Program Overview

Get ready for work to become play. If you’re interested in athletic or recreational administration, sport marketing and merchandising, or sport and recreation venue management and event planning, this is the major for you. Prepare for the big leagues with our Sport Management concentration, or blaze professional trails with Outdoor Recreation Management. Situated on the scenic Maine coast, our campus provides easy access to skiing, surfing, biking, hiking, and more. And an array of regional minor league sports teams gives you an open shot at many fun and exciting internships.

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I was completely drawn in to how much our economic system not only affects the environment, but how it values it as well.
Economics

Why UNE for Sport and Recreation Management

Whether you’re taking advantage of the recreation potential on the Southern Maine coast or you’re hoping to get your foot in the door with one of the region’s many minor league sports franchises, UNE’s location makes it a top choice for your sport and recreation management studies.

  • Fully integrated Business minor for a competitive edge in the job market
  • Opportunity to focus on the outdoor environment and ecotourism by participating in our Green Learning Community

Alumni Story: Working in professional golf

Find your Career

Combine a solid business foundation with knowledge of the underlying theory, latest technology, and best practices of the athletic and recreation industries. Along with valuable hands-on experience through internships, you will develop the skills to be an effective leader who will make a difference in the lives of those you serve through sport and recreation programming.

Our graduates have pursued many fascinating professions, including

  • Athletic Director
  • Coach
  • Camp Director
  • Game Day Coordinator
  • Director of Sports Partnerships
  • Event Coordinator
  • Business Owner
  • Sports Information Director
  • Operations Manager

Career Advising

Whether you have a specific career goal in mind or a vague idea of the field that interests you, Career Advising is here to help you plan your next step.

Student Success by the Numbers

95%

of undergrads employed or engaged in ongoing higher education within one year of graduating

2016-2022 UNE graduate surveys
#1

in Maine for getting a job

Zippia 2022

Academics

Examples of Available Courses

You may choose to concentrate in Sport Management or Outdoor Recreation Management. The following are some examples of the exciting courses that we offer:

  • Sport Marketing
  • Outdoor Recreation Planning and Policy
  • Sport Finance
  • Leadership
  • Sustainability and Eco-Recreation Planning
  • Athletic and Sport Administration

Curriculum

CAS Core Requirements (must take MAT 120 or MAT 150 as MAT course) Credits
Total 42–46
Required Business Foundation Courses Credits
BUAC 201 – Financial Accounting 3
BUEC 204 – Microeconomics 3
BUMG 200 – Management 3
BUMK 200 – Marketing 3
Business Electives (recommended: BUMG 302 – Human Resources Management and BUMG 325 – Legal Environment of Business) 6
Total 18
Required Sport and Recreation Management Courses Credits
SRM 160 – Introduction to Sport and Recreation Management 3
SRM 325 – Sport and Recreation Marketing 3
SRM 350 – Sport and Recreation Finance 3
SRM 360 – Leadership 3
SRM 370 – Law and Ethics in Sport and Recreation Management 3
Total 15
Concentration Requirements (see below) 15
Internship (see below) 12
Open Elective Courses (as needed to reach 120 credits) Variable
Minimum Required Total Credits 120

Concentration Options

Sport Management Concentration Requirements Credits
SPT 330 – Sport Governance 3
SPT 340 – Athletic and Sports Administration 3
SPT 355 – Sport Venue Planning and Management 3
SPT 401 – Seminar in Sport Management 3
SPT 420 – Research Methods 3
Total 15
Outdoor Recreation Management Concentration Requirements Credits
ORM 335 - Outdoor Recreation Planning & Management 3
ORM 345 - Sustainability & Eco-Recreation 3
ORM 355 - Wilderness Preparation, Safety & First Aid 3
ORM 401 - Seminar in Outdoor Recreation Management 3
ENV 345 - Outdoor Environmental Education or ENV 356 - Terrestrial Wildlife Eco/Conservation or ENV 376 - Caribbean Sustainable Development 3
Total 15

Internship Experiences (12 credits required)

Each of our Sport and Recreation Management majors is required to complete no less than 480 contact hours at an approved internship site(s) upon attaining Junior Standing (completion of the Sophomore year). The internship experience is a primary requirement for degree completion.

