Post job

Sports official education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Usually, sports officials don't need a college education. The most common degree for sports officials is bachelor's degree with 68% graduates, with only 13% sports official graduates earning associate degree. Sports officials who decided to graduate from college often finish Florida State University or Texas A&M; University. Some good skills to have in this position include cpr, intramural sports and conflict resolution.

What education do you need to become a sports official?

What degree do you need to be a sports official?

The most common degree for sports officials is bachelor's degree, with 68% of sports officials earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Associate, 13%
  • High School Diploma, 12%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a sports official?

You should major in business to become a sports official. 19% of sports officials major in business. Other common majors for a sports official include kinesiology and criminal justice.

Best majors for sports officials

RankMajorPercentages
1Business19.3%
2Kinesiology14.1%
3Criminal Justice8.9%
4Communication6.5%
5Psychology6.3%

20 best online courses for sports officials

Advertising disclosure

1. Sports Performance Analytics

coursera

Sports analytics has emerged as a field of research with increasing popularity propelled, in part, by the real-world success illustrated by the best-selling book and motion picture, Moneyball. Analysis of team and player performance data has continued to revolutionize the sports industry on the field, court, and ice as well as in living rooms among fantasy sports players and online sports gambling.\n\nDrawing from real data sets in Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball...

2. Football: More than a Game

coursera

Explore the world of football (soccer), the money, the rivalries, the trends, the past, the present, the men’s game, the women's game and the real issues. Whether you love it, hate it or try to ignore it – join us as we go behind the scenes to examine why football is more than just a game. From street soccer to multi-million dollar transfers, from the men’s game to the women’s, from the global to the local, from the beaches of Brazil to the fight against poverty this online course looks beyond...

3. Welcome To Game Design - Introduction to Game Design Theory

udemy
4.1
(314)

Digital, Board Games and Gamification: find your ideal Game Role in the Game Industry while learning about all areas...

4. Unity C# Mobile Game Development: Make 3 Games From Scratch

udemy
4.5
(1,760)

Make and publish mobile games & apps for Android Play Store & i OS App Store using Unity and C#...

5. Unity Android Game Development: Build 10 2D & 3D Games

udemy
4.3
(1,679)

Unity Game Development & Design, Learn Unity Android Game Development with C# & Unity ( Updated Unity 2023 )...

6. The Ultimate Guide to Game Development with Unity (Official)

udemy
4.5
(18,956)

Created in partnership with Unity Technologies: learn C# by developing 2D & 3D games with this comprehensive guide...

7. All About Gaming Industry Careers & Game Design Fundamentals

udemy
4.6
(605)

2 courses in 1. Explore Career Paths in the Gaming Industry and the Fundamentals of Game Design...

8. Game Writing: Storytelling through Video Game Design

udemy
4
(1,143)

Write and design your own games; develop ideas, character and plot to create a compelling storyworld. (Made with Unity)...

9. Sport Psychology for Athletes

udemy
4.7
(297)

Master the fundamentals of sport psychology to improve performance and gain a mental edge...

10. Unity Game Development: Make Professional 3D Games

udemy
4.4
(1,230)

Learn To Code In C# And How To Create Stunning 3D Games In Unity Game Engine...

11. Harness the Power of Play: The 5 steps of Game Design

udemy
4
(336)

Learn how Game Design and Gamification methods are used to change human behavior. The Game Beyond...

12. Unity Game Development: Create 2D And 3D Games With C#

udemy
4.6
(1,409)

Master The Fundamentals Of Game Development And Learn How To Create 2D And 3D Games With Unity Game Engine...

13. Roblox Lua Game Development For Beginners: Make Roblox Games

udemy
4.4
(529)

Roblox Lua Game Development Course For Beginners, Learn how to make your own Roblox Games! For aspiring Roblox Game Devs...

14. Create an Arcade Style Game in Roblox

udemy
4.8
(658)

Roblox Game Development...

15. The Psychology of Games - Secrets of Good Game Design

udemy
4.4
(769)

Programming alone is not enough to fascinate the players of your video game - Learn the methods!...

16. JavaScript Game Development: Create Your Own Breakout Game

udemy
4.2
(1,046)

Take your Java Script learning experience to the next level and start building interactive games...

17. Unity Game Development Build 2D & 3D Games

udemy
4.5
(5,406)

Learn Unity game design & 2D & 3D game development & make your own C# games in Unity 3D...

18. Introductory Sport Psychology

udemy
4.5
(325)

Developing sport psychology skills that you can use when you train, compete or coach...

19. Roblox Programming and Game Creation

udemy
4.6
(636)

Learn Roblox game creation step-by-step...

20. The Complete Unity 5 Guide: Unity Game Development Made Easy

udemy
4.3
(275)

Build Your Dream Unity Game; Learn Game Design, Game Development, C#, and Build Complete 2D & 3D Games with Unity Engine...

Average sports official salary by education level

Sports officials with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $39,148 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, sports officials earn a median annual income of $39,025 compared to $35,679 for sports officials with an Associate degree.
Sports official education levelSports official salary
Master's Degree$39,148
High School Diploma or Less$34,788
Bachelor's Degree$39,025
Some College/ Associate Degree$35,679

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs