Overview
Dr. Todd Harrison, Chair
Due to the generalist nature of the sport industry, being a successful sport manager requires dexterity. From navigating changing consumer demands, to understanding how new technological developments influence business decisions, to the impact evolving communication channels have on organizational messaging, sport industry professionals must be able to react to, and synthesize, material across industry units. The mission and purpose of the M.S. in Sport Management program is to train and educate the next generation of sport managers to meet the demands of the sport industry by engaging them in immersive practical experiences while they are being challenged by a rigorous online curriculum.
We will accomplish that by marrying daily student experiential learning with classroom education to deliver a degree that prepares graduates to exceed the expectations of sport managers across industry segments and organizational departments. Students who are part of our program will have the opportunity to work in a segment of the sport industry while they are enrolled in our online classes. Additionally, some courses in our program will be taught by sport industry professionals who can bring to life the lessons they have learned and focus on bridging the gap between sport management education and industry practice.
As a $500 billion dollar industry worldwide, the sport industry is highly fragmented and ever-evolving. Growth sectors include eSports, women’s sports, and participatory sports but the interconnection of technology within the consumer experience and infusion of data into all organizational decisions have increased the demands on sport industry professionals to keep up with the maturation of the field. Marrying the online delivery of our course material with the expanded experiential opportunities afforded our students, our program meets the competency gap while readying our graduates for the challenges currently facing sport managers as well as those lurking around the next corner of the industry’s evolution.