A woman speaking at the front of a classroom. Behind her is a screen that says \"VCU Center for Sport Leadership\"
In the 2023 SportBusiness Postgraduate Course Rankings, the Center for Sport Leadership is ranked first in North America in career advancement and seventh in the world in graduate satisfaction. (Contributed photo)

Oct. 11, 2023

VCU’s Center for Sport Leadership ranked in top 10 worldwide

2023 is the eighth straight year the graduate program has been cited by the publication SportBusiness.

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By Greg Burton
Center for Sport Leadership

The Center for Sport Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University is ranked ninth worldwide and eighth in North America in the 2023 SportBusiness Postgraduate Course Rankings. It is the eighth consecutive year the center has been included in the data and analytics publication’s top 15 sport management programs globally.

“We are honored to be named among the best sport management programs in the world,” said Carrie LeCrom, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Sport Leadership. “This is validation of our commitment to students and alumni. We remain dedicated to creating an impactful learning experience during their time on campus. It is equally important we stay engaged and support them beyond graduation as they advance in their careers.”

The center is ranked first in North America in career advancement and seventh in the world in graduate satisfaction.

This is the 12th year SportBusiness has ranked programs worldwide, and the publication received a record number of entries for consideration. Rankings are based on factors including graduates employed within three months of graduation, work placement, male/female ratio, domestic/international student ratio and average salary after three years of graduation. There is also a student satisfaction component, which is based on surveying a program’s alumni from a designated year.

The Center for Sport Leadership at VCU was established in 1999 to offer an innovative, practical learning environment that would prepare students for careers in the sport industry. Modeled after the Brandcenter, VCU's nationally ranked graduate advertising program, the Center for Sport Leadership launched as a nontraditional graduate program that focuses on experiential learning through hands-on experiences and networking opportunities.

In 2018, the Center for Sport Leadership joined VCU’s School of Business, strengthening its commitment to teaching the business of sport. The center has more than 750 alumni working in all areas of the sport industry, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, USGA and more than 50 Division 1 college athletic departments across the country.