The Bachelor of Science in Sports Management prepares students to become professional managers in areas such as sports marketing, sports media, amateur and professional athletics, and sports and entertainment event planning. Coursework for the sports management degree focuses on key business skills with specific application to the sports industry. Students will gain an introduction to event planning for athletic, recreational, entertainment and special events with an emphasis on budgeting, site selection, sponsorship and facility management.
The program will also explore the basic legal system and principles of professional and amateur sports including the means of limiting the liability of sports organizations. Marketing concepts will be examined as they apply to sports organizations, covering topics such as promotions and public relations, sports consumer behavior, strategic market planning, marketing information management, marketing communications, and sponsorship.
In addition to the academic business focus, the sports management degree will provide students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through access to GCU's NCAA Division I sports teams and state-of-the-art facilities including a 5,000-seat Arena and student recreation center that includes an athletic training and sports performance facility. Backed by a name like Jerry Colangelo, this program also provides unique networking opportunities with sports business industry executives.
Upon completing the sports management degree, many graduates opt to further their education. GCU offers a variety of master's degrees in business including an MBA and a Master of Science in Leadership.
General Education coursework prepares Grand Canyon University graduates to think critically, communicate clearly, live responsibly in a diverse world, and thoughtfully integrate their faith and ethical convictions into all dimensions of life. These competencies, essential to an effective and satisfying life, are outlined in the General Education Learner Outcomes. General Education courses embody the breadth of human understanding and creativity contained in the liberal arts and sciences tradition. Students take an array of foundational knowledge courses that promote expanded knowledge, insight, and the outcomes identified in the University‛s General Education Competencies. The knowledge and skills students acquire through these courses serve as a foundation for successful careers and lifelong journeys of growing understanding and wisdom.
| Competency | Requirements | GCU Course Options | Total Credits |
| University Foundations | Upon completion of the Grand Canyon University's University Foundation experience, students will be able to demonstrate competency in the areas of academic skills and self-leadership. They will be able to articulate the range of resources available to assist them, explore career options related to their area of study, and have knowledge of Grand Canyon's community. Students will be able to demonstrate foundational academic success skills, explore GCU resources (CLA, Library, Career Center, ADA office, etc), articulate strategies of self-leadership and management and recognize opportunities to engage in the GCU community. Students with fewer than 24 credits will fulfill the University Foundations requirement with a specified lower-division course. An upper-division selection will be made available to students that enter the university with more than 24 credits. | UNV-103/303, University Success: 4 credits | 4 credits |
| Effective Communication | Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to construct rhetorically effective communications appropriate to diverse audiences, purposes, and occasions (English composition, communication, critical reading, foreign language, sign language, etc.). Students are required to take 6 credits | ENG-105, English Composition I: 4 credits UNV-104, 21st Century Skills: Communication and Information Literacy: 4 credits |
6 credits |
| Critical Thinking | Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to use various analytic and problem-solving skills to examine, evaluate, and/or challenge ideas and arguments. Students are required to take 8 credits of intermediate algebra or higher mathematics. | MAT-134, Applications of Algebra: 4 credits MAT-260, College Geometry: 4 credits |
8 credits |
| Global Awareness, Perspectives, Ethics and Humanities | Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to demonstrate a global perspective and an awareness and appreciation of the scope and variety of literary works as expressions of individual or broader human values. Graduates will demonstrate information literacy which will enable them to locate and analyze information from a variety of sources. | CWV-101, Foundations of a Christian Worldview: 4 credits PHI-105, 21st Century Skills: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: 4 credits |
8 credits |
| Social Sciences | Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to demonstrate awareness and appreciation of and empathy for differences in arts and culture, values, experiences, historical perspectives, and other aspects of life, as well as examine social institutions and processes across a range of historical periods, social structures, and cultures. | SOC-100, Everyday Sociology: 4 credits PSY-100, Psychology in Everyday Life: 4 credits |
8 credits |
| Course # | Course Title | Course Description | Credits |
| MKT-245 | Principles of Marketing | This course surveys the marketing mix and marketing concept; markets and buyer behavior; product, service, and relationship marketing for global competition; creating and keeping customers in an e-commerce world; branding and positioning; distribution strategies, integrated marketing communications, and pricing strategies. | 4 |
| ECN-220 | Introduction to Economics | The course covers microeconomic topics, macroeconomic topics, and international economics topics. Microeconomic topics include the nature and method of economics, supply and demand, utility, and supply and demand elasticities. Macroeconomic topics include the measurement of national output, factors that impact output, other means of measuring national wealth and economic well-being, unemployment, inflation, GDP accounting, and business cycles. While the focus of this course is primarily on the U.S. economy, some comparative economic analysis will be covered. In addition, select topics related to international trade and finance are introduced. | 4 |
