A coworker of mine's husband is considering getting a bachelor's degree from the United States Sports Academy. He is planning to earn his general education credits from a local community college and then transferring to the United States Sports Academy to finish one of the Bachelor of Sports Science degrees. I would like to get some feedback from the group about the United States Sports Academy. Please post the good, the bad, and the ugly...thanks. http://www.ussa.edu/
Ussa The United States Sport Academy is a fine institution for what it is, a purely sports oriented college. It was part of the initial demonstration program for distance learning. I considered persuing a doctorate in Sports Management there but it is a tad expensive and the only thing they consider financial aid for is tution and books, nothing else...so it was out for me as I basically live on my VA, federal financial aid and a part time job. Their programs look fantastic though, and they are fully regionally accredited. What's not to love? They also have a three year, summer residency doctorate. I say take a look around for other sports management (I assume that he is after this specialization) degrees with instate tuition and then go for it. Downside...two hurricanes have run straight through there two years in a row...except this year. Upside...lots of incredible sports art...including a Leroy Neiman (sp) collection. So...yeah.
Thank you for your comments. The person who is considering USSA is a huge, and I mean HUGE, sports fanatic. His wife is just happy that he found a program that he is willing to do. My fear is that since I helped her find the school that the school turns out to be a waste of time and money. Since USSA was never on my list of schools for a program, I have absolutely no knowledge of the program or the school. BTW - I should have asked this on my original post, but does anyone have any suggestions, other than USSA, where a person can earn a sports related bachelor's degree? It could be in physical education, sports science, recreational whatever... Oh...additional USSA comments are still welcome too.
Bachelor's degrees in physical education are available via dl at Eastern Oregon University www.eou.edu , Southwestern Adventist University www.swau.edu , and Southwestern Assemblies of God University www.sagu.edu , while bachelor's degrees in sports management are available via dl at National University www.nu.edu and the University of Pretoria www.up.ac.za .
It does, but I don't know anything about the school's programs. I would love to hear about the school from someone who has taken courses with USSA.
Eastern Oregon University and Southwestern Adventist University look like pretty good alternatives. Thanks Ted.
I have a friend doing a Master's in Sports Management from University of San Diego. She also has been involved in the "sports world" for a long time. She has no idea about the classes, but says the United States Sports Academy has a very good reputation in the sports industry. She was seriously considering the USSA DL Master's, but opted to go with her local university instead for the face to face interaction. She also thought it would be easier for her to get an internship that way.
Thank you for the information about USSA's reputation in the sports industry. At this time he is considering EOU and USSA. Now no matter which one he chooses, I won't feel as though I steered him in the wrong direction.
I called Southwestern Adventist University today and they don't offer DL sport/physical education programs at the undergraduate level so I had to strike this off of my coworker's list.
Ussa Hi everyone. Considering to study Sport's Managment at USSA. I have a few questions: 1) What does the degree actually give me when I finish? Is it an obligatory thing to have if you want to work in this field? 2) How long does it take to finish the degree? and how much does it cost? 3) If I take a certification course, am I certified to work everywhere? 4) What reputation does this scholl have in the sport's field? Thankyou!
The only thing any school can promise you upon graduation is a diploma. I would recommend finding a few companies that do whatever it is you're interested in doing and look at their job postings. See what sort of degree they want and if they also require or prefer certifications. Now you're just getting lazy. I found this in less than a second with the Google. Certifications are not licenses. Licenses are awarded by government, or government recognized, bodies. Without a license working in a licensed profession is typically a crime. Certifications, on the other hand, are awarded by private entities. Their acceptance by the industry they serve can vary greatly. I have the SPHR certification which is widely accepted in the HR world. Microsoft Certifications are generally accepted in the specific IT disciplines they serve. Some people get confused because some licensed professions use the word "Certified" as in "Certified Public Accountant." However, CPA is a license. USSA offers certifications which confer no special authority or privilege that an un-certified person would not be entitled to. I mean that in a legal sense not a job industry sense. If a person says they are an SPHR and they aren't well, they're liars and someone might not hire them. But if you say you're a Registered Nutritionist (in NYS) and you don't have a license from the state you can be charged with a crime. Big difference. In the State of New York, an "Athlete Agent" is a licensed profession for those who are securing student-athlete contracts. USSA might have a relevant certification to someone in that role but they cannot license you. Only the state can. I would recommend going on a sports management forum and asking this question. Alternatively, you can search LinkedIn by the job title you're looking for and add a school filter for USSA. See how many people come up. If you find that the bulk of USSA graduates work at Foot Locker then I think that tells you something (I doubt this is the case). If 99% of sports agents have degrees or certifications from USSA (I doubt this is the case) then that tells you something else.
A sports management degree is a business degree geared specifically towards . . . . . . . . . c'mon you know the answer, right. There are lots of types of jobs in sports organizations, everything from health clubs to professional sports teams. What will the degree get you? No guarantees of anything but you might become a manager at Planet Fitness or something like that. As with everything it's got to do with experience and connections too.
Two coaches that used to work within the athletic dept at U of Chicago received their degrees from USSA.
Here, let me do one of those anecdotal range things just to further illustrate the point. Here's a graduate who is a volleyball instructor at a health club. Here's a doctoral grad who teaches at Liberty (note: His BS and MS are also from Liberty so this may have been a position he was able to land without the doctorate. But these anecdotes are largely useless anyway so let's run with it). I also found about a half dozen people who worked in call centers, schools (as phys ed and other sorts of teachers), a police lieutenant, tons of trainers and a bunch of people who own various companies that could be gyms, personal training companies or startup sports management companies. Success is a spectrum. If you are going to sit at home and cry in the bathtub unless you get to be Jerry Maguire then that might not be so apparent. If you're one of those people who loves sports and loves fitness and would work as a towel boy/girl (technician?) if you had to just so you could work "in that world" then you are going to measure success very differently. I'm positive that the earnings of a UChicago Coach are higher than a vollyball instructor in NYC. However, the latter can probably find a new job very easily while the former would have a harder time of it. The latter may also be perfectly happy while the former gets through the day on hookers and coke. USSA is a fine school. It's accredited. Its graduates seem to span the fitness spectrum. You can absolutely "make it" with a degree from USSA. It appears you can also "make it" without one. If a school does guarantee you a job then it is either a fraud or a nursing school.
Also, we all know there are universities that are giant sports machines. Names like Tar Heels, Gators, Longhorns are famous across the country. Those coaches pull big salaries but there's also lots of money generated in general. The coach doesn't deal with that sort of stuff, there are people behind the scenes "managing the business" and those business, even in D2 or D3 schools hire people for that purpose. Can you get that job just with a degree? Depending on your past experience, etc. the answer is definitely maybe. It's the same with pro sports.
