Developing America's Next Generation of
Business Servant-Leaders . . .
In Sports and Leisure Management -- A new major within the Tharaldson School of Business and Technology.
Mission
The major will prepare students for employment in public parks and recreation, outdoor recreation, and community education programs; youth organizations; high school or collegiate athletic programs; amateur or professional sports teams, leagues or administrations; commercial recreation and tourism; intramural sports, park and facility management; and sports association management.
The major is housed in the School of Business and Technology. The major consists of 128 credits, 56 in the liberal arts area and the remainder in the professional area. Included in the requirements is a 400-hour internship, completed after the junior year during the summer.
Philosophy
The sports and leisure management major integrates a number of fields, such as business, communications, and physical education, as well as a broad-based liberal arts curriculum. The major prepares students in the field of sports and leisure management by creating an understanding of the importance of sports and leisure in our society while developing the necessary leadership and management competencies. Students will learn to manage effectively, communicate clearly, and reason in a complex workplace. They become knowledgeable leaders, prepared to make decisions and solve problems, and will be able to develop skills in areas such as revenue management, marketing, promotions, and risk management. The students also will gain on-the-job experience through required practicums and internship programs.
What will I as a sports and leisure management major be able to do?
The sports and leisure management student will be able to:
- Participate in internships with the Bismarck Parks and Recreation District, the University of Mary, and other professional sport venues.
- Develop an in-depth understanding of the concepts, techniques, and strategies involved in the management and development of sports events, sports facilities, and merchandising within the context of sports and leisure industries.
- Partner with professional faculty and experienced professionals where a student can learn to manage field houses, arenas and stadiums, and plan, develop, and market sports facilities and events.
- Demonstrate knowledge of legal principles and rules affecting the administration of recreation, sports and athletic programs.
- Demonstrate knowledge of comprehensive programming for sports and leisure service organizations.
- Develop a broad range of professional competencies and skills, and have an understanding of the cultural traditions of the global sports and leisure and event Industry and their economic significance. The program considers professional and elite sports, and community and recreational activities.
- Act as an autonomous learner and reflective practitioner working toward realizing his or her personal and professional potential.
- Demonstrate knowledge of management theories, principles, and research related to the sports, leisure and event industries.
- Conduct an analysis of the financial resources needed to manage sports, leisure and event organizations, programs, and facilities.
- Apply marketing techniques to the sports, leisure and event programs and organizations.
- Identify the employment sector of the industry where he or she would be most suited and where his or her personality and skills could be best applied.
What type of jobs can I expect to find if I earn a degree in sports and leisure management?
The growth of recreational sports-related industries has created a demand for trained professionals. According to the U. S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, overall employment in leisure and hospitality jobs is expected to grow by 17.8 percent. New jobs in the recreational sector reflect increasing incomes, leisure time and awareness of the health benefits of physical fitness. Overall employment of recreation and fitness workers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012.
Career opportunities for entry-level positions exist in literally thousands of profit and non-profit institutions in the United States and around the world. Recreational sports programs serve millions of participants of all ages. In some settings, the demand for qualified recreational sports specialists far exceeds the supply, which results in great potential for recreational sports career-oriented individuals. This concentration prepares students for a broad array of opportunities in recreational sport settings:
- Amateur athletics with the AAU and state games across the country provide positions involving sport facilities, programming and operations.
- Business/industrial sports provide opportunities for a sports programmer in employee recreational sports. There are over 150,000 job opportunities available in approximately 50,000 corporations and industries, which spend more than $3 billion a year on recreation for their employees.
- The collegiate setting in recreational sports offers career opportunities in informal sports, instructional sports, intramural sports, club sports and fitness programming on college and university campuses across the country.
- Commercial sports offers thousands of positions in settings such as theme parks, spas, racquet clubs, and hotels.
- Military recreation supports 250,000 full-time employees with 10 million users at 900 locations within the United States and 350 overseas locations. Positions such as sports programmers and sports directors in intramural, extramural, informal and club sports are available on all types of military bases--Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine.
- Municipal parks and recreation departments offer approximately 3,000 positions in sports programming. Many of their recreational offerings are sports related.
- Resort/tourism settings provide specialized opportunities in sports to include facility management, programming and operation.
- Voluntary and other not-for-profit agencies also offer many opportunities. At the 2,200 YMCA's/YWCA's in the United States there are approximately 4,000 recreational sports-related job opportunities in positions such as sports coordinators and program directors.
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