SPORT MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION

OUR MISSION

The Sport Management Program is designed to provide an educational experience that includes an effective blend of classroom, research and field experiences in an effort to provide each student the opportunity to gain disciplinary knowledge and to develop the necessary skills to be successful in any area of the sport industry.

Our mission is to graduate scholar-practitioners, and researchers, who have the knowledge, skills, and values to lead the sport industry in the 21st century and who envision sport as a vehicle for positive social outcomes.

Sport management faculty [Links to faculty page].

OUR GOALS

The Sport Management Concentration in the Learning, Leadership, and Education Policy (LLEP) Ph.D. prepares individuals to:

  • Apply lenses of social justice and organizational change to engage in scholarship, and work in and with complex institutions of higher education and sport organizations
  • Critically examine important questions in sport using rigorous research methodologies and methods
  • Construct theoretical models based on sound empirical research to guide practice and policy
  • Appreciate the role supportive learning systems and environments play in higher education and sport organizations

SAMPLE PLAN OF STUDY

LLEP Core Courses (15 credits)

  • EDLR 6313 — Educational Policy and Politics
  • EDLR 5204 — Organizational Learning
  • EDLR 5201 — Influences on Adult Learning
  • EDLR 6467 — Social Justice Leadership, Equity, and Change
  • EDLR 6050 — Proposal/Prospectus Development I

Sport Management Concentration Courses (9 credits minimum)

  • EDLR 6300 — Organizational Theory in Sport
  • EDLR 6310 — Organizational Behavior in Sport
  • EDLR 6315 — Current Research in Sport Management

Research Courses (12 credits minimum)
(Can be used to meet Graduate School 6-credit minimum Related Area requirement)

  • EPSY 5605 — Quantitative Methods in Research I
  • EPSY 5607 — Quantitative Methods in Research II
  • EPSY 5613 — Multivariate Analysis in Educational Research
  • EPSY 6601 — Methods and Techniques of Educational Research
  • EPSY 5601 — Principles & Methods in Educational Research
  • EPSY 5610 — Applied Regression Analysis for the Education Sciences
  • EPSY 5613 — Multivariate Analysis in Education
  • EPSY 5621 — Construction of Evaluative Instruments
  • EDCI 5824 — Educational Ethnography
  • EDCI 6000 — Qualitative Methods of Educational Research
  • EDCI 6005 — Advanced Methods of Qualitative Research
  • EDCI 6052 — Advanced Qualitative Methods
  • Other research courses as needed

Cognate Area(s) (9 credits)

  • Courses to be taken from outside the Dept. of Educational Leadership
    Courses may be taken, with the consent of the major advisor and the student’s advisory committee from management, marketing, sociology, psychology, anthropology, educational leadership, management and finance, among others

Graduate School Required Doctoral Dissertation Research credits (15 credits minimum)

  • GRAD 6950 — Doctoral Dissertation Research

FUNDING

What should all students know about funding and aid?

If provided, graduate assistantships are designed to provide experience directly relevant to their advisor’s research. Income from assistantships may aid a student over the course of their studies; however, it is important for students to appreciate that assistantships, if provided, are not guaranteed. Summer funding may not be available or may be dispersed late into the summer.

According to the graduate school, “The holder of a full assistantship devotes one-half of available time to studies and one-half (approximately 20 hours per week) to assistantship duties, while the holder of a half assistantship ordinarily devotes three-quarters of available time to studies and one-quarter (approximately 10 hours per week) to assistantship duties.” Students with assistantships have a lower academic credit minimum (6 credits per semester versus 9 for unfunded) to accommodate their assistantship project.

What important notes should students consider?

We strongly encourage filling out your FAFSA as early in the application process as possible – even if you have not sent in applications for admission. The FAFSA application is a generic application. Do not forget to send FAFSA results to the school.

Students with graduate assistantships should be aware that school fees are not covered by a tuition waiver (but can be covered by student loans). The current rates for school fees are available via the Bursar’s Office (typically amount to about $1,000). These are due prior to class registration.

The Office of Financial Aid typically offers loan money to both funded and unfunded students. This is based on anticipated needs for rent and other living expenses (more information available through The Office of Financial Aid). The Office of Financial Aid will determine the amount you are eligible to receive (on average, funded students are offered under $10,000 each semester, which is split between subsidized and unsubsidized student loans).

The Graduate Student Senate also offers short-term, interest-free loans in case of an emergency to graduate students performing coursework on the Storrs campus (in addition to students in the Public Policy or Marine Sciences programs). To qualify for the loan, students must also be in good financial standing with the university. Additional information on these interest-free loan opportunities, including supplementary critera, can be found here.

The Graduate School also offers a list of internal and external funding opportunities available for students.

Where can I get information about financial aid?

We strongly encourage filling out your FAFSA as early in the application process as possible – even if you have not sent in applications. Do not forget to send FAFSA results to the university.

How do I apply for a graduate assistantship?

There is no formal application process for graduate assistantships in the Sport Management Program. Indicate your interest in a position on your application. A limited number of assistantships are available through the department. It is advisable to work with your prospective advisor to pursue assistantship opportunities that may be available.

What types of assistantships are available?

Most internal graduate assistantships involve teaching or research. Sometimes, there are other limited options external to the department including graduate assistantships within the Division of Athletics or other offices on campus. It is advisable to contact those offices and work with your prospective advisor to pursue assistantship opportunities.

Many master’s students work in the Division of Athletics as either assistant coaches or administrators. Their work experience involves practical experience in NCAA Division I athletics. Ph.D. students typically work as either teaching or research assistants for individual faculty members. That experience is outlined and managed by the faculty member.

What are the financial benefits of an assistantship?

In recognition of these assistantships' support, the tuition and a portion of health care (but not fees) are provided by the grant/contract funding agency or through the University.

Please visit the Graduate School's dedicated GA Resources page for more information.

Outside Employment

The Residence Requirement of the University of Connecticut requires that a student devote “full-time effort to studies, without undue distraction caused by outside employment”. In addition, funded students may not work outside of their assistantship without prior approval from their advisor. According to this policy, your advisory committee may record and report a “description of the nature, extent, and period(s) of outside employment” to the graduate school as part of your Plan of Study. Please discuss your plans with your advisor in advance. We recommend that students inquire about loan programs available through Financial Aid to offset costs of attendance if necessary.