Apply Online for Summer or Spring Admission!
Or, Request an Application Packet.
The M.A. in Sport Management program starts each summer and spring at the San Francisco campus and every summer at the Los Angeles-Area campus in Orange, CA. As admission is competitive, candidates should exercise great care when preparing their application to The Master's Program.
The application deadlines are:
- February 1 for summer admission (San Francisco and Los Angeles-Area programs)
- September 1 for spring admission (San Francisco program only)
All application documents must be received by the stated application deadline in the Office of Graduate Programs, College of Arts and Sciences, 2130 Fulton Street, HR 240, San Francisco, CA 94117. Applicants are encouraged to submit all application documents several weeks before the deadline. Please do not send any application items to the Sport Management Program Office.
Request an application/information packet online or contact the program office at:
Northern California Campus: (415) 422-2678, sportmgt@usfca.edu
Southern California Campus: (714) 633-5626, lasportmgt@usfca.edu
Undergraduate Background
Students in The Master's 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 Master's Program. In addition, students admitted to The Master's Program bring a breadth of undergraduate extracurricular experiences to our courses.
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Admission Requirements
Admission to The Master's Program is competitive. The program 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.
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Application Items
- Application form and fee of $55 payable to the University of San Francisco Please submit this form as early as possible in the application process
- One official transcript from each university or college attended (both undergraduate and graduate coursework)
- Two letters of recommendation from a supervisor or instructor (see below)
- Statement of Goals - A three-to-five page essay that describes your professional and educational interests, background and goals (see below)
- Current resume demonstrating relevant work experience (see below)
- Applicants may be asked to attend an interview with one of the Program Directors
- International students are required to submit their official TOEFL, IELTS or PTE score and a completed Certification of Finance form with supplemental bank statements (see International Applicants below)
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Statement of Goals
A three-to-five 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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International Applicants
(Not a Citizen or Permanent Resident of the U.S.)
- Application form and fee of $55 payable to the University of San Francisco. Please submit this form as early as possible in the application process.
- One Official transcript from each university or college attended (both undergraduate and graduate coursework)
- Two letters of recommendation from a supervisor or instructor (see above)
- Current resume demonstrating relevant work experience (see above)
- 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.
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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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Notification of Admission Decision
Once an admission decision has been made, you will receive an admission letter from the Sport Management Program by mail. 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.
- July applicants should expect to receive an admission decision by April 15th
- January applicants should expect to receive an admission decision by November 15th
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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 2012 must file the 2011-2012 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 2012 will register for 6 units.
Students who apply to the Sport Management Master's Program for Summer 2012 admission - and are interested in applying for Summer 2012 financial aid - must file the 2011-2012 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 2012 tuition), you must complete and submit the FAFSA application no later than June 1, 2012. This deadline ensures that your Summer 2012 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 2012 will register for a 3-unit summer course.
Once you are notified of your 2011-2012 loan eligibility for Summer 2012 enrollment, you should then file a FAFSA 2012-2013 renewal as soon as possible so that your aid eligibility can be determined and extended for the entire next academic year: Fall 2012/Spring 2013/Summer 2013. If you have any financial aid related questions, please contact the University of San Francisco's Office of Financial Aid .
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