Sport Leadership and Management

Degree

Bachelor of Science with a major in Sport Leadership and Management
College of Business (COB)

Contact

Kiernan Gordon, Ph.D.
Program Director, Sport Leadership and Management 
kgordon6@domains2book.com

Mission

As a UNE Sport Leadership and Management (SLAM) student, your education prepares you for a variety of careers in the $500 billion global sports industry. The B.S. with a major in Sport Leadership and Management provides you with a comprehensive education by building a solid foundation in the management, financial, marketing, law, and leadership functions of the sport industry, fifteen (15) credits towards a minor in Business Administration, and at least two-hundred and forty (240) hours of experiential learning through internships, industry-based guest speakers, site visits, and applied projects. The SLAM program trains students to develop a mastery of the sport industry landscape in an effort to find their place within it and demonstrate critical thinking to address current problems, innovate to create timely solutions, exhibit leadership qualities to inspire colleagues, and exercise both hard and soft skills to expand their roles, improve their organizations, and make the sport industry better overall.

Major Description

  • The Sport Leadership and Management major requires successful completion of eleven (11) industry-specific courses (thirty-three (33) credits) that enable students to develop hard and soft skills and engage with contemporary issues, practitioners, and best practices to better position one’s self for post-graduate success.
  • The Sport Leadership and Management major affords the successful student fifteen (15) credits towards a Minor in Business Administration.
  • The Sport Leadership and Management major provides students with the opportunity to pursue additional coursework that aligns with their personal and professional goals by enrolling in a variety of pre-established elective courses (six (6) credits). Thus, students can take multiple courses in a variety of areas to continue the development of hard and/or soft skills, including but not limited to data science, graphic design, public speaking, sport media, and, of course, additional internship credits or SLAM travel courses to supplement their major coursework. Or, if students wish, they can allocate six (6) of their general elective credits towards a second major, such as one in the College of Business, or minor, such as the coaching minor.

The Sport Leadership and Management major requires students to fulfill a minimum of two hundred and forty (240) hours, or a maximum of four-hundred and eighty (480) hours, of experiential learning through internships after completing their first year. Internships are established by working with our Internship Coordinator and are uniquely tailored to align with each student's career goals (minimum six (6) credits).

Curricular Requirements

CAS Core Requirements (must take MAT 120 or MAT 150 as MAT course)Credits
Total42
Program Required CoursesCredits
BUAC 201 – Financial Accounting3
BUEC 204 – Microeconomics3
BUMG 200 – Management3
MAT 120 – Statistics or MAT 150 – Statistics for Life SciencesCredits Fulfilled by Core Requirements
SLM 160 – Introduction to Sport Leadership and Management6
SLM 225 – Sport and Recreation Marketing3
SLM 250 – Sport and Recreation Finance3
SLM 305 – Sport and Society3
SLM 330 – Sport Governance3
SLM 340 – Athletic and Sports Administration3
SLM 355 – Sport Venue Planning and Management3
SLM 360 – Leadership3
SLM 370 – Law and Ethics in Sport and Recreation Management3
SLM 420 – Research Methods3
SLM 430 – Seminar in Sport Leadership & Management3
Six (6) Credits of Program-Specific Electives (from the courses listed below)6
Six (6) Credits of Electives from the College of Business6
Six (6) Credits of Internship Experiences6
Total Credits63
Open Electives (as needed to reach 120 credits)Variable
Minimum Total Required Credits120
Program-Specific ElectivesCredits
ART 230 – Graphic Design3
ATC 306 – Psychology of Sport & Exercise3
CMM 216 – Sports Field Production3
CMM 415 – Sports Reporting and Writing3
EXS 205 – Sport Youth Physiology3
SPC 100 – Effective Public Speaking3
Any Applied Mathematics course (MAT 190 or above)3–4
Any College of Business course*3
Any Data Science course3
Any SLM Course**1–6

*Course cannot be used towards a Business Minor.

**Course cannot be used towards major. SLM options can inlcude additional internship.

Internship Experiences (six (6) credits required at Minimum)

Each of our Sport Leadership and Management majors is required to complete at least two-hundred and forty (240) contact hours, or six (6) credits, at approved internship sites upon attaining sophomore standing, which is after completing their first year. They may, however, complete up to four-hundred and eighty (480) hours, or twelve (12) credits, if they wish. The internship experience is a primary requirement for degree completion.

