Exercise and Sport Science Major, B.A.–Sport Administration
Department of Exercise and Sport Science
209 Fetzer Hall, CB# 8700
(919) 962-2021
Robert Malekoff
Darin A. Padua, Chair
Meredith Petschauer, Director of Undergraduate Studies
The sport administration program provides students with course work specific to sport-related business and prepares students to work in competitive and recreational sport settings or to attend graduate school. Primary course topics include administration, economics, event planning, facility management, finance, intercollegiate sports, law, marketing, professional sports, sales, sponsorship, and other important components of the sport industry.
For more information, please contact Dr. Robert Malekoff.
Department Programs
Majors
- Exercise and Sport Science Major, B.A.–General
- Exercise and Sport Science Major, B.A.–Fitness Professional
- Exercise and Sport Science Major, B.A.–Sport Administration
Minors
Graduate Program
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Exercise and Sport Science program (sport administration track), students should be able to:
- Understand and apply fundamental processes related to the sales process, marketing sport, and marketing through sport
- Recognize the challenges of planning, designing, and managing an effective and efficient sport event, applying solutions or best practices to challenges
- Understand and identify the proper legal theory, including contracts, torts, property, agency, administrative, and Constitutional law as applied in the sport industry
- Apply specific critical thinking and analytical techniques used by financial managers to economic/financial challenges found in various sport settings
- Identify their own leadership qualities and core values, assess how their unique approach will help or hinder their ability to lead, and set a personal leadership vision to guide them within the sport industry
In addition to the program requirements, students must
- attain a final cumulative GPA of at least 2.0
- complete a minimum of 45 academic credit hours earned from UNC–Chapel Hill courses
- take at least half of their major course requirements (courses and credit hours) at UNC–Chapel Hill
- earn a minimum of 18 hours of C or better in the major core requirements (some majors require 21 hours).
For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.
Students seeking the major in exercise and sport science–sport administration (EXSS–SA) must complete the following requirements in addition to required General Education courses:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| EXSS 221 | Introduction to Sport Administration 1 | 3 |
| EXSS 224 | Sport Sales and Revenue Production Seminar | 3 |
| EXSS 288 | Emergency Care of Athletic Injuries and Illnesses | 3 |
| EXSS 322 | Fundamentals of Sport Marketing | 3 |
| EXSS 323 | Sport Facility and Event Management | 3 |
| EXSS 324 | Finance and Economics of Sport | 3 |
| EXSS 326 | Legal Aspects of Sport | 3 |
| EXSS 493 | Field Experience in Sport Administration | 3 |
| Six (6) additional credits must be earned in EXSS courses (at least one course, 3 hours, must be at the 200 level or above). 2 | 6 | |
| Additional Requirements | ||
| ECON 101 | Introduction to Economics (prerequisite for EXSS 324) H | 4 |
| STOR 151 | Introduction to Data Analysis | 3 |
| or STOR 155 | Introduction to Data Models and Inference | |
| Total Hours | 37 | |
| H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
| 1 | EXSS 221 is a prerequisite for EXSS 322, EXSS 323, and EXSS 493. |
| 2 | EXSS 420 and EXSS 430 may also be used. Note: EXSS 493 may be taken twice for a maximum total of six credits, but may not be used to fill this requirement. |
Students considering graduate work in sport administration should take EXSS 273.
Exercise and Sport Science (EXSS) course descriptions.
Special Opportunities in Exercise and Sport Science
Honors in Exercise and Sport Science
The senior honors program provides exercise and sport science majors the opportunity to pursue an independent, two-semester research project. A student must have an overall grade point average of 3.3 or above prior to acceptance into the departmental honors program and must maintain an overall average of 3.3 or above to remain in the program. Students complete EXSS 693H and EXSS 694H. Honors study involves the completion of a substantial piece of original research and the formal oral presentation of the results. Those successfully completing the program are awarded their degree with either honors or highest honors. Previous senior honors thesis topics and more information can be found on the EXSS department Web page. Please contact Dr. Meredith Petschauer by email or at (919) 962-1110, if you are interested.
Departmental Involvement
In addition to its academic offerings, the department houses the campus recreation program. Students may also affiliate with the Carolina Fitness Professionals Club and the Carolina Sports Business Club. The “Get Real and Heel” program, offering exercise and recreation therapy services to women with breast cancer, and the “Sport Concussion Research” program provide opportunities for qualified students to volunteer and gain valuable research experience.
Experiential Education
The following courses satisfy the experiential education requirement.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EXSS 51 | First-Year Seminar: Entrepreneurship in Human Performance and Sport | 3 |
| EXSS 207 | Coaching Principles | 3 |
| EXSS 393 | Athletic Training Clinical | 1 |
| EXSS 395 | Undergraduate Research Course | 1-3 |
| EXSS 420 | Program Planning in Recreation Services | 3 |
| EXSS 493 | Field Experience in Sport Administration | 3 |
| EXSS 593 | Practicum in Physical Fitness and Wellness | 1-3 |
| EXSS 693H | Senior Honors Thesis | 3 |
| EXSS 694H | Senior Honors Thesis | 3 |
Laboratory Teaching Internships and Assistantships
The fitness professional students serve a practicum with local fitness organizations.
Study Abroad
The Department of Exercise and Sport Science currently offers summer study abroad programs in Montevideo and Uruguay. Refer to the department’s Web site for more information. For other study abroad experiences the department will gladly work with its majors in advance of the experience to determine appropriate credit.
Undergraduate Awards
The Patrick F. Earey Award, named in honor of a longtime faculty member, is given annually to the outstanding senior major in the department. The award signifies exemplary leadership, academic achievement, and extracurricular involvement by a senior exercise and sport science major.
The Ronald W. Hyatt Scholarship, named in honor of the late Dr. Hyatt, one of Carolina’s “priceless gems” and a faculty member in the department, is a merit-based scholarship awarded annually to an outstanding full-time undergraduate exercise and sport science major with junior status.
The EXSS Scholar Athlete Award is a merit-based award recognizing outstanding scholarship of a senior student athlete majoring in exercise and sport science.
Undergraduate Research
Students are encouraged to explore research interests by taking EXSS 395, completing independent research studies, and writing senior honors theses. For a few highly motivated and dedicated individuals, working with faculty on faculty research projects is possible.
