Program Overview
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Coordinator: Alan Morse, Ph.D.
Email: Alan.Morse@unco.edu
Location: Gunter 2590
Telephone: 970-351-1722
Website: www.unco.edu/nhs/sport-exercise-science/
The Doctor of Philosophy in Sport and Exercise Science: Sport Administration concentration curriculum follows the guidelines set for the preparation of students in Sport Management by the North American Society for Sport Management. The program is designed primarily to prepare students for academic positions in higher education. Some students may choose to apply their doctoral coursework in careers in the management of sport in collegiate athletic programs, professional, Olympic, or commercial sport business.
Admission
Location: Greeley
Start Term: Fall
General Doctoral Degree Admission Requirements
Sport and Exercise Science Ph.D. - Sport Administration Concentration
Admission Deadline
Fall Admissions: Feb. 1 to be given priority screening for fall admission of that year.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must apply to the Graduate School at the University of Northern Colorado before the program area reviews the applicant’s request for admission. Failure to submit all required materials will delay the evaluation and screening of your application.
Each applicant must:
Take the following steps to be considered for admission:
Step 1: Complete the Application
Complete the online application.
- Answer the application questions.
- Send your requests for letters of recommendation.
- Request three (3) academic or professional letters of recommendation from those who can attest to your academic potential and abilities. You will be asked to supply information for your recommenders in the application.
- Submit the application and pay the non-refundable application fee.
- Domestic Students: $50 non-refundable application fee
- International Students: $50 non-refundable application fee
- The Graduate School is waiving application fees for all current UNC students and alumni! (The waiver applies only to the UNC Graduate School application.) Click for details.
Once you submit your application you will be assigned an Admissions Portal, allowing you to upload supplemental items, as listed below, and track your application through the admissions process.
Step 2: Request Transcripts
Request one official transcript from any Institutionally Accredited college or university where a bachelor’s degree or higher was earned or is in progress (if you have earned multiple degrees, bachelor’s level or higher, an official transcript is required from each college or university where a degree was conferred). If you received a degree from UNC, you do not need to request a transcript from UNC. The Office of Admissions reserves the right to request that applicants provide official transcripts from other colleges or universities as needed. Applicants who have earned or are directly pursuing a higher degree from a regionally accredited institution without receiving a bachelor’s degree (e.g., PharmD) may be eligible to apply to the Graduate School without the conferral of a bachelor’s degree.
Exceptions: If an applicant intends to use Veteran’s Education Benefits, an official transcript from all colleges or universities attended will be required in order to maintain compliance with Veteran’s Affairs policies.
Official transcripts from U.S. institutions should be sent via mail directly from the educational institution in an unopened, sealed envelope or through an electronically secure digital program from the issuing institution.
Mailed transcripts should be sent to:
University of Northern Colorado
Office of Admissions
Campus Box 10
501 20th St
Greeley, CO 80639
Electronic transcripts from U.S. institutions should be sent directly from the educational institution to: grad.admissions@unco.edu.
The Office of Admissions does not accept email, scanned or PDF transcripts directly from applicants. All official transcripts, submitted as part of the application process, are retained by UNC and not returned to applicants or admitted students.
UNC retains submitted transcripts, from institutions other than UNC, for admitted students for up to five years after graduation or date of last attendance at UNC. Transcripts provided by applicants who were not admitted, denied admissions or did not complete their application are destroyed after one (1) year. The Office of Admissions will make every attempt to use previously submitted transcripts if they are within these timeframes. However, if the Office of Admissions cannot locate previously submitted transcripts, the transcripts fall outside the timeframes listed above or they are considered illegible, applicants must provide new transcripts.
Applicants with academic credentials from outside the U.S. will need to follow the requirements for submission of foreign transcripts. Click on the Transcripts tab for information about international transcripts.
Official GRE scores (less than five years old) are required. UNC's institutional code is 4074.
Required minimum scores:
- 140 Quantitative;
- 146 Verbal Reasoning;
- Combined score of at least 297;
- Analytical Writing 3.5
Please note, UNC does not accept GRE Subject Test scores.
