Courses

Foundations of Athletic Leadership

This course serves as an introduction to concepts and frameworks related to the practice of athletics leadership. Specifically, students construct meaning related to leadership at the personal, interpersonal and organizational levels. This will be accomplished through interpersonal, intrapersonal and group exercises, projects and discussions. Students will articulate a personal philosophy of leadership that represents their best thinking about what leadership is and how it should be practiced.

Organizational Communication

This course explores the complex relationship between communication and organization, especially as related to athletic leadership. We examine particular topics/issues associated with organizational communication such as relational responsibility, identity, bullying, and self-subordination as well as discuss communicative approaches for leaders including dialogue, collaboration, and generative transformation. Throughout the course we will apply concepts and ideas from the course to athletic leadership through an ongoing project involving the development of an athletic leadership case (of your own interest/experience) and conducting analysis of this case from a communicative approach and proposing communicative recommendations for leaders desiring generative change.

Athletic Leadership Practicum I and II

The Practicum in Athletic Leadership is an integral part of the experiential learning for Master of Athletic Leadership participants. Practicum I and II provide students with a supervised practical experience under the direct supervision of a mentor as an immersive opportunity to integrate skills and knowledge gained through coursework and prior experiences into a professional work environment. The practicum provides students with opportunities to lead, to reflect on athletic leadership in the workplace, and opportunities for extensive dialogue with faculty, mentors, and peers within the program.

Athletic Leadership Academy

This course provides opportunities to analyze leadership concepts, frameworks, issues and innovation in athletics from the standpoint of the practitioner. Current and former leaders as well as our community leadership partners from a variety of settings provide insights and mentoring regarding their approaches to leadership. Students continue to construct their own personal concept of leadership within their chosen area of athletics.

Philosophy of Sport and Athletic Leadership

This course explores the value of philosophy for fields pertaining to physical activity and sport. We discuss philosophical perspectives and corresponding implications for physical activity and sport to be able to produce sound philosophical arguments relating to ethical leadership in athletics.

Athletic Program Management

This course examines managerial responsibilities of athletic leaders including legal liability, sport law, finance and marketing, and personnel management. This course is also designed to acquaint students with a series of important legal principles and laws which affect athletic program management. Students examine constitutional, contract, employment, intellectual property, products liability, and tort law, Title IX, the Rehabilitation and the Americans with Disabilities Acts, the NCAA, Olympics, private associations, performance enhancing drugs, agency and antitrust as well as financing and program evaluation.

Psychological Aspects of Athletic Leadership

This course examines individual differences and environmental factors relevant to athletic leadership as identified by sport and exercise psychology theory and research. Students focus on applying psychological skills training programs to athletes, coaches, and administrators. Students explore ideas for implementing psychological skills to help athletic leaders maximize their positive psychosocial impact on those who they lead as well as developing theory-driven and research-supported strategies to enhance psychosocial processes in athletic settings.

Sociology of Sport and Athletic Leadership

Course description coming soon

Portfolio

The Portfolio course is the culminating experience for participants in the Master of Athletic Leadership Program. Portfolios are developed using a broad-based selection of significant student work reflecting the depth and breadth of performance, professional development, and personal growth since entering the program.