Courses

What is the practical application of key concepts and issues in sports management within the sports business workplace? This class emphasizes the key concepts and issues in various disciplines of the sports industry, and the relationship between disciplines within the industry. Students and faculty share practical experience and incorporate student experimentation to fully prepare students for advancement in the Sports Management program.

This course examines issues of management and organizational behavior within the broad context of the sports industry, with specific reference to issues of staffing, motivation, and communication. The course also introduces leadership theory, as well as the tools and techniques for its practical applications, including how to most effectively apply leadership theory on a daily basis within a sports organization.

What is the business of professional sports, and what financial skills are needed to thrive in the industry? This course provides an extensive overview of the business of professional sports and the financial and accounting skills necessary for sports managers to succeed in professional sports organizations. This course moves from a macro to the micro look at the industry, by surveying the business models of major sports leagues and organizations with specific reference and emphasis on finance and accounting and the role they play in decision-making.

By the end of the course, students will have a solid comprehension of the role of accounting and finance in the sports industry, and be able to successfully apply that knowledge to accounting and financial issues routinely faced by sports managers.

This course explores the techniques and activities used to advertise and promote sports events. Topics discussed include: the marketing mix, the evolution of media in the 21st century, advertising awareness, brand awareness, other critical and frequently used brand metrics, message recall, consumer motivation and attitudes, behavior, endorsements, promotions, naming rights, licensing, sponsorship, media management, constructing the advertising message, designing advertising and more broadly, sports marketing campaigns.

This class forces students to analyze the increasingly complex legal and ethical issues facing leagues, teams, event organizers, participants, athletes, entertainers, communities and others. In addition, students will consider the role of public policy and ethical decision--making. Students will learn the tools of legal analysis and problem solving, including issue spotting and the application of legal principles to disputes. Students review several broad issues related to sports law before turning to consider the legal issues routinely faced by sports managers. The class also considers Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) and the distinctions among arbitration, mediation and litigation.

This course is an introduction to the application of analytic tools and techniques used to aid sports decision-makers. The structure of the course examines the use of analytics to four main areas of interest: player performance measurement, in-game decision-making, player selection and team/roster construction, and sports administration such as marketing, pricing, contracts, stadium management, etc. Emphasis is placed on how the application of analytics has altered the decision processes of sports organizations.

Fundamentals of Sports Analytics provides a needed skill set for today's sports managers and leaders. Having a basic understanding of analytical tools and their application to sports issues is essential for the success of anyone pursuing a career in the field of sports management.

Digital, social, and mobile media continue to heavily impact every aspect of sports business, often in profound and unanticipated ways, particularly in managing and optimizing revenue streams. All revenue line items are fully intertwined and integrated with each other, media, sponsorship, ticketing, hospitality, concessions and licensing, etc. Students of this course will learn to analyze and optimize the ecosystem of sports business including content rights, ticketing, sponsorship, merchandising, marketing, etc., as well as make business analytics decisions by leveraging business analytics software to run scenario analysis.

This course examines the history and future of companies growing their customer relationship management (CRM) tool. From the early stages of data collection, to the data explosion witnessed in recent year, this course examines the tools needed to make informed decisions on customers. This business strategy aimed at understanding, anticipating and responding to customer needs in order to expand the customer relationship based on customer’s actions and data points.

This course will build on the topics and tactics covered in Business Intelligence in Sports to create a real-life learning lab where students can apply key concepts and expand their techniques against real data from a partner professional sports team. More advanced skills around SQL, Tableau, and R will be developed and applied to relevant scenarios using available data such as customer demographics, behaviors, tickets, attendance, social media, marketing, surveys, and sponsorships. Students will leave the class prepared to join a team’s business intelligence department and make immediate contributions.

How does one demonstrate the capability to apply advanced critical thinking skills to sports business issues such as player valuations and salary negotiations in baseball, and have the ability to integrate objective analysis with subjective judgment in a way that adds value to decision processes? Through a combination of lectures, class discussion, group presentations and guest speakers this course examines the economic value associated with winning and losing teams along with the implication on the dollar value of players, implications of free agency, sourcing of international players, and the player development system, on a team’s business operations and finances. Finally, the course explores contemporary issues such as team-owned regional sports networks and their impact on the sport.

