Sport Management Department

Interim Chair: Y. J. Koe
Graduate Coordinator: K. Kaplanidou

The Department of Sport Management (SPM) studies the impact of professional and amateur sports on the personal, social, economic, environmental, and resource infrastructures of society. SPM’s goal is to improve the overall quality of life by learning and teaching what leads individuals, families, and industry to value and benefit from sports.

The Master of Science in Sport Management is offered by the Department of Sport Management. This program offers thesis and non-thesis formats. The Department participates in the Ph.D. program in Health and Human Performance. The Doctoral program in Sport Management is offered as a concentration through the College of Health and Human Performance. The doctoral program blends coursework and research. The curriculum is individualized, and applicants with degrees from unrelated fields can be accepted into the program. However, their previous work will be evaluated, and their programs will be planned according to their individual needs, interests, and career objectives. Minimum requirements for these degrees are given in the Graduate Degrees section of this catalog. 

Master's program: The Master's program provides advanced preparation of sport management professionals for positions of leadership in planning, developing, administering, and marketing of programs in a variety of employment settings in the sports industry.  Major coursework may be taken in a number of areas, such as:

• Sport Marketing
• Management and Leadership
• Sport Finance
• Sport Law
• Sport Sociology

Doctoral program: The Doctoral program in Sport Management is offered as a concentration through the College of Health and Human Performance. The doctoral program blends course work and research. The curriculum is individualized, and applicants with degrees from unrelated fields can be accepted into the program. However, their previous work will be evaluated and their programs planned according to their individual needs, interests, and career objectives.

Graduate certificate: The Department offers a graduate certificate in sport event management. The sport event management graduate certificate offers a tremendous opportunity for individuals with a Bachelor's degree interested in acquiring sport event management skills and gaining insights into running large- and small-scale sport events. The Graduate certificate consists of three courses, which can be completed in three semesters (fall, spring, summer). All students enrolled in the certificate program will gain knowledge of sport event management principles and applications, the management of mega events such as the Olympic Games, and how to manage the impacts of these sports events on their communities.

Combination Degree Programs

The Department offers a combination bachelor's/master's degree program. This program allows qualified students to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree, saving approximately one semester. Up to 12 approved graduate credit hours can be utilized toward both degrees.

MS/MSM combination degree program: This combination degree program is offered through the College of Business Administration (Master of Science in Business Management [MSM]) and the Department of Sport Management in the College of Health and Human Performance (Master of Science in Sport Management [MS]). Applicants must apply to both programs and be admitted to both to participate. The MS/MSM is a non-thesis degree. The MS/MSM is designed for students seeking a graduate business degree who lack the work experience required for admission to the MBA program. The MS/MSM curriculum is similar to the first year of the MBA program, providing students with a strong foundation in business principles. Concurrent degree students can share up to 9 credit hours of the same coursework between the two degree programs. They do not have to graduate during the same semester. Students admitted to the concurrent program must work closely with both departments to verify that all requirements are met throughout their course of study.

M.S./J.D. combination degree program: This 98-credit-hour combination degree program culminates in the Master of Science and the Juris Doctor degrees. Applicants must meet the entrance requirements for the Department of Sport Management and the College of Law. Admission to the second degree program is required no later than the end of the fourth consecutive semester after beginning one of the degree programs. The student's supervisory committee comprises faculty members from both the Department of Sport Management and the College of Law. Students admitted to the joint program may share up to 12 credit hours of the same coursework between the two degree programs.  Students must graduate during the same semester from both programs.

CONTACT

Website 
Email 
352.392.4042 (tel) | 352.392.7588 (fax)

P.O. Box 118208
GAINESVILLE, FL 32611-8208

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