Nov 21, 2024  
2024-2025 Graduate Bulletin 
    
2024-2025 Graduate Bulletin

Sports Leadership, M.S.


Program Director

Greg Gardner

Learning Outcomes


  1. Identify their leadership styles and strengths and be able to improve their own leadership abilities.
  2. Obtain knowledge, approaches, and techniques for managing legal and ethical issues in sport and sport leadership.
  3. Apply best practices in risk management related to equipment and facilities use and accessibility.
  4. Demonstrate abilities in planning, scheduling, and financial management of athletic and sports programs.
  5. Foster diversity and improve the health of local and global communities through sport and athletics.

Admission


Candidates for admission to the Master of Science (M.S.) program in Sports Leadership must meet the requirements for admission to the Graduate School, including language proficiency, found in the Admission  section of this Bulletin.

Curriculum Requirements


The degree program requires completion of an academic core that will be combined with an in-depth, faculty mentored, focal point. Focal coursework will be multidisciplinary and multi-college, providing students with the flexibility to identify and pursue a specific area of study beyond the core. The vision of the program is that the degree is granted by OCHS in close coordination with the student’s selected faculty mentor. Elective courses will be identified with the guidance of faculty members specialized in academic areas with an emphasis in sport or that may include leadership and management in sport, administration, regulation and governance, or sports media. Academic areas of focus will be supported by research or internship experiences completed by the student. Faculty mentors will direct the focused course work which will be identified based on the area of interest of the student. All students will complete either a thesis option or an internship option. 

Electives (18 hours)


Students may choose from courses offered at the graduate level (6000-level or higher) by any departments as electives, subject to advisor approval as well as the approval of the department offering the course. Electives for the program will be identified by the faculty mentor and the student, with a focus on the career objectives or academic goals of the student. As such, any graduate level course, identified and approved by the faculty mentor, may be considered for inclusion in the academic program.  

Possible subject areas to consider for elective courses include but are not limited to:

  • Athletic Training (ATRG)
  • Health Care Delivery Science (HCDS)
  • Management (MGT) 
  • Psychology (PSY)

In addition to regularly scheduled courses, students may also consider incorporating thesis, internship, and/or externship hours into their elective coursework.

  • A maximum of 6 hours of internship/externship coursework in any combination may be applied towards the program elective requirements. 
  • A minimum of 1 credit hour of thesis research is required if a student decides to pursue the thesis option. 

Total: 30 hours


Thesis Option


Thesis options will be directed, as appropriate, by faculty mentors or other faculty within the focus area identified by the student. It is desirable that any thesis committee utilized for this option be multidisciplinary to better reflect the nature of the degree 

A full guide for pursuing a thesis option is available in the Academic Policies  section of the Graduate Bulletin.