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[DRAFT] Course Catalog 2026-2027 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Sport Studies and Management Integrative Concentration
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The integrative concentration consists of a minimum of 6 full courses (or the equivalent), 1 experiential component, and 1 learning portfolio.
Note: Students must earn minimum grades of C- or P for all courses that apply toward the integrative concentration.
The sport studies and management curriculum rests on the understanding of sport as a complex phenomenon: simultaneously a growing industry, an area of human performance, and a major societal, cultural, and political force. Courses in the concentration examine sport as a medium for cultural expression, a vehicle for personal inspiration and identity formation, a catalyst for social change, an economic driver, and a contributor to health and well being. Sport provides a common touchpoint for exploring social phenomena from an interdisciplinary perspective. The sport studies and management integrative concentration engages students in the application of analytical skills and varied critical qualitative and quantitative perspectives on sport developed in conjunction with any academic major(s) or as a stand-alone curricular area of interest. Furthermore, it provides students with foundational knowledge, skills, and experiences that will prepare them to effectively navigate team and organizational dynamics in any occupation, and to consider the relationship between their professional work and their engagement in and impact on their local community.
 Visit the concentration’s web page for more information.
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Learning Goals
Students who successfully complete an integrative concentration in sport studies and management will: - Understand and articulate how sport is a cultural force that both reflects and influences larger trends in society and politics;
- Apply evidence-based knowledge to evaluate sport and physical activity experiences;
- Evaluate narratives, practices, systems, and structures in sport and physical activity that intentionally build organizational cultures and communities and support well-being;
- Collaborate effectively with others, demonstrating the ability to intentionally engage as a group member, address conflicts, and leverage diverse strengths;
- Demonstrate ethical engagement in community-engaged activities;
- Reflect on and articulate the interplay between theory and practice and the personal and the social/political; and
- Develop proficiencies necessary for quantitatively measuring outcomes when assessing impacts of sport and collaborating with analytics experts within sport.
Detailed Integrative Concentration Requirements
Sport Studies and Management Integrative Concentration Course Lists
Context Courses
Return to the summary of requirements. Context courses provide a sociological or historical lens for understanding sport and use sport as a lens for understanding social phenomena, contemporary and historical. Data Science and Statistics Courses
Return to the summary of requirements. Data science and statistics courses develop proficiencies for quantitatively measuring outcomes when assessing impacts of sport and collaborating with analytics experts within sport. Business, Management, and Analytics Courses
Return to the top of the list of distribution elective courses. Business, management, and analytics courses understand core principles of creating and capturing value and apply this knowledge to sport context. They also collect and analyze quantitative data in sports to generate and deliver business and/or coaching insights. Discourse, Communication, and Journalism Courses
Return to the top of the list of distribution elective courses. Discourse, communication, and journalism courses contextualize, analyze, and engage in storytelling and reporting about sport phenomena, events, and data with attention to the ways in which discourse shapes and is shaped by people’s perspectives and lived experiences. Education, Health, and Performance Courses
Return to the top of the list of distribution elective courses. Education, health, and performance courses develop the knowledge and skills to support athletes’ and/or staff members’ psychological, emotional, and physical well-being and their learning, which enables successful performance. They also identify the scope of a sport professional’s role for supporting others’ health, well-being, and goals and practice skills within that scope. Experiential Component
Return to the summary of requirements. Applied learning is essential for students to gain a deeper understanding of this multidimensional field. There are a variety of opportunities for students on and off campus to gain field work experience. The experiential component may be fulfilled with a full-time summer internship, a part-time semester-long practicum, or an intensive Winter Term project followed by part-time experience for a half semester. On-Campus Opportunities - Athletics Communications internship
- DATA 401: Data Science Seminar
- In this project-based course students apply data science methods to quantitative problems of their interest.
- Sport problems might include: Analysis of Baseball Rapsodo data or T&F velocity data; analysis of data from performance trackers
- Sports Journalism for the Oberlin Review
- Winter Term leadership training and season coach shadowing
Off-Campus Opportunities - Internships with professional sport organizations in Cleveland and Akron such as the Guardians, Browns, Cavaliers, RubberDucks and the WNBA, WPSL Pro, and MLS Next Pro teams
- Internships with sport-focused nonprofits in the greater Cleveland area such as America SCORES, Girls on the Run Northeast Ohio, ZENworks Yoga, Play Gap, and Adaptive Sports Ohio
- Internships with national nonprofits such as Move United, US SafeSport, and Athlete Ally
- Internships with NACDA and NCAC
Learning Portfolio
Return to the summary of requirements. Students will document their course work and experiential learning in a digital learning portfolio. The portfolio will serve as a means for students to reflect on the integration of theory and practice and their growth in understanding this multifaceted field of study. In addition to helping students document their learning, the portfolio will showcase for potential employers and internship sponsors the student’s signature work. Sport Studies and Management Integrative Concentration Advisory Group
Jo Line, Lecturer and Program Director for Community-Engaged Research and Learning; co-chair
Alicia C. Smith-Tran, Associate Professor of Sociology; co-chair Benjamin R. Wach, Head Track and Field Coach; athletics liaison |
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