The internship experiences allow our Sport Leadership and Management majors to gain pre-professional experience and is designed to enhance their development of knowledge, skills, and abilities to succeed in the sport industry.

Common internship experiences include one or more of the following "hands-on" activities:

  • Customer interaction and personnel supervision
  • Observation and participation in program planning/leadership.
  • Observe/research/analyze current activities and future trends in the industry
  • Involving the student intern, when appropriate, in management meetings and communications
  • A “capstone” experience, e.g., marketing plan, fundraising project, special event promotion, etc.; professional presentation, or research/case study in a sport management or outdoor recreation discipline.

Affiliated Internship Sites in Sport Leadership and Management

Experiences in sport marketing, sport event planning and delivery, athletic administration, coaching, sports information, and sport venue management:

  • American Red Cross (Portland, ME)
  • Antrim Recreation Department (Antrim, NH)
  • Atlanta Hawks (NBA) (Atlanta, GA)
  • Atlantic Pool and Billiards (Biddeford, ME)
  • Baltimore Ravens (NFL) (Baltimore, MD)
  • Bath Country Club (Bath, ME)
  • Berwick Academy (South Berwick, ME)
  • Bethel Inn Resort and Country Club (Bethel, ME)
  • Biddeford High School Athletics (Biddeford, ME)
  • Biddeford Parks and Recreation Department (Biddeford, ME)
  • Brewster Sports Center (Brewster, NY)
  • Burlington Free Press (Burlington, VT)
  • Cal Ripken, Jr.’s Ripken Baseball (Massachusetts)
  • Camp Pontiac (Glen Head, NY)
  • Camp Sunshine (Casco, ME)
  • Cape Arundel Golf Course (Kennebunkport, ME)
  • CCBA Summer Basketball League (Lebanon, NH)
  • Cedar Rapids Kernels Baseball (Cedar Rapids, IA)
  • Charlotte Bobcats Basketball (Charlotte, NC)
  • Complete Athlete (Derry, NH)
  • Concord Recreation Center (Concord, MA)
  • Dan Duquette Sports Academy (Western MA)
  • Derry Sports Zone (Derry, NH)
  • Dove Springs Recreation Center (Austin, TX)
  • Dover Recreation Department (Dover, NH)
  • Fitness by Favara (Portsmouth, NH)
  • Glens Falls Golden Eagles Baseball (Glens Falls, NY)
  • Greater Nashua YMCA (Merrimack Branch, Nashua Branch, and Camp Sargent, NH)
  • IMG Athletics (Bradenton, FL)
  • Keene Swamp Bats (Keene, NH)
  • Kennebunk High School Athletics (Kennebunk, ME)
  • Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation (Bethel, ME)
  • Maine Mammoths Football (Portland, ME)
  • Maine Mariners Hockey (Portland, ME)
  • Maine Senior Games (Kennebunk, ME)
  • Maine Special Olympics (Portland Area, ME)
  • Maine Sports Commission (Augusta, ME)
  • Manchester Monarchs (Manchester, NH)
  • Massalonskee High School Athletics (Oakland, ME)
  • MBNation (Saco, ME)
  • Mid Cape Racquet and Health Club (South Yarmouth, MA)
  • Nantucket Country Club (Nantucket, MA)
  • Northern York County YMCA (Biddeford, ME)
  • Oakland Maine Recreation Department (Oakland, ME)
  • Oakley (Freeport, ME)
  • Old Orchard Beach High School Athletics (Old Orchard Beach, ME)
  • Portland Athletic Club (Portland, ME)
  • Portland Ice Arena (Portland, ME)
  • Portland Red Claws Basketball (Portland, ME)
  • Portland Sea Dogs Baseball (Portland, ME)
  • Portsmouth Country Club (Portsmouth, NH)
  • Princeton Men's Basketball (Division I) (Princeton, NJ)
  • Pure Hockey (Franklin, MA)
  • Resort Sports Network (RSN) (Portland & Sunday River, ME)
  • Rosewood Recreation Center (Austin, TX)
  • Saco Parks & Recreation Department (Saco, ME)
  • Saco Sports and Fitness (Saco, ME)
  • Scarborough High School Athletics (Scarborough, ME)
  • Shamrock Sports and Entertainment (Portland, ME)
  • South Shore Baseball Club (Hingham, MA)
  • Southern Maine Community College (South Portland, ME)
  • Sports Authority (South Portland, ME)
  • Sugarloaf (Carrabassett Valley, ME)
  • Team Central Lacrosse (Northboro, MA)Thornton Academy Athletics (Saco, ME)
  • University of New England, Department of Athletics (Biddeford, ME)
  • University of New Hampshire (Durham, NH)
  • University of Southern Maine, Department of Athletics (Gorham, ME)
  • USSA Major League Soccer (Saco & Portland, ME)
  • Vermont Sun Sports and Fitness (Middlebury, VT)
  • Windham Parks and Recreation Department (Windham, ME)
  • XL Sports World (Saco, ME)