This course examines the data collection process, application, and management practices as it applies to various sports throughout the world. Using soccer as a platform to explore techniques, students will develop a working knowledge of the practical applications of analysis and models used to make management decisions within an organization. With growing global connectivity, and access to data across international leagues, the ability to embrace in-game analytics to improve team’s performance, evaluate talent, develop in-game strategies, and more efficiently manage their rosters, while creating financial value for stakeholders will be an invaluable skill.

In response to the sports industry turning towards greater application of analytics and critical thinking skills, Soccer Analytics aims to develop students into managers who can make decisions, based on provided models, on player and team valuations. Students will be able to demonstrate the capability to apply advanced critical thinking skills to sports business issues and have the ability to integrate objective analysis with subjective judgment in a way that adds value to decision processes.

In this course, students will develop a working knowledge of the practical application of analysis and models used to make management decisions within an organization and a professional league. Basketball Analytics will explore the use of data and statistics to inform decision making in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Utilizing data made available through the NBA and other publicly available resources, students will learn to use analytics to ask and answer the right questions and provide best practice solutions through critical thinking.

The internship in Sports Management provides students not currently working in the industry with hands-on experience in a sports organization of their choice. Students will be required to successfully engage in a set of responsibilities for a sports organization. Students pursuing internships work with an advisor available to assist and advise on their internship responsibilities. Per the course requirements, students submit a written summary of their internship projects or internship experience to the internship instructor and present it to their peers regarding their experience. Although students have broad flexibility in the types of organizations at which they might intern, the internship must be approved, in advance, by the academic advisor. The internship in Sports Management is offered every term, including summer.

Advanced standing in the Sports Management program, with at least 12 points/credits (4 courses) completed, is required. In addition, a student may not exceed 6 points/credits (2 courses) of Supervised Internship or take more than 3 points/credits (1 course) per semester. 

International students must complete two consecutive semesters to qualify for an internship*. 

Course Requirements

Students are required to work a minimum of 21 hours over a minimum of 10 weeks with a minimum of 210 hours for the semester. Students are not able to extend internships. Students are required to the student an official offer letter, with the following information included:

• Be on official letterhead

• Have a specific start and end date

• Include the address of the employer 

• Include the number of hours per week 

• Include a detailed description of duties/responsibilities 

• Signed by the supervisor 

*CPT (Curriculum Practical Training provides a benefit for international students that permits you to intern at US based companies while enrolled in an internship course during their academic program. For full details on eligibility and requirements, please visit the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) website.

OPT (Optional Practical Training) is a benefit and extension of F-1 student status that permits you to remain in the U.S. after you complete your academic program with permission to work in your field of study. For full details on eligibility and requirements, please visit the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) website.

For Independent Study, students will complete an Independent Study of significant academic merit. This course allows students, along with a faculty advisor, to develop a research project or industry deliverable. The student is expected to complete rigorous academic and industry research on a topic of their choice approved by the faculty advisor. Once the student has completed their research, the student is responsible for creating a deliverable of academic merit.

Projects are research intensive and vary according to partners and specialty.

The objective of this course is to increase students’ awareness and understanding of foreign sports business and a practical framework necessary for doing business internationally. Students will evaluate theories, concepts, frameworks, and methods essential to the functioning and management of international sports. By the end of this course, students will be able to illustrate the differences between U.S. and global sports, and identify fundamental concepts, issues, and terminology in the management of international sports.

This course examines the data collection process, application, and management practices as it applies to various sports throughout the world. Using soccer as a platform to explore techniques, students will develop a working knowledge of the practical applications of analysis and models used to make management decisions within an organization. With growing global connectivity, and access to data across international leagues, the ability to embrace in-game analytics to improve team’s performance, evaluate talent, develop in-game strategies, and more efficiently manage their rosters, while creating financial value for stakeholders will be an invaluable skill.

In response to the sports industry turning towards greater application of analytics and critical thinking skills, Soccer Analytics aims to develop students into managers who can make decisions, based on provided models, on player and team valuations. Students will be able to demonstrate the capability to apply advanced critical thinking skills to sports business issues and have the ability to integrate objective analysis with subjective judgment in a way that adds value to decision processes.

