School of Education

Minor/Certificate in Sports Management

The minor and forthcoming certificate in Sports Management will provide evidence that the student who is seeking a position in this field will have had the course work and experience that will allow an employer to be comfortable that the candidate has the fundamental skills to assist in the management of a sports facility. Many of the students on the IUN campus in the School of Education, Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Department and School of Business and Economics will find the minor and certificate in Sport Management as a very complementary degree to their major areas.

Key Program Learning Outcomes:

Foundations of Sport Management

Management Concepts — Includes planning, organizing, leading, evaluating, controlling, strategic planning and decision-making.

Governance and Policy — Methods of oversight for and control over sports and recreation programs in schools and communities, both nationally and internationally.

International Sport — A global perspective is critical for a complete understanding of sport management.

Functions of Sport Management

Sport Operations — Includes event and facility/venue operations from one game to a multi-day international event. Activities include, but are not limited to: strategic planning, emergency management, ticketing, concessions, transportation, crowd management, parking and coordination of dignitaries.

Sport Marketing — Includes promotions, sales, fundraising, advertising, branding and sponsorship. Strategies need to be created for individuals, teams and/or events, depending on the marketing needs and projections.

Sport Communications — Includes fostering two-way communication with key stakeholders. Such communications include, but are not limited to: social media, all aspects of media guides, press releases, websites, statistical archives, record keeping and game-day obligations.

Sport Finance and Economics — Includes budget management and financial forecasting with foundations in principles of budgeting (capital, master, departmental, line-item, zero-based, etc.), financial statements, basic accounting principles, public vs. private sources of revenue, budget reallocation and economic impact statements.

Sport Management Environment

Legal aspects — Foundation of knowledge ranging from understanding day-to-day contracts for sports participation to multi-billion dollar contracts. Negligence, risk identification, mitigation and constitutional protection.

Ethical aspects — Includes critical ethical areas of the day such as the use of performance enhancing drugs, gambling and sports agents.

Diversity — Through its curricular activities, the sport management academic unit should ensure that students possess the knowledge, skills and experiences needed to understand and deal effectively with diversity in a diverse sport environment.

Technical advances — Technological advancements such as web streaming, instant replay for officials, injury rehabilitation and social media in addition to uses of technology in the classroom to enhance and stimulate learning.

Integrative Experiences and Career Planning

Internship/Practical/Experiential Learning — an experience that enables students to work for a sports organization, or in a sports-related office to gain useful, relevant experience for a career in the sports field.

Capstone experience — an experience such as a thesis, project, comprehensive examination or course that enables a student to demonstrate the capacity to synthesize and apply knowledge.

Courses required for the minor and/or certificate: 

A. Foundations of Sport: Historical, Sociological, and Psychological

B. Foundations of Sport Management

1. Management Concepts
2. Governance & Policy
3. International Sport
   HPER-P211 Introduction to Sport Management (3 cr hrs) Fall, Spring

 C. Functions of Sport Management

1. Sport Operations
2. Sport Marketing
3. Sport Communications
4. Sport Finance and Economics
   HPER-P331 Planning and Operation of Sport (3 cr hrs) 
   HPER-P418 Sport Marketing (3 cr hrs) Spring

 D. Sport Management Environment

1. Legal aspects of sport management
2. Ethical aspects of sport management
3. Diversity issues in sport management
4. Technological advances in sport management
   HPER-P411 Legal Issues in Sport Settings (3 cr hrs)

 E. Integrative Experiences & Career Planning

1. Internship/Practical/Experiential Learning
2. Capstone Experience
   HPER-P439 Practicum in Sport Studies (1-3 cr hrs)

Students can apply to Indiana University Northwest to take the classes noted above for the minor in the Sports Management program. The minor is currently approved. The undergraduate certificate in Sports Management is available online through distance education. For more  information on this program, please refer to the IUN Bulletin.