Program in Sport Management

Sport Management

A dream career for some people — perhaps you? — is working for a professional sports team. Maybe what intrigues you is managing a local sports recreation center, promoting sporting events, or being an athletic director. We’ve designed our sport management program to prepare students to work in dynamic sport industry careers like these.

Our curriculum draws from a wide spectrum of course disciplines, including sales and marketing, business and psychology to give you a deeper understanding of important concepts and their role in today’s world. You’ll have opportunities to practice what you learn in the classroom as you interact with sport professionals, organizations, and projects through internships and other industry focused experiences in the Chicago area.  

Sport Management, B.A.

The Sport Management program is designed to provide the academic foundation and practical experience required to make an impact in today's sport industry. Business and sport-focused courses with tailored emphasis in a student's chosen area provide a unique combination in preparing students to be curious, engaged, ethical and purposeful citizens and leaders.

For additional programs and courses in this department, see Health Sciences.

Note:

Students must also choose a minor from another NC department to complete the major.

Students must demonstrate elementary competence in a foreign language. For more information, see the B.A. Degree Requirements within the Academic Regulations section of this catalog.

Sport Management, Digital Marketing Track, B.A.

The Sport Management program is designed to provide the academic foundation and practical experience required to make an impact in today's sport industry. Business and sport-focused courses with tailored emphasis in a student's chosen area provide a unique combination in preparing students to be curious, engaged, ethical and purposeful citizens and leaders.

For additional programs and courses in this department, see Health Sciences.

Sport Management Core Courses

Digital Marketing Courses

Students must demonstrate elementary competence in a foreign language. For more information, see the B.A. Degree Requirements within the Academic Regulations section of this catalog.

Sport Management, General Business Track, B.A.

The Sport Management program is designed to provide the academic foundation and practical experience required to make an impact in today's sport industry. Business and sport-focused courses with tailored emphasis in a student's chosen area provide a unique combination in preparing students to be curious, engaged, ethical and purposeful citizens and leaders.

For additional programs and courses in this department, see Health Sciences.

Sport Management Core Courses

General Business Courses

Students must demonstrate elementary competence in a foreign language. For more information, see the B.A. Degree Requirements within the Academic Regulations section of this catalog.

Sport Management Minor

The Sport Management minor is designed to provide the academic foundation and practical experience required in today's sport industry.

For additional programs and courses in this department, see Health Sciences.

A minimum of 20 credit hours, including:

Elective(s)

An additional four credit hours of Sport Management.

NOTE: This page contains all of the regular course descriptions for this discipline or program. Academic credit for each course is noted in parenthesis after the course title. Prerequisites (if any) and the general education requirements, both Core and All-College Requirements (ACRs), which each course fulfills (if any) are noted following each course description. Not all courses are offered every year. Check Merlin, our searchable course schedule, to see which courses are being offered in upcoming terms.

SMGT 101 - Contemporary Sport Studies

4.00 credit hours

An introduction to the broad scope and significance of sport in modern society. Attention given to the relationship between athletes, sport fans and sport organizations; the intersection of sport history and current events; sport as a global business; and sport innovation. Students learn to apply elements of human centered design to investigate issues in sport.

Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Social Science, U.S. Power Structures.

SMGT 210 - Sport Marketing

4.00 credit hours

Introduces essential marketing, promotion and sales principles as currently applied in the sport industry. Topics include sport consumer behavior, market segmentation and selection, strategic market planning and analysis, marketing information management, integrated marketing communications, external relations and sponsorship cultivation and activation. Trends, issues and problems influencing the industry are also examined.

Prerequisite(s): SMGT 101 and Sport Management major or minor.

SMGT 220 - Sport Budgeting and Finance

4.00 credit hours

Basic theory in finance, budgeting and economics are explored. Financial decision-making, including cash management; ratio analysis; asset management; short, intermediate and long-term financing are a course focus. Different types of budgets are reviewed with students learning the budget preparation and approval process. Accounting trends and economic theory are also applied to sport settings/organizations.

Prerequisite(s): SMGT 101.

