Program Website: Sport Management – Hiram College
Students in sport management will have the opportunity to combine their love of sport with their passion for business.
Students will learn about the financial, managerial, sociological, historical, and legal and ethical aspects of sport management and then apply this learning in the front office or on the field during their internship experiences. Close connections with Hiram College athletics allow our students to begin developing their professional skills on campus, while our positioning in Northeast Ohio provides ample opportunities to further hone these skills with off-campus internships in professional, semi-professional, Division 1 collegiate, high school, and middle school athletics, in addition to local running events, sport and exercise facilities, and parks and recreation departments.
Through our interdisciplinary curriculum, students will advance their skills in areas highly valued by employers — including integrative problem-solving, self-awareness and management, and both written and oral communication — leaving them primed for success in the rapidly growing sport industry upon graduation.
Faculty
Faculty
Faculty List
Jeffrey Curto, (2022) Assistant Professor of Sport Management; Undergraduate Research Coordinator for Sport Management
A.A., Henry Ford Community College
B.G.S., University of Michigan-Dearborn
M.S., Eastern Kentucky University
Ph.D., Troy University
curtojj@hiram.edu
Brett Nichols, (2025) Visiting Assistant Professor of Sport Management
B.A., Hamline University
M.A., Kent State University
Ph.D., University of Northern Colorado
nicholsba@hiram.edu
Andrew C White, (2017) Director of the Scarborough School of Business & Communication; Assistant Professor of Psychology and Sport Management
B.A., Ohio Wesleyan University;
M.A., University of Windsor;
Ph.D., University of Minnesota
whiteac@hiram.edu
Course Descriptions
SPMT 10100: INTRO TO SPORT MANAGEMENT: 4 Hour(s)
INTRODUCTION TO SPORT MANAGEMENT ~
This course serves as an introduction to the field of sport management, offering a diversity of information pertaining to essential topics in the field of sport administration, including management and marketing principles, amateur and professional sport industry, international sport, facility and event management, sport broadcasting, and career preparation.
SPMT 20100: FACILITY/EVENT MGMT IN SPORT: 4 Hour(s)
FACILITY AND EVENT MANAGEMENT IN SPORT ~
Principles and techniques of planning, operating and managing sport facilities and events. This course will emphasize the principles and concepts of organization and administration including communication, personnel management, management of physical resources, and risk management. This course will examine a variety of sport operations such as indoor stadiums, athletic field complexes, and managing recreation and intramural activities.
SPMT 20200: CAREERS IN SPORT MGMT: 1 Hour(s)
CAREERS IN SPORT MANAGEMENT ~
This course will provide students with information and skills to prepare them for careers in
sport management or other related fields by using a guided approach to individual skills
discovery and career exploration. Students will develop an academic plan to provide a strong
base in the breadth and depth of the field, as well as in their liberal arts coursework, and learn
to market their Hiram College experience for their future career plans. Coursework includes
participation in class discussions, giving presentations, conducting informational interviews,
developing a résumé, and completing other written assignments.
Prerequisite: SPMT 10100
SPMT 22000: PRINCIPLES COACH/LEADERSHIP: 4 Hour(s)
PRINCIPLES OF COACHING AND LEADERSHIP ~
This course is designed for those students preparing to enter a coaching career or be involved in the management and organization of an athletic program. Students will learn guidelines and principles for organizing a successful athletic program. Topics include, but are not limited to developing a coaching philosophy, evaluating theories in motivation, understanding team dynamics, communicating effectively, and improving player performance. This course will also emphasize an awareness of the demands of the coaching profession and explore issues and ethical considerations significant to coaching.
SPMT 24600: THE MEANING OF MOVEMENT:IM: 3 Hour(s)
THE MEANING OF MOVEMENT:IM ~
Grounded in experiences of several forms of physical activity, students in this course will explore ways of understanding and expressing the meaning of engaging in movement. Students critically reflect on different reasons for engaging in movement, the impact of social environment on experiences of movement, and ways of understanding experiences of movement through a variety of mediums ranging from poetry to drawing to reading empirical research.
