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

Description of Program

The doctoral sport management program at Indiana University was founded in response to a growing demand for researchers and professors in sport management. This doctoral program has produced several scholars who are professors at universities across the United States and around the world from South Korea to Australia. The Ph.D. program is focused on developing in doctoral students the research, critical thinking, and teaching skills necessary for them to be successful in academia. Students in the doctoral program are generally interested in pursuing professorial or administrative careers in the academic field of sport management. The coursework in the Ph.D. program provides an interdisciplinary approach to the study of sport management intended to build upon the each student’s interest and thorough foundation in sport. Through elective coursework and doctoral seminars taught by graduate sport management faculty members, the program allows flexibility for students to explore a wide variety of opportunities and interests within the field of sport management (i.e., business, communication, history). Admission into the program is highly competitive, and courses are research intensive. For more information about this program, please visit the program Webpage or contact the sport management graduate coordinator, Dr. Antonio Williams, at aw22@indiana.edu or the director of the sport management undergraduate and graduate programs, Dr. Paul Pedersen, at ppederse@indiana.edu.

Degree Requirements

Course requirements for this degree are prescribed by an advisory committee for each individual student. Degree requirements include:

• A minimum of 90 credits beyond the bachelor’s degree are required.
• A minimum 3.0 GPA is required for graduation.
• A minimum grade of C is required in each course used to satisfy the major, minor, and elective requirements of the course prescription.
• A minimum grade of B is required in each course used to satisfy the research skills requirement of the course prescription.

The following courses or their equivalents must be completed, either as prerequisites, or as required courses by all Ph.D. students in the School of Public Health - Bloomington.

• SPH-E 651 Epidemiology (3 cr.) This course may be counted toward the 90 credits for the degree as a course in the major, minor, or electives, as described below.
• SPH-Q 501 Introduction to Statistics in Public Health (3 cr.) This course or its equivalent may not be counted toward the 90 credits for the degree.
• SPH-X 505 Principles and Foundations of Public Health (3 cr.) This course may be counted toward the 90 credits for the degree as a course in the major, minor, or electives, as described below. Students who have previously completed an MPH degree from an accredited school of public health or accredited public health program are exempt from this requirement. Students who are completing requirements for an MPH degree concurrent with the doctoral degree are also exempt.
• SPH-X 590 Introduction to Research in Health, Kinesiology and Recreation (3 cr.) This course may be counted toward the 90 credits for the degree as a course in the major, minor, or electives, upon approval of the committee.

The 90 required credits are arranged as follows on a Ph.D. student's course prescription:

• Research Skills (9 credits minimum). A minimum of 9 credits of coursework providing required skills to conduct research, such as advanced courses in biostatistics. These credits count toward the 90 credits for the degree. Courses counted in this area require a minimum grade of B.
• Major Area of Study (30 credits minimum). A minimum of 30 credits in the major area of study. These courses must be taken within the School of Public Health-Bloomington. Courses transferred from previous graduate work outside the School of Public Health-Bloomington, if within the major area of study, can be used to fulfill the major areas of study requirement, contingent upon the committee’s approval.
• Minor Area of Study (9 credits minimum). A minimum of 9 credits of coursework in a designated area outside the department in which the major is being pursued.
• Electives (0 to 28 credits). Elective credits may range between 0 and 28. An optional second minor may be included in the elective credit hours.
• Dissertation (20 – 30 credits)

Special Opportunities

Doctoral students are selected to work on a myriad of ongoing research projects at the discretion of their program advisors. The doctoral students in the sport management program have a wide variety of interests and backgrounds (click on the "doctoral students" link to read more about the current students).

Careers

The Ph.D. in Sport Management prepares students for research and teaching careers in academia. Please click on this link to learn more about alumni of the program.