Leppanen
August
Maruyama profile
Hirose
Jason Green
Rorabaugh
Pauley
Clara Ho
Reed, Shondell
G Sport Management

How to Apply

The Master's in Sport Management Program starts each January and July at the San Francisco campus and every July at the Los Angeles Area location in Orange, CA. As admission is competitive, candidates should exercise great care when preparing their application to The Master's Program.Apply Online Here for Summer 2013 Admission!
  • September 1 deadline for January admission
    (San Francisco only)
  • February 1 deadline for July admission
    (San Francisco and Los Angeles Area)

How to Apply

Apply online and submit required application documents.

You can scan and upload your application items to your USF online application account. Please ensure that your scanned documents are easy to read and printable. If you are submitting test scores, you must request that official scores are sent to USF. You are encouraged to submit your completed application several weeks before the deadline.

Request an information packet online or contact the program office at:

San Francisco Campus: 415.422.2678, sportmgt@usfca.edu
Los Angeles Area Location: 714.633.5626, lasportmgt@usfca.edu

Admission Requirements and Undergraduate Background

Admission to The Master's Program is competitive. It requires an undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 (on a 4.0 grading scale) or higher. A Bachelor's degree in any major from an accredited institution is required.

Students in program come from a wide range of undergraduate majors. While some students come with an undergraduate background in Exercise Science and Physical Education, many others come from business, the social sciences, the natural sciences, communications, and the liberal arts. This diversity of undergraduate majors complements the interdisciplinary nature of the program. In addition, students admitted to program bring a breadth of undergraduate extracurricular experiences to our courses.

Application Items

  • Completed online application and application fee of $55
  • One transcript from each university or college attended (both undergraduate and graduate coursework)
  • Two letters of recommendation (see below)
  • Statement of Goals (see below)
  • Current resume (see below)
  • Applicants may be asked to attend an interview with one of the Program Directors
  • International students are required to submit (see International Applicants below):
    • Official TOEFL, IELTS or PTE score
    • Completed Certification of Finance form with supplemental bank statements

Application Item Instructions

  • Letters of Recommendation: The application to The Master's Program requires two letters of recommendation from individuals who can attest to your competence and ability to succeed in this graduate program. Ideally, one of the letters references the student's academic abilities, while the other references the student's potential for professional growth in a sport management career. Please note: If you are a currently matriculating student or a recent graduate (degree receive within the last 12 months) you are required to submit at least one academic letter of recommendation.
  • Statement of Goals: A 3-5 page, double-spaced typewritten document that describes your personal, academic, and professional reasons for pursuing a Master's Degree in Sport Management, and for choosing USF’s program. The statement should relate your workplace experiences and sports backgrounds to your goals.
  • Resume: A resume should include your work experience and any sport industry experience - including playing, teaching, coaching, managing and administering. Certifications in sports and fitness should be listed, honors attained should be highlighted, and sports leadership experience and relevant outside interests included.
  • Personal Interview: Personal Interviews are conducted at the discretion of the Sport Management Admissions Committee. The interview will be conducted in person or by phone. Personal Interviews are not a requirement for admission to the program.
  • Tests:
    • The GRE or GMAT is optional and not required for admission. An applicant may want to submit their GRE or GMAT results if they believe it might strengthen their application. The USF school code for the GRE is 6996; GMAT is 91M-7L-93.
    • Official TOEFL, IELTS and PTE scores must be submitted by international applicants. Refer to the requirements listed in the International Applicants statement.

International Applicants

(Not a Citizen or Permanent Resident of the U.S.)
In addition to the items listed above, please submit:
  • Completed and signed Certification of Finance form, along with supporting documents, that verifies adequate financial support for the first year of studies at the University. (See International Graduate Students to download the Certification of Finance form)
  • TOEFL, IELTS or PTE score:
    • iBT TOEFL, minimum score of 79, no subscore less than 17
    • Paper-based TOEFL, minimum score of 550
    • IELTS, minimum score of 6.5, no subscore less than 5.5
    • PTE, minimum score of 57 (estimated score)
PLEASE NOTE: Students should not apply unless they have achieved the stated minimum scores and minimum subscore for each section of the exam. An application will be denied admission if a student has not achieved the scores stated above. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this policy for the Sport Management Master's Program.

The TOEFL/GRE school code for USF is 6996 (select "Univ San Francisco Arts Sci Grad"). The TOEFL/GRE school code of 4850 can also be used for USF.

Students with TOEFL scores below 100 or 600; IELTS score below 7.0 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.

Students attending the San Francisco Campus must complete the USF's Intensive English Program

Students attending the Los Angeles Area Campus must complete an ESL course comparable to the USF's Intensive English Program, which must be approved by the Associate Director prior to enrollment.

Application Status

Once you open your USF online application account, you will be sent your online account access information via email. You will use this login to complete your application as well as check the status of documents received post-submission. 

Notification of Admission Decision

Once an admission decision has been made, you will receive notice from the Sport Management Program. It's imperative that you continue to keep the Sport Management Program updated with your current contact information (mailing address and email address) during the admission cycle as you do not want to miss important admission decisions.
  • Summer applicants should expect to receive an admission decision by April 15th.
  • Spring applicants should expect to receive an admission decision by November 15th.

Financial Aid Application

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 2013 must file the 2013-2013 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. Students who are admitted to the program that starts in Spring 2013 will register for 6 units.

Students who apply to the Sport Management Master's Program for Summer 2013 admission - and are interested in applying for Summer 2013 financial aid - must file the 2012-2013 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 2013 tuition), you must complete and submit the FAFSA application no later than June 1, 2013. This deadline ensures that your Summer 2013 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 2013 will register for a 3-unit summer course.

Once you are notified of your 2012-2013 loan eligibility for Summer 2013 enrollment, you should then file a FAFSA 2013-2014 renewal as soon as possible so that your aid eligibility can be determined and extended for the entire next academic year: Fall 2013/Spring 2014/Summer 2014. If you have any financial aid related questions, please contact the University of San Francisco's Office of Financial Aid