Information meetings are held monthly in Northern and Southern California. Complete Information about both the Northern and Southern California Sport Management Programs is provided at all Information Meetings. Click here for a list of information meetings and graduate fairs.
Applicants must hold a four-year degree with any major from an accredited university-level institution. You may apply during your senior year prior to the completion of our undergraduate degree, however you must have graduated prior to the beginning of the Sport Management Master’s Program. An overall GPA of 2.75 or higher is required.
The application requirements for admission are: Application for Graduate Admission, Sport Management Supplemental Application, application fee, official transcripts, resume, statement of goals and letters of recommendation. Visit "application process" for admission requirement details, to obtain a printed application or to apply online.
September 1 for spring admission (San Francisco program only)
The Office of Graduate Programs must receive all application materials by the stated deadlines. Please DO NOT send any application items to the Sport Management Graduate Program.
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Does the Sport Management Program require standardized tests?
The GRE or GMAT are optional and not required for admission. The Admissions Committee has found that an applicant's undergraduate academic record is the best indicator of success for graduate studies. An applicant's professional experience is also given consideration in the admission process. An applicant may want to submit either their GRE or GMAT test score if they believe it might strengthen their application.
The TOEFL, IELTS or PTE score is required for international students.
The USF school code for the GRE, TOEFL, IELTS and PTE is 4580; GMAT is 91M-7L-93.
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How do I check my application status?
Within approximately two weeks after your application form is processed by USF’s College of Arts and Sciences, Office of Graduate Programs, you will receive an email giving you a temporary username and password to check your application status page. This username/password is for checking your application status only. For technical assistance, please contact the USF’s IT department at itshelp@usfca.edu or 415.422.6668.
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How do I know if I have been admitted?
An admission decision letter from the Sport Management Program is sent to you after the applications have been reviewed. Students applying for July should expect to hear an admission decision by April 15th. Those applying for January should expect to hear by October 15th. Note that applications are not reviewed until after the September 1 and February 1 deadlines.
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How many students do you accept each year?
The Sport Management Program accepts approximately 35 students per cohort. Three new cohorts start each year: one new cohort at both the San Francisco campus and Los Angeles-area campus in July, and one new cohort at the San Francisco campus in January. Each class of approximately 35 students begins and completes the Master's Program as a "cohort" or learning community that functions as a support network.
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Is a deposit required to reserve a space in the graduate program?
Yes, each admitted student must deposit $500 to hold their position in the cohort to which they have applied. This deposit is non-refundable and is applied to your tuition costs in your first semester of studies at USF.
The deposit for admitted students starting the program in July 2010 will be $700.
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How can I schedule a visit to campus?
Prospective students are ecnouraged to attend the Information Meetings held at the Northern and Southern California campuses. Individual visits can be scheduled by contacting the Sport Management Office.
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Who are the Sport Management faculty?
A distinguished team of professional and academic leaders teaches in the Sport Management Program. The diversity and experience of the faculty from across the sports industry sets a standard of national excellence. Please visit Faculty & Staff for more details.
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What types of jobs are available to people with a degree in Sport Management?
Alumni go into a variety of positions across the sports industry. Check out our Newsletters to see where some of our alumni are working.
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What are my options for taking classes in the program?
Classes are offered one evening per week in a pre-set sequential order in the cohort model. Visit the July calendar for the San Francisco and Los Angeles-Area programs and the January calendar for the San Francisco spring program.
Students may not take the program part-time and may not accelerate the program. This graduate program does not offer on-line classes.
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How does the internship part of the program work?
The Internship is a 4-unit course that meets four times throughout the length of the program. A minimum of 160 hours of internship fieldwork experience is required during residency in the program. However, many students exceed this number and do multiple internships. The Sport Management Program works with the students helping them to make connections for internships across the Sports Marketplace. Click here to see where students have earned internships.
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What are the tuition costs?
The 2009-2010 tuition rate for the Sport Management graduate program is $1,075 per unit. The 36-unit Master's Degree Program will have a total tuition cost of $38,700. Students who enter the program and complete required coursework within the scheduled 23-month program calendar are guaranteed that their tuition will remain at the same "flat-rate" that was in effect when they started the program.
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Is financial assistance available?
The Federal Government provides significant assistance through the subsidized and unsubsidized direct loan program. The majority of our students do take out some form of financial assistance.
You may apply for financial aid on-line through the Federal Direct Student Loan Program at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Questions about financial aid may be directed to USF's Office of Financial Aid.
