Sports and recreation management is a career field concerned with the business aspects of sports and recreation preparing persons for several aspects of sports management, from operations to facilities management, finance, marketing and more.
The program prepares persons to enter or progress in positions within several sectors of the sports industry, including professional organizations, college athletics and recreational or commercial facilities.
The major is designed to prepare students for careers and advanced study in the field of sports (broadly interpreted), and the manufacturing and marketing of sports equipment and services, as well as the field of recreational and leisure. Students will master event operations, marketing, management, and communication as each pertains to the sports industry.
Students can choose from the following class formats:
Accelerated Bachelor’s Degree Completion courses are $475 per semester hour. Most courses are worth three credits. Thirty-five credits are required to complete the major coursework. Payment is due at the start of each term. Financial aid is available.
Applicants who meet the admission requirements and who have earned at least 30 semester hours of college credit (including at least one English composition course with a grade of C or better) are eligible to be admitted to the accelerated bachelor's degree completion program and the organizational management major.
You may receive transfer credit for up to 67 lower division credits from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants who meet the admission criteria but have earned 0-29 semester hours of credit, or who have not completed at least one college-level English, may be admitted to the university in pre-major status.
Prospective students who complete a composition course or the equivalent may be admitted to the University with pre-major status. Applicants admitted with pre-major status may enroll in accelerated courses at Concordia to meet deficiencies until they have earned the minimum requirements for admission to the program and the organizational management major. Applicants admitted with pre-major status are eligible to apply for financial assistance.
Students entering the Accelerated Degree Program for Adults can earn up to a maximum of 32 semester hours of credit from such sources as workshops, seminars, corporate training programs, military service or other experiences.
Documentation that the student presents, demonstrating college-level learning acquired from these sources, is evaluated and may result in credit hours being awarded.
The major curriculum consists of 11 courses and a senior project. Only one course is taken at a time, while each student progresses with the same group of students, or cohort, throughout the program.
A student entering this degree program can earn up to 32 semester hours from sources such as workshops, seminars, self-study, training programs or work experience. Prior college-level learning acquired from these sources is evaluated and may result in credit hours being awarded.
Overview of the primary principles and practices, theories and concepts of sports and recreation administration and program development.
Introduces critical concepts and challenges involving legal and ethical issues in sports and recreation industry. An exploration and examination of the various roles of regulation, compliance, government intervention, liability, contracts and antitrust issues and their ethical responsibilities and ramifications.
Introductory consideration of facilities and events management issues such as event scheduling, finance and profitability, personnel and equipment oversight as well as liability and risk management concerns in sports and recreation settings.
Problem specification, literature review, and problem-solving processes.
Solution to the problem, selection of evaluation method, and presentation of evaluation results.
Recommendations based on problem identification and evaluation of solution; formal presentation of project, reflection on research process and explanation of learning from research.
Overview of statistics. Measurement objectives for research projects, normal curve, confidence intervals. Data definition, testing hypothesis. Data collection, Chi-Square test. Research project evaluation plan. Survey construction for the research project. Data finalization and project evaluation process.
Dimensions of management, management process and skills, strategic planning, leadership styles and impact on subordinates, teamwork and work force diversity, communication of values, negotiations with employees and impact on productivity. Total Quality Management and Management by Objectives.
Financial tools for managers in decision-making: financial statements, bookkeeping process, financial statement analysis, statement of cash flow, internal cost concepts, present value concepts, budgeting.
Basic marketing theory and terminology. Analyze real-world cases exploring domestic and international marketing opportunities and problems. Identify and evaluate critical marketing data.
Topics discussed from a Christian perspective include: nature of ethics and meaning of being ethical; ethical problems in organizations; environmental change and ethical considerations; moral reasoning, personal values, and decision making; alternate modes of moral reasoning; ethical issues between individuals and organizations; and principled leadership
For a listing of General Education and elective courses, please consult the Undergraduate Catalog at www.CUChicago.edu/catalogs.
Career opportunities range from working within a sports team or organization, YMCA's, to working in sports media or sports law, managing recreational programs or managing a fitness center. Professional sports clubs and teams hire people who are already trained in producing sports revenue and who have marketing skills that are specific to ticketing, sponsorships, event planning, and marketing. This degree will provide you with a skill set and the competitive edge to distinguish yourself in the sports business field.
*Some occupations will require additional training, certification and/or education