Program Overview

The growth of sports as a major industry has increased the need and opportunities for well-trained professional managers. A well-rounded business education with a focus on sport management skills is essential in this rapidly growing field.

The mission of Southern New Hampshire University's Sport Management program is to deliver an innovative educational experience grounded in relevant theory and practice that enables students to be successful leaders in the global sport industry. Students couple ten specialized courses in sport management with a strong mix of business and liberal arts courses. Students will have an opportunity to gain practical experience through field experiences with a variety of sport, fitness and recreational organizations.

The Sport Management programs have Program Approval from the North American Association of Sport Management & the National Association of Physical Education for both the Undergraduate and Graduate degrees; and are in the Candidacy Process for accreditation with the Commission of Sport Management Accreditation. Through the national program accreditation the requirements of the major in Sport Management include extensive field experience(s) totaling a minimum of 300 hours. Therefore, students majoring in Sport Management are required to complete SPT 491 which has a minimum GPA requirement of 2.5. Any student with a minor or concentration in Sport Management is encouraged to complete field experience(s) which also have a minimum GPA requirement of 2.5. In order to facilitate this and to ensure that all students are eligible and prepared for their field experience, any student with a Sport Management major, minor or concentration must receive a minimum of a "C" in all required Sport Management courses. Similarly, all students wishing to change their major to Sport Management must complete a brief application process to ensure their understanding of the field experience requirement in the program.

Program Outcomes

• Recognize management and leadership theory in an applied environment
• Use management and leadership theory in an applied environment
• Demonstrate problem solving in an applied environment
• Formulate connections between classroom learning and practical experience
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate
• Understand and practice networking and relationship building
• Employ ethical frameworks in decision-making
• Display a professional personal image
• Use reflection to develop multiple perspectives of self as a professional
• Demonstrate an awareness of factors that contribute to global sport business issues
• Apply sport management principles in an international context
• Analyze the influences of social, cultural, or political institutions on global sport businesses
• Analyze the role of social responsibility in global sport business
• Understand the interrelationships between functional areas in sport organizations
• Employ a strategic analysis to demonstrate an understanding of the forces that a sport business must have in order to achieve its mission
• Integrate strategic analysis into the strategic planning process
• Evaluate external and internal factors and the interrelationships affecting decision-making