| ACC-250 | Financial Accounting | This course is an introduction to the accounting cycle and the construction of financial statements. Students explore the fundamental principles and practices of financial accounting as outlined by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP); the steps in the accounting cycle from journalizing transactions through the preparation of financial statements; and the use and interpretation of the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. Prerequisite: MAT 134 or equivalent college algebra course. | 4 |
| BUS-232 | Introduction to Sports Management | This course is an overview of the business of sports, including career opportunities, as well as a study of the value of professional management to sports organizations. | 4 |
| BUS-340 | Ethical and Legal Issues in Business | This course is a comprehensive study of the legal and ethical issues of concern to business, including those areas of the U.S. legal system that are most relevant to business, such as the law of torts, strict liability, intellectual property, and contract law. It explores the role of ethics and values in business decision making, and approaches these subjects from the perspective of the stakeholders as opposed to an economic interpretation of the firm and its responsibilities. | 4 |
| ACC-350 | Managerial Accounting | This course is an introduction to the use of managerial accounting data in the decision-making process. Topics include the use of cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis and relevant costs in decision making, using budgets and the balanced scorecard to evaluate performance, methods for setting prices of products and services, and analyzing capital investment opportunities. Prerequisite: ACC 250. | 4 |
| MGT-420 | Organizational Behavior and Management | Drawing upon real-world management situations, this course is a study of individual and group behavior in organizations through detailed coverage of the functions of management, individual differences/diversity, leadership, motivation, decision making, organizational design, and organizational change and development. Emphasis is placed on how an understanding of organizational behavior leads to effective management practice. Also PSC 420. | 4 |
| BUS-352 | Business Statistics | This course provides an introduction to the practical application of descriptive and inferential statistics in business. Topics include probability, probability distributions, the central limit theorem, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, correlation, and regression. Prerequisite: MAT 134 or equivalent college algebra course. | 4 |
| FIN-350 | Fundamentals of Business Finance | This course is a general survey of financial institutions, the Federal Reserve System, the qualities of a sound monetary system, the theory and value of money, deposit insurance, and foreign exchange. Prerequisites: ECN 220, ACC 250, and MAT 134 or equivalent college algebra course. | 4 |
| MGT-455 | Production/Operations Management | This course provides an introduction to designing, planning, operating, and controlling production systems. Emphasis is on managerial concepts and strategies relating to the management of operations in both manufacturing and service environments. Quantitative and qualitative methods and tools are introduced and applied. Prerequisite: BUS 352. | 4 |
| MKT-373 | Sports Marketing | This course is a study of basic marketing concepts with applications to sports organizations, both amateur and professional. Topics include promotions and public relations, sports consumer behavior, strategic market planning, marketing information management, marketing communications, and sponsorship. Prerequisites: MKT 301 or MKT 245. | 4 |
| BUS-364 | Sports Law | This course is a presentation of the basic legal system, its terminology, and principles as applied to professional and amateur sports. Emphasis is on identifying and analyzing legal issues, the ramifications of those issues, and the means of limiting the liability of sports organizations. Prerequisites: BUS 340 or BUS 316. | 4 |
| BUS-372 | Sports Event Planning | This course provides an introduction to event planning for athletic, recreational, entertainment, and special events. An emphasis is placed on budgeting, site selection, sponsorship, and facility management. | 4 |
| BUS-485 | Strategic Management | This is a capstone course in business and management that includes the gradual development of a comprehensive and integrative business plan. This course is designed to assist students in their development as managers, servant leaders, and successful strategic thinkers. Management, marketing, accounting, finance, economics, global perspectives, law, and political issues are covered during this course. It is a writing-intensive course that will help students develop competencies such as critical thinking, effective communication, leadership, and global awareness. Prerequisites: FIN 350, MGT 240, MKT 245, and senior status. | 4 |
| Required Course Total Credit: | 56 | ||
| General Education Requirements: | 34 |
| Courses: | 56 credits |
| Open Elective Credits: | 30 credits |
| Total Degree Requirements: | 120 credits |
This program is offered in the following formats or locations:
An online education allows you the flexibility to fulfill your educational goals without distracting you from your career. Full-time faculty members support our online students while our dynamic tools allow for engaging and challenging discussions with classmates. Classes start every month.
Program Disclosure
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* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Program subject to change.
Grand Canyon University © 2012 - All Rights Reserved. GCU is an accredited university founded in 1949. We are a Christian university and offer online degree programs and campus based classes. As a private university in Arizona, GCU has six colleges offering business degree programs including an Executive MBA, health science degrees, liberal arts degrees, doctorate degrees, nursing programs, and teaching programs. Our Performing Arts College offers fine arts and production degree programs. GCU is a military friendly school and offers military tuition rates.
