Sports Business, B.S.

The sports industry generates hundreds of billions of dollars each year. Major sports teams, universities and recreational leagues employ people educated in sports business to conduct daily business operations.

Entire operational teams work behind the scenes of any sport. These operational teams include front-office management and operations, sports marketing and communication, licensing and representation, sponsorship development, the media and more. In addition, there are sports-related positions with other types of organizations, such as sports marketing for a corporation. A degree in sports business provides sports-minded students with a head for business opportunities for careers in many fields.

At the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business, students may choose to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Sports Business or a minor in sports business in addition to their chosen major.

Curriculum Overview

SLU's sports business major is interdisciplinary and includes courses in management, marketing and economics. This mix of courses gives sports business students the skills needed for careers in college and amateur athletics, facility and event management, professional teams and leagues, sport merchandising, leisure and fitness and sports media. 

Internships/Student Organizations

Students pursuing a degree in sports business are strongly encouraged to complete a sports business internship. St. Louis’ metropolitan location provides many internship opportunities that allow students to gain career-related work experience while applying classroom experiences to practice. In addition, most internships are paid, and students may often earn academic credit upon completion. In recent years, SLU's sports business students have interned with the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, the Saint Louis University Department of Athletics and many other organizations.

The Chaifetz School's Department of Management supports SLU's Sports Business Association, which provides students with the opportunity to learn about the different career paths in sports business and network with professionals from the area.

Careers

Graduates from SLU's sports business program join a global network of nearly 20,000 alumni from the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business. One hundred percent of sports business graduates from the Class of 2021 were either employed or attending graduate school within six months of graduation. Recent alumni have gone on to work in a variety of fields, including: 

• Sports manager
• Sports marketing
• Brand representative
• Stadium manager
• Event planning

Admission Requirements

Freshman

Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply. Saint Louis University also accepts the Common App. 

All applications are thoroughly and carefully reviewed. Solid academic performance in college preparatory coursework is a primary criterion in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file. 

To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, the applicant must be graduating from an accredited high school, have an acceptable HiSET exam score or take the General Education Development (GED) test. Beginning with the 2021-22 academic year, undergraduate applicants will not be required to submit standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) in order to be considered for admission. Applicants will be evaluated equally, with or without submitted test scores.

Transfer

Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply. 

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED. An official high school transcript and official test scores are required only of those students who have attempted fewer than 24 transferable semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit. Those having completed 24 credits or more of college credit need only submit a transcript from previously attended college(s).

Transfer students must have a cumulative 2.70 GPA to be admitted to the accounting program and a 2.50 GPA for all other majors. In reviewing a transfer applicant’s file, the office of admission holistically examines the student’s academic performance in college-level coursework as an indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University.

International Applicants

Begin your application for this program at www.slu.edu/apply. 

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:

• You must demonstrate English Language proficiency.
• Proof of financial support must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding your time at Saint Louis University.
  • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of your study at the University.
• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:

• Scholarships: Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need.
• Financial Aid: Financial aid is provided in the form of grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, apply for admission by Dec. 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.

For information on other scholarships and financial aid, visit www.slu.edu/financial-aid.

Accreditation

The Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the world’s largest business education alliance and accrediting body of business schools, ensuring continuous quality improvement in terms of curriculum, instructional resources, student selection, career placement and intellectual contributions and qualifications of the faculty. Fewer than 5% of business schools worldwide have achieved AACSB accreditation. 

1. Graduates will be able to understand essential business concepts and how the various functional areas of business are related.
2. Graduates will be able to demonstrate knowledge of ethical concepts and corporate social responsibility and be able to evaluate business problems from multiple ethical perspectives.
3. Graduates will be able to identify and structure business problems and propose actionable solutions to business problems and, when applicable, utilizing appropriate technology.
4. Graduates will be able to demonstrate effective written communication.
5. Graduates will be able to understand how cultures, politics, laws, ethics, and economies influence and impact business and use tools and concepts to analyze and formulate an international business strategy.
6. Graduates will be able to demonstrate the ability to work effectively in teams.
7. Graduates will be able to access and develop both organizational and career networks.

Eighteen credits in addition to MGT 2000 Legal Environment of Business I (3 cr),  MGT 3000 Management Theory and Practice (3 cr) and MKT 3000 Introduction to Marketing Management (3 cr), which are taken as business core body of knowledge requirements, are required.

†

In addition to completing lower and upper-division coursework in all areas of business, each student typically selects a business major before or during the first semester of the junior year. 18 major-specific credit hours are required as determined by the appropriate department. To broaden their expertise, students may complete more than one major in business, or a major and a minor in business. Outside of the Business Common Body of Knowledge (CBK), however, a maximum of one business course (3 credit hours) may be used to fulfill requirements in two business majors/minors.

‡

General electives may be selected from any area of study within the University, giving the student the opportunity to diversify their experiences.  Students should consider University Undergraduate CORE attribute requirements when selecting electives.

Continuation Standards

Sports business students must maintain a 2.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in all courses used to fulfill the major.  

​Students will be on program probation if their GPA in major courses used to fulfill major requirements falls below a 2.00. Students will have one semester to increase their major cumulative GPA to a 2.00; if not, students will not be allowed to register for 3000 or 4000 level major courses.

Students will be automatically placed on university probation if any of the following occur:

• Their Saint Louis University cumulative grade point average falls below 2.00
• Their Saint Louis University semester grade point average is below a 1.00
• More than two "incomplete" or two "in-progress" grades on their academic transcript

During the probationary period, advisors help students achieve academic success by closely monitoring their academic performance.

In order to improve scholastically and demonstrate their ability to make progress toward a degree, students on probation may not register for more than 12 credits in the fall and spring semesters, three credits in the winter term, and no more than one course/four credits in any single summer session term.

The conditions under which a student is dismissed from the school include:

1. Inability to eliminate probationary status within the two semesters subsequent to the assignment of probation or
2. A grade point average deficit of more than 15 points.

For more information, see University Academic Policies and Procedures.

Graduation Requirements

To be certified for graduation, a student must complete all course requirements and meet all of the following conditions:

• Apply to graduate.
• Earn a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in all SLU coursework; accounting students must earn a minimum 2.70 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in all SLU coursework. Students must earn a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in all major courses that fulfill the major requirements; accounting students must earn grades of “C” or higher in all courses that fulfill the major requirements.
• Complete the University Undergraduate Core.
• Complete 30 of the final 36 credits at the St. Louis campus or an approved study abroad program.
• Complete at least 50% of business coursework in residence at the St. Louis campus.*
• Complete major course requirements in residence at the St. Louis campus.*
• Students transferring from the Madrid campus must complete a minimum of 40 credits of coursework, including a minimum of 30 credits of business coursework in residence at the St. Louis campus.*

*

Students may pursue the economics, international business or marketing majors at the St. Louis campus and/or at the Madrid campus. The residency requirement then applies to courses taken at either campus.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

¹

Must complete in first 36 credit hours at SLU.

²

Must complete in first 60 credit hours at SLU

³

Must take second semester sophomore year unless studying abroad.

⁴

ENGL 4000-Professional Writing highly recommended.

⁵

Must have completed all other Business Common Body of Knowledge courses.

2+SLU programs are formal  transfer agreements for students seeking an associate degree at a partner institution. 

• Sports Business, B.S. (Jeffco 2+SLU)
• Sports Business, B.S. (STLCC 2+SLU)