The internship experiences allow our Sport and Recreation Management majors to gain pre-professional experience, designed to enhance the development of knowledge, skills, and abilities in a Sport Management or Outdoor Recreating Management field.

Common Internship experiences include one or more of the following "hands-on" activities:

  • Customer interaction and personnel supervision
  • Observation and participation in program planning/leadership.
  • Observe/research/analyze current activities and future trends in the industry
  • Involving the student intern, when appropriate, in management meetings and communications
  • A “capstone” experience, e.g., marketing plan, fundraising project, special event promotion, etc.; professional presentation, or research/case study in a sport management or outdoor recreation discipline.

Affiliated Internship Sites in Sport and Recreation Management

Sport and Athletics Experiences in sport marketing, athletics administration, coaching (sport leadership and pedagogy), team management, sports information, and sport venue/event management

  • University of New England, Department of Athletics (Biddeford, ME)
  • Princeton Men's Basketball (Division I) (Princeton, NJ)
  • Biddeford High School Athletics (Biddeford, ME)
  • Thornton Academy Athletics (Saco, ME)
  • Old Orchard Beach High School Athletics (Old Orchard Beach, ME)
  • Scarborough High School Athletics (Scarborough, ME)
  • University of Southern Maine, Department of Athletics (Gorham, ME)
  • Southern Maine Community College (South Portland, ME)
  • Kennebunk High School Athletics (Kennebunk, ME)
  • Berwick Academy (South Berwick, ME)
  • Massalonskee High School Athletics (Oakland, ME)
  • University of New Hampshire (Dover, NH)
Sport, Leisure, and Recreation

Experiences in sport and recreation administration, marketing, programming, and venue/event management

  • University of New England, Department of Athletics (Biddeford, ME)
  • Maine Sports Commission (Augusta, ME)
  • Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation (Bethel, ME)
  • Northern York County YMCA (Biddeford, ME)
  • Cape Arundel Golf Course (Kennebunkport, ME)
  • Biddeford Parks and Recreation Department (Biddeford, ME)
  • Atlantic Pool and Billiards (Biddeford, ME)
  • Saco Parks & Recreation Department (Saco, ME)
  • Saco Sports and Fitness (Saco, ME)
  • XL Sports World (Saco, ME)
  • MBNation (Saco, ME)
  • USSA Major League Soccer (Saco & Portland, ME)
  • American Red Cross (Portland, ME)
  • Maine Special Olympics (Portland Area, ME)
  • Portland Athletic Club (Portland, ME)
  • Portland Ice Arena (Portland, ME)
  • Resort Sports Network (RSN) (Portland & Sunday River, ME)
  • Windham Parks and Recreation Department (Windham, ME)
  • Bath Country Club (Bath, ME)
  • Camp Sunshine (Casco, ME)
  • Maine Senior Games (Kennebunk, ME)
  • Oakland Maine Recreation Department (Oakland, ME)
  • Bethel Inn Resort and Country Club (Bethel, ME)
  • Concord Recreation Center (Concord, MA)
  • Portsmouth Country Club (Portsmouth, NH)
  • Fitness by Favara (Portsmouth, NH)
  • Dover Recreation Department (Dover, NH)
  • Antrim Recreation Department (Antrim, NH)
  • Greater Nashua YMCA (Merrimack Branch, Nashua Branch, and Camp Sargent, NH)
  • Complete Athlete (Derry, NH)
  • Derry Sports Zone (Derry, NH)
  • CCBA Summer Basketball League (Lebanon, NH)
  • Vermont Sun Sports and Fitness (Middlebury, VT)
  • Pure Hockey (Franklin, MA)
  • Mid Cape Racquet and Health Club (South Yarmouth, MA)
  • Team Central Lacrosse (Northboro, MA)
  • Nantucket Country Club (Nantucket, MA)
  • Dan Duquette Sports Academy (Western MA)
  • Brewster Sports Center (Brewster, NY)
  • Camp Pontiac (Glen Head, NY)
  • Dove Springs Recreation Center (Austin, TX)
  • Rosewood Recreation Center (Austin, