Master of Sport Management

The MSM program at William Penn was created in response to the growing need for professionals in the sport industry. Employment growth in this sector is predicted to be above the national average from 2016-2026. Sport management graduate programs typically prepare students in one or more of three emphases. These include new product development and promotion, service‐based facility and event operations, and athletic administration. Based on the primary needs of local sports organizations and our expertise, William Penn’s foci for the MSM will be service‐based, event operations and athletic administration. The program builds upon WPU’s existing MOL program leadership core and adds industry specific courses to round out the sport centered curriculum.

Leadership & Research in Sport

An overview of sport research allows students to examine the present status of the industry as they begin to develop processes to identify, evaluate, and plan strategies to successfully resolve these issues. Professionalism and successful engagement in the sport industry requires strategic vision, efficient planning, effective leadership, and comprehensive understanding of diverse elements that interact in sport. Students will develop a plan for in-depth analysis of a sport industry problem or issue by drawing on relevant literature. This course will provide the foundation for student capstone projects.

Select 3 courses from the following list

Character-Based Servant Leadership

Participants in this course explore the ways in which leaders can develop and integrate competence and character in the context of servant leadership. The course is organized around the seven classic virtues: courage, faith, justice, prudence, temperance, love, and hope identified by Aristotle and embraced as Quaker values. Students examine and learn to apply each of these virtues to common leadership issues that occur at the global, corporate, and individual business levels.

Ethical & Moral Business Leadership

This course explores leadership and ethics in business through the inquiry into the philosophical basis of interpersonal relations and values in business contexts. The application of ethical, regulatory, and legal systems to the responsibilities of people in business organizations toward society and individual employees is explored. Emphasis is placed on the ability of business leaders to recognize and address ethical issues using a grounded decision-making process.

Leadership and Community

This course provides participants with firsthand knowledge and experience in understanding the process of creating and transforming community through collaboration, empowerment, and dialog. Students learn the principles of individual and group development, collaboration and dialogue, and process-oriented leadership through work in the community setting.

Systems, Performance, & Organizational Effectiveness

This course focuses on the use of systems thinking and performance management to solve difficult problems and improve the effectiveness of business organizations. Students learn the difference between a traditional approach and a systems approach to analyzing complex problems. Concepts and methods involved in measuring individual and organizational performance are explored.

Leadership & Research in Sport

An overview of sport research allows students to examine the present status of the industry as they begin to develop processes to identify, evaluate, and plan strategies to successfully resolve these issues. Professionalism and successful engagement in the sport industry requires strategic vision, efficient planning, effective leadership, and comprehensive understanding of diverse elements that interact in sport. Students will develop a plan for in-depth analysis of a sport industry problem or issue by drawing on relevant literature. This course will provide the foundation for student capstone projects.

Sport Emphasis + Project or Internship

Sport Marketing

Advanced marketing concepts unique to the sports industry as utilized in typical setting. Topics covered include the traditional marketing mix, services marketing, public relations, & event planning. Students also will utilize case studies & analysis of current campaigns in evaluating how to successfully market sporting events.

Application of Legal Topics in Sport

From the perspective of the practitioner, an in-depth look at safety, negligence, and liability in sport will be conducted. Designed to help ADs, coaches, facility managers, program directors, etc. develop the knowledge and skills to recognize and moderate and/or eliminate dangerous situations before they become problematic

Administration of College Athletics

A study of the intercollegiate sport environments. The course will focus on evaluation of policies established, ramifications for violation of rules and the procedures utilized by governing organizations in inter-collegiate athletics.

Design and Development of Sport Facilities and Events

Advanced application of knowledge, skills, and concepts pertaining to the planning, organization, publicity, and management of sporting events. Additionally, the course will examine the processes for planning, design, construction, maintenance, and ongoing operation, of sport facilities.

Sport Finance

Course is designed to examine both economic and fiscal theories as they are applied to the sport management industry. Various economic and fiscal issues will be explored with a focus on making effective fiscal decisions.

Master’s Project

A faculty-guided exploration of a topic of professional interest / career growth for the student to provide added value to an internal or external client. Offered all terms.

Graduate Internship

Experiential learning opportunity through participating in day-to-day operations of a sport related organization. Students should be afforded opportunities to make meaningful contributions to the operations of the organization while gaining valuable experience applying skills and knowledge gained in their studies.

MSM rota thru SU2030 – RazZae (2)Download

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