The University of Windsor's Master of Sport Management and Leaderships (MSML) program has once again been ranked number one in Canada, according to the 2025 SportBusiness Postgraduate Course Rankings.
For Jess Dixon, professor and department head in Kinesiology, the recognition validates the hard work that goes into not only the delivery of curriculum but in attracting and retaining the best possible students.
"It makes me proud to be a graduate of the program and to see that the students graduating now, almost 25 years later, are still having a really positive experience," said Dr. Dixon.
In addition to its top standing in Canada, the graduate program came in at 21st in North America and 30th in the world.
"This is a testament to the instructors and researchers that we have in the program, coupled with the industry connections and real-world experiences that our students obtain," said Adriana Duquette, acting associate dean of research and graduate studies in Human Kinetics.
The SportBusiness report takes into consideration factors including quality of teaching and curriculum, access to industry and alumni networks, extracurriculars, return on investment and employability prospects.
In the 2025 rankings, which are based on surveying graduates and course leaders from 2022, UWindsor's MSML program received scores of 96 per cent and 92 per cent on professional mentorship and diversity, equity and inclusion, respectively.
Dixon credits these scores in part to a recent re-boot of the program's curriculum, which provides a more balanced perspective regarding the historical and sociocultural aspects of sport and the sport industry, complementing the already strong management foundation that students receive.
"The name of our degree is sport management and leadership," he emphasized.
Quality of curriculum and faculty, skills applicability and industry network each received a score of 88 per cent.
"We don't hire anybody in the department without them being strong teachers as well as strong researchers," explained Dixon.
Small class sizes and low faculty-to-student ratios also mean that students can access one-on-one mentorship and support both in the classroom and through the program's internship component.
"It is wonderful to see our MSML graduates thriving as leaders in various sectors of the sport industry," said Duquette.
"We're making a difference in the sport industry by graduating people who are career-ready," added Dixon.
Since SportBusiness first released its annual rankings in 2012, the MSML program has taken the top spot in Canada 11 times and consistently ranks amongst the top 30 programs globally.
SportBusiness is a global consulting and analysis firm, publishing the leading trade publication in the field. Its annual postgraduate course rankings are aimed at students considering various postgraduate sports business programs.