Core: Interpretive Methods
SPMT 24700: STRATEGIC SPORT COMMUNICATION: 4 Hour(s)
STRATEGIC SPORT COMMUNICATION ~
An introduction to sport communication. Emphasis is placed on the fields within sport communication, including but not limited to sports information, public relations, media production, marketing and research, interactive media, media trends, production competencies, and employment options and trends. Special attention is given to topics such as historical and theoretical features of the field, personal and organizational processes, sport media, services and support systems, and sociological aspects.
This course is also listed as COMM 24700.
SPMT 28000: SEM:: 1-4 Hour(s)
SEMINAR ~
SPMT 28100: INDEPENDENT STUDY: 1-4 Hour(s)
INDEPENDENT STUDY ~
Open to all sport management majors with the consent of the instructor. It affords sport management majors the opportunity to design their own course of study in an area that is not currently taught. The independent study normally requires the students to write a research paper.
SPMT 29800: FIELD EXPERIENCE: 1-4 Hour(s)
FIELD EXPERIENCE ~
SPMT 30100: HIST/PHIL OF SPORT IN US: 3 Hour(s)
HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SPORT IN THE U.S. ~
This course covers the history of sport and physical activity in the United States (1776–present) to understand the field in a broader context. Students will learn how past events and issues influence current beliefs and behaviors as well as common themes permeating throughout sport history (e.g., social and political activism). The philosophy unit of the course will cover philosophical approaches to the practice of physical activity. Students will learn how one’s philosophy guides thoughts, emotions, and behaviors about relevant issues such as physical activity lifestyles and career choices.
SPMT 32000: SPORT IN A DIVERSE SOCIETY:UD: 3 Hour(s)
SPORT IN A DIVERSE SOCIETY:UD ~
Sports are an integral part of social life in the U.S. with millions of people growing up playing sports and/or spending countless hours watching them. In many ways, the world of sports is an arena through which we can understand more about our society’s dynamics, values, and problems. This three-week course explores the intersections between sport and topics such as race, ethnicity, gender, social class, sexuality, and physical ability. Students will examine population subgroups in their historical context and how those groups have evolved over the years and how they have fared in society. The course will examine these groups from a sociological and legislative standpoint.
Core: Understanding Diversity Home
SPMT 34300: INCL APPROACH TO LEADERSHIP: 3 Hour(s)
INCLUSIVE APPROACHES TO LEADERSHIP ~
This course is designed to guide students to critically examine the concept of leadership as it applies to teams and organizations with the aim of developing the critical awareness and skills to cultivate inclusive and collaborative teams. Students will apply theories of power proposed by critical and cultural studies scholars to explore traditional and contemporary approaches to leadership. In doing so, students will identify and develop strategies through which they, as leaders, can disrupt marginalizing systems of power and promote diversity, equity, justice, inclusion and belonging on their teams and in their organizations. This course is also listed as PSYC 34300.
SPMT 35000: LEGAL ETHIC ASPECT OF SPORT:ES: 4 Hour(s)
LEGAL AND ETHICAL ASPECTS OF SPORT:ES ~
This course provides an extensive overview of legal principles and ethical issues in sport. The different fields of law and issues (Federal Amendment, torts, contracts, labor relations) as they relate to sport will also be introduced. In addition, the basic philosophical issues concerning ethics and moral reasoning and how these issues relate to sport will be examined. Furthermore, this course is designed to help future sport administrators develop an ethical decision-making process. Potential topics may include concepts of morality, personal philosophy regarding social responsibility, theories of ethics, professional code of ethics, etc.
Course restricted to sophomore level and above.
Prerequisite: SPMT 10100
Core: Meaning/Ethics/Soc Responsibil
SPMT 36000: SPORT SECURITY MANAGEMENT: 4 Hour(s)
SPORT SECURITY MANAGEMENT ~
This course will address the nature and scope of sport security and issues involved in securing sport venues and events from domestic and international threats. Motives, methods, and impact of terrorism activity, natural disasters, and crowd management issues in sport will be discussed. This course also includes an examination of the basic legislation and operations of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, risk assessment process, security planning options, emergency response and recovery, and staff training and exercises.
This course is also listed as CRLJ 36000
SPMT 38000: SEM:: 1-4 Hour(s)
SEMINAR ~
Includes various topics or upper-level specialty courses.
