The sport industry, ranked one of the twenty largest industries in the United States, provides a wealth of opportunities for students aspiring towards business careers in the sport world. Alvernia’s Sport Management degree provides students with knowledge and skills needed to excel in the $350 billion sport industry. This interdisciplinary and comprehensive program provides students with specific competencies in management, marketing, communication, law, finance and accounting, economics, ethics, and computer literacy as they relate to sport. In addition, the program provides critical thinking, writing, and problem solving skills that are essential ingredients to success in today ’s workplaces.

Major

Business Core: 30 credits
BUS 101, 200, 206; BUS 207, 248, 249, 342, 410, 426 and CIS/BUS 311.

Mathematics: 4 credits
In addition to meeting the liberal arts core requirement in math, students must complete: MAT 208 or 209.

Sport Management Core:
28 credits
BUS 308, 310; COM 103, 131, 132, 240; SM 110, 210, 310, 410; SM 325, PSY 440 or SM 440; and SM 441/BUS 441 or BUS 438.

Minor: 19 credits
COM 131, 132; BUS 206; SM 110, 210, 310, 325.
Students completing this minor are strongly advised to take BUS 101.

Course Descriptions

SM 110 (3 credits)
Introduction to Sport Management
Intro course presents business principles and procedures as applied to physical education, intramural and recreational sports programs, and school and professional sports programs.

SM 210 (3 credits)
Sports in American Society
Explores pervasive appeal of sports in American society. Interrelationships among sport, behavior, culture, and social institutions of business, religion, politics, education and family will be examined. Prerequisite: SM 110.

SM 310 (3 credits)
Facility Management and Operations
Examines planning, designing, financing, and selecting of sites for stadiums and arenas. Operational functions such as personnel, finance, security, concessions, seat distribution, event scheduling, equipment management and maintenance of facilities and equipment will be presented. Prerequisite: SM 110.

SM 325 (3 credits)
Sport Marketing and Promotions
This course explores the marketing process relative to sports in collegiate, recreational, commercial, and professional environments. Learning objectives incorporate writing marketing and business plans using market research techniques, prices, promotional developments and strategies, indentifying target markets, and advertising. Prerequisite: BUS 307.

SM 410 (3 credits)
Special Topics Seminar in Sport Management
Focuses on current issues in sports management field. Previously studied topics in business and sports manage topics in business and sport management courses will be integrated through in-depth case studies. Strategic planning and problem-solving are stressed. Prerequisite: SM 110, senior standing.

SM 440 (3 credits)
Sport Psychology
Studies the behavioral, affective and cognitive reactions to sport settings of both participants and fans. Theories and knowledge of psychology will be presented in the context of aplied, clinical, educational and experimental sport psychology. Focus is on how this specialty of psychology provides services to athletes and coaches based on psychological principles. Prerequisite: PSY 101. Cross-listed with PSY 440.

SM 441 6 credits
Cooperative Education in Sport Management
Supervised learning experience that integrates theoretical course work, career goals and objectives, and on-the-job work experience in the sports management field. Academic assignments supplement actual work experience. Prerequisite: Senior standing and a 2.75 GPA. Special consideration may be given to outstanding juniors. Students must have successfully completed 30 credits at Alvernia. Cross-listed with BUS 441.

Updated: August 7, 2007

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