The University of North Texas, in partnership with the Dallas Cowboys, has officially announced the creation of a new academic degree focused on the business of sports.
The Master of Business Administration in Sport Entertainment Management will be a new standalone degree, starting Fall 2020.
The 36-credit-hour MBA degree will be offered online. However, some parts of the academic program may be instructed at the university’s Frisco location.
While, students enrolled in the program will be able to participate in three on-site boot camps at The Star in Frisco, Dallas Cowboys’ World Corporate Headquarters.
“Through key partnerships, such as our relationship with the University of North Texas, we have found ways to grow the reach of the Dallas Cowboys across a variety of these industries,” Jerry Jones Jr., chief sales and marketing officer of the Dallas Cowboys, said in a statement. “We’re excited to share those learnings and experiences with students partaking in this new online program at UNT.”
The new degree plan will offer six specialization courses. It includes sports in the global marketplace, corporate partnerships, analytics, event operations, talent management and consultancy. Other traditional clases, like accounting, marketing and strategic management are also included in the degree.
Professionals with three years’ work experience as industry executives, coaches and former athletes can enter the program without taking the GMAT.
“Our students are learning best practices from the individuals responsible for moving the needle forward in the Cowboys organization,” Bob Heere, UNT director of sports management, said. “There’s a reason they are the most valuable franchise in the world. Their people are driving brand growth year over year, and now they will be helping teach our students how to do the same.”
The new degree is a part of the Department of Management within the university’s G. Brint Ryan College of Business.
“Creating this online program capitalizes on the university’s 25-year history in the online space as well as the expertise of the Dallas Cowboys and our faculty,” said Marilyn Wiley, dean of the College of Business. “It is a fitting next step for a college dedicated to helping its graduates reach their goals.”
The program begins in August 2020, and the deadline to apply for admission is June 30, 2020.
UNT also offers an M.B.A. Sport, Entertainment and Event Management program and a B.B.A. Sport Management Track in Business Integrated Studies.
UNT at Frisco has been offering a Master of Business Administration in sports entertainment management as a part of the general MBA business studies program.
The new standalone academic field will have a revised curriculum focused on the rapidly growing sports entertainment management market.
The UNT Board of Regents had approved the plan to add the new MBA degree program at its November meeting. At that time, 30 students had expressed interest in the program for fall 2020.
The board anticipated the program will cost $1.3 million over the next five years.
A new UNT branch campus in Frisco is planned to begin construction in October this year. The project is expected to complete in November 2022.
The UNT branch campus will be located at the southwest corner of Preston Road and Panther Creek Parkway on about 100 acres of land, donated by the City of Frisco last year.
The new sports entertainment management degree may expand further in the new location in the future.