This course is an introduction to the application of analytic tools and techniques used to aid sports decision-makers. The structure of the course examines the use of analytics to four main areas of interest: player performance measurement, in-game decision-making, player selection and team/roster construction, and sports administration such as marketing, pricing, contracts, stadium management, etc. Emphasis is placed on how the application of analytics has altered the decision processes of sports organizations.

Fundamentals of Sports Analytics provides a needed skill set for today's sports managers and leaders. Having a basic understanding of analytical tools and their application to sports issues is essential for the success of anyone pursuing a career in the field of sports management.

Digital, social, and mobile media continue to heavily impact every aspect of sports business, often in profound and unanticipated ways, particularly in managing and optimizing revenue streams. All revenue line items are fully intertwined and integrated with each other, media, sponsorship, ticketing, hospitality, concessions and licensing, etc. Students of this course will learn to analyze and optimize the ecosystem of sports business including content rights, ticketing, sponsorship, merchandising, marketing, etc., as well as make business analytics decisions by leveraging business analytics software to run scenario analysis.

This course examines the history and future of companies growing their customer relationship management (CRM) tool. From the early stages of data collection, to the data explosion witnessed in recent year, this course examines the tools needed to make informed decisions on customers. This business strategy aimed at understanding, anticipating and responding to customer needs in order to expand the customer relationship based on customer’s actions and data points.

How does one demonstrate the capability to apply advanced critical thinking skills to sports business issues such as player valuations and salary negotiations in baseball, and have the ability to integrate objective analysis with subjective judgment in a way that adds value to decision processes? Through a combination of lectures, class discussion, group presentations and guest speakers this course examines the economic value associated with winning and losing teams along with the implication on the dollar value of players, implications of free agency, sourcing of international players, and the player development system, on a team’s business operations and finances. Finally, the course explores contemporary issues such as team-owned regional sports networks and their impact on the sport.

In this course, students will develop a working knowledge of the practical application of analysis and models used to make management decisions within an organization and a professional league. Basketball Analytics will explore the use of data and statistics to inform decision making in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Utilizing data made available through the NBA and other publicly available resources, students will learn to use analytics to ask and answer the right questions and provide best practice solutions through critical thinking.

This course examines the data collection process, application, and management practices as it applies to various sports throughout the world. Using soccer as a platform to explore techniques, students will develop a working knowledge of the practical applications of analysis and models used to make management decisions within an organization. With growing global connectivity, and access to data across international leagues, the ability to embrace in-game analytics to improve team’s performance, evaluate talent, develop in-game strategies, and more efficiently manage their rosters, while creating financial value for stakeholders will be an invaluable skill.

In response to the sports industry turning towards greater application of analytics and critical thinking skills, Soccer Analytics aims to develop students into managers who can make decisions, based on provided models, on player and team valuations. Students will be able to demonstrate the capability to apply advanced critical thinking skills to sports business issues and have the ability to integrate objective analysis with subjective judgment in a way that adds value to decision processes.

This course will build on the topics and tactics covered in Business Intelligence in Sports to create a real-life learning lab where students can apply key concepts and expand their techniques against real data from a partner professional sports team. More advanced skills around SQL, Tableau, and R will be developed and applied to relevant scenarios using available data such as customer demographics, behaviors, tickets, attendance, social media, marketing, surveys, and sponsorships. Students will leave the class prepared to join a team’s business intelligence department and make immediate contributions.

Digital, social, and mobile media continue to heavily impact every aspect of sports business, often in profound and unanticipated ways, particularly in managing and optimizing revenue streams. All revenue line items are fully intertwined and integrated with each other, media, sponsorship, ticketing, hospitality, concessions and licensing, etc. Students of this course will learn to analyze and optimize the ecosystem of sports business including content rights, ticketing, sponsorship, merchandising, marketing, etc., as well as make business analytics decisions by leveraging business analytics software to run scenario analysis.

How does digital media and marketing impact the sports business? Over the last 15-20 years, digital media and marketing has become one of the biggest, most dynamic, and fastest growing parts of the sports industry. From an academic standpoint, this means digital is fully intertwined and complementary with the other key disciplines associated with sports: marketing, sponsorship, events, public relations, finance, and more.

