Sports - Colleges, Courses, Fees & Scope

Overview:

Sports as an industry are quite appealing to the youth. Making a lucrative career in the field of sports is not a piece of cake but at the same time; it will also not leave you disappointed. Sports is the kind of a field that requires you to have a lot of experience and talent of course. It’s a common misconception that envisages that sports as a career option is only meant for people who have a knack for fitness or those who have been playing oriented talent. But in reality, it is not so. Hence, it’s important to do away with the misconception by elaborating widely on Sports as a field of study and a career option. Sport is a highly broad concept. The studies involved in sports are in a greater number. Sports as a field of study is manifold. This field of study is widely known as Sports Studies.

Sports Studies are generally segmented into two types of studies. These are the two main categories of the same. They are popularly known as:

• Sports Science
• Sports Management

Then, a student interested in the same field can also consider opting for sports journalism. Sports journalism in India is not yet a thriving and lucrative field for new graduates wanting to make a lucrative career. However, in the western nations, sports journalism has immense scope in terms of exposure, experience and employment. It is thriving and fast-paced.

Sports refer to the act of playing a sport that involves physical effort by a person. Whereas, sports studies refer to studying the business side of sports. In other words, this means looking at sports through the lens of history, economics, business, management, socio-culture aspects, gender, race, ethnicity, etc. apart from the physical act of playing sports. These courses involve fitness and training that gives us an idea of how the sports industry functions in today’s world. They give us an idea about the scientific theories involved in the subjects of study. They also teach us the leadership side of sports. Hence, sports are a broad spectrum of study and work.

Department of sports study:

The types of studies that are stated under the umbrella of sports studies are mentioned below:

• Sports journalism
• Sports Sciences
• Sports Management
• Sports communication
• Sports Business
• Sports coaching
• Sports law
• Sports psychology

Undergraduate-Postgraduate Degrees:

The above-mentioned fields are a popular field that can be considered in order to have a degree in sports studies. But getting a bachelor or master’s degree in Sports Studies is usually an ideal way to get started. A bachelor degree will help you understand different aspects related to Sports and apply them practically. These aspects include on-field ones as well as the ones which surround sports. One is exposed to the skill set that one can consider equipping him/herself with in order to become a key player. Apart from this, one also learns about the professionalism which is evident in the sports industry and further learning about the functioning of the same.

Bachelors

A bachelor degree in Sports Studies is quite underrated when it comes to learning things that are considered essential and highly important. A student pursuing the same gets a chance to equip him/herself with an enhanced skill-set. These involve practical, psychological, financial and organisation skills which are deemed to be mandatory to function effectively in any area of work.

One gets to learn about how the human body works, how to be an effective leader, how to successfully adopt the motivation techniques in a team, how to effectively lead a team, how to manage a team, how to work with kids, how to adopt the physical techniques required and most importantly, how to see sports as a business.  

Hence, one learns about a plethora of skills which are deemed to be significant in the field of sports. The Bachelor’s program has a very strong and special focus on the socio-cultural aspect involved in sports. One gets to learn about the basic principles of management, finance, law, marketing, ethics involved in sports while being in the physical action on the field.  

India doesn’t offer a lucrative educational platform for students aspiring to make a career in sports. Be it management, communication, journalism, fitness or business. Hence, the scope of Sports Studies in India is quite limited. Contrary to this, Australia, Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. are the most popular international destinations offering the finest and qualitative courses in Sports Studies.

The courses are pursued in the face of exceptional teaching and research methods. These courses offer highly lucrative job opportunities after their completion. The field of study has a wider scope in these countries. The popular courses which are pursued on a major scale in these four places are listed under:

• Bachelor in Sports Management in the U.S.
• Bachelor in Sports Management in the U.K.
• Bachelor in Sports Sciences in Australia
• Bachelor in Sports Sciences in Canada
• Bachelors in Sports Management in Singapore

The primary undergraduate programs are listed below:

• Diploma in Sports Management
• Bachelor of Sports Management
• Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Sciences

Masters:

The graduate entry/ postgraduate study programs are mentioned below:

• Master of Sports Management
• Master of Project Management
• Master of Sports Science
• Master of Physiotherapy
• Master of Nutrition and Dietetic Practice
• Master of Physiotherapy
• Master of Science in Rehabilitation
• Master of Sports Science

Examinations Required:

Depending on the country and college one is applying to, you will have to take the SAT, especially for USA and Singapore for undergraduate courses.

 IELTS and TOEFL which determine the language proficiency of an individual, are also used for entrances in colleges, at both graduate and undergraduate levels.  

