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Matthew T. Brown, Chair

Degrees Offered

Master of Sport and Entertainment Management

The Department of Sport and Entertainment Management offers a Master of Sport and Entertainment Management focused on sport, entertainment, and venue management. Graduates enter the sport and entertainment industry with practical knowledge, professional preparation, and a strong alumni network.

Doctor of Philosophy in Sport and Entertainment Management

The Department of Sport and Entertainment Management offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Sport and Entertainment management focused on sport, entertainment, and venue management. Graduates will be prepared to conduct both theoretical and applied research within the broadening domain of sport and entertainment. In addition, graduates willl be equipped with the skills to be effective teachers and mentors to students, as well as to be valuable resources for industry professionals.

Admission Requirements

Master of Sport and Entertainment Management

Admission requirements conform to the general regulations of The Graduate School and regional and national accreditation standards. The Graduate School uses an online application process and there is a $50 fee to apply. Applicants must also submit a current resume, statement of career objectives, at least two letters of recommendation (with at least one being from a current of former professor who can comment on the applicant’s ability to suceed in graduate studies), one official transcript from each college or university attended, and official Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores. See the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management’s website, www.sportandentertainment.org, for specific instructions on how to apply and for application deadlines.

Undergraduate preparation, grade point average, GMAT or GRE score, applicant’s statement of career objectives, letters of recommendation, work experience, extracurricular activities, and TOEFL scores for international students will be used in admissions decisions. International applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit a satisfactory score on the TOEFL or the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam. The minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL is 80 (internet-based) while the minimum acceptable overall band score on the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam is 6.5. Successful applicants generally score at least 300 (verbal and quantitative combined) on the GRE Revised General Test or an equivalent score (verbal and quantitative combined) on the GMAT. For those who took the GRE General Test prior to August 1, 2011, successful applicants generally score at least 1000 (verbal and quantitative combined). These scores, however, do not guarantee admission. Successful applicants also generally earn at least a 3.00 undergraduate grade point average on a 4.00 scale. Consideration will be given to the student’s entire application, when making admissions decisions.

Students who transfer into the degree program will be allowed up to 9 semester hours of degree-applicable transfer credit. The graduate director must approve the credits.

For students without undergraduate degrees in sport management, entertainment management, business administration or a related discipline, prerequisite courses in the areas of sport and entertainment finance, sport and entertainment marketing, and sport and entertainment accounting must be taken. These courses are offered during the Summer II term at the University of South Carolina and must be successfully completed prior to a student’s beginning the program in the Fall.

Doctor of Philosophy in Sport and Entertainment Management

Admission requirements conform to the general regulations of The Graduate School and regional and national accreditation standards. Admission to the Ph.D. program is voted on individually by the department’s graduate faculty after considering several factors. These factors include the applicant’s academic record (especially work done at a Master’s level), promise of the ability to pursue adequately advanced study and research, performance of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), sufficient preparation to enter graduate study, professional experience, willingness of departmental faculty to work with the student, letters of recommendation, the applicant’s statement of career objectives, and a personal and/or phone interview. Students must have a departmental faculty member who is willing to serve as their dissertation committee chair prior to admission. Therefore, some qualified students may not be admitted if a faculty member does not agree to be chair.

Graduate students are admitted through a cooperative effort between The Graduate School of the University of South Carolina and the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management. The Graduate School uses an online application process and there is a $50 fee to apply.

The following supporting material is required with the application:

1. A current resume.
2. Statement of Career Objectives. This is a statement that specifically addresses how the department’s PhD program will help the applicant achieve these objectives.
3. At least two letters of recommendation. At least one of these letters must be from a current or former professor who can comment on the applicant’s ability to succeed in graduate studies.
4. One official transcript from each college or university attended (undergraduate and graduate). Successful applicants generally have a master’s GPA of 3.25 or above (on a 4.0 scale). Such a GPA, however, does not guarantee admission.
5. Official Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores. Successful applicants generally score at least 300 (verbal and quantitative combined) on the GRE Revised General Test or an equivalent score (verbal and quantitative combined) on the GMAT. For those who took the GRE General Test prior to August 1, 2011, successful applicants generally score at least 1000 (verbal and quantitative combined). These scores, however, do not guarantee admission. GMAT/GRE scores more than five years old will not be accepted under any circumstances.
6. Applicants whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL of IELTS scores. International applicants who have received a degree from a college or university in the United States are not required to submit a TOEFL or IELTS. The minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL is 80 (internet-based) while the minimum acceptable overall band score on the IELTS Inti. Academic Course Type 2 exam is 6.5.

Programs and Courses

Programs

• Sport and Entertainment Management with National Taiwan Normal University, Ph.D.
• Sport and Entertainment Management, M.S.E.M.
• Sport and Entertainment Management, Ph.D.
• Sport and Entertainment Management/ Sport, Leisure and Hospitality Management with National Taiwan Normal University, M.S.E.M./ M.S. in S.L.H.M.

Courses

• HRSM 787 - Global Seminar in Hospitality, Retail, Sport & Technology Management
• HRSM 788 - Applied Research in Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management
• HRSM 795 - Field Project in Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management

• SPTE 501 - Trends and Issues in Sport and Entertainment Management
• SPTE 545 - Managing Part-Time Employees and Volunteers
• SPTE 570 - Special Topics in Global Sport
• SPTE 580 - Business Principles in Sport Management
• SPTE 590 - Special Topics in Sport and Entertainment
• SPTE 635 - Sport and Entertainment Event Development
• SPTE 640 - Venue Management: Principles and Practices
• SPTE 650 - Integrated Marketing Communication in Sport and Entertainment
• SPTE 655 - Social Media in Live Entertainment and Sport
• SPTE 701 - Management in the Sport and Entertainment Industry
• SPTE 730 - Advanced Sport and the Law
• SPTE 736 - Sport and Entertainment Event Entrepreneurship
• SPTE 746 - Risk and Security Management in Public Assembly Facilities
• SPTE 750 - Strategic Planning and Policy Development in Sport and Entertainment Management
• SPTE 760 - Principles of Sport and Entertainment Marketing
• SPTE 770 - Public Assembly Facility Management Programming and Sales
• SPTE 775 - Event Programming and Production
• SPTE 780 - Public Assembly Facility Operations and Procedures
• SPTE 781 - Seminar on the Olympic Games
• SPTE 790 - Sport and Entertainment Finance
• SPTE 798 - Directed Study in Sport and Entertainment Management
• SPTE 799 - Thesis Preparation
• SPTE 801 - Seminar in Sport and Entertainment Management
• SPTE 810 - Seminar in Sport and Entertainment Education
• SPTE 830 - Seminar in Sport and Entertainment Law & Risk Management
• SPTE 860 - Seminar in Sport and Entertainment Marketing
• SPTE 890 - Seminar in SPTE Finance
• SPTE 899 - Dissertation Preparation

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