Sports Business Undergraduate Major (BA, HBA, BS, HBS)
This program is available at the following locations:
- Corvallis
- Ecampus
Option available: Dean's Academy
The Sports Business undergraduate major provides students with a solid foundation in business, as well as a background in the sports industry. The program provides the specific knowledge and skills relevant to a career in the sports industry with an exploration of the business of sport, sports marketing, sports sponsorship, sports analytics, and sports finance.
Major Code: A050
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Recognize the challenges and issues within the sports industry.
- Analyze, differentiate, and critically evaluate sports industry structures.
- Identify financial and societal implications of sport in society.
- Identify and interpret core financial practices and issues in the sports industry.
- Develop and apply analytical skills to improve sports business decision making across all functional areas of sport business.
- Analyze problems to develop and adjust marketing strategies in the sports industry.
- Evaluate the role and value of sponsorship and its strategic implications.
Degree requirements include university core education, business and major curricula. The business curriculum provides students with a broad overview of business; basic skills in accounting and quantitative methods; an understanding of the legal and social environment of business; a background in management and organizational behavior, marketing, finance, and operations management; an understanding of the entrepreneurial process; and the opportunity to integrate coursework and further develop decision-making skills through the analysis of business cases. The lower-division business curriculum involves completion of courses within the first and second year that build a solid foundation for the upper-division curricula.
Transitions to OSU and Introduction to Business coursework will depend on student type. At registration, an academic advisor will determine the most appropriate path.
- Students entering OSU as their first college experience after high school will take a 100 Transitions course, BA 160, and a BA 16X series;
- Students entering OSU COB as a second-year transfer student (approximately three years to graduation) will take a 300 Transitions course, BA 160, and BA 101Z; or
- Students entering OSU COB as a third-year transfer student (approximately two years or less to graduation) will take a 300 Transitions course and BA 101Z.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Summary of Requirements | ||
| Business Curriculum 1 | 102-106 | |
| Sports Business Curriculum | 32 | |
| Unspecified Core Education 1 | 22-26 | |
| Unrestricted Electives 2 | 16-24 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- 1
Some courses in the Business Curriculum double-count with Core Education categories. Unspecified Core Education credits are not shared with the Business Curriculum
- 2
Options and minors are available to provide specializations and fulfill unrestricted elective credits
Business Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations of Business | ||
| Introduction to Business | ||
| Third-year transfer students may be eligible to waive BA 160. | ||
| BA 160 | +COB CAREER AND MAJOR EXPLORATION | 1 |
| Dependent on entry level, students will take one of the following: | 4-6 | |
| INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION and INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY | ||
| LAUNCH PAD I and LAUNCH PAD II | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS | ||
| Communications | ||
| COMM 114 | +*ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE | 3-4 |
| or COMM 111Z | +*PUBLIC SPEAKING | |
| or COMM 218Z | +*INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | |
| Economics | ||
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| ECON 202Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| Mathematics | ||
| MTH 241 | +*CALCULUS FOR MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCE | 4 |
| Writing | ||
| WR 323 | +*ADVANCED WRITING & ARGUMENTATION | 3-4 |
| or WR 227Z | +*TECHNICAL WRITING | |
| Business Core | ||
| BA 169Z | DATA ANALYSIS USING MICROSOFT EXCEL | 4 |
| BA 211Z | PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 213Z | PRINCIPLES OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 223 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | 4 |
| or BA 390 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | |
| BA 226Z | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS LAW | 4 |
| BA 240 | FINANCE | 4 |
| BA 252 | MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE | 4 |
| BA 260 | FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET | 4 |
| BA 270 | BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 275 | FOUNDATIONS OF STATISTICAL INFERENCE | 4 |
| BA 347 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS | 4 |
| BA 354 | ^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | 4 |
| BA 357 | OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 370 | BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS OVERVIEW | 4 |
| BA 375 | APPLIED QUANTITATIVE METHODS | 4 |
| BA 396 | +MARKETS AS SOCIAL STATUS SYSTEMS | 3 |
| or BA 398 | +SUSTAINABLE CAPITALISM: EXPLORING POWER, PROSPERITY, AND JUSTICE | |
| BA 466 | INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| Blueprint: Personal & Professional Development | ||
| Second Year | ||
| Third-year transfer students may be eligible to substitute BA 381 for second year Professional Development and Blueprint coursework. | ||
| BA 281 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| BA 282 | DRAFTING YOUR CAREER BLUEPRINT | 1 |
| BA 283 | NAVIGATING CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE | 1 |
| BA 284 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE I | 1 |
| Third Year | ||
| BA 311 | +FRAMING YOUR CAREER PLAN | 1 |
| BA 312 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE II | 1 |
| BA 313 | A CASE FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE IN BUSINESS | 1 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| BA 411 | NAVIGATING CAREER TRANSITIONS | 1 |
| BA 412 | FINANCIAL PLANNING I | 1 |
| BA 413 | FINANCIAL PLANNING II | 1 |
| Total Credits | 102-106 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course
Sports Business Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core | ||
| SB 250 | THE BUSINESS OF SPORT | 4 |
| SB 350 | INTRODUCTION TO SPORTS ANALYTICS | 4 |
| SB 351 | SPORTS MARKETING | 4 |
| SB 450 | FINANCING SPORT | 4 |
| SB 452 | SPORTS SPONSORSHIP | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Select a minimum of 10 credits from the following (see Focus Areas for guidance): 1 | 10 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ANALYTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | ||
| DATA MANAGEMENT | ||
| DATA EXPLORATION AND VISUALIZATION | ||
| MACHINE LEARNING AND TEXT MINING FOR BUSINESS | ||
| PROJECT MANAGEMENT | ||
| LEADERSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE | ||
| INFLUENCE AND NEGOTIATION | ||
| DIGITAL MARKETING PLATFORMS | ||
| CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT | ||
| PERSONAL SELLING SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES | ||
| INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS | ||
| +*SOCIOCULTURAL DIMENSIONS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY | ||
| FOUNDATIONS OF SPORT AND EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| INJURY MANAGEMENT FOR THE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE | ||
| +*POWER AND PRIVILEGE IN SPORT | ||
| *GLOBAL HISTORY OF SPORTS | ||
| SOCIOLOGY OF SPORT | ||
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Select 2 credits from the following courses: | 2 | |
Any COB 004 Internship (e.g. SB 004) 2 | ||
Any COB 403 Thesis (eg. SB 403) | ||
Any COB 405 Reading & Conference (eg. SB 405) | ||
Any COB 406 Projects (eg. SB 406) | ||
Any COB 409 Practicum (eg. SB 409) | ||
Any COB 410 Internship (eg. SB 410) | ||
| Total Credits | 32 | |
- 1
Some elective courses require a prerequisite grade of C or higher
- 2
Students may substitute a COB 004 Internship course (eg. SB 004) for the experiential learning requirement if they do not need an additional 2 credits to meet their 180 credit degree total
Focus Areas
Focus Areas are suggested course combinations directed at specific areas of interest and professional goals, but other combinations of focus area courses may be selected.
