• Description of Program
• Admission
• Degree Requirements
• Special Opportunities
• Careers

Description of Program

The IU Sport Marketing and Management Program, which began in 1985, is recognized as one of the top programs of its kind in the United States. Students from across the country seek to gain admission to this competitive program. The major uses an interdisciplinary approach that includes foundation courses in both sport and business. In addition to completing a broad core of professional sport courses (in law, marketing, management, psychology, and finance), students complete a minimum of 24 credit hours of course work from the Kelley School of Business, completing the minor and/or the Business Foundations Certificate. Students gain strong preparation and skills in marketing, media relations, event planning/management, public relations, computers, and business organizational structures.

Admission

Apply online for undergraduate admission to Indiana University at http://admit.indiana.edu/.

A newly admitted freshman pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree with a major in sport marketing and management will receive an offer of direct freshman admission to the sport marketing and management program if he or she meets both of the following criteria:

• The applicant must have earned one of the following minimum standardized test scores: A combined critical reading and math score of 1270 on the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or a composite score of 29 on the ACT (American College Test).
• The applicant must have either graduated in the top 12 percent of his or her high school graduating class or earned a minimum high school GPA of 3.5.

Before entering the School of Public Health - Bloomington as a sport marketing and management major, all other students must complete an application process. Admission to the Sport Marketing and Management Program is currently limited to between 40 and 60 students per year. A student seeking entrance into the program is eligible for consideration under the following conditions:

• Completion of 40 credit hours of college course work that counts toward graduation. This course work may be completed at Indiana University or at another accredited institution offering comparable course work. The applicant must be in good academic standing.
• Successful completion of the following five prerequisite courses:
  • BUS-A 201 Financial Accounting (P: A 100) or BUS-A 202 Managerial Accounting (P: A 100)
  • BUS-L 201 Legal Environment of Business (P: Sophomore standing)
  • ECON-E 201 Microeconomics or ECON-E 202 Macroeconomics
  • SPH-M 211 Introduction to Sport Management
  • MATH-D 116 & 117 Finite Math or MATH-M 118 Finite Math or MATH-M 119 Calculus
• Grades for all prerequisite course work must be posted on the student's transcript at the end of the semester of application. For purposes of admission, the average of the grades earned in the prerequisite courses will be used to compute the GPA. For repeated courses, the highest grade will be used in the computation of the prerequisite average GPA. Grades in transferred prerequisite courses will be included in the prerequisite GPA.
• Submission of an application by the required deadline. Undergraduates are admitted to the Sport Marketing and Management Program once each year. The application deadline for admission is December 1.  Students will be notified of admission status no later than February 15. The application process is completed online. The application may be found at https://www.indiana.edu/~hperweb/smmApplication/index.php.
• Participation in the Sport Marketing and Management Orientation Program. After receiving an offer of admission, students are required to attend an orientation program at a time specified in the offer. Failure to attend this orientation program may cause the offer of admission to be withdrawn.

Applications are reviewed on an individual basis. Admission will be based upon the applicant's GPA (both in prerequisite courses and cumulative GPA), but other factors may be considered, such as trend in grades, experience in sport activities, sport-related work or volunteer experience, and other relevant skills and experiences. Admission is competitive. Generally, students apply mid-sophomore year.

Students in the University Division should declare their intention to major in sport marketing and management to the University Division Records Office.

International applicants for admission to a second undergraduate degree program in the School of Public Health - Bloomington, whose primary language is not English, must satisfy one of the following criteria before being considered for admission directly into one the School's degree programs:

• submission of a minimum score on the Test Of English As a Foreign Language (TOEFL), of 550 on the paper-based test, or 213 on the computer-based test, or 80 on the Internet-based test.
• submission of a minimum score of 7 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
• proof of completing at least three full years of secondary school in a predominantly English speaking country. A current list of such countries can be found here.

For students from countries where the TOEFL and the IELTS are not available, other evidence of English proficiency may be considered.

All entering international students whose primary language is not English will be required to take a special examination in English with IU prior to registering. Prepared by IU and designed to test a student’s ability to use English in an academic setting, the exam consists of three parts: an essay on a general topic, a listening comprehension exercise, and a grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension section. There is little that one can do to prepare for this exam other than to continue using written and spoken English at every opportunity. Appropriate remedial English courses may be prescribed on the basis of the results of this test.

International students whose primary language is not English must agree to take any English language courses prescribed from the results of this examination. Fees for special part-time English courses are the same as for other courses; however, credits earned do not meet degree requirements. If the results of the proficiency examination indicate that full-time work in English is required, the student will be assigned to the Intensive English Program (IEP).  

Students enrolled in IEP do not take academic courses until they achieve adequate English proficiency. If a student has serious doubts about English ability and is not financially prepared to undertake the additional time and expense of an intensive English program here, the student should consider completing English study in the student’s home country. In addition, the student may consider delaying admission to a future session.

Degree Requirements

The four-year sport marketing and management program leads to the degree, Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, with course work taken in conjunction with the Kelly School of Business. Students admitted to this program are selected from a pool of applicants.  Admission to the program is limited. Graduation requirements include:

• completion of general education requirements.
• completion of sport marketing and management major requirements.
• a minimum of 120 successfully completed credit hours which count toward the degree program.
• a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
• a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA in a combination of ANAT-A 215 and courses with the following department code-prefixes: SPH-A, SPH-C, SPH-D, SPH-K, and SPH-M
• No Pass/Fail except for free electives.