SPMT 40500: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN SPORT: 4 Hour(s)
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN SPORT ~
This course is designed to provide students with an overview of significant issues surrounding the world of sport in today’s society. This course is designed to enhance student’s comprehension of sport, its place on society, and possible changes it may need in order to maintain a positive future. Arguments for and against the inclusion of sport in our social institutions will be made. Relevant legal issues will also be addressed.
Prerequisite: SPMT 10100
SPMT 48000: SENIOR SEMINAR: 3 Hour(s)
SENIOR SEMINAR ~
This course is the second piece of the capstone experience for the sport management major, and will provide students with the necessary information to integrate their specific area of concentration and internship or research experience into a portfolio and oral presentation as the culmination of the sport management program. The purpose of this course is to allow students to demonstrate achievement in competency areas and to engage in self-reflection and self-evaluation.
Prerequisite: SPMT 48100 (may be taken concurrently) or SPMT 49800 (may be taken concurrently)
SPMT 48100: INDEPENDENT RESEARCH: 1-2 Hour(s)
INDEPENDENT RESEARCH ~
The course is open to sport management majors with junior standing or above with the consent of the department. This affords junior and senior sport management majors the opportunity to design their own course of study in an area that is not currently taught. The independent research course would normally require the student to write a research paper.
SPMT 49800: INTERNSHIP: 1-6 Hour(s)
INTERNSHIP ~
For a complete description of this program students should consult with a member of the sport management faculty.
SPMT 51000: APPLIED SPORT MGMT SKILLS: 3 Hour(s)
APPLIED SPORT MANAGEMENT SKILLS ~
Through this course, students will engage an in-depth analysis of the relationship of sport and management. The study of sport includes sporting goods manufacturers; fitness centers; recreation departments; broadcasting; Little League teams; and high school, NCAA, and professional leagues. The study of management follows the four functions of management: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Students also will apply and deepen their knowledge on these topics through engaging in a community-based project with classmates and a nonprofit community sport organization.
SPMT 51500: STRATEGIC SPORT MARKETING: 3 Hour(s)
STRATEGIC SPORT MARKETING ~
This course serves as a broad overview of marketing in the world of sports. Several marketing concepts from the undergraduate level will be emphasized further, such as the marketing mix, consumer behavior, advertising, and target segments. Further analysis of theories related to the concept of sport marketing will be explored. Strategic marketing and the importance of developing an effective marketing research paper will be emphasized.
SPMT 51800: SPORT FINANCE & ECONOMICS: 3 Hour(s)
SPORT FINANCE AND ECONOMICS ~ This course is designed to use sports to deepen our understanding of economics and financial markets and to use economics and financial markets to deepen our understanding of sports. Topics may include attendance modeling, salary structure, salary caps, financing of stadiums, tournament structure, competitive balance, doping in sports, and gambling markets. Key economic principles covered may include supply and demand, industrial organization, price theory, labor markets, salary determination and discrimination, tournament theory, Coase Theorem, and game theory. Financial principles covered include the financing of sports teams in different leagues, public vs private financing of stadiums, efficient markets hypothesis, and behavioral finance. We will cover historical topics and address current events.
SPMT 52100: DEIB FOR SPORT LEADERS: 3 Hour(s)
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING FOR SPORT LEADERS ~
It is vitally important for sport management students, who are and/or will be leaders in sport
organizations, to be informed about how to create the conditions that enable all people within
their organization to thrive personally and professionally. Sport organizations ranging from the
International Olympic Committee (IOC), the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA), and Nike, Inc. have stated commitments to promoting inclusivity. However, many
inequities in sport persist, hindering many peoples’ access to participation in sport, safety
while participating in sport, and opportunities to take on and succeed in professional
leadership roles. In this course, students will read, analyze, and discuss research on leadership,
diversity, equity, and belonging from the fields of leadership, education, organizational
management, sport management, and sociology and utilize and analyze research-based
practical resources for sport leaders created by experts on diversity, equity, inclusion, and
belonging in sport. Throughout this course, students will evaluate the ways in which common
models of leadership hinder or promote inclusion of people with minoritized identities,
examine key barriers people with minoritized identities in the US sport context face, and
identify strategies and practices sport leaders and organizations can do to promote diversity,
equity, inclusion, and belonging in sport organizations.