Students who apply to the Sport Management Master’s Program for January 2010 must file the 2009-2010 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov as soon as possible tin order for the financial aid award to be processed in a timely manner. Students who are admitted to the program that start in Spring 2010, register for 6 units.
Students who apply to the Sport Management Master's Program for Summer 2010 admission - and are interested in applying for Summer 2010 financial aid - must file the 2009-2010 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov as soon as possible. In order for the financial aid award to be processed in a timely manner (to cover Summer 2010 tuition), you must complete and submit the FAFSA application no later than June 1, 2010. This deadline ensures that your Summer 2010 aid eligibility can be determined and processed by USF's Financial Aid Office by the beginning of the Summer Semester. Students who are admitted to the program that start in Summer 2010, register for a 3-unit summer course.
Once you are notified of your 2009-2010 loan eligibility for Summer 2010 enrollment, you should then file a FAFSA 2010-2011 renewal as soon as possible so that your aid eligibility can be determined and extended for the entire next academic year: Fall 2010/Spring 2011/Summer 2011. If you have any financial aid related questions, please contact the University of San Francisco's Office of Financial Aid.
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Are there scholarships available?
The Sport Management Program offers merit-based scholarships. These scholarships do not require a separate application - all students admitted to the Sport Management Program are considered for these scholarships during the admission decision process. Scholarship awards will be indicated in a student's admission letter. These merit-based scholarships are competitive, may vary in amount and will be applied to tuition costs.
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Are there graduate assistantships?
Graduate assistantships are only available on the main campus in San Francisco.
The Office of Student Employment maintains a listing of currently offered on-campus jobs, which typically require an in-person interview after enrolling at the university.
Also, you may want to contact the Office of Residence Life at orl@usfca.edu, which offers several Graduate Assistantships on the main campus. Experience with managing undergraduate residence life is required for these assistantships. The Koret Health and Recreation Center and the USF Athletic Department also offer a limited number of graduate assistantships. The individual departments offer these assistantships. A student needs to be admitted to the University before applying for an assistantship.
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Is there an orientation for graduate students?
Yes, there is a required orientation for both US and International students. The Sport Management Program orientation is held the week before the first class meeting and attendance is mandatory by all students accepted into the program. You will receive an orientation package with all the necessary details/information. If you are an International student, you are also required to attend the International Student Orientation. You will need to contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services at isss@usfca.edu to find out more information about the International Student Orientation.
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Can I purchase USF health insurance?
USF does offer a health insurance plan. Please visit Student Health Insurance to view requirements.
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As an international student, what English proficiency is required and what visa will I need?
Official TOEFL, IELTS and PET scores must be submitted by international applicants. A minimum TOEFL score of 79 (iBT) or 550 (print-based); minimum IELTS score of 6.5 or a minimum PTE score of 57 (estimated score). Students should not apply unless they have achieved the stated minimum scores.
Students with TOEFL scores below 100 or 600; IELTS score below 6.5 or PTE score below 73 (estimated score) will be required to take an ESL course in USF’s Intensive English Program if admitted to the program.
Most international students enter the United States on an F-1 student visa.
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What is the Certification of Finance?
International applicants who require and F-1 student visa must demonstrate that they (and/or other sponsors) can fund all of their educational and living expenses in the United States. To do this, the Certification of Finances form must be completed and submitted with the application form. In particular, the section titles "Assure" (First Year) under "Student’s Sources of Funds in U.S. Dollars" must be completed and verified with the appropriate documents. If you cannot complete this section, then please do not apply to this graduate program.
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Where do I find information about housing?
USF offers limited housing to graduate students on the main campus in San Francisco, mostly in the apartment-style Loyola Village. International students are given first priority to on-campus graduate student housing, but all students are encouraged to apply for on-campus housing in a timely manner. Visit the Office of Residence Life website for more information and for on-campus housing contracts (which detail the costs). USF does not offer housing at the Southern California Campus.
Off-campus housing in San Francisco:
Please contact Kenrick Ali, the Off-Campus Housing Coordinator, in the Office of Residence Life at 415.422.6824 or by email at orl@usfca.edu. Also, visit the Office of Residence Life website for Off-Campus Living, and click on "Rental Resources".
Non-USF resources for off-campus housing in San Francisco:
There are a variety of housing options near the Southern California Campus and throughout the Los Angeles area. Resources for off-campus housing in Los Angeles and Orange County areas:
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