Step 4: Supplemental Items
Log back into the Admissions Portal to submit the following:
- Letter of Intent
- Written statementof your background, career goals and research interests (if applicable). Please indicate that you are applying to the SES: Sport Administration Ph.D. program in the first paragraph. Failure to do so could mean a rejection of your application.
- It is also important that the name(s) of any faculty member(s) you are interested in working with appear somewhere in your research statement. Our program is mentor-based so faculty members are instrumental in admissions decisions.
- Current resume or curriculum vitae
Once you apply to the UNC Graduate School and your application packet is complete, your application will be reviewed by the Graduate School and then sent to the faculty/program for an admission recommendation. The timing of the admission decision depends on each individual program’s deadline and review process.
International applicants (non-U.S. citizen/non-U.S. Permanent Resident) please refer to the International Admissions Requirements page for further information about submitting transcripts, English proficiency scores, passport copy and financial documentation.
For More Information
For more information about the admission process, please email the Office of Admissions at grad.admissions@unco.edu or call 970-351-2881.
Degree Requirements — 64 Credits
Prerequisites — 3 credits
| SES 602 | Introduction to Research in Sport and Exercise Science | 3 |
| or | |
| A graduate research course from Psychology (PSY) or Applied Statistics and Research Methods (SRM). Advisor approval is required for this choice. | |
Students in the Sport Administration Concentration are required to successfully complete all requirements for the Applied Statistics and Research Methods minor with a grade of “B” or better in each course.
Required Concentration Credits — 15 credits
| SPAD 704 | Doctoral Seminar in Sport Marketing Research & Experimental Design I | 3 |
| or | |
| SPAD 706 | Seminar in Sport Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| | |
| SPAD 705 | Doctoral Seminar for American Professoriate in Sport | 3 |
| SPAD 724 | Seminar in Theory & Sport Organizations | 3 |
| SPAD 790 | Seminar in Sport Consumer Behavior | 3 |
| SPAD 750 | Seminar in Sport Finance | 3 |
Elective Credits — 18 credits
Students are allowed 18 credits of electives in the doctoral program (64 credits beyond the Master's is required for graduation). After consulting with their advisor, students should select courses which contribute to their academic and research goals. The following courses are offered as a guide for elective course selection. Students should also review the Catalog for course options in other cognate areas.
| SPAD 560 | Critical Thinking and Ethical Considerations in Sport Administration | 3 |
| SPAD 570 | Administration of Sport Organizations and Employees | 3 |
| SPAD 576 | Sport Promotion and Marketing | 3 |
| SPAD 650 | Financial Management for Sport Organizations | 3 |
| SES 665 | Advanced Sociological Kinesiology | 3 |
| SPAD 670 | Sport and Higher Education | 3 |
| SPAD 671 | Fundraising & Development in Sport | 3 |
| SPAD 675 | Sport Facility and Event Management | 3 |
| SPAD 688 | Legal Aspects of Sport | 3 |
| SES 696 | College Teaching | 3 |
| SES 755 | Supervised Practicum in College Teaching | 1- 6 |
Research Core — 15 credits
| SRM 602 | Statistical Methods I | 3 |
| SRM 603 | Statistical Methods II | 3 |
| SPAD 702 | Seminar in Sport Administration Research Methods | 3 |
| SES 703 | Research Seminar in Sport and Exercise Science | 3 |
| | |
| SRM 610 | Statistical Methods III | 3 |
| or | |
| SRM 680 | Introduction to Qualitative Research | 3 |
Research Proposal/Dissertation — 16 credits
| SES 797 | Doctoral Proposal Research | 1- 4 |
| SES 799 | Doctoral Dissertation | 1-12 |
Research Tools
Doctoral students in this degree must demonstrate competency in two research tools. Three possibilities are listed below:
- Research Design. Applied Statistics/Quantitative Methods. Complete 9-12 hours (excluding SRM 600 and SRM 700).
- Research Design. Applied Statistics/Qualitative Methods. Complete 9-12 hours (excluding SRM 600 and SRM 700).
- A collateral field of study may be used as a substitute for a research tool. See Graduate School policies for details.
Program Note
In addition to Graduate School candidacy and graduation requirements, doctoral students in the School of Sport and Exercise Science must complete requirements associated with the SES doctoral matrix.