Master of Business Administration in Sport and Entertainment Management

Geneva Lasprogata Sedgwick, JD, LLM, Program Director

Web: https://www.seattleu.edu/business/mba-sport-entertainment/

The MBA in Sport and Entertainment Management program is designed to prepare graduates for working in the sport and entertainment industry. The program cultivates critical, creative and integrative thinking through our dual focus on sport business acumen and leadership development. In addition, we are interested in students who are attracted to demonstrating a worldview informed by diversity and inclusion tenets; who seek to address ethical challenges in the profession, and who want to promote social justice both personally and professionally. Our coursework is focused on providing students with solid theoretical and conceptual foundations in combination with  real-world experience and projects that require the student to explore sport and entertainment organizational challenges by asking questions in order to think deeply about solutions. The degree program is constructed with the following six goals. Through successful completion of either of these programs, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate competence for managerial decision-making specific to the sport and entertainment industry.

• Recognize and address moral and ethical challenges, and defend a course of action.

• Develop inclusive leadership through demonstration of the ability to harness the power of diversity as a source for creativity, innovation and collaboration.  Apply appropriate analytical methods to identify, describe and propose solutions to complex business problems in an interconnected world.   

• Apply appropriate analytical methods to identify, describe and propose solutions to complex business problems in a global context.

• Develop self-awareness and curiosity in pursuit of professional and personal growth.

• Display competence in professional communication.

Sport business is concerned with the successful leadership and management of sport organizations. Graduates with an MBA in Sport and Entertainment Management will find a myriad of positions in sales (tickets, suites, ads, sponsorship), communications, business and event operations, public and community relations, promotions and marketing, sponsorship and corporate partnerships, venue event management, sport business analytics, and media relations (television, radio, print, web).

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Master of Business Administration in Sport and Entertainment Management

The Seattle University MBA in Sport and Entertainment Management program familiarizes students with all aspects of the field and prepares students to be sport industry leaders in the following categories

1. Professional sports (league offices, player union offices, team offices);

2. Olympic sports (national governing bodies);

3. Sport support services (sponsorship, merchandising, activation, community engagement);

4. Sport venues (facility management, event management, sustainability management);

5. Sport media services (broadcasting, film, halls of fame, and museums)

6. Sport Partnership liaison for corporate and government entities

Admission Criteria

The MBA in Sport and Entertainment Management program admits students in the summer quarter of each year. Applications begin to be reviewed on February 15th and continue until the cohort of 30 is filled. Admission to the MBA in Sport and Entertainment Management program is competitive and the file review is holistic. Applicants’ academic history, graduate exam performance, motivation, aptitude for graduate education, personal goals, recommendations, and professional experiences will be considered. Applicants must submit the following for review:

• Completed Application for Graduate Admission and a non-refundable $55 application fee (Note: fee waived through fall 2022)  
• Transcripts reflecting a four-year equivalent bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution as well as any post-baccalaureate course work.
• Minimum grade point average of 3.00 GPA calculated from transcripts of all post-secondary educational institutions attended in the last 90 quarter/60 semester credits of the bachelor’s degree, including any transfer credits earned during this time and any post-baccalaureate course work. Average GPA of those admitted has been 3.4 on a 4-point scale
• GRE or GMAT exam scores. Average GRE and GMAT scores of those admitted are around the 50th percentile on all three aspects on the three main parts of each exam. Note: the GMAT and GRE are optional through fall 2022.
• Two letters of recommendation from individuals who have evaluated applicant’s academic work or supervised practical experience and are able to assess potential for graduate academic success. These letters should address the applicant’s potential for academic success at the graduate level, specifically noting the fit of the applicant to the mission and goals of Seattle University and the MBA in Sport and Entertainment Management program.
• A 400-word essay describing how the MBA in Sport and Entertainment Management program (specifically mission, goals, learning outcomes, and classes) will help the applicant achieve personal and professional goals.
• Professional résumé.
• Additional interviews may be required.
• If English is not the applicant’s native language, official English proficiency scores meeting the university’s entrance requirements must be submitted. See policy 2008-01 in Admissions Policies for details.