Sport Management

As a Sport Management major at Gardner-Webb, you will receive instruction in management, business, communications, social, ethics, legal, governance, and leadership principles uniquely and specifically related to the field of sport management in a multi-disciplinary approach of study shared between the Department of Physical Education Wellness and Sports Studies (PEWSS), the Godbold School of Business, and the Department of Communication Studies.

 

Your major in Sport Management will help you develop a broad understanding of the sport management field, exposing you to the multiple career opportunities available. You will learn about the business side of sport and explore the technologies used in the field. You will also have a variety of opportunities for hands-on learning through field experience, internships, and community service.

 

When you graduate, you will be prepared to take on a sport management career in the field that interests you the most.

 

Goal

The overall goal of the Sport Management Program is for each student to become an effective and efficient sport leader who is well versed in the field, possesses strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and is equipped with an ethical and moral compass grounded in Christian principles.

 

Student Learning Outcomes

After successfully completing this program of study, students will be able to:

1. integrate the overall knowledge of the sport management field including history, sociology, governance, communications and positions available in the field;

2. assess the basic principles of business including accounting, management, marketing, promotions, finance, and economics as they relate specifically to sport;

3. integrate technology used in the field of sport management;

4. analyze and evaluate research in the field of sport management;

5. demonstrate effective leadership skills in a sport management setting;

6. critique the biblical implications of ethical/moral dilemmas as it relates to areas of sport management.

Course Requirements (42 Hours)

Classes required for completing the major are as follows:

SPMG 218: Principles of Sport Management (3 hrs.)
SPMG 250: Social Issues in Sports (3 hrs.)
SPMG 285: Communication in Sport (3 hrs.)
SPMG 305: Sport Facility Design and Event Management (3 hrs.)
SPMG 310: Sport Marketing and Promotion (3 hrs.)
SPMG 335: Finance & Economics of Sport (3 hrs.)
SPMG 345: Legal Issues in Sport (3 hrs.)
SPMG 360: Integrated Experience in Sport Management (3 hrs.)
SPMG 410: Sport Governance (3 hrs.)
SPMG 415: Ethics and Leadership in Sport (3 hrs.)
SPMG 497: Internship in Sport Management (9 hrs.)
ACCT 213: Accounting Principles I (3 hrs.)

Sport Management Club

This club is recommended for Sport Management Majors and Minors. The club functions to build camaraderie, provide opportunities for leadership, community service, social development, spiritual growth, and to gain experience in sport settings.

 

Internships

An internship in your field will help you build professional contacts, prepare for the future, and earn academic credit, too. Gardner-Webb’s Sport Management students benefit from wonderful internship opportunities. Individual internship placement is developed by each student, according to their interests, with direction and recommendation from the faculty internship advisor, utilizing an extensive and established network of contacts.

 

Previous student internships have included:

• The Charleston Riverdogs, Minor League Baseball in Charleston, South Carolina
• The Greenville Drive, Minor League Baseball in Greenville, South Carolina
• Dayton Dutch Lions FC (USL Professional Division), Professional Soccer in Dayton, Ohio
• 540 Sports and Entertainment LLC, Agency in Raleigh, North Carolina
• Coastal Plain League Office in Holly Springs, North Carolina
• Forest City Owls Baseball, Coastal Plain League in Forest City, North Carolina
• Gastonia Grizzles Baseball, Coastal Plain League in Gastonia, North Carolina
• Rockbridge Rapids Baseball, Valley Baseball League in Lexington, Virginia
• BCMG, Advertising & Marketing in Atlanta, Georgia
• Pinebrook Golf and Country Club in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• 6-4-3 DP Athletics, a full service youth sports organization for baseball and softball in Marietta, Georgia
• Washington County Recreation Department in Washington, Virginia
• Ruby Hunt YMCA in Shelby, North Carolina

 

Careers

Successful completion of the Sport Management major helps prepare students for careers in the following settings:

 

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• Event and Facility Management and Marketing: special events, telemarketing, retailing, concessions, marketing/promotions, campus recreation, event management

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• Sports Information: media relations, sports information, public relations, promotions, advertising sales, marketing, sports statistics, sport history, sports media

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• Athletic Administration: compliance, facilities, fundraising, marketing, sports information, ticketing, promotions, concessions, operations, academic counseling, life skills, sales, event management

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• Recreational Sport Management: facility management, corporate fitness, parks and recreation, sports club administration, health and wellness, campus recreation, fitness programming, outdoor recreation, sport programming, aquatics

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• Marketing and Sales: retailing, telemarketing, manufacturer’s representative, promotions, entrepreneurship, public relations, sponsorship, endorsement, luxury seating, ticketing, sports research