he Master of Science in Sport and Entertainment Management (MSEM) is offered by Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s School of Economics and Management (SEM), a joint degree with the University of South Carolina (USC). Identified as the first master’s degree in sport and entertainment management in Qatar and one of a few in the MENA region, the program trains and prepares students for management and leadership roles in the sports and entertainment industries.

In 2025, HBKU’s MSEM program was ranked 7th worldwide and 1st in the Middle East & Africa by Sport Business International. This program is also supported by the UNESCO Chair on Governance and Social Responsibility in Sport, which currently operates under a joint leadership arrangement between UCLan Cyprus and the College of Science and Engineering at HBKU.

The MSEM aims to support Qatar’s objectives by qualifying professionals with a variety of skills and experiences covering the legal, financial, as well as operational, and management aspects of the sport and entertainment industries. Graduates of the program could pursue a variety of career paths in the private and public sport sectors, including sponsorship, marketing, event management, facility management, TV broadcasting, and academia and research.

Requirements

Minimum hours required to complete program 36 CH

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Core Courses
HRSM 700	Quantitative Methods in Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management	3
HRSM 788	Business Analytics in Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management	3
LAW 760	Sports Law	3
SPTE 640	Venue Management: Principles and Practices	3
SPTE 701	Management in the Sport and Entertainment Industry	3
SPTE 760	Principles of Sport and Entertainment Marketing	3
SPTE 790	Sport and Entertainment Finance	3
Subtotal		21
Elective Courses
Select three of the following:		9
Optional: students may take electives from outside of Sport and Entertainment Management
HRSM 650	Field Project in Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management
SPTE 590	Special Topics in Sport and Entertainment
SPTE 612	Sport Governance
SPTE 670	Special Topics in Global Sport
SPTE 736	Sport Event Entrepreneurship
SPTE 777	Sport and Events Logistics
SPTE 781	Seminar on the Olympic Games
SPTE 798	Directed Study in Sport and Entertainment Management
Subtotal		9
Thesis or Two Electives
Select one of the following:		6
SPTE 799	Thesis Preparation
Or
Elective 4
Elective 5
Subtotal		6
Non-Course Requirements
699	Thesis Defense	0
Subtotal		0
Total Hours		36

Course Track

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
First Semester		Hours
SPTE 640	Venue Management: Principles and Practices	3
SPTE 701	Management in the Sport and Entertainment Industry	3
Elective 1		3
	Semester Hours	9
Second Semester
HRSM 788	Business Analytics in Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management	3
SPTE 760	Principles of Sport and Entertainment Marketing	3
Elective 2		3
	Semester Hours	9
Second Year
First Semester
LAW 760	Sports Law	3
HRSM 700	Quantitative Methods in Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management	3
Elective 3		3
	Semester Hours	9
Second Semester
SPTE 790	Sport and Entertainment Finance	3
Elective 4		3
Elective 5		3
	Semester Hours	9
	Total Hours	36

Thesis

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
First Semester		Hours
SPTE 640	Venue Management: Principles and Practices	3
SPTE 701	Management in the Sport and Entertainment Industry	3
Elective 1		3
	Semester Hours	9
Second Semester
HRSM 788	Business Analytics in Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management	3
SPTE 760	Principles of Sport and Entertainment Marketing	3
Elective 2		3
	Semester Hours	9
Second Year
First Semester
LAW 760	Sports Law	3
HRSM 700	Quantitative Methods in Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management	3
SPTE 799	Thesis Preparation	3
	Semester Hours	9
Second Semester
SPTE 790	Sport and Entertainment Finance	3
SPTE 799	Thesis Preparation	3
Elective 3		3
	Semester Hours	9
	Total Hours	36