Endgame: A Project Study to Develop a Sports Management Associate Degree Program For a Small Rural Community College

The purpose of this dissertation project study was to develop a sports management associate degree program for a small rural community college in Southwest Michigan. Utilizing a mixed approach of systems thinking and document analysis for the methodology, the researcher was able to identify and develop the courses that would constitute the new program curriculum. The identification process included analyzing sports management related courses among the top university transfer partners of the small rural community college and considering how well the identified courses aligned with the desired skills and knowledge sought by the sports industry. The challenges associated with the construction of a sports management curriculum design for both transferability to university programs, as well as practical application to the sports industry, stemmed from a lack of standardization among program and course offerings in the academic field. Ultimately, through flexible design for easier adaptability to unforeseen challenges and needs, the results of this dissertation project study have contributed to the sports management academic field by providing a curriculum template for potential associate degree programs in the future.