Programmes d'études
Offert en anglais

Sports Administration

Faculté de gestion

Combine your business degree with the premier sport management program in Canada.

Survol du programme

Get out of the stands and into the boardroom. Earn your business degree while getting experience in the sports industry.

The Sports Administration program at Laurentian University gives you the best of both the business and sports worlds. Combine training in business with a foundation in sports theory and practical experience in sports management. Learn from a program designed by Canadian sports leaders and Laurentian professors with over 50 years of alumni and industry contacts.

In the classroom, you’ll get the business foundation and core teaching associated with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree. You’ll learn how to approach sports business from many angles, such as finance, statistics, management science, economics, accounting, human resources, sports marketing, operations management, sports media and communications, championship selling, and analytics.

You’ll also gain sports industry-specific experience through in-class experiential learning opportunities, industry speakers, special events, alumni networking, internships, and consulting projects.

When you graduate, you’ll receive an Honours Bachelor of Commerce in Sports Administration (H.B.Com. SPAD) degree, preparing you to score a career in business, sports, or both.

Kick off your future in sports business. Apply today!

       

The first sports management degree of its kind in Canada where students earn an H.B.Com. in Sports Administration.

Gain real-world experience and possible job opportunities through industry consulting as you research, analyze, develop, and deliver industry recommendations to executives and boards. Take advantage of the training and knowledge gained from a 4- to 8-month internship in a variety of industries, locally, and internationally.

Travel abroad to work collaboratively with a professional sports organization in the fourth-year consulting trip. Past destinations include New York City, Chicago, London (England), and Lausanne (Switzerland).

Perspectives de carrière

Due to the degree combining business and sport, graduates have a multitude of career options they can explore post-graduation, including sports management careers. Some career options include, but are not limited to:

  • Professional sports organizations and leagues
  • International, national, and provincial sports organizations
  • Sport sponsorship agencies
  • Athlete representation agencies
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Athletic apparel companies
  • Banks and insurance companies
  • Any industry where a business degree is valued

Whether you go on to become the General Manager of the Chicago Blackhawks, or the President and CEO of a Fortune 500 company, this program can build the foundation for where you want to go.

Mercedes Marlok is smiling

The Sports Administration (SPAD) program here at Laurentian University has provided a positive and significant impact on my life in all aspects. The experiential learning and networking opportunities available are unlike any others. These experiences help us grow our soft skills and apply the core business principles we’re taught while working with industry professionals who provide career-changing advice. The small class size environment is a game changer as it allows for students who share a similar passion to connect with one another and create lifelong bonds, while also working closely with, and learning from, industry-connected and research-focused professors.

During my time in this program, I was a member and president of the SPAD student council and ran their social media accounts, organized events such as the SPAD hockey tournament and the SPAD alumni-student golf tournament, and volunteered for the SPAD 50th anniversary celebrations. I’ve also had so many opportunities to volunteer with local sports organizations, such as the Sudbury Wolves Sports & Entertainment on game days, which led to a marketing and communications internship with them. I was then hired as their community liaison for the summer, and eventually the game day coordinator once the hockey season started.

Thanks to the experiences I’ve gained and the network I’ve built over the last four years, I’ve been able to secure an internship with the UFC in Las Vegas. But, before I do that, my colleagues and I are taking part in the capstone sport industry consulting course all SPAD students do. Each of our groups has been paired with a sports organization in L.A. and we are researching a business problem they have assigned us. Our whole class will then fly down to L.A. to present our recommendations to these organizations, meet with sports executives, tour state-of-the-art facilities, and set ourselves up for our careers.

Mercedes Marlok

Détails du programme

Langue du programme:

English

Mode de présentation:

Sur campus

Coordonnées

Dr. Anthony Church, Director of the School of Sports Administration
(705) 675-1151 ext. 2320
FA-340

If you’re a current student and would like academic assistance, reach out to Dr. Dana Lee Ellis at dellis@laurentian.ca.
spad@laurentian.ca

Veuillez écrire à l’adresse courriel ci-dessus et notre équipe de recrutement vous répondra!

En savoir plus sur le programme

Program Highlights:

  • The four-year program leads to an Honours Bachelor of Commerce in Sports Administration (H.B.Com. SPAD).

  • First-year introduces Sports Administration, financial information and business statistics, and an understanding of management science and economics.

  • The second year focuses on delving further into management principles with courses in accounting, finance, human resources, sports marketing and operations management.

  • In the third year of the program, course content and student experience focus on applying business principles to the sports industry with courses in sports finance, sports law, sports media and communication, together with elective courses from human kinetics and other disciplines.

  • After the third year, students embark on a 4 to 8-month internship with a sports organization or business, designed to provide them with in-depth industry experience before graduation. students have interned for Toronto Maple Leafs, Hockey Canada, Toronto FC, Canadian Olympic Committee, Scottish Aquatics, Ottawa Senators, Georgia State Games, IMG, Trojanone, Under Armour, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Raptors, Red Bull, Edmonton Oilers.

