Online Graduate Certificate in Sports Analytics and Management

Lead in a $500 Billion Industry in 20 Months or Less.

Examples of technology and analytics in sports management are everywhere. Virtual reality. Interactive spectatorship. Mobile technology. Fantasy sports. E-sports gaming. Social media. Performance data analytics. To succeed, you need to drive these initiatives to maximize profits.

The online Graduate Certificate in Sports Analytics & Management positions you to claim your place in a $500 billion sports landscape.¹ It quickly builds your strengths in emergent technologies and data analysis skills — the ones you need right now to take charge of this fast-paced industry.

In this certificate program, you’ll learn skills that allow you to:

• Examine the impact of social networking and messaging on the sports industry
• Assess emerging trends in sports and the effects of ever-changing technologies on sports and society
• Make strategic and ethical decisions that improve relationships with sports agencies, clients, and the community
• Build leadership and communication skills that can be used to establish intercultural and agency/client/stakeholder relationships
• Examine and demonstrate the appropriate use of data evaluation and analysis tools
• Comprehend and create strategies for improving the outreach of sports organizations
• Develop needs assessments and business plans that engage target audiences and increase brand awareness

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Take four courses in this 12-credit program to gain expert-level knowledge in emergent technology as it relates to data-driven decision making, strategic management, sports analytics, social engagement, and evaluation.

*PROF 660: Data-Driven Decision Making (3 credit hours)
The primary goal of this course is to explore quantitative and qualitative tools and methods used to evaluate, present, and communicate data (big and small). Students will also learn how to summarize and communicate findings to stakeholders so that they may make informed decisions that will improve the overall quality and efficiency of an organization. Topics include asking the right questions of data, constructing Statements of Work for performance and impact evaluation, conducting t-tests, ANOVA, ANCOVA, matching, differences in differences, regression discontinuity in program evaluation, and disseminating quantitative findings. No prerequisites.

SAM 600: Strategic Leadership of Sports Organizations (3 credit hours)
Prepare to direct an organization’s growth with the theories, techniques and tools needed for this niche market. You’ll gain an insiders’ view of sports organizations like the NBA and ESPN — mastering the marketplace and absorbing top-level leadership skills from professional faculty. By the end of the course you’ll command day-to-day operations with fiscal and budgetary control and executive management skills.

SAM 610: Sports Analytics, Marketing, and Consumer Engagement​ (3 credit hours)
Learn to control messaging and social engagement to improve brand awareness and profits by examining analytics. You’ll explore the issues of social responsibility and globalization in modern sports across all of its levels — amateur, collegiate, professional — and the role of sports in American society.

PROF 650: Evaluation: Quantitative Methods (3 credit hours)
This course explores quantitative methods in project planning, monitoring, and evaluation. It provides opportunities for students to design quantitative evaluations and apply statistical measures to test hypotheses. Students will explore the use of statistical software in managing and manipulating data and the production of descriptive and analytical reports that meet the guidelines and expectations of professional practitioners in the field. They will develop an understanding of an often intimidating and difficult subject with an approach that is informative, personable, and clear as they are guided through various statistical procedures, beginning with descriptive statistics, correlation, and graphical representation of data through inferential techniques, variance, and more.

*Optional DC Experience @ AU (on-campus).

THE ADVISORY COUNCIL

These graduate certificate courses were developed under the careful scrutiny of an expert advisory council comprised of leading professionals from top organizations such as:

• The NBA
• ESPN
• Nike
• Under Armour
• The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA)

Their direction was instrumental in developing coursework that could quickly close the skills’ gap between current trends and the workforce to provide graduates an immediate competitive edge in the sports management industry.

CERTIFICATE COMPLETION

Coursework can be fulfilled in just 12 to 15 months, so you can apply skills immediately and advance your career. This 12-credit certificate program is offered entirely online — complete it when and where it’s most convenient for you. If you decide to pursue the online MS in Sports Analytics and Management at a later date, you’ll use these 12 credits towards the full degree.

REFERENCES

¹ https://www.plunkettresearch.com/statistics/sports-industry/.

To learn more about American University’s online Graduate Certificate in Sports Analytics and Management program, call 855.725.7614 to speak with an admissions representative or request more information.