This course is intended for students who are eager to delve into the digital side of sports, learn about the historical context, latest trends, best practices and issues, and become more knowledgeable about, and fluent in, one of the most exciting and appealing parts of the business. Case studies, current events, new developments, and guest speakers along with other approaches are used to familiarize students with topics such as:

• the importance of fantasy and video gaming
• the transformation of the in-venue experience
• relevant uber-issues such as net neutrality, and the increasing globalization of the business

What are the best practices and techniques for effective communication in the sports and entertainment industry? This class focuses on defining, developing, and delivering an effective public relations campaign; the use of mass and social media platforms for brands, personalities and teams; as well as the management and mitigation of crisis. Students will stay current with sports business communications issues as reported in Sports Business Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, and other mainstream and popular communication media. Each week a substantial amount of classroom time will be devoted to the application and relevance of reading assignments to breaking sports news stories. Course pedagogies include case-studies, current events, simulations, and guest speakers.

This course features an examination of corporate sponsorship, its growing role and importance in the corporate/brand marketing mix; importance to event and property producers/organizers, participants, athletes, entertainers, communities and the media. Additionally, an overview of the industry and instruction on effective methods to plan, price, organize, acquire, implement, measure, and evaluate sponsorships including the development of a corporate sponsorship plan. There is a strong emphasis on post-program analysis utilizing various types of marketing research.

This course explores the application of advanced techniques used to measure, market and promote sports properties, including events and media, as well as study the critical challenges encountered by brands who no longer have the luxury of doing “last year based” planning and budgeting. Topics include: sports branding, the evolution of the domestic and global media landscape, key performance indicators for brands, licensing, endorsements, promotions, naming rights, sponsorship, media buying and selling, different types of convergence across the sports industry, and the legal and financial implications of all of the above.

In this course, students will critically analyze and consider the successes and challenges facing the NFL. Specifically, students will be tasked with identifying what accounts for its success as both a corporate and cultural institution; what lessons can be drawn from the success of the NFL that could pertain to other industries, whether in professional sports or elsewhere; and importantly, how the NFL is actually run as a business. Students will take a deep dive into a variety of subjects within the business of the NFL, have first-hand access to NFL insiders from a variety of sectors within the league, and be tasked with cultivating business, marketing, leadership and general decision-making skills drawn from real-world experiences within the NFL.

This course is ideal for students who are passionate about learning the intricacies of how the NFL is operated on both the league and team level. Further, students in this course will develop evergreen business skills that, while initially developed through the lens of sports, can be easily transferred into other disciplines.

The course will be taught through a combination of lectures, class discussion, group presentations and guest speakers. Students are required to read assignments from the texts as well as additional sources provided by the professor. Students must attend class prepared to engage in discussions; have, articulate and defend a point of view; and ask questions and provide comments based on their reading and independent research projects.

This course is an elective available to Sports Management students who have already taken Foundations of Sports Management.

This course links both the science and art of negotiation and conflict resolution, but it is more “art” than “art appreciation.” It gives students the opportunity to identify your strengths as a negotiator and to work on relative weaknesses. More fundamentally, the course will provide both a conceptual framework to diagnose problems and promote agreement in a range of settings from your organization to your home.

This seminar seeks to demystify sports leagues and teams. By laying the foundation of understanding how leagues and teams are structured, operated, and governed. The student will begin to unpack what drives leagues and teams, including where those drivers overlap or compete. Explore how decisions are made at the league and team level about issues such as broadcasting, team sales and relocations, governance, and venue development. To facilitate understanding of these issues, The student will develop the skills needed to apply understanding of the complex relationships to real-world cases, demonstrating the leadership and know-how required to resolve issues while learning the rules that govern interaction between leagues and teams.

This course traces the long history of athlete activism in the United States and abroad in parallel with the historical timeline of social injustice and the civil rights/human rights movements in the U.S. and around the world. By identifying the stakeholders and objects of athlete activism; distinguish the rationales in support of or in opposition to using sports as a protest platform and, discuss the intersection of race, gender, and class with the global business of sport.

