The Master of Science in International Sport Management (ISPM) is a 30 credit-hour program designed to focus on International Sport Management as a distinct discipline, meeting the needs of professionals who seek to work in an internationally focused organizational environment that demands diverse intercultural competencies and skills. This program is designed to attract those who are interested in career advancement in such international sport industry segments as: sport marketing; media and communications; event and facility management; sport law and labor relations; security and risk management; information technology in sport enterprises; sport economics and finance; sport production and supply chain management; plus sport governance and leadership. The program balances theory and practice, with each graduate gaining a firm understanding of the management environment including diverse organizational cultures, intercultural perspectives and competencies, ethical and legal foundations and strategic planning involved in being successful in the field of international sport management. The International Sport Management program requires students to complete an international residency as part of their course of study.

Admission Requirements

Student Admission Criteria (U.S. Resident)

This program follows the general requirements of entrance to graduate study at SUNY Cortland, along with its own specific criteria.

1. Although many programs at SUNY Cortland allow entry either in fall, spring or summer semesters, the M.S. in International Sport Management accepts incoming students for the fall semester only.

• Entry Term Priority Application Due Date for Fall - March 1
• Final Application Due Date for Fall - July 1

Admission to this program is expected to be very competitive and highly selective and will be based on College, department and program specific requirements. Although SUNY Cortland has a rolling admission policy, it is recommended that  application for admission to this program should be filed for full consideration, along with all supporting documents, to SUNY Cortland’s Graduate Studies Office no later than March 1 preceding the fall semester of a specific academic year. Applicants who file after this date are not guaranteed consideration for admission to the degree program. 

Note: The Master of Science in International Sport Management is designed for incoming graduate students to begin in the fall semester of each academic year. However, the SUNY Cortland Graduate Studies Office, in conjunction with a recommendation from the Sport Management Department may consider a student entering the program in the spring semester if there are extenuating circumstances that warrant a spring entry.

2. Once the Graduate Studies Office receives all of an applicant’s required documents, the credentials of the applicant will be forwarded to the Sport Management Graduate Review Committee. Departmental decisions are then forwarded to the Director of Graduate Studies through the Chair of the Sport Management Department. The final notification regarding admission to the Master of Science in International Sport Management is transmitted to the applicant from the Director of Graduate Studies. After formal admission, the student is assigned a faculty program advisor who supports the applicant in planning a specific course of study.

3. Students admitted to the M.S. in International Sport Management shall possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited international institution of higher learning.  For success in the program, it is expected that students possess good written communication skills, have strong information technology skills and have adequate quantitative skills. Students who have an undergraduate degree in an unrelated discipline may need to successfully complete prerequisite course work prior to admissions into the program. Students will need to have taken an approved undergraduate accounting course at the 100 or 200 level. Students also may need to have taken a statistics course.

4. In addition to the above SUNY Cortland admission requirements, students must submit for consideration:

• Official transcripts indicating a minimum overall undergraduate grade point average of 2.8 or better.
• Scores from either the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) if a student has less than an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0. These scores should be sent directly to SUNY Cortland by ETS using the SUNY Cortland institution code of K6R-R0-01 for the GMAT. For the GRE, students must use institution code 2538 and department code 4314. If the GMAT or the GRE is required, these scores must be submitted to the Graduate Studies Office prior to completion of admissions review. The GMAT and GRE must be taken by the January test dates preceding the spring semester of admissions review.
• A 250–500 word essay or a portfolio of professional practice or a personal statement of the applicant’s professional and educational goals.
• A minimum of two letters of recommendation, including at least one academic and one professional letter.
• Evidence of successful completion of any missing prerequisite courses in management, such as accounting and/or elementary statistics.
• Evidence of successful completion of a minimum of one year of foreign language or equivalent proficiency.
• An admissions interview either in person or by telephone.

International Student Admission Criteria

Foreign nationals are strongly encouraged to apply for this degree program in International Sport Management. Personal interviews, though strongly recommended, can be substituted with a telephone interview as an alternative.  In addition to admission and program requirements pertaining to graduate study listed above, international applicants also need to complete the following requirements to be considered for admission:

• An English proficiency report, essay and financial support statement.
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam report with a minimum score of 620 (paper version) or 250 (computerized version), equivalent on the U.S. scale.
• International students must take either the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). These scores should be sent directly to SUNY Cortland by ETS. GMAT and GRE must be taken by the January test dates preceding the spring semester of admissions review. 
• Official college transcripts with professional translation of all documents into English along with the original documents.

Applications will be reviewed for admission based on academic accomplishments and the level of proficiency in the English language.  Immigration form I–20, which the applicant will use to secure an F-1 visa, will be issued to the applicant once all required information has been received and the applicant has been accepted to SUNY Cortland. 

 Program Requirements

The Master of Science in International Sport Management consists of a minimum of 30 credit hours of approved study, including specific required courses and elective options. Students must take a minimum of 12 of the 18 core credit hours at SUNY Cortland and complete an international residency as part of their course of study. Students can choose to complete up to 12 credit hours of course work, including six credit hours of core course work and six credit hours of elective course work from an approved international university beginning as early as their second semester. The selected international university must be through the recommendation of the ISPM coordinator with the approval of the department chair and dean of the School of Professional Studies. This residency may also be a combination of course work and/or a culminating experience. A student’s thesis or project would be comparative in nature with a focus on international sport management issues that reach across cultural and national boundaries.

Note: This program is designed to be a full-time, calendar-year program with students progressing through semesters one and two with 12 credit hours each, followed by a six-credit hour culminating experience. Students who choose to complete this program part-time would be required to progress through four semesters of six credit hours each, followed by a six-credit hour culminating experience.