do on a day-to-day basis. I’m working to build an industry leader in America’s fastest growing sport, and the network of my fellow alumni - all with a similar passion for their jobs - has been a great asset in my new career.” Bryan Gasparro, Sports MBA 2007 Baseball Operations Intern, San Diego Padres “I knew early in life that if I didn’t go on to play professional baseball, I would work for a Major League team, and the decision to attend SDSU’s Sports Business Management MBA program helped make my dream of working for an MLB team a reality. While with the Padres, I had the opportunity to assist with a salary arbitration case, negotiate player contracts, conduct advance scouting, and assist with the amateur draft, all while earning my MBA.”
Sports MBA Case Competition
SDSU is proud to host the SDSU International Sports MBA Case Competition. Held annually in the front offices at PETCO Park, this academic competition pits teams of MBA candidates from some of the world’s most prestigious business schools against one another to complete a sports-themed, multidisciplinary case study. Each team’s case solutions are judged by a panel of top sports industry executives. In the first year, the case study focused on the inaugural World Baseball Classic, and, in the second year, teams developed strategies for the USA Rugby’s “USA Sevens” international rugby tournament. In 2006, the team of SDSU competitors placed third overall, ahead of a number of teams in a field featuring some of the finest U.S. and international MBA programs, including: ❖ University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business ❖ Columbia University, Graduate School of Business ❖ University of California, Los Angeles, Anderson School of Management ❖ University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business ❖ University of Virginia, Darden School of Business ❖ Wilfrid Laurier School of Business and Economics ❖ Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management For SDSU students, this competition is one of the most anticipated events of the year as it is entirely run by members of the Sports MBA class. One group of students researches an international sports organization, writes the case and executes the competition, while a second team of students tests their sports business acumen by participating in the competition against teams of MBA students from around the globe.
This MBA program is intended for highly motivated students seeking professional advancement in the competitive sports business industry. ❖ The program is an intensive, 49-unit MBA curriculum. The SDSU program is the nation’s only Sports MBA degree that can be completed in just 18 months (a 12-month academic component and a six-month internship experience). ❖ Students attend classes from January continuously through December, then conduct an MBA intership from the following January through graduation in the summer. ❖ Classes are held three days per week–(Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday)–from approximately 9:00-5:00, with frequent guest lectures, field trips, seminars and other sportsrelated volunteer opportunities on non-class days. ❖ SDSU’s Sports MBA Graduation is held each year at PETCO Park, home of the program’s Major League Baseball partner, the San Diego Padres. In addition to the core MBA requirements, some of the sports-focused courses offered include: ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ Sports Economics Sports Law Sports Marketing Human Resource Management Sports and Society Seminar in World Business Environment
Internship Experience Partners
The following organizations are just a few of the sports industry leaders who have hired SDSU MBA candidates as graduate interns. Many students have advanced to full-time careers with these sports organizations immediately upon graduation. ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ The Active Network AEG Athletes First Boston Red Sox Chicago Rush Colorado Crush The Davis Cup IMG International Fight League Irish Sports Council K2 Kansas City Chiefs Major League Baseball Minnesota Twins Mountain West Conference NASCAR ❖ NDBL ❖ San Diego Chargers ❖ San Diego Padres Baseball Club ❖ San Diego State Athletic Department ❖ Seattle Supersonics ❖ Sports Media Challenge ❖ Stanford University Athletics ❖ TaylorMade ❖ Under Armour ❖ US Olympic Training Center ❖ US Soccer Foundation ❖ USA Rugby
“There is a sea of change going on around us as the business of sport internationalizes. My class examines the globalization of sport, by providing students with the tools necessary for analyzing and understanding the risks and opportunities present in the international business environment. By understanding global markets from a strategic perspective, students develop the knowledge and decision-making processes to help them excel and lead organizations onto the global stage.” - Dr. John Francis Sports MBA Faculty
“The Padres were eager to work with SDSU to develop a sports MBA case competition. We see a tremendous value to our organization in embracing the fresh perspectives of these future sports business leaders. We strongly believe that sports MBA students will benefit from the opportunity to analyze a case drawn from the experience of our front office executives and propose solutions to issues that could potentially face a Major League organization.” - Sandy Alderson San Diego Padres CEO