  • When students return to campus for the final fourth-year term, the curriculum focuses on final preparation for graduation and industry employment through special sports management courses as well as a major sports consulting trip where students present solutions to real problems faced by sports organizations. On past trips, students have consulted on projects for the Pittsburgh Penguins, NY Mets, NJ Nets, NY Knicks, Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, Belfast Giants, Stanford Athletics, Miami Heat, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Athletics, Sport Canada, International Olympic Committee and many others.

  • This program is only for the type of student who has an inquiring mind, likes to work with others, is driven to succeed, and will take advantage of the unique and incredible opportunities presented to them. SPAD is looking for hard-working, positive-minded people looking for career success and happiness. Business is what we do and sport is our passion.

 

Connect with SPAD Online

Twitter: @LU_SPAD

School Instagram: laurentianspad

Student Council Instagram: lu_spadcouncil

Connect with our alumni: https://laurentian.ca/spadalumni

 

Internships

SPAD believes strongly in the importance of experiential education (learning through doing, rather than just attending lectures). Highlights of the experiential learning approach are the internship opportunities offered throughout the four years. It is possible to have work placement terms during the summer after the first year, the summer after the second year, the summer after the third year and at any point during their fourth year.

Through 50 years of alumni and industry contacts, SPAD is incredibly well connected, with many organizations offering exclusive opportunities to SPAD students. Opportunities exist with every major professional sports league and teams throughout North America, as well as with sports apparel companies, national and international sports organizations, major games, marketing firms, player representatives, various agencies, and many other organizations within or outside of the sports industry.

Students are not limited to accepting internships locally. In fact, some of the best internship experiences have been when students have travelled to the United States, Scotland, England, and many other international destinations.

For more information about the internships or how to advertise an internship to SPAD students, please feel free to contact:

SPAD Internship Coordinator

Prof. Kathleen Zinn

kzinn@laurentian.ca

 

Capstone Industry Consulting Experience

In the final semester of the SPAD program students are provided with a capstone experience that allows them to better understand the inner workings of large sports organizations and builds important and highly-relevant skills and knowledge. This provides the student with valuable experience, setting them up for a career in the sports industry.

Beginning at the start of the semester, small groups of students are given an organization to work within one specific international market. The organization will describe a significant business problem with which they are faced and the students are tasked with the responsibility of working with members of the organization, researching industry best practices and trends, analyzing the market, and developing recommendations for the organization.

In the final month of the semester, all students travel to the host community and deliver their recommendations to the organization’s executives in their board rooms. Often the recommendations provided by the student consultants are immediately adopted and job opportunities occasionally are offered to top-performing students.

Past trips have included Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and many other world-class sports cities. Partner organizations have included NCAA institutions, WNBA, NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL, MLS, MLL, and many minor league teams, as well as agencies, sports facilities, and apparel companies.

Visit the School of Sports Administration for more information

Exigences d’admission

Ontario High School Applicants

Program Prerequisites:

  • 1 grade 12 English U/M course; 1 grade 12 U/M Math courses; 4 other grade 12 U/M courses (2 12U/M Math courses are strongly recommended)
  • A minimum overall average of 75% in the 6 best grade 12 U/M courses

 


Additional information for applicants who have completed Advanced Placement courses.

Additional information for applicants who have completed the International Baccalaureate.

 

Applicants from outside an Ontario High School 

International Students

Canadian High School Applicants from outside Ontario

Applicants from Colleges

Applicants from other Universities

Mature Students

Comment déposer une demande

Candidats canadiens

Si vous êtes citoyen canadien ou résident permanent, vous devez déposer votre candidature auprès du Centre de demande d'admission aux universités de l'Ontario (CDAUO).

Pour obtenir des instructions détaillées sur le processus de demande d'admission, veuillez consulter la page Comment déposer une demande: Candidats canadiens de premier cycle.

Déposer une demande en tant que candidat national

 

Candidats internationaux

Si vous êtes un candidat international, vous devez remplir le formulaire de candidature international.

Pour obtenir des instructions détaillées sur le processus de demande d'admission, veuillez consulter la page Comment déposer une demande: Candidats canadiens de premier cycle.

Déposer une demande en tant que candidat international

Options de diplôme

Effective September 2016, COMM course codes will be replaced with ACCT, MGMT, MKTG, OPER and FNCE codes. This table explains the course equivalencies to help students and others understand the transition to the new course codes.

Students must follow these regulations in order to meet graduation requirements.

 

Program Requirements - 120 credits 

FIRST YEAR

OPER 2006E     Introduction to Management Science

ACCT 1001E     Introduction to Financial Accounting

ECON 1006E     Introduction to Microeconomics

ECON 1007E     Introduction to Macroeconomics

SPAD 0100E     Professional Development Workshops: Transition to University and Building a Personal Brand

SPAD 1016E     Global Sport Business I

SPAD 1017E     Global Sport Business II

STAT 2066E     Business Statistics

MATH 1506E     Introduction to Business Mathematics

     OR   3 credits of first-year MATH (excluding MATH 1911 and MATH 1912)

3 credits of Indigenous content (may include courses from a list designed by the Faculty of Arts, and may be taken in upper years)   

3 credits of electives

 

UPPER YEARS

To proceed to the upper-year required courses, students must complete all first-year requirements with a minimum GPA of 5.5, with a minimum grade of C on all required courses.

