I have a question for which would very much appreciate your feedback.
I am an international student who is working in a non related industry and have been accepted to Columbia and Georgetown’s Masters in Sports Management and wanted to know if someone would be able to help me with which program would be better.
While Columbia being in New York offers a huge sports market and networking opportunities, Washington DC is quite a large sports market as well and the program allows you to do two internships instead of one in Columbia. Which I feel would be important for someone in my situation with no background experience.
However, Columbia I feel may have larger international brand name and recognition that may help if I ever am looking for work outside of the States. My goal is to work in US and ideally for a major sports team or League office.
The programs other then the internship is quite similar so I am not sure which way to go. Better university ranking and international reputation in a big city or a more work experience inclined program in a relatively smaller ( and maybe less competitive?) market.
Would be great to hear from you and what your take on this is.
I would personally go with Georgetown; the second internship opportunity in the program is a pro for me, Prestige wise and reputation wise, they are both the same. DC offers you a wider range when you’re looking for sports management anyways. Sure, NYC is NYC but in DC, you have the options of possibly finding a job in Virginia, DC, Maryland or further.
Cost? Check the number of courses offered, faculty list, and internship partners. Email them for the latter if not published. Are there any organizations that you really want to intern with? Maybe only one school partners with them. Email the school to ask how many slots are available for that organization. How long is the internship? One longer internship with a more desired org might be enough. Where are the HQs of the organizations you want to target? Do any faculty stand out as exceptional? Things to think about.
There is no bad choice here. If you prefer one school over the other and the cost is equal, go there. Personally, I’d choose Columbia. First its NYC location is great for your field. NYC a huge major league sports town with 2 baseball, 2 football, 2 hockey and 3 basketball teams in or nearby plus I believe that the headquarters for the NBA, NHL, NFL MLB are all in NYC. Also, from what I gather fall of the “Ivy League” schools are all pretty much revered abroad which would be a plus if you ever choose to move back to your home country.