Academic and Technical Standards

Students will be retained within the Sport Leadership and Management major provided the following criteria are maintained throughout the undergraduate experience:

  • Grade point of 2.0 (C) in all courses required in the Sport Leadership and Management major (eleven (11) courses).
  • Grade point of 2.0 (C) in each Sport Leadership and Management major elective course (two (2) courses).
  • Grade point of 2.0 (C) in each course required/chosen for the Business Minor (five (5) courses).
  • Grade point of 2.0 (C) in the required Sport Leadership and Management or internship credits (the minimum of six (6) credits, maximum of twelve (12) credits, can be divided into one (1) or more course experiences).
  • Students who receive a grade point below 2.0 (C) in any of the above courses will be required to repeat the course and earn a grade point of 2.0 (C) or higher before the degree is completed. A course may be repeated only once.

Learning Outcomes

  • Demonstrate foundational knowledge in Sport Leadership and Management – History and Society, Management, Marketing, Finance, and Economics – by demonstrating an understanding of related concepts and theories.
  • Demonstrate effective skills in written and oral communications using appropriate skills and technologies.
  • Demonstrate an ability to integrate the concepts of the core areas of Sport Leadership and Management.
  • Demonstrate awareness regarding the importance of the legal and ethical requirements of Sport Leadership and Management activities and programming.
  • Demonstrate an ability to conduct methodological secondary research into Sport Leadership and Management-related issues, which requires familiarity with a range of data, research sources, and appropriate technologies.

Minor

A student in another major may minor in Sport Leadership and Management with the approval of the Program Director. Eighteen (18) hours of approved coursework is required for the minor in Sport Leadership and Management as follows:

Curriculum

Program Required CoursesCredits
SLM 160 – Introduction to Sport Leadership & Management3
SLM 395 – Internship in Sport Leadership & Management3
Total Credits6
Select Four (4) of the following courses:Credits
SLM 225 – Sport and Recreation Marketing3
SLM 250 – Sport and Recreation Finance3
SLM 305 – Sport & Society3
SLM 330 – Sport Governance3
SLM 340 – Athletic and Sport Administration3
SLM 355 – Sport Venue Planning and Management3
SLM 360 – Leadership3
SLM 370 – Law and Ethics in Sport Management3
SLM 420 – Research Methods3
Total Credits12
Minimum Total Required Credits18

Specific prerequisites are required for the above-listed coursework. Carefully planned sequencing is important to complete this minor. Select courses carefully in consultation with your academic advisor.

Honors Program

We offer qualified students the option of graduating with Honors. This includes significant research, scholarship or creative activity under the direction of a faculty member. Interested students should consult with their advisor.

Transfer Credit

See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.

Admissions

See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.

Financial Information

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Notice and Responsibilities Regarding this Catalog

This catalog outlines the academic programs, degree criteria, policies, and events of the University of New England for the 2024–2025 academic year and serves as the official guide for academic and program requirements for students enrolling at the University during the Summer of 2024, Fall 2024, and Spring 2025 semesters.

The information provided is accurate as of its publication date on April 26, 2024.
The University of New England reserves the right to modify its programs, calendar, or academic schedule as deemed necessary or beneficial. This includes alterations to course content, class rescheduling, cancellations, or any other academic adjustments. Changes will be communicated as promptly as possible.

While students may receive guidance from academic advisors or program directors, they remain responsible for fulfilling the requirements outlined in the catalog relevant to their enrollment year and for staying informed about any updates to policies, provisions, or requirements.