 

SECOND YEAR

ACCT 2011E     Management Accounting I

FNCE 3006E     Financial Management I

MGMT 2007E     Commercial Law

OPER 2106E     Management Information Systems

PHIL 2867E     Business Ethics

SPAD 0200E     Professional Development Workshops: Finding and Securing Employment

SPAD 2036E     Sport Marketing I

SPAD 2037E     Sport Marketing II

SPAD 2046E     Event and Facility Operations

6 credits of electives

 

THIRD YEAR

HROB 2001E     Introduction to Organizational Behaviour

HROB 2002E     Management of Human Resources

OPER 3006E     Operations Management

SPAD 0350E     Professional Development Workshops: Mentoring, Consulting, and Problem-Solving in Sport Business

SPAD 4401E     The Future of Sport Business

SPAD 4136E     Sport Finance

SPAD 4146E     Sport, Media and Communication

SPAD 4156E     Sales in the Sport Industry

3 credits of SPAD or Faculty of Management 4000-level electives

6 credits of electives

 

FOURTH YEAR 

MGMT 4033E     Strategic Management and Policy

SPAD 4005E     Internship

SPAD 4046E     Field Trip Research Project

6 credits additional SPAD or Faculty of Management 4000-level electives

12 elective credits

 

Minor in Applied Sport Operations (FOR SPAD STUDENTS ONLY)

Students must use the electives in their SPAD degree to fulfill the requirements.

Required Courses (15cr):

PSYC 1105E     Introduction to Psychology

SPAD 4006E     Internship II

SPAD 4166E     Sports Performance Analytics

LBST 2206E     Labour Relations and Professional Sports

 

Elective Courses (9cr from the following):

     SPAD 4027E     Directed Study

     SPAD 4167E     Business Analytics in Sport

     SPAD 4326E     Independent Projects

     SPAD 4336E     Event Management

     OPER 4006E     Process and Capacity Analysis

     OPER 4016E     Project Management

     HROB 4051E     Interpersonal Skills

     LBST 3056E     Collective Bargaining

     LBST 4096E     Issues in Labour Arbitration

     PHED 2317E     Risk Management in Physical Education, Sport and Recreation

     PHED 2606E     Adventure Leadership

     PHED 4216E     Sports Psychology

 

Option in Finance (24 credits)
For the Option in Finance, see program requirements: Specialization in Finance requirements (24 credits, min. grade C).
(Available only to H.B.Com. or B.Com. students)

 

Option in Human Resources Management (27 credits)
For the Option in Human Resources Management, see program requirements: Specialization in Human Resources Management requirements (27 credits, min. grade C)

 

Option in Marketing (27 credits)
For the Option in Marketing, see program requirements: Specialization in Marketing requirements (27 credits, min. grade C)

 

Program Regulations

In order to be considered in good academic standing in SPAD, a student must:

  1. satisfy all conditions of admission;
  2. not fail more than 3 credits in an academic year or in the previous 30 credits; and
  3. maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 4.0


A student who fails to meet the requirements for good academic standing will be allowed to continue in the program for no more than one year on academic probation. During the probationary year, if the student is able to achieve passing grades in all of their courses (a minimum of 24 credits is required) and return their cumulative grade point average to at least 4.0, then the student will be returned to good academic standing. A failure to achieve good academic standing following a probationary year will result in removal from the program.


Pass/Fail:
A passing grade in the Faculty of Management is considered to be at least a C or 4.0 grade. Any grade less than C or 4.0 in a course offered within the Faculty of Management is considered to be a failing grade.


Number of 1000-level Credits:
Students may only count a total of 42 credits at the 1000 level towards the 120 credits required for the degree. Any credits that exceed the limit of 42 must be replaced by at least an equal number of credits taken at the 2000, 3000, or 4000 levels.


Removal from the Program:
Students will automatically be removed from the program for any of the following reasons:
- failure twice to achieve a minimum of at least a C grade in a required course;
- failure to achieve good academic standing in 2 consecutive years
- more than 18 credits of failure overall; or,
- a notation of X on a student’s transcript, as per the Laurentian University Policy on Academic Honesty.


Readmission to the Program:
Students forced to leave the program, or those who choose to leave the program, must reapply through the internal program transfer process overseen by the Laurentian University Admissions Office prior to February 1 of the academic year preceding their intended return to the program. Readmission to the program will be subject to students being able to enter in good academic standing. Students could be eligible to receive advanced standing for courses completed while not in the program. Such cases will be considered on an individual basis.

Exemples de cours

Please note that first year students are only required to take one 1000 level MATH Elective.

Membres du corps professoral

Anthony Church
Directeur(rice), École d'administration des sports
École de l'administration des sports
Dana Lee Ellis
Professeur(e) agrégé(e), École de l'administration des sport
École de l'administration des sports
Kathleen Zinn
Maître(sse) de conférence, École de l'administration des spo
École de l'administration des sports
Kamran Eshghi
Professeur(e) agrégé(e), École de l'administration des sport
École de l'administration des sports

Sessional Faculty:

  • Dania Johanson

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