Sports Marketing
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select three courses from the following: | 12 | |
| DIGITAL MARKETING PLATFORMS | ||
| CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT | ||
| PERSONAL SELLING SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES | ||
| INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Sports Management
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MGMT 364 | PROJECT MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| MGMT 452 | LEADERSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE | 4 |
| MGMT 455 | INFLUENCE AND NEGOTIATION | 4 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Sports Analytics
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BANA 270 | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ANALYTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | 4 |
| Select two courses from the following: | 6 | |
| DATA MANAGEMENT | ||
| DATA EXPLORATION AND VISUALIZATION | ||
| MACHINE LEARNING AND TEXT MINING FOR BUSINESS | ||
| Total Credits | 10 | |
Sports and Society
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select three courses from the following: | 10-12 | |
| +*SOCIOCULTURAL DIMENSIONS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY | ||
| FOUNDATIONS OF SPORT AND EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| INJURY MANAGEMENT FOR THE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE | ||
| +*POWER AND PRIVILEGE IN SPORT | ||
| *GLOBAL HISTORY OF SPORTS | ||
| SOCIOLOGY OF SPORT | ||
| Total Credits | 10-12 | |
Major Code: A050
Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| BA 160 | +COB CAREER AND MAJOR EXPLORATION | 1 |
| MTH 111Z | +*PRECALCULUS I: FUNCTIONS | 4 |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities General | 3-4 | |
| Core Ed: Transitions | 2 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 161 | INNOVATION NATION--AWARENESS TO ACTION | 3 |
| ECON 201Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | 4 |
| MTH 241 | +*CALCULUS FOR MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCE | 4 |
| WR 121Z | +*COMPOSITION I | 4 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 162 | INNOVATION NATION--IDEAS TO REALITY | 3 |
| BA 169Z | DATA ANALYSIS USING MICROSOFT EXCEL | 4 |
| COMM 111Z | +*PUBLIC SPEAKING or +*ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE or +*INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | 3-4 |
| ECON 202Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 211Z | PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 252 | MANAGING INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM PERFORMANCE | 4 |
| BA 281 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| BA 284 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE I | 1 |
| SB 250 | THE BUSINESS OF SPORT | 4 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 213Z | PRINCIPLES OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING | 4 |
| BA 223 or BA 390 | PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING or PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | 4 |
| BA 260 | FOUNDATIONS OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET | 4 |
| BA 275 | FOUNDATIONS OF STATISTICAL INFERENCE | 4 |
| BA 282 | DRAFTING YOUR CAREER BLUEPRINT | 1 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 226Z | INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS LAW | 4 |
| BA 240 | FINANCE | 4 |
| BA 270 | BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 283 | NAVIGATING CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE | 1 |
| Core Ed: Difference, Power & Oppression Foundations | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 311 | +FRAMING YOUR CAREER PLAN | 1 |
| BA 347 | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS | 4 |
| BA 375 | APPLIED QUANTITATIVE METHODS | 4 |
| WR 323 or WR 227Z | +*ADVANCED WRITING & ARGUMENTATION or +*TECHNICAL WRITING | 3-4 |
| Core Ed: Scientific Inquiry & Analysis | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 312 | FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL FINANCE II | 1 |
| BA 357 | OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| BA 396 or BA 398 | +MARKETS AS SOCIAL STATUS SYSTEMS or +SUSTAINABLE CAPITALISM: EXPLORING POWER, PROSPERITY, AND JUSTICE | 3 |
| SB 351 | SPORTS MARKETING | 4 |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities Global | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 313 | A CASE FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE IN BUSINESS | 1 |
| BA 354 | ^MANAGING ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY | 4 |
| BA 370 | BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS OVERVIEW | 4 |
| SB 350 | INTRODUCTION TO SPORTS ANALYTICS | 4 |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BA 411 | NAVIGATING CAREER TRANSITIONS | 1 |
| BA 466 | INTEGRATIVE STRATEGIC EXPERIENCE | 4 |
| SB Elective | 4 | |
| Experiential Learning | 2 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| BA 412 | FINANCIAL PLANNING I | 1 |
| SB 450 | FINANCING SPORT | 4 |
| SB Elective | 3 | |
| Core Ed: Seeking Solutions | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| BA 413 | FINANCIAL PLANNING II | 1 |
| SB 452 | SPORTS SPONSORSHIP | 4 |
| SB Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course