General Education (20 – 39 credits)

All undergraduate students must complete the IU Bloomington campus-wide general education common ground requirements. Such students must visit the 2013-2014 General Education Bulletin to view these requirements.

Major (78 cr.)

Sport Marketing and Management Core Requirement (36 cr.)
Complete each of the following courses:

• SPH-K 450 Topic: Introduction to Kinesiology & Public Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 211 Introduction to Sport Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 318 Management of the Sport Enterprise (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 333 Sport in America: Historical Perspective (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 382 (Formerly: HPER-P 392) Sport in American Society (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 411 Legal Issues in Sport Settings (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 415 Sport Promotion and Public Relations (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 418 Sport Marketing (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 423 Financial Principles of Sport (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 426 Sales Management in Sport (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 428 Strategic Management in the Sport Industry (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 495 Practicum in Sport Studies (3 cr.) (2.3 cumulative GPA required) or SPH-M 497 Internship in Sport Management (3 cr.) (2.5 cumulative GPA required)

Sport Marketing and Management Professional Requirement (12 cr.)
Complete 12 credits from the following courses:

• SPH-K 405 Introduction to Sport Psychology (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 304 Sport Industry Studies (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 328 Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 404 Colloquium in Sport Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 425 Sport Governance in the Global Community (3 cr.)

Oral and Written Communication Requirement (6 cr.)
Complete 6 credits from the following courses:

• BUS-C 104 Business Presentations (3 cr.)
• BUS-C 204 Business Communications (3 cr.)
• CMCL-C 121 Public Speaking (3 cr.) +(A&H)
• CMCL-C 122 Interpersonal Communication (3 cr.) +(S&H)
• ENG-W 203 Creative Writing (3 cr.) (P: W 103)
• ENG-W 270 Argumentative Writing (3 cr.)
• ENG-W 280 Literary Editing and Publishing (3 cr.)
• INFO-I 202 Social Informatics (3 cr.)

Business Core Requirement (12 cr.)
Complete each of the following:

• BUS-A 201 Introduction to Financial Accounting (3 cr.) or BUS-A 202 Introduction to Managerial Accounting (3 cr.)
• BUS-K 201 The Computer in Business (3 cr.)
• BUS-L 201 Legal Environment of Business (3 cr.) +(S&H)
• ECON-E 201 Introduction to Microeconomics (3 cr.) +(S&H) or ECON-E 202 Introduction to Macroeconomics (3 cr.) +(S&H)

Business Electives (12 cr.)
Complete 12 credits from the following Business courses:

• BUS-F 300 Introduction to Financial Management (3 cr.)
• BUS-G 300 Introduction to Managerial Economics (3 cr.)
• BUS-M 300 Introduction to Marketing (3 cr.)
• BUS-P 300 Introduction to Operation Management (3 cr.)
• BUS-Z 302 Managing and Behavior in Organizations or BUS-J 306 Strategic Management and Leadership (3 cr.)

+ Courses followed by a A&H notation apply toward completion of both the major requirement and the general education, arts and humanities requirement.

+ Courses followed by a S&H notation apply toward completion of both the major requirement and the general education, social and historical studies requirement.

Suggested Courses for the First-Year Sport Marketing and Management Student
Fall Semester (16 cr.)
BUS-A 100 Basic Accounting Skills (1 cr.)
ENG-W 131 Elementary Composition 1 (3 cr.)
MATH-M 118 Finite Mathematics (3 cr.) or MATH-M 119 Brief Survey of Calculus (3 cr.)
SPH-K 450 Topic: Introduction to Kinesiology and Public Health (3 cr.)
SPH-M 211 Introduction to Sport Management (3 cr.)
Arts and Humanities Course (3 cr.)

Spring Semester (15 cr.)
ECON-E 201 Introduction to Microeconomics (3 cr.)
Arts and Humanities Course (3 cr.)
Natural and Mathematical Sciences Course (3 cr.)
Oral and Written Communication Requirement Course (3 cr.)
Free Elective Course (3 cr.)

Special Opportunities

Majors are required to complete a practicum or internship experience and most often complete several varied experiences prior to graduation. The Indiana University Sport Marketing Alliance (IUSMA) plays an active role in locating internships and employment opportunities for its members. The Kinesiology Career Services Office provides expert career advisement and services for students. Indiana provides many local opportunities for majors looking for internship study. Indianapolis is home to the Colts in Lucas Oil Stadium, the Pacers and Fever at Conseco Fieldhouse, motorsports at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, swimming and diving at the Natatorium, the Indianapolis Indians at Victory Field, the NCAA Headquarters, as well as four sport National Governing Bodies.

Careers

Employment opportunities are directed to the fields of professional sports, amateur sports, and intercollegiate sports, including facility operations, corporate sport marketing/public relations, media relations, and event marketing and management. In addition, students are prepared for careers in sports equipment sales and other positions that require good communication, marketing, and management skills. Indiana provides many local opportunities. Many students seek immediate admission to graduate programs in law or sports administration..