Leadership Education - Sport Management (LDSM) - MS

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33 credits

3.0 GPA required.

Description of Program

The goal of a Master’s in Leadership Education is to prepare professional leaders to serve organizations and schools in building community, improving organizational outcomes and generating new knowledge for the profession. The Department of Leadership Education is a leader in advancing knowledge about educational and organizational change in local, national, and international contexts. Our teaching reflects a commitment to being student-centered and developing practitioner/scholars. A core of leadership education courses is combined with course work and experiences in different emphases to earn the degree. The emphases are:

Leadership Education - Organizational Leadership (LDOL) - MS
Leadership Education - Sport Management (LDSM) - MS (in collaboration with PESS Department)

Graduates are prepared to take leadership roles in non-profit, government, and public organizations.

Three requirements must be satisfactorily completed to earn the degree: 33 graduate credits, a capstone paper/thesis, and the Comprehensive Exam. A core of five Leadership Education courses (15 credits) is required of all degree candidates - each emphasis has an additional 18 credits specific to its mission.

Sport Management (33 credits)

In cooperation with the Physical Education and Sport Science (PESS) Department, their graduate certificate in Sport Management can be combined with the five core courses in Leadership Education for the Master’s Degree. This path is taken by students looking for: collegiate coaching positions; management of facilities; business, marketing, and management of sport’s team organizations, and the high school athletic directors.

A PESS - Sport Management (CELS) - Certificate is available through the Physical Education and Sport Science Department.

Leadership Education Core (15 credits)

LDRS 612 - Systems Thinking (3 credits)
LDRS 614 - Change Leadership (3 credits)
LDRS 615 - Communication (3 credits)
LDRS 618 - Research Design (3 credits)
LDRS 619 - Leadership Capstone Experience (1-3 credits)
OR
LDRS 699 - Master’s Thesis (Thesis Advisement Credits) (1-3 credits)

Sport Management Courses (18 credits)

PESS 626 - Planning of Facilities in Physical Education or Sport (3 credits)
PESS 629 - Sport Marketing Management (3 credits)
PESS 633 - Administrative Problems in Physical Education or Sport (3 credits)
PESS 636 - Sport Law & Ethics (3 credits)
PESS 642 - Sport Leadership/Internship (3 credits)
PESS 645 - Sport Sales Management (3 credits)

Capstone Writing Requirements

Candidates must write a significant research paper or master’s thesis to show proficiency in research and writing at the graduate level. The topic and proposal for this paper is initiated in LDRS 618 and brought to completion under the guidance of a capstone or thesis advisor. Guides for form and style are available from the Department of Leadership Education.

Non-Thesis Option - student completes LDRS 618 - Research Design (3 credits) , then takes LDRS 619 - Leadership Capstone Experience (1-3 credits) and writes the paper under the guidance of their capstone advisor.
Thesis Option - student completes LDRS 618 - Research Design (3 credits) , then takes LDRS 699 - Master’s Thesis (Thesis Advisement Credits) (1-3 credits) and writes the paper under the guidance of their thesis advisor, and defends their research to a faculty panel.

Comprehensive Examination

Each candidate must pass an oral comprehensive examination over their capstone or thesis materials.