Course Details:

The idea behind introducing the bachelor programs is to provide adequate skills, knowledge and background in Sports Studies so that the students can have clarity in deciding a subject as their major area of study. In other words, the bachelor program is manifold that successfully exposes the students to all the important aspects related to sports studies so that students can make an informed decision while opting for a particular field for specialization. After the bachelor program, there are postgraduate research programs dealing with a specific area of study in sports.

A bachelor program of Sports Management ideally includes the following subjects of study:

• First Aid
• Injury Prevention
• Health Science
• Exercise Science
• Individual Sports
• Group Sports
• Sports Management

Apart from this, the coursework may include:

• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Emergency Medicine
• Legal issues concerning sports and exercise
• Sports Marketing
• Sports Entertainment
• Sports Financial Applications

The coursework for postgraduate programs may include:

• Ethical issues in sports
• Public Relations in sports
• Marketing in sports
• Facility management
• Sports events planning
• Sports law
• Digital media in sports
• Clinical nutrition
• Orthopaedics
• Biomechanics
• Anatomy of human motion
• Sports science and rehabilitation

Top colleges for sports management

• Loughborough University
• The University of Queensland
• University of Sydney
• University of Toronto
• Hong Kong University
• Ohio State University
• University of Bath

Top countries to study sports

• USA
• UK
• Australia
• Singapore
• Canada

Course Details Level wise:

Top Universities Level wise:

Requirement and Eligibility:

Academic Requirements:

• Interested students must have completed class 12th with either the CBSE (All-India SSC) or CISCE (ISC) board
• Must have completed bachelors in relevant field. (For Masters)

Exams:

• English proficiency tests like IELTS and TOEFL will help in getting into top universities.
• GRE will help students to get into top universities for Masters, and SAT at undergraduate level.

Work Experience: Recommended for Masters

Others: 

• Letter of Recommendation
• Extracurricular Activities
• Statement of Purpose

Admission Procedure:

• Identifying countries and universities according to your suitability.
• Filling out application forms of universities, submitting required documents, personal statements, letters of recommendation, work experience proof, etc.
• Taking required tests like the SAT/GRE/IELTS/TOEFL and reporting scores to universities
• Completing admission process by giving interview, if required.
• Pay required initial deposit to confirm admission, if selected.

The different tests that can be given and the links to their websites are as follows:

• IELTS: www.ieltsidpindia.com
• TOEFL: www.toeflgoanywhere.org
• GRE: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/register/
• SAT: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat

Course and Syllabus Details level wise:

The following table will discuss the different subjects available, their inside topics and how they will help in life and prove their importance.

Fees, Average fees trends, etc

Career Scope:

A career in sports management means pursuing the kind of work which would revolve around managing sports teams, sports organisations or sports recreational centres. A master’s degree in sports management equips one with necessary skills that can be effectively applied to any of the below-mentioned professions:

• Athletic director
• Sports marketing specialist
• Facility manager
• Health club owner
• Event coordinator
• Camp director
• Fitness centre manager

As previously mentioned, the sports degree varies as per individual interests. The master’s degree may also depend upon the same. But a bachelor’s degree in sports studies, be it management, fitness, communication or science, provides the basic and necessary skill-set which can be effectively applied to the relevant professions. Apart from the curriculum aspect, good work experience is also required when it comes to applying for the relevant job. If you are a student who has a knack for sports and is highly ambitious, then pursuing a bachelor's degree in sports studies should be considered at its sincerest. You can also start as an entry level sports agent who works on commission. The position of an entry level sports manager can also be considered. The sports industry is slowly and steadily evolving across the world. The highest paying jobs can be found in places like the U.S., the U.K., Canada and Australia. There, one can find a plethora of job opportunities after completion of an undergraduate bachelor's degree. However, in India, it is not quite the same. The entry-level jobs are not as exciting as the ones in other countries where the sports industry is thriving. It might take a while for India to be able to adapt to the various career options which are nuanced. Such career options are likely to change and further improvise the structure of work in the field of sports in reference to marketing, communication, journalism and broadcasting.

Job Scope:

There is a plethora of job options in Sports Studies. A bachelor degree provides job opportunities in various occupations. Popular ones that students after completion of the bachelor program go for are:

• Retail sportsperson in sports
• Recreation director
• Sports broadcaster

A bachelor degree enables the student to equip with the broader principles of finance, marketing, law, ethics, management etc. Hence, one can also consider the following career options mentioned below:

• Event manager
• Golf course manager
• Cruise ship recreation director
• Athletic director
• Sports-related apparel merchandising
• Sports-related equipment merchandising

There also comes the science and rehabilitation aspect to sports studies which involves the following popular career options:

• Fitness coordinators
• Exercise testing specialists
• Cardiac rehabilitation specialists