Sports, Event and Hospitality Management

Overview

This field, formerly Tourism and Hospitality Management, provides students with a theoretical and practical understanding of the sport, event, and hospitality industries. It prepares students to work in the management and marketing of sport events, organizations, products, and athletes as well as in special events, expositions, festivals, and other entertainment properties. Those focused on hospitality will learn about the marketing, management, and financing of both tourism destinations and those businesses that are related to tourism, including cities, attractions, hotels, restaurants, and airlines.

Career Options in Sports, Event and Hospitality Management

Typical entry-level positions include those in collegiate and professional sport organizations, sport marketing agencies, sport manufacturers, sport and event facilities, hotels and resorts, restaurants and food service operations, visitor and convention bureaus, theme parks and recreation centers, museums, tour operators, travel management firms, destination management companies, event producers, associations, corporate sponsors, and consulting firms. Examples include SFX Sports, IMG, the NFL Players Association, the United States Olympic Committee, the Washington Wizards, the Washington Redskins, Nike, the NBA, NHL, American Express, the Washington Convention and Tourism Corporation, the Walt Disney Company, The TCI Companies, the Smithsonian, Marriott International, Choice Hotels, United, Amtrak, Ridgewells Catering, the American Heart Association and PKF Consulting.

Program of Study

Students pursuing a field of concentration in Sport, Event, and Hospitality Management complete most of their basic business courses and general education requirements in their first two years at The George Washington University. Students pursuing this field then choose one of two tracks: Sport and Event Management or Hospitality Management. Students may take their first field course, Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality Management (TSTD 104), before deciding which track to pursue, but they should commit to either Sport and Event Management or Hospitality Management before taking more field courses. Since the introductory course is required of both tracks and does not have any prerequisites, students may take it as early as their sophomore year.

Sport and Event Management Track: In addition to Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality Management (TSTD 104), students who are interested in this track also take Sport and Event Business Enterprises (TSTD 135). Since this course does not have any prerequisites, students who have decided on this track may complete this course in their sophomore year and are encouraged, though not required, to take it as one of their first field courses. Students in this track also complete Issues in Sport and Event Management (TSTD 137) and Sport and Event Marketing (TSTD 136). Basic Marketing Management (BADM 110) is a prerequisite for Sport and Event Marketing (TSTD 136). The Sport, Event, and Hospitality Management faculty recommend that students interested in Sport and Event Management take Practicum (TSTD 113/114) as an unrestricted elective and Sport and the Law (EXSC 135) as a Field-Related Elective (which must be a course outside the TSTD Department) or as a non-business elective.

Hospitality Management Track: Besides the core course, Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality Management (TSTD 104), students who are interested in this track will take Hospitality Industry Management (TSTD 143), Financial Management in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry (TSTD 144) and Travel Marketing Communications (TSTD 145). Financial Management and Markets (BADM 115) is a prerequisite to Financial Management in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry (TSTD 144).

All students in the field should select an Analytical Tools Elective, a Field Tools Elective, and a Field-Related Elective (a course related to Sport, Event, and Hospitality Management but outside the TSTD Department) according to their interests and/or the requirements of their dual field of concentration.

Course Guidelines

Core Course:

N/A

Analytical Tools Elective (Choose One):

PHIL 45 Introduction to Logic
STAT 112 Business and Economic Statistics II (Prerequisite: STAT 51/53)
STAT 118 Regression Analysis (Prerequisite: STAT 51/53)

Field Tools Elective (Choose One):

ACCY 110 Financial Statement Analysis (Prerequisite: ACCY 51 & 52)
MGT 117 Labor Relations, Neg. & Conflict Res. (Prerequisite: BADM 130) - FALL ONLY
SOC 181 Special Topics (Related to the Sports Industry (Prerequisite: Varied)
Unrestricted/Student Option - See other Fields for other appropriate options. (Prerequisite: Varied)

Field Courses (Choose Group A or Group B):

Group A: Hospitality Management
TSTD 104* Intro to Tourism and Hospitality Management
TSTD 143 Hospitality Industry Management - SPRING ONLY
TSTD 144 Fin'l. Mgt in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry (Prerequisite: BADM 115)
TSTD 145 Travel Marketing Communications
Group B: Sport and Event Management
TSTD 104* Intro to Tourism and Hospitality Management
TSTD 137 Issues in Sport and Event Management - SPRING ONLY
TSTD 135 Sport and Event Business Enterprises - FALL ONLY
TSTD 136 Sport and Event Marketing (Prerequisite: BADM 110) - SPRING ONLY

Field Related Elective (Choose One):

ANTH 153 Psychological Anthropology (Prerequisite: ANTH 2)
ECON 158 Industrial Organization (Prerequisite: ECON 11 & 12)
SMPA 175 Media Management (Prerequisite: EMDA 100)q
EXSC 135 Sport and the Law
GEOG 145 Cultural Geography (Prerequisite: GEOG 1)
IBUS 160 Introduction to International Business (Prerequisite: ECON 11 & 12)
IBUS 166 International Marketing Management (Prerequisite: BADM 110 & BADM 145)
MKTG 142 Consumer Behavior (Prerequisite: BADM 110)
MKTG 143 Marketing Research (Prerequisite: BADM 110 & BADM 64)
MKTG 148 Advertising (Prerequisite: MKTG 142)
SMPA 152 Principles of Public Relations
SOC 168 Economic Sociology (Prerequisite: SOC 1)
Or another course with permission of the field advisor
* Required
** Requires Permission of Field Advisor