Sport Management Concentration

Sport Management has been a formally recognized program at the University of Tennessee since 1983. Sport Management includes any combination of skills related to planning, organizing, leading, and evaluating within the context of an organization or department whose primary product or service is related to sport.

Students are offered the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for a career in sport management. The curriculum provides the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree that combines coursework and professional experience. The program offers considerable flexibility and can be designed to fit each student’s interests.

The sport management concentration (MS) offers both thesis and non-thesis options with both requiring 33 hours for the degree. Three classes are required, with the rest of the curriculum consisting of topic specific sport management courses and work experiences. Students are also afforded the opportunity to take classes in the sport studies curriculum, which focuses on the study of the socio-cultural aspects of sport.

Scholarly Inquiry Option:

• Consists of 36 hours of coursework
• The scholarly inquiry is an in-depth, scholarly work that relates to the student’s area of emphasis and builds upon the student’s previous coursework and professional experience.
• The scholarly inquiry requires a written report in a style appropriate to the student’s experience. The scholarly inquiry is due the first day of the month of intended graduation.

Thesis Option:

• The master’s thesis should be considered a contribution to the field of knowledge in the concentration discipline. Six semester hours of credit may be earned in preparation of the thesis. You must continue to register for three hours of thesis credit even if you do not finish in the semester intended. You will continue to do this until the completion and acceptance of the thesis. 
• The thesis should represent original research limited in scope so there will be sufficient time to complete it. The thesis experience culminates in a formal presentation to the thesis committee with attendance open to the public.
• Those who plan to continue their education at the PhD level and pursue careers as faculty in higher education tend to choose the thesis option, which consists of 30 hours of coursework and a 6 hour thesis.

*RSM 510, 512, 515, 530, 540, 544, 550, 554, 555, 560, 570, and 580
^SPST 507, 515, 542, and 543.
+These courses can be taken within the department.