This course examines the data collection process, application, and management practices as it applies to various sports throughout the world. Using soccer as a platform to explore techniques, students will develop a working knowledge of the practical applications of analysis and models used to make management decisions within an organization. With growing global connectivity, and access to data across international leagues, the ability to embrace in-game analytics to improve team’s performance, evaluate talent, develop in-game strategies, and more efficiently manage their rosters, while creating financial value for stakeholders will be an invaluable skill.

In response to the sports industry turning towards greater application of analytics and critical thinking skills, Soccer Analytics aims to develop students into managers who can make decisions, based on provided models, on player and team valuations. Students will be able to demonstrate the capability to apply advanced critical thinking skills to sports business issues and have the ability to integrate objective analysis with subjective judgment in a way that adds value to decision processes.

In this course, students will develop a working knowledge of the practical application of analysis and models used to make management decisions within an organization and a professional league. Basketball Analytics will explore the use of data and statistics to inform decision making in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Utilizing data made available through the NBA and other publicly available resources, students will learn to use analytics to ask and answer the right questions and provide best practice solutions through critical thinking.

This course builds a core foundation for entrepreneurship and innovation with the goal to develop frameworks and conceptual tools for students to explore the world of sports entrepreneurship. It will expose students to startup sports ventures and real business issues with the opportunity to help solve problems for sports startup ventures.

This course is an introduction to the application of analytic tools and techniques used to aid sports decision-makers. The structure of the course examines the use of analytics to four main areas of interest: player performance measurement, in-game decision-making, player selection and team/roster construction, and sports administration such as marketing, pricing, contracts, stadium management, etc. Emphasis is placed on how the application of analytics has altered the decision processes of sports organizations.

Fundamentals of Sports Analytics provides a needed skill set for today's sports managers and leaders. Having a basic understanding of analytical tools and their application to sports issues is essential for the success of anyone pursuing a career in the field of sports management.

How does one demonstrate the capability to apply advanced critical thinking skills to sports business issues such as player valuations and salary negotiations in baseball, and have the ability to integrate objective analysis with subjective judgment in a way that adds value to decision processes? Through a combination of lectures, class discussion, group presentations and guest speakers this course examines the economic value associated with winning and losing teams along with the implication on the dollar value of players, implications of free agency, sourcing of international players, and the player development system, on a team’s business operations and finances. Finally, the course explores contemporary issues such as team-owned regional sports networks and their impact on the sport.

The objective of this course is to increase students’ awareness and understanding of foreign sports business and a practical framework necessary for doing business internationally. Students will evaluate theories, concepts, frameworks, and methods essential to the functioning and management of international sports. By the end of this course, students will be able to illustrate the differences between U.S. and global sports, and identify fundamental concepts, issues, and terminology in the management of international sports.

Digital, social, and mobile media continue to heavily impact every aspect of sports business, often in profound and unanticipated ways, particularly in managing and optimizing revenue streams. All revenue line items are fully intertwined and integrated with each other, media, sponsorship, ticketing, hospitality, concessions and licensing, etc. Students of this course will learn to analyze and optimize the ecosystem of sports business including content rights, ticketing, sponsorship, merchandising, marketing, etc., as well as make business analytics decisions by leveraging business analytics software to run scenario analysis.

In this course, we focus on how to develop a winning culture for your organization, both on and off the field. We examine diverse pathways to developing a winning culture that have been experimented with in various sports leagues and associations including the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), and more. In addition, we provide students with frameworks for aligning strategy with culture while highlighting the nuances in different sports organizations and clubs. This course will cover the following eight content areas: Strategy, Culture, Identity, Brand, Ownership, Leadership, Technology, and Investment in the Future.

This course features an examination of corporate sponsorship, its growing role and importance in the corporate/brand marketing mix; importance to event and property producers/organizers, participants, athletes, entertainers, communities and the media. Additionally, an overview of the industry and instruction on effective methods to plan, price, organize, acquire, implement, measure, and evaluate sponsorships including the development of a corporate sponsorship plan. There is a strong emphasis on post-program analysis utilizing various types of marketing research.