SPMT 52500: NCAA COMPLIANCE & ENFORCEMENT: 3 Hour(s)
NCAA COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT ~ This course will allow for a deeper understanding of the NCAA legislation and applications, from proposal creation to interpretation/waiver process to corrective actions through enforcement regulations.¿ Taking the philosophical, big picture perspective of the NCAA governance structure to the day to day inner workings of the application of legislation to situational circumstances in compliance and enforcement processes.¿ This will give students a hands-on understanding of the governance discussions in a situational, real life applications.
SPMT 52800: SEM:: 1-4 Hour(s)
SEM:
SPMT 53100: FITNESS & HEALTH PROMO/MGMT: 3 Hour(s)
FITNESS AND HEALTH PROMOTION & MANAGEMENT ~
This course is designed to equip students with a series of promotion, management, and other administrative tools necessary to operate fitness and/or health related programs. Students will become familiar with the assessment of certifications, proper group exercise instruction, and exercise leadership skills. In addition, students will also become familiar with current standards to organize fitness facilities and exercise programs in a variety of settings such as public and private sport facilities, recreation complexes, corporate fitness centers, and hospital wellness programs.
SPMT 53500: PSYCHOLOGY OF COACHING: 3 Hour(s)
PSYCHOLOGY OF COACHING ~
This course will serve as a practical guide to navigating some of the challenges coaches experience through a psychological lens. Each student will use their own coaching philosophy as a foundational material for this course – and it will likely evolve throughout. We will focus on evidence-based information – including scientific research, experiential data from master coaches, and student experiences – to inform our exploration of mental tools and skills that could be used and developed to enhance one’s impact as a coach. Students will play a role in determining the exact topics to be covered in the course.
SPMT 57300: METHODS+APPROACHES DISCIPLINES: 3 Hour(s)
METHODS AND APPROACHES OF DISCIPLINES ~ This course will expose students to a particular discipline or related disciplines and explore the particular disciplinary perspective and insights that the disciplinary perspective tends to produce. Students will examine the various assumptions and theories of the discipline, phenomena the discipline generally engages, and methods for producing and evaluating discipline-related insights. Students will discern the assumptions of scholars in different disciplines, describe the methodologies used by scholars in different disciplines, compare and contrast the methodologies used by scholars in different disciplines, prepare a literature search in two disciplines on a question or topic of significance, prepare an annotated bibliography of sources in two disciplines on the question or topic chosen, and prepare a critical literature review of sources in two disciplines on the question or topic chosen.
Cross-listed with MAIS 57300
SPMT 59800: FIELD EXPERIENCE: 1-4 Hour(s)
FIELD EXPERIENCE ~
SPMT 62200: ADVANCED COACHING/LEADERSHIP: 3 Hour(s)
ADVANCED COACHING AND LEADERSHIP ~
This course is designed for those students preparing to enter a coaching career or be involved in the management and organization of an athletic program. Students will learn guidelines and principles for organizing a successful athletic program. Topics include, but are not limited to developing a coaching philosophy, evaluating theories in motivation, understanding team dynamics, communicating effectively, and improving player performance. This course will also emphasize an awareness of the demands of the coaching profession and explore issues and ethical considerations significant to coaching.
SPMT 63500: LEGAL ISSUES & RISK MGMT SPORT: 3 Hour(s)
LEGAL ISSUES AND RISK MANAGEMENT IN SPORTS
Sports-related litigation continues to escalate in America year after year, due at least in part to increased pressure in the multibillion-dollar sport industry for all who are involved in the operation of sport. This course provides an extensive overview of legal principles and issues (Federal Amendments, torts, contracts, labor relations, etc.) as they relate to sport and how to mitigate associated risks. A key component of this course will be developing a detailed understanding of safety principles and risk management decisions that assist sport managers to provide reasonably safe environments. Various theories of risk management will be examined as managerial functions in modern sport organizations.
SPMT 68100: THESIS CREDITS: 1-4 Hour(s)
THESIS CREDITS ~