Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management

Become a Leader in the Sports Industry

As one of our most popular majors offered within our C.H. Sandage School of Business, Graceland’s sport management program will prepare you for an exciting career in the sports industry. Whether you’re looking to focus directly on sports management or are curious about sports administration or even sports marketing, our classes and curriculum, hands-on learning, and internship opportunities will set you up for success both on and off the field.

Access to Incredible Facilities and Technology

Graceland’s sport management majors have the ability to gain experience in an advanced environment.

Get On-Site Training in Your Field

An internship is the perfect opportunity to get hands-on experience and network within the industry. Thanks to Graceland’s perfect location between Des Moines and Kansas City, you’ll have access to many different internship opportunities with different professional sports organizations, events, and venues such as the:

• Kansas City Chiefs
• Kansas City Royals
• Sporting KC
• Iowa Cubs
• Des Moines Menace
• Missouri Mavericks
• Newton Iowa Speedway
• Hy-Vee Triathlon
• Principal Charity Classic

Curriculum

Our sport management major is more than just talking about the big game. At Graceland you’ll learn the solid business fundamentals of economics, marketing and management along with coursework around the legal and ethical issues in sports, psychology of sports and communications.

In addition to the essential education requirements, majors in Sport Management must complete 45 s.h. in Sport Management, Business, Economics, Accounting, Physical Education, and Recreation including:

• ACCT2310 Financial Accounting – 3 s.h.
• BUAD3320 Principles of Management – 3 s.h.
• ECON1320 Principles of Microeconomics – 3 s.h.
• ECON3220 Economics of Sports – 3 s.h.
• HMSC4100 Social Issues in Sport – 3 s.h.
• HMSC4350 Sport Facility Management – 3 s.h.
• PHED/PSYC3130 Sport Psychology – 3 s.h.
• SPMT1200 Introduction to Sport Management – 3 s.h.
• SPMT2300 Legal & Ethical Issues in Sport – 3 s.h.
• SPMT3300 Sport Marketing – 3 s.h.
• SPMT3400 Event Management – 3 s.h.
• SPMT4500 Seminar in Sport Management – 3 s.h.
• SPMT4700 Internship in Sport Management – 3 s.h.

Choose two courses from one of the following areas (6 total s.h.):

• Sport Marketing/Sport Information: BUAD3330 Principles of Marketing, BUAD4430 Marketing Strategies, COMM2500 Introduction to Mass Media, COMM3140 Campaigns and Theories of Persuasion, BUAD3210 Social Media Marketing, SPMT2700 Sport Practicum.
• Sport Administration: ECON1300 Principles of Macroeconomics, ACCT2320 Managerial Accounting, BUAD3450 Organizational Behavior, BUAD3490 Human Resource Management, BUAD3460 Operations Management, HMSC4320 Organizational Administration and Policy Analysis, SPMT2700 Sport Practicum.

Graceland students regularly enjoy successful careers in sport management. Our graduates are working in most of the national professional sports leagues in a variety or roles from ticket sales to operations.