The sports leadership specialization curriculum provides professional preparation for management and leadership positions with professional sports teams, intercollegiate and intramural athletics and recreation programs at secondary and post-secondary institutions, colleges and universities and amateur athletic organizations.
Offered as a specialization within the EdD/PhD program in leadership, the sports leadership specialization provides profession preparation for careers in private and public health and fitness clubs, corporate fitness and wellness programs, sports stadiums and arenas, and the sports marketing, management and communications firms that service the larger marketplace.
The specialization in sports leadership is designed to equip students with the ability to:
In addition to the overall objectives of the Leadership department and its programs, students will acquire the following knowledge, skills, and competencies in the Leadership program’s specialization sports leadership:
Students who successfully complete this degree program will:
The doctoral degree specialization in Sport Leadership provides working professionals and sports enthusiasts the opportunity to achieve both personal and professional goals in today’s growing sports industry. Doctoral degree candidates typically pursue careers or attain academic credentials with the objective of working in a sports or educational environment in an administrative/leadership role.
Total program semester hours (60 hours)
Pick four:
Choose one:
For the EdD, Practitioner Track (10 hours)
For the PhD, Researcher Track (16 hours)
The analysis of the methodological and statistical components of existing research data to enhance and facilitate the educational decision making process. Particular attention is given to applications regarding issues of educational policy.
This course introduces students to survey and instrument development including issues related to operationalizing variables, survey construction, sampling, coding, analysis, and evaluating the reliability and validity of survey research methods.
Principles and application of action research planning, implementation and reflection in educational environments. Exploration of collaborative, participatory and individual approaches to action research methods that can be utilized to improve schools and/or organizations.
An introduction to quantitative analysis of data. Statistical software will be used to explore descriptive and inferential statistics using both non-parametric and parametric techniques.
This course explores the theory, design, and application of mixed methods research.
An introduction to advanced statistical concepts including multivariate analysis, linear models, hierarchical linear models, factor analysis and data management. Students will use statistical software packages and will learn to write basic syntax for custom analysis.
This course will prepare students to utilize naturalistic inquiry in their own research, most immediately, the dissertation experience. Students will be able to reflect on choices of inquiry paradigms, the goodness of fit between the problem and the approach chosen to explore it, the selection of appropriate instruments, and the role of the writer in the presentation of findings.