Master of Sports Administration program named world’s best for the eighth time in 10 years

Ohio University’s Master of Sports Administration (MSA) program has been named the world’s best postgraduate sports management degree for 2021 by SportBusiness.

This is the eighth time in 10 years that the MSA program has ranked number one in the world, and the tenth consecutive year that one of the College of Business’ sports administration programs has been ranked number one.

“I am immensely proud of our MSA program for garnering the recognition of best in the world once again,” Ohio University President Hugh Sherman said. “We aim to provide the best education and experiences to our students, taught by outstanding faculty, and are grateful to be recognized for the work we do to advance student success in sports administration.”

Founded in 1966, OHIO’s MSA degree is the oldest sports management degree in the world and prepares students for multiple roles in the sports industry. Students complete a full-time, two-year program that is combined with an MBA program housed in the College of Business.

“Our faculty is outstanding and bring a wealth of both research expertise and high-level sport business experience,” Jackie Rees Ulmer, dean of the College of Business, said. “We take great pride in having a mix of research scholars and thought leaders who provide so much value for our student experience. They work hard to recruit the best and the brightest MSA cohorts and I am consistently impressed by the professionalism and drive of our MSA students. It is no surprise that our students get amazing jobs with the top sporting organizations.”

The College of Business also offers students opportunities to grow their knowledge and experience in sports administration through the Bachelors of Sports Management (BSM) program, an online Master of Athletic Administration (MAA), as well as professional development through the AECOM Center for Sports Administration education, which offers the first-ever sports gambling education professional certification. The College of Business’ Department of Sports Administration also offers the Professional MSA (PMSA) online to experienced professionals around the country who are currently working in sport business, such as Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Tim Mayza, who earned his PMSA this year. The PMSA has also been ranked number one by SportBusiness in their online rankings for the last 10 years.

OHIO MSA students participate extensively in experiential opportunities with OHIO’s Athletics department, as well as with numerous outside sports organizations, often provided by alumni and friends of the program. The opportunities range across the entire sports ecosystem and include teams, leagues, media data insights/analytics, facilities, and live events at all levels.

Since the program began over 55 years ago, nearly 2,000 students have graduated from the MSA program and have secured sports administration roles all over the country.

“The strength of our industry reputation fuels a very high placement success rate,” Matt Cacciato, assistant professor and director of the MSA programs and the AECOM Center for Sports Administration, said. “Our Bobcat network recruits heavily amongst each other, fueling strong long-term career growth.”

There are currently 35 students enrolled in each of OHIO’s dual MBA and MSA cohorts.

“We are extremely proud of the strong tradition of excellence in our MSA program, and it starts with the people,” Jim Strode, Robert H. Freeman associate professor and chair of the Department of Sports Administration and director of Undergraduate Programs in the College of Business, said. “The foundation of our program are the alumni who have set the groundwork by gaining meaningful careers in sport. They consistently give back their talents and expertise to our students and faculty, so our graduates have the key skills to make an impact in the sporting industry. We have been fortunate to attract students from all over the world to Athens, which makes for a culturally rich classroom experience that supports us developing true global citizens.”

The SportBusiness rankings are based on surveys completed by course leaders and alumni of the programs.

For more information about the 2021 SportBusiness Postgraduate Course Ranking, visit https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/ohio-crowned-worlds-best-postgraduate-sport-management-course-by-sportbusiness/.