Program Overview

Sport Management BS

Overview

UMSL’s Bachelor of Science in Sport Management is an interdisciplinary, professional degree program that prepares students for a wide array of sport-related careers. The curriculum is balanced between educational-community athletics and the business aspects of sport. The coursework provides the knowledge, skills, and practical experiences needed to coordinate school, community, and non-profit sport programs as well as to work with collegiate and professional minor and major league sports teams in a variety of capacities. This foundation provides a springboard to further specialization within the student’s area of interest via a variety of electives, minors, field experiences, and internships.

General Education Requirements

Students must satisfy the university general education requirements. As part of meeting the university's general education requirements, the following courses prerequisite courses must be completed:

• COMM 1040: Introduction to Public Speaking (MOTR COMM 110) - 3 hours
• or EDUC 2222: Interpretation: Connecting Audiences and Meaning
• ECON 1001: Principles of Microeconomics (MOTR ECON 102) - 3 hours
• ENGL 1100: First-Year Writing (MOTR ENGL 200) - 3 hours
• MATH 1030: College Algebra (MOTR MATH 130) - 3 hours
• PSYCH 1003: General Psychology (MOTR PSYC 100) - 3 hours

There is no foreign language requirement for the degree.

Degree Requirements

Required Courses

• MGMT 3600: Management and Organizational Behavior - 3 hours
• MKTG 3700: Principles of Marketing - 3 hours
• SPMGT 1113: Introduction to Sport Management and Administration - 3 hours
• SPMGT 2200: Legal Issues in Sports - 3 hours
• SPMGT 3100: Ethics in Sports - 3 hours
• SPMGT 4113: Educational and Community Athletics - 3 hours
• SPMGT 4999: Sport Management Internship 2 - 6 hours

Electives

Choose five of the following courses:

• CNS ED 3200: Interpersonal Skills in Helping Relationships
• COMM 1150: Introduction to Public Relations
• COMM 2231: Communication in the Organization
• COMM 3370: Social Media in Public Relations
• ECON 3610: Economics of Sports, Gaming, and Gambling
• MEDIA ST 2210: Filming in the Wild
• MEDIA ST 2211: Introduction to Digital Multimedia Production
• MEDIA ST 2225: Live Events Media
• MGMT 3611: Advanced Management and Organizational Behavior
• MKTG 3720: Advertising and Promotion
• MKTG 3721: Introduction to Digital Marketing Strategies
• MKTG 3722: Introduction to Social Media Marketing
• MKTG 3765: Sports Marketing
• PHY ED 2134: Personal Physical Fitness
• PHY ED 2136: Facilities Management
• PSYCH 2400: Sports Psychology
• SPMGT 3500: Sport Leadership
• SPMGT 3731: Sports Media and Technology
• SPMGT 4990: Sport Management Field Experience 2

Total Hours: 39

Learning Outcomes

This program is planning for accreditation by the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA). Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:

• Apply an interdisciplinary foundation of management, sports, and marketing theories to a variety of sports management settings.
• Develop a marketing toolbox that integrates theories with the fundamental aspects of sports, sports products, consumer and market research, sponsorship, promotion, and media.
• Examine and explore the legal environments of amateur, collegiate, and professional sports programs with respect to state and federal legislation, liability, risk management, contracts, and collective bargaining.
• Demonstrate the ability to manage sports facilities to apply key concepts of planning, design, and evaluation of a sports program or sports-related event.
• Develop and refine leadership and communication skills necessary within a sports organization and team-oriented sports institutions.
• Recognize and evaluate ethical decision-making, balancing economic priorities and social responsibilities of sports organizations.
• Demonstrate socio-cultural commitment and responsibility in any given sports management environment.

Sample Four-Year Plan

First Year

• Fall:
  • COMM 1040: Introduction to Public Speaking - 3 hours
  • ENGL 1100: First-Year Writing - 3 hours
  • HIST 1001 or 1002 - 3 hours
  • INTDSC 1003 - 1 hour
  • MATH 1030: College Algebra - 3 hours
  • SPMGT 1113: Introduction to Sport Management and Administration - 3 hours
• Spring:
  • ECON 1001: Principles of Microeconomics - 3 hours
  • PSYCH 1003: General Psychology - 3 hours
  • CORE - Information Literacy - 3 hours
  • EXPLORE - Social Sciences - 3 hours
  • EXPLORE - Humanities and Fine Arts - 3 hours

Second Year

• Fall:
  • SPMGT 2200: Legal Issues in Sports - 3 hours
  • EXPLORE - Humanities and Fine Arts - 3 hours
  • EXPLORE - Humanities and Fine Arts - 3 hours
  • EXPLORE - Mathematics and Life/Natural Sciences - 3 hours
  • EXPLORE - Mathematics and Life/Natural Sciences - 3 hours
• Spring:
  • SPMGT 3100: Ethics in Sports - 3 hours
  • SPMGT 4999: Sport Management Internship 2 - 3 hours
  • Sport Management Program Elective - 3 hours
  • Sport Management Program Elective - 3 hours
  • EXPLORE - Mathematics and Life/Natural Sciences - 3 hours

Third Year

• Fall:
  • ENGL 3100 - 3 hours
  • MGMT 3600: Management and Organizational Behavior - 3 hours
  • MKTG 3700: Principles of Marketing - 3 hours
  • Sport Management Program Elective - 3 hours
  • Sport Management Program Elective - 3 hours
• Spring:
  • SPMGT 4113: Educational and Community Athletics - 3 hours
  • SPMGT 4999: Sport Management Internship 2 - 3 hours
  • Sport Management Program Elective - 3 hours
  • Elective or minor - 3 hours
  • Elective or minor - 3 hours

Fourth Year

• Fall:
  • Elective or minor - 3 hours
  • Elective or minor - 3 hours
  • Elective or minor - 3 hours
  • Elective or minor - 3 hours
  • Elective or minor - 3 hours
• Spring:
  • Elective or minor - 3 hours
  • Elective or minor - 3 hours
  • Elective or minor - 3 hours
  • Elective or minor - 3 hours
  • Elective or minor - 3 hours

Total Hours: 121

Please note: This plan is an example of what a four-year plan could look like for a typical student. Placement exam scores in math as well as the completion of coursework may change the plan. It should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor. All requirements are subject to change.