SMGT 230 - Sport Law, Ethics & Organization

4.00 credit hours

Exposure to and analysis of legal and ethical issues surrounding the sport industry. Topics may include negligence, liability, and risk management; employment law, contract law, and negotiations; regulatory agencies and governance structures; theories of ethics, concepts of morality, personal philosophy regarding social responsibility, and professional code of ethics; the application of federal legislation, including Title IX and the Americans with Disabilities Act; and social issues such as sportsmanship, fan behavior, performance enhancing drugs, drug testing, and hazing. Students are provided a synopsis of applicable case law to support the issues and legislation presented.

Prerequisite(s): SMGT 101.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Ethical Dimensions, Writing Intensive.

SMGT 290 - Special Topics

2.00-4.00 credit hours

Each version of this course will feature a selected topic relevant to the dynamic field of sport management. Repeatable with different topics.

SMGT 310 - Applied Sport Sales

4.00 credit hours

Provides an overview of the entire sales process with hands-on training and experience. Students learn best practices for ticket sales, corporate sales, client management and customer service. Current trends and issues are also discussed.

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing and Sport Management major.

SMGT 330 - Sport Facility and Event Management

4.00 credit hours

A complete investigation into sport facilities, venues, and events. Introduces students to the development of a venue, the event bid and creation process, financing and ownership structures of facilities and events, operational aspects of facilities and events, evaluation of the customer experience, and recent trends in facility/event management. Students will further develop their understanding of accessibility in sport, risk management, emergency planning, volunteer services, and budgeting. A Community Engaged Learning Experience is built into this course.

Prerequisite(s): SMGT 220. Concurrent enrollment in SMGT 230.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Community Engaged Learning.

SMGT 390 - Special Topics

4.00 credit hours

Each version of this course features a selected topic relevant to the dynamic field of sport management. Repeatable with different topics.

SMGT 450 - Sport Mgmt. Senior Capstone

4.00 credit hours

The culminating experience for all majors and minors in the Sport Management program. The aim of the capstone is to assess students’ ability to synthesize and integrate the knowledge and skills they have developed throughout their coursework and experiences. Students plan and manage an event.

Prerequisite(s): SMGT 330, SMGT 497 and Senior standing.

SMGT 490 - Sport Management Internship Seminar

2.00 credit hours

Students engage with their internship cohort and reflect on the internship experience. Course includes reflections of the internship experience, group discussions of discipline related topics and a culminating project.

Prerequisite(s): 20 credit hours in Sport Management core. Concurrent enrollment in SMGT 497.             

SMGT 497 - Sport Mgmt. Internship

10.00 credit hours

A full-time immersed experience in service to a community partner in the student’s interest area. The agency is selected through cooperation between the student, the Sport Management Clinical Coordinator and an agency supervisor. Students must apply one term in advance through the Sport Management Clinical Coordinator.

Prerequisite(s): 20 credit hours in Sport Management core.

Faculty Emeriti

Gerald Gems
Professor of Kinesiology Emeritus
A.A., Mayfair Junior College, 1975; B.A., Northeastern Illinois University, 1977; M.S., University of Arizona, 1980; Ph.D., University of Maryland, 1989
grgems@noctrl.edu

Heidi Matthews
Professor of Kinesiology Emerita
B.S., University of Wisconsin, 1981; M.S., University of Arizona, 1982.
hmmatthews@noctrl.edu

Extra-curricular and professional activities that will enrich your sport management education.

You can join a variety of clubs and organizations to enhance your experience within the sport management major. The NCC Sport Management Association (SMA) is the student organization at North Central intended to promote stronger understanding of and professional development in the highly competitive sports industry. SMA is for students who are looking for a way to strengthen their marketability in the job place or just looking for a group of people who share their passion for sports.

Other student organizations opportunities include our nationally acclaimed Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), NCC Sport Management Association, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Student Governing Association (SGA), College Union Activities Board (CUAB), Dispute Resolution program, Intramurals and varsity athletics. You can also serve as an administrative assistant for a varsity athletic team or with the physical education office.

Internships

As a culmination to your undergraduate studies, you must participate in an internship during your senior year. You’ll gain real world, hands-on experience to help launch your career in the sport industry with opportunities to work with professional sport teams and their affiliates, sport agencies, sport services providers, event management companies, health clubs, corporate wellness centers, park districts, secondary schools and higher education institutions. Naperville is located in the heart of Chicago’s large metropolitan area with access to many of the Midwest’s premier corporations, sport organizations, and professional sports teams.

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