Joint Degree Program in Sports Administration

People who know sports administration know St. Thomas. The University was a pioneer in sports administration education having started the first undergraduate program in 1973 and today offers one of the most highly esteemed programs in the country. Since 1977, St. Thomas’ sports administration program has been a national leader in graduate sports administration/management education. Professionals from all areas of sports and athletics are engaged in lending counsel and instruction through adjunct professorships, classroom presentations, volunteer opportunities, and internships. Throughout the year, leaders from the sports industry are invited to be speakers on specific topics related to sports management.

Insofar as most U.S. colleges and universities with law schools have added joint degree programs to fulfill the educational needs of law students who want to succeed in the business world today, these colleges and universities have gained a competitive advantage when compared to colleges and universities that do not provide this program. As no two students are the same, neither should they be forced into only one degree option. Therefore, two sports administration master’s degree options are available to St. Thomas law students, i.e., a Joint J.D. (Law) and Master of Science in Sports Administration (JD/MS.SA) and a Joint J.D. (Law) and Master of Business Administration in Sports Administration (JD/MBA.SA). While the School of Business and the School of Law work together in providing these joint degree programs, a joint JD/MS.SA or a JD/MBA.SA degree program offers clear benefits to its law students who are eager to pursue opportunities in not only sports but in entertainment in general.

The faculties of the Law School and the School of Business work in close collaboration to offer students the opportunity to complete both the Juris Doctor (J.D.) and a Master’s-SPO degree in the three years it typically takes to complete the J.D. degree alone. The Business School and the Law School have agreed to accept credits for courses taken at the other school, thereby reducing the total number of credits otherwise needed for both degrees. Participants thus complete both degrees, receiving a diploma for each, in a reduced period with reduced overall costs.

For the St. Thomas law student interested in working as a college athletics compliance officer, sports agent, commissioner of sports leagues or conferences, or any number of other sports-related legal careers, the J.D./M.S. in Sports Administration is an excellent choice. Students receive a first-rate legal education through the School of Law, while taking specialized sports administration classes towards their M.S. degree. Classes in sports administration will provide students with the unique skills necessary for success in this area through courses in sports financial management, sports marketing and promotions, and sports media and public relations.

Admission to a Joint Degree Program

Applicants for the JD/MS.SA or MBA.SA joint program must apply separately to the School of Law and to the School of Business’ graduate sports administration program. Acceptance into the School of Law allows the student to begin the required first year law school program of study. The interested joint-degree student will make application by January 10th of the spring semester of the first year of law school to allow thorough review of the application materials and interview process. This will allow sufficient time for successful applicants to begin the joint degree program in May after their successful completion of the first year of law school.

To facilitate the application process for the joint JD/MS.SA or JD/MBA.SA programs, the School of Law catalog should direct an applicant for the joint program to communicate directly with the Sports Administration Office within the School of Business. In applying to the MS.SA or MBA.SA program, the joint program applicant’s law school application and supporting materials are applicable to the MS.SA or MBA.SA program application. However, in addition, three letters of recommendation reflecting the applicant’s interest in pursuing a sports career and a 1-2 page statement of career goals should be submitted. Admission into St. Thomas University’s School of Law does not guarantee admission into either of the joint Master’s degree programs.

The following grid shows what Law School courses are required with satisfactory completion in order to replace the designated MS or MBA courses:

LAW 850 – Professional Responsibility Replaces MAN 510
LAW 812 – Federal Income Taxation Replaces a SPO elective 
LAW 745 – Sports Law Replaces SPO 719

**Joint degree students should consult their law school advisor regarding courses from the master’s programs that transfer into their law school program of study.

Students in the joint degree programs must complete all other M.S. (27) and MBA (33 plus any prerequisite accounting, business and economics courses) credits required for the degrees. All graduate policies apply (see other portions of the graduate catalog).

 

JOINT J.D. (LAW) AND MASTER OF SCIENCE IN SPORTS ADMINISTRATION

(NOTE: The degree requirements that follow are ONLY for current St. Thomas University Law School Students who are also pursuing the Master of Science in sports administration degree.)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS (in addition to the law degree courses and credit requirements) (27 credits)

REQUIRED COURSES: (9 credits)
MAN 503 Applied Research Methods
MAN 703 Human Resource Management
SPO 717 Seminar/Principles of Sports Administration

GUIDED ELECTIVES chosen from: (18 credits)
SPO 510 Sports Ethics
SPO 540 Sports Media & Public Relations 
SPO 543 Sports Financial Management
SPO 544 Sports Marketing & Promotions
SPO 546 Facility & Event Management
SPO 547 Principles of Leisure Services
SPO 548 Sports Psychology
SPO 549 Athletic Fund Raising 
SPO 551 Negotiations within the Sports Industry
SPO 552 Collegiate Sports Governance
SPO 719 Legal Aspects of Sports Administration 
SPO 755 Special Topics 
SPO 790 Supervised Internship I

 

JOINT J.D. (LAW) AND MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION IN SPORTS ADMINISTRATION

(NOTE: The degree requirements that follow are for current St. Thomas University Law School Students ONLY who are also pursuing the Master of Business Administration in sports administration degree.)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS (in addition to the law degree courses and credit requirements)

PREPARATORY COURSES: (3 hours – 1 each) (may be waived depending on undergraduate preparation)
ACC 500 Fundamentals of Accounting
ECO 500 Fundamentals of Economics for Business
BUS 500 Fundamentals of Statistics for Business

REQUIRED MBA CORE COURSES: (24 hours)
ACC 770 Managerial Accounting
BUS 533 Quantitative Methods for Business 
BUS 673 Management Writing and Reporting 
BUS 704 Policy, Planning and Strategy Systems 
BUS 705 Advanced Information Systems
ECO 534 Managerial Economics for Business Decision-Making 
FIN 751 Financial Management
MAN 700 Organizational Behavior 

SPORTS ADMINISTRATION SPECIALIZATION: (9 hours)

Core Sports Administration Specialization Courses: (3 hours)
SPO 717 Seminar and Principles of Sports Administration 3

Electives: Two (2) from the following: (6 hours)
SPO 510 Sports Ethics 3
SPO 540 Sports Media and Public Relations 3
SPO 543 Sports Financial Management 3
SPO 544 Sports Marketing and Promotion 3
SPO 546 Facility and Event Management 3
SPO 547 Principles of Leisure Services Mgmt 3
SPO 548 Sports Psychology 3
SPO 549 Athletic Fund Raising 3
SPO 551 Negotiations in Sports 3
SPO 552 Collegiate Sports Governance 3
SPO 719 Legal Aspects of Sports Administration 3

This program is intended for M.B.A. students at St. Thomas University who are also STU law students.

For further information on these programs, please contact the Program Coordinator, Dr. Jan Bell at 305.628.6634 or jbell@stu.edu.

**For a complete description of the joint degrees with sports administration, please refer to the following PowerPoint presentation: click.