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

Description of Program

Athletic administration and sport management involves applying marketing and communication concepts as well as the management principles of planning, organizing, leading, and directing to the unique industry of commercial sport. Emphasis is placed on the production, facilitation, promotion, and organization of sport products and services. Because the $213 billion sport industry demands sport communicators, marketers, administrators, and managers with a specialized combination of functional business and sport management skills, the athletic administration and sport management program at IU is intended to serve students who have a desire to be involved in any aspect of the commercial sport-related enterprise.

Click on this link to learn more about the M.S. in Athletic Administration/Sport Management at Indiana University. For more information about this program, please visit the program Webpage or contact the sport management Master's degree coordinator, Dr. Kevin Byon at kbyon [at] indiana [dot] edu, or the director of the sport management undergraduate and graduate programs, Dr. Paul M. Pedersen at ppederse [at] indiana [dot] edu.

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 36 credit hours is required for this program. The Master of Science in Kinesiology degree must include a minimum of 20 credits from the Department of Kinesiology. A minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) is required for graduation. A minimum grade of C– is required in each course. All electives for completing the degree must be approved by the advisor.

Foundation Courses (12 cr.)
Complete the following three courses (9 cr.):

• SPH-K 550 Special Topics in Kinesiology: Topic: Research and Data Analysis in Sport Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-K 550 Special Topics in Kinesiology: Topic: Sport Strategy and Application (Culminating Experience) (3 cr.)
• SPH-X 505 Principles and Foundations of Public Health (3 cr.)

Complete one of the following courses (3 cr.):

• SPH-M 513 Sport and Higher Education (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 522 The Role of Sport in Society (3 cr.)

Sport Management Emphasis Courses (24 cr.)
Complete a minimum of 24 credits from the six sections below. At least one course must be taken from each of the six sections.

Section 1: Administration

• SPH-M 510 Administrative Theory in Competitive Sports Programs (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 512 Issues in Commercial Sports (3 cr.)
• SPH-K 515 (Formerly: SPH-K 550) Principles of Management in the Sport Industry (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 611 NCAA Compliance (3 cr.)

Section 2: Marketing

• SPH-K 550 Special Topics in Kinesiology: Topic: Sport Brand Management (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 514 Sport Marketing and Sponsorship (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 581 Sales and Service Management in Sport (3 cr.)

Section 3: Communication

• SPH-C 580 Sport Communications (3 cr.)
• SPH-C 586 Understanding Sport Media (3 cr.)

Section 4: Law

• SPH-M 511 Legal Issues in the Sport Environment (3 cr.)

Section 5: Strategy

• SPH-M 516 The Sport Industry (3 cr.)
• SPH-M 518 Governance in Sport Management (3 cr.)

Section 6: Financial Analysis

• SPH-M 615 Financial Analysis in Sport (3 cr.)
• SPH-X 561 Finance and Budgeting (3 cr.)

Electives:
Electives must be chosen in consultation with the student's major advisor. Students have access to graduate courses within the School of Public Health-Bloomington and outside the School.

Special Opportunities

Faculty members share industry expertise and research opportunities with the students. In order to gain professional or research experience, many students complete SPH-K 605: Internships in Sports Management or SPH-K 693: Independent Study and Research (maximum of 3 credits), respectively. SPH-K 605, however, does not count toward the 36 credits required for graduation.

Careers

Majors in athletic administration and sport management are prepared to enter the many areas of the multifaceted sport industry. These areas include careers in sport media and sports information (i.e., media relations, public relations, new media management, advertising sales), professional sport management (i.e., promotions, concessions, ticketing, operations, human resource management), event and facility management and marketing, collegiate and interscholastic athletic administration (i.e., compliance, fundraising, academic counseling, facilities), and marketing and sales (i.e., sponsorship, sport marketing agencies, promotions, entrepreneurship, brand management, retailing).