Sport and Recreation Management Major: What It Includes, Classes and Careers

A Sport and Recreation Management major studies how sports programs, parks and recreation services are run. Sport and recreation management majors learn facility management, program planning, sport marketing, recreation leadership and parks administration.

A Sport and Recreation Management major includes coursework in sport and recreation management, facility management, program planning, sport marketing, and recreation leadership and more. You build skills such as program planning, leadership, budgeting, and event coordination. Typical degrees: associate, bachelor's and master's degrees.

Typical courses include sport and recreation management, facility management, program planning, sport marketing, recreation leadership, and risk management. Exact course names and requirements vary by college, and most degrees also include general education courses.

It depends on the level. Sport and Recreation Management is offered as certificate, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral awards at U.S. colleges; certificates take from a few months to about two years, an associate degree usually takes about two years of full-time study, a bachelor’s degree usually takes about four years of full-time study, a master’s degree usually takes one to two years after a bachelor’s, and a doctoral or professional degree takes several more years beyond that. Part-time study takes longer.

Associate, bachelor's and master's degrees. In the latest federal data, 103 colleges reported certificate awards, 102 colleges reported associate awards, 605 colleges reported bachelor’s awards, 239 colleges reported master’s awards, and 13 colleges reported doctoral awards.

Career paths connected to sport and recreation management include recreation manager, recreation worker, sports coach, sports official, recreational therapist, and event planner. Some roles need additional training, experience, certification or a license.

Examples include recreation manager (typical training: Degree plus experience), recreation worker (typical training: 1–4 weeks), sports coach (typical training: Varies: certifications to a degree plus experience), sports official (typical training: Weeks to months of training), recreational therapist (typical training: 4 years plus internship), and event planner (typical training: 4 years or event experience).

Sport and Recreation Management majors build skills such as program planning, leadership, budgeting, event coordination, and communication.

Good pairings include Marketing (helps you promote programs and teams) and Exercise Science (fits fitness and athletic programs).

It can be a good fit if you are interested in the work it leads to, such as recreation manager, recreation worker, and sports coach, and enjoy subjects like sport and recreation management and facility management. No major guarantees a job, so compare the coursework, the careers and the education each career requires before deciding.

How hard it feels depends on your strengths. Core coursework includes sport and recreation management, facility management, and program planning; if those subjects interest you, the major is likely to feel more manageable. Reviewing a college’s course list and talking to current students helps you judge.

777 U.S. colleges reported awarding degrees or certificates in this field in the latest federal (IPEDS) data. Programs can have different names at different schools.

Ohio (52), New York (47), California (43), Pennsylvania (43), and North Carolina (37), based on the colleges that reported awards in this field.

724 of the colleges that offer sport and recreation management also report offering at least one program entirely online, though not necessarily this one. Use the college search with this major and “Offers fully online programs”, then confirm with the school.

Sport and Recreation Management studies how sports programs, parks and recreation services are run. Hospitality Management teaches you to manage hotels, restaurants, resorts and other guest services businesses. Sport and Recreation Management leads to careers such as recreation manager and recreation worker, while Hospitality Management leads to careers such as hotel manager and restaurant manager.

Sport and Recreation Management studies how sports programs, parks and recreation services are run. Culinary Arts teaches professional cooking, baking and kitchen management. Sport and Recreation Management leads to careers such as recreation manager and recreation worker, while Culinary Arts leads to careers such as chef and line cook.

Yes. Short online career training can help you understand a specific job and build practical knowledge alongside your classes. It does not replace your degree or any required license.

No. Career Education Institute is not a college and does not award degrees. It offers short, non-credit online trainings about jobs connected to sport and recreation management, such as Recreation Manager Training.