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. At Saint Louis University's Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business, students may choose to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Sports Business or include a minor in sports business in addition to their chosen major.

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 within 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 and career opportunities in many fields.

Curriculum Overview

Housed in the Chaifetz School of Business's Department of Management, 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, St. Louis Battlehawks, SLU Athletics and many other organizations.

SLU's Sports Business Association has been recognized as the 2023 business school student organization of the year. This club 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. 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 graduates 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 post-secondary 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.

Tuition

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

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Information on Tuition and Fees

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Information on Summer Tuition

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 through grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

Saint Louis University makes every effort to keep our education affordable. In fiscal year 2023, 99% of first-time freshmen and 92% of all students received financial aid and students received more than $459 million in aid University-wide.

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

For more information on scholarships and financial aid, visit the Office of Student Financial Services.

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. Approximately 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, utilizing appropriate technology when applicable.
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.

The Sports Business B.S. requires eighteen major-specific credits in addition to coursework in the Business Common Body of Knowledge.

†

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-specific course requirements.  

​Students will be on program probation if their GPA in major-specific courses used to fulfill major requirements falls below a 2.00. Students will have one semester to increase their major-specific cumulative GPA to a 2.00; if not, students will not be allowed to register for 3000- or 4000-level major-specific 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.
• Complete the University Undergraduate Core.
• Earn a minimum 2.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in overall SLU coursework, in business school coursework, and in major-specific courses. (B.S.-Accounting students must earn a minimum 2.70 cumulative GPA in overall SLU coursework, a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in business coursework, and grades of C or higher in all courses that fulfill the major-specific requirements.)
• 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-specific 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.

⁵

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

2+SLU programs provide a guided pathway for students transferring from a partner institution. 

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