This class forces students to analyze the increasingly complex legal and ethical issues facing leagues, teams, event organizers, participants, athletes, entertainers, communities and others. In addition, students will consider the role of public policy and ethical decision--making. Students will learn the tools of legal analysis and problem solving, including issue spotting and the application of legal principles to disputes. Students review several broad issues related to sports law before turning to consider the legal issues routinely faced by sports managers. The class also considers Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) and the distinctions among arbitration, mediation and litigation.

What are the best practices and techniques for effective communication in the sports and entertainment industry? This class focuses on defining, developing, and delivering an effective public relations campaign; the use of mass and social media platforms for brands, personalities and teams; as well as the management and mitigation of crisis. Students will stay current with sports business communications issues as reported in Sports Business Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, and other mainstream and popular communication media. Each week a substantial amount of classroom time will be devoted to the application and relevance of reading assignments to breaking sports news stories. Course pedagogies include case-studies, current events, simulations, and guest speakers.

How does digital media and marketing impact the sports business? Over the last 15-20 years, digital media and marketing has become one of the biggest, most dynamic, and fastest growing parts of the sports industry. From an academic standpoint, this means digital is fully intertwined and complementary with the other key disciplines associated with sports: marketing, sponsorship, events, public relations, finance, and more.

This course is intended for students who are eager to delve into the digital side of sports, learn about the historical context, latest trends, best practices and issues, and become more knowledgeable about, and fluent in, one of the most exciting and appealing parts of the business. Case studies, current events, new developments, and guest speakers along with other approaches are used to familiarize students with topics such as:

• the importance of fantasy and video gaming
• the transformation of the in-venue experience
• relevant uber-issues such as net neutrality, and the increasing globalization of the business

This course provides students with an understanding of the complexity involved in sport facility and event management. Sport facility management includes a variety of activities such as planning and designing a sports facility, staff management, facility marketing, developing revenue streams, and facility scheduling and operating. Sport event management consists of identifying goals of the event and coordinating people in the organizations involved to achieve those goals with the resources available.

What are the aspects of operating and managing a successful intercollegiate athletics program? This course covers the following four content areas: College Athletics at the National Level; Ethics, Governance, Rules Compliance and Professional Behavior; Best Practices in Budgeting and Long-Range Planning; and Athletics Facilities, Operations and Capital Projects. Activities within this course include: reading, lecture, class discussion, guest speakers, field trips, article critiques and examinations. Students also participate in debates of current issues.

The internship in Sports Management provides students not currently working in the industry with hands-on experience in a sports organization of their choice. Students will be required to successfully engage in a set of responsibilities for a sports organization. Students pursuing internships work with an advisor available to assist and advise on their internship responsibilities. Per the course requirements, students submit a written summary of their internship projects or internship experience to the internship instructor and present it to their peers regarding their experience. Although students have broad flexibility in the types of organizations at which they might intern, the internship must be approved, in advance, by the academic advisor. The internship in Sports Management is offered every term, including summer.

Advanced standing in the Sports Management program, with at least 12 points/credits (4 courses) completed, is required. In addition, a student may not exceed 6 points/credits (2 courses) of Supervised Internship or take more than 3 points/credits (1 course) per semester. 

International students must complete two consecutive semesters to qualify for an internship*. 

Course Requirements

Students are required to work a minimum of 21 hours over a minimum of 10 weeks with a minimum of 210 hours for the semester. Students are not able to extend internships. Students are required to the student an official offer letter, with the following information included:

• Be on official letterhead

• Have a specific start and end date

• Include the address of the employer 

• Include the number of hours per week 

• Include a detailed description of duties/responsibilities 

• Signed by the supervisor 

*CPT (Curriculum Practical Training provides a benefit for international students that permits you to intern at US based companies while enrolled in an internship course during their academic program. For full details on eligibility and requirements, please visit the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) website.

OPT (Optional Practical Training) is a benefit and extension of F-1 student status that permits you to remain in the U.S. after you complete your academic program with permission to work in your field of study. For full details on eligibility and requirements, please visit the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) website.

Projects are research intensive and vary according to partners and specialty.

This course focuses on the scores of sports leagues that have been launched both successfully and otherwise. Through a combination of lectures, case studies and guest speakers, students will learn about the ideation, funding, legal aspects, marketing, media strategy and monetization of these businesses, both domestically and globally.

