To choose any of these professions, obviously a person requires to meet the criteria of some primary education, relevant to his/her field. After deciding the job, the next step is acquiring a Bachelor degree as per interest (Find description of various Bachelor degrees in our article ‘Different sports courses after 12th). Now, to excel further in any field, the next requirement is a Master’s Degree. The essential characteristics that one requires to sustain in this field are Physical fitness, Passion for sports, Perseverance, Stamina, Patience, Determination, Enthusiasm, Time management skills. So, here we discuss various sports courses after graduation.

Master’s Degree Courses

1.Master of Physical Education (M.P.Ed.)

This master’s course takes 2 years to complete. The eligibility for this course is a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. The average fees for this course is Rs. 6000-75000 per annum. The employment roles available for this course are Physical Education Teacher, Gym Trainer, Physical Training Instructor. After completing this course successfully, one may receive a salary of about 3 lakhs while working for schools, gyms.

2. MBA (Sports Management)

This master’s course takes 2 years to complete. The eligibility for this course is an undergraduate degree. The average fees for this course is Rs. 2-5 lakhs per annum. The employment roles for this course are team manager, Event Manager, Sporting Manager, branding manager etc. After completing this course successfully, one may receive a salary of about 4-8 lakhs while working for different sports firms, sports boards like BCCI, SAI, sports channels like Star Sports etc.

3. Master of Sports Management

This master’s course takes 2 years to complete. The eligibility for this course is an undergraduate degree. The average fees for this course is Rs. 2-5 lakhs per annum. The employment roles available for this course are sports instructor, management trainee, manager sales, marketing in different sports firms and teams.

4. MBA (Sports Business)

This master’s course takes 2 years to complete. The eligibility for this course is a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline. The average fees for this course is Rs. 2-5 lakhs per annum. The employment roles available for this course are in the fields like Sports Marketing, Sports Logistics, Franchise Operations, Team Management, Player Management.

5. Master of Science (M.Sc.) – Sports Science

This master’s course takes 2 years to complete. The eligibility for this course is a Bachelor’s degree. The average fees for this course is Rs. 10000-75000 per annum. Its course structure involves topics such as Human Anatomy, Physiology, Nutrition, Biochemistry etc. The employment roles available for this course are Professional Athlete, Exercise Physiologist, Sports Coach, Personal Trainer, Physical Education Teacher etc. The major employment areas are governing bodies, sports clubs, universities, and the health sector.

6. Master of Arts (M.A.) – Physical Education

This master’s course takes 2 years to complete. The eligibility for this course is a Bachelor’s degree. The average fees for this course is Rs. 8000-50000 per annum. This course includes training in anatomy and physiology, body mechanics, exercise science and first aid. The employment roles available for this course are Professional Athlete, Sports Coach, Personal Trainer, Physical Education Teacher etc. The major employment areas are educational institutions, hospitals, sports clubs.

Post Graduate Diploma Courses

1.PG Diploma in Sports Medicine

2. PG Diploma in Sports Journalism

3. PG Diploma in Sports Science

4. PGDM in Sports Management

The different PG Diploma Courses have a duration ranging from 6 months to 1 year. The average fees is around 1- 4 lakhs. After completing the diploma course, one may pursue career jobs in the respective fields. For example, HR manager, Event manager, Finance manager, PR manager, Sports Teacher/Coach etc.

Other than the Masters and Diploma Courses, there also exist Doctoral Degree Courses like PhD in Sports Education, PhD in Sports Management. People who want to attain higher posts in their fields of work like professors, higher administrators can pursue these PhD courses. The criteria for these courses are Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in the relevant areas.

In the coming times, there is an expected rise in the demand of professionals in the sports industry, due to the rapidly increasing investments by various companies in it. So, having acquired a relevant Master’s degree in different areas of sports is a good option for ensuring a secured future. Moreover, along with earning the degree, one should also be keen towards learning various communication, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills apt for his/her field. People should be encouraged to work hard in the sports industry for their own good, as well as the overall growth of the industry.

Pre-Requisites

•Determination and Perseverance

These are actually the most important traits in any field. The success is kind of directly proportional to the determination shown towards respective fields. Same goes with sports. The reason determination’s value being so high in sports is the uncertain nature of the industry. One may perform well in one season but fail to do the same in another. This is known as inconsistency of performance, and in turn becomes the reason for the delay in attaining success. And thus, determination and perseverance become utmost important to start a career in sports.

•Passion

This is the driving force which propels one to start a career in sports and henceforth sustain in it. Passion for the game transforms one’s success curve into an exponential one. As an example, all the successful sports persons are very passionate about their work and it is evident from their body language itself. 

Decisions to be taken before joining

•Role

This is the foremost question one should ask oneself before joining the industry. What role does he/she would like to see him/her performing in this very appealing industry? The answer to this question actually resolves much of the doubts, as after the role is decided, it becomes easy to think about what skill sets to develop and the courses to take. This is like a junction where many roads meet, each one taking you to different destinations. In the context of sports you may understand ‘role’ as, whether you want to become a player, coach/referee, manager, dietician, sports nutritionist, sports journalist, sports administrator, physiotherapist, psychiatrist, fitness trainer etc.

•Academics

Though this is not a necessary criteria for specifically becoming a player, it is definitely a compulsion if you want to pursue your career in the form of coach, psychiatrist, psychologist, sports teacher. Moreover, it is highly recommended to attain a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education even if you want to become a player. 

There are different courses available at undergraduate and postgraduate level according to  area of interest (read our article on sports courses after 12th). So, after you have decided what role or profession you want to pursue in the sports industry, enroll in a course synchronized with your interests and passions.

•Skill Set

This quality helps you in rising up at high levels in your field. In the era of competition, what matters the most is what unique thing do you bring with your personality to an employer. Having a good skill set will let you last for a very long time in your work. Whether you want to become a player, coach, manager, administrator, the common thing to succeed is how well skilled you are in your field. So, along with pursuing the course you have taken, if any, you should side-by-side work upon furnishing your technical, social, emotional and managerial skills that would help you in the long run.

•Basic knowledge of the Sport

At times people misinterpret things as ‘If  I want to become a manager, why do I need to know about the game’ or of what importance is the knowledge of game to a dietician or psychiatrist. This is completely a wrong perception. If you don’t know the basics of the sport you are working in, there’s no way you can do good for the team or player.

Having acquired all the knowledge related to how to start and work towards betterment in a sports industry, now what remains is making up your mind. When one makes up his mind to do a particular thing, all other important things like determination, perseverance, and patience follow subsequently. The crux of all the aforementioned points is, find your area of interest in sports, make up your mind to work in it sacrosanctly, then take up a course/degree according to your interest, buildup a great skill set and develop social and communication skill. During all these processes, be really determined and patient. This is all you need to start a career in the sports industry and excel in it.