Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Sport Management and a Major Concentration in Sport Leadership

Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Sport Management and a Major Concentration in Sport Leadership

Upon completing the BA Degree with a major in Sport Management and a major concentration in Sport Leadership, students will be able to:

  1. Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
  2. Develop and hone professional skills through classroom learning, experiential learning, and field research through a steady progression of internships.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to produce a marketing plan specific to product in the sport industry.
  4. Demonstrate the ability to utilize concepts of ethics, regulations, laws, players, owners, competition, finance, and marketing to make informed decisions in the sport industry.

Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Sport Management and a Major Concentration in Sport Leadership

For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Sport Management must complete: 

  • A minimum of 15 courses (45-48 credit hours, depending on course selection) to satisfy major requirements.  
  • A minimum of 120 hours to satisfy degree requirements.  
  • A minimum of 9-10 courses (27-32 credit hours), depending on major concentration declared, taken at the 300-level or above. 
  • A maximum of 6 courses (18 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit after matriculation at Rice may be applied towards specific major requirements. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
  • The requirements of a major concentration. When students declare the major in Sport Management, students must additionally identify and declare one of two major concentrations, either in:
    • Sport Law: designed to prepare our graduates for law school, or
    • Sport Leadership: designed to prepare our graduates for management, leadership, and entrepreneurial roles within the sport industry.

Because of the common core requirements, it is possible for students to change their major concentration at any time, even after initially declaring the major. To do so, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor, or where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.

Summary

Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Sport Management45-48
Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Sport Management120

Degree Requirements

Core Requirements
COMP 140COMPUTATIONAL THINKING3-4
or DSCI 101 INTRODUCTION TO DATA SCIENCE
Select 1 course from the following:3-4
DATA ANALYTICS
PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS
PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS FOR DATA SCIENCE
ECON 100PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS3
SMGT 260INTRODUCTION TO SPORT MANAGEMENT3
SMGT 266LEADING WITH SERVICE3
SMGT 276SPORT MANAGEMENT PRACTICUM3
SMGT 350SPORT ETHICS3
SMGT 362SPORT MARKETING3
SMGT 376SPORT MANAGEMENT INTERNSHIP 13
SMGT 440SPORT BUSINESS ANALYTICS3
Major Concentration
Select 1 from the following Major Concentrations (see below for Major Concentration requirements):15-16
Sport Law
Sport Leadership
Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Sport Management45-48
Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements *41-44
University Graduation Requirements *31
Total Credit Hours120

Footnotes and Additional Information

Major Concentration: Sport Leadership

Students must complete a total of 5 courses (15-16 credit hours, depending on course selection) as listed below to satisfy the requirements for the major concentration in Sport Leadership.

Required Courses
SMGT 360SALES & REVENUE GENERATION IN SPORT3
SMGT 366EVENT & VENUE MANAGEMENT3
SMGT 450LEADERSHIP IN SPORT MANAGEMENT3
Elective Requirements
Select 2 courses from the following:6-7
LEADING PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATIONS
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
LEADERSHIP AND TEAMS
POWER, INFLUENCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
BUSINESS OF COLLEGE ATHLETICS
SPORT FINANCE
SPORT MANAGEMENT INTERNSHIP 2
THE OLYMPIC GAMES
BUSINESS OF PROFESSIONAL SPORTS
THEORIES OF HIGH LEVEL PERFORMANCE
SPORT MANAGEMENT SEMINAR
CONSULTING PRACTICUM
Total Credit Hours15-16

Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in Sport Management and a Major Concentration in Sport Leadership

Program Restrictions and Exclusions

Students pursuing the BA Degree with a Major in Sport Management and a Major Concentration in Sport Leadership should be aware of the following program restriction:

  • Students pursuing the major in Sport Management may pursue only one major concentration within the major.

Transfer Credit 

For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s transfer credit advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities. 

Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines

Students pursuing the major in Sport Management should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guidelines:

  • No more than 6 courses (and a maximum of 18 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards specific major requirements after matriculation at Rice.
  • Requests for transfer credit will be considered by the program director (and/or the program’s official transfer credit advisor) on an individual case-by-case basis.

Please Note: Additional transfer courses may count toward meeting university graduation requirements, but not toward fulfillment of requirements for the major. Credits awarded to transfer students for courses taken prior to matriculation at Rice are not counted against the departmental limit on transfer courses, but all students must complete more than half of their upper-level major coursework (300-level and 400-level courses) at Rice.

Additional Information 

For additional information, please see the Sport Management website: https://sport.rice.edu/.

Opportunities for the BA Degree with a Major in Sport Management and a Major Concentration in Sport Leadership

Academic Honors

The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.

Internships

Students are required to complete at least one internship prior to graduation, often with one of the professional teams in Houston (Rockets, Astros, Texans, Dynamo, etc.). Students also will receive networking and out-of-class developmental training, as these play a significant role in obtaining high-profile positions in collegiate and professional sports.

Additional Information 

For additional information, please see the Sport Management website: https://sport.rice.edu/.