This course explores the application of advanced techniques used to measure, market and promote sports properties, including events and media, as well as study the critical challenges encountered by brands who no longer have the luxury of doing “last year based” planning and budgeting. Topics include: sports branding, the evolution of the domestic and global media landscape, key performance indicators for brands, licensing, endorsements, promotions, naming rights, sponsorship, media buying and selling, different types of convergence across the sports industry, and the legal and financial implications of all of the above.

The global sports industry is substantial, encompassing various aspects such as sporting events, merchandise, broadcasting, and more. In 2022, the industry's revenue amounted to nearly $487 billion. By 2027, the global sports market is expected to surpass $623 billion. However, the influence of sports extends far beyond the field. Fans are both dedicated and passionate supporters who contribute to the industry's success and have a massive following across continents. From local matches to international tournaments, fans engage through attendance, viewership, merchandise purchases, social media interactions, and so much more.

As the market continues to grow, the sports industry has made significant progress toward embracing sustainability practices. Brands are increasingly transparent about their sustainability efforts, businesses are looking to partner with sustainability-focused organizations that have reputable certifications and initiatives, real estate developers and investors are designing environmentally friendly facilities, and athletes and their fan bases are demanding climate action, just to name a few. Despite some progress, there's ample room for growth within emerging sustainability practices in sports. Continued innovation can lead to eco-friendly materials, sustainable event management, ensuring sustainability across supply chains, and greening stadiums, venues, and event infrastructure, which can further minimize resource consumption and pollution and contribute to a healthier planet.    

This course introduces the concept of sustainability and its relevance to the sports industry. It examines the environmental, social, and economic impacts of sports activities, events, and organizations and explores the strategies and practices that can enhance the sustainability performance of the sports sector. The course covers topics such as the definitions and dimensions of sustainability and how they relate to sports; the drivers and challenges of sustainability in sports (climate change, stakeholder expectations, governance, and innovation); frameworks and tools for assessing and reporting on sustainability in sports; best practices and case studies of sustainability in sports; and opportunities and benefits of sustainability in sports (fan engagement, athlete activism, business development, and social impact).

Organizational Strategy and Learning is a full-semester course that is designed specifically to improve understanding of the intersection of strategy, human capital management, operational planning, and organizational development. In today’s fast-evolving business landscape, the skills to evaluate, champion, and implement an integrated approach to organization-wide development programs that link strategic planning with learning initiatives are critical. The course teaches Human Capital Management (HCM) students how to continuously integrate strategy and learning as a powerful and effective tool to build agile and resilient learning organizations. These types of successful learning organizations are able to achieve accurate self-assessments, support change and innovation, attract, retain, and develop top talent, and maximize manager effectiveness.

This required course will explore the connections between organizational strategy, human capital management and development as core catalysts for competitive advantage and fiscal survival.

As part of the HCM program, this course will support students in mastering the following program objectives:

• Developing integrated workforce strategies and talent solutions that are responsive to a diverse and dynamic marketplace, sustainable, and aligned to organizational goals.
• Developing leadership competencies required to serve as a trusted and agile advisor on human capital implications relating to the talent lifecycle and to organizational opportunities and challenges.
• Using meaningful patterns in HR data to create clear and cohesive stories that have an action-driven people analytics strategy.
• Developing rationales grounded in financial and business acumen and connected to organizational objectives for investments in human capital management initiatives

In addition to reading relevant case studies, theoretical and conceptual texts and participating in real-world scenarios, role-plays, and projects, students will interact in meaningful ways with invited guest executives and scholars. Throughout the course, students will collaborate to discuss, develop, design, and present strategies and implementation plans that aim to address the fundamental challenges of the modern global business world. Students will also participate in site visits or guest lectures to leading organizations to observe covered theories in practice, and experience, in real-time, how organizations establish a strategy and align it with their talent development efforts. 

In this course, students will learn fundamental marketing concepts and their application. Students will work extensively with case study projects. By the end of this class students will understand:

• The essential elements of a market and large-scale company strategy

• How to identify customers and competition

• The fundamental elements of the marketing mix (product, price, placement and promotion) 

• How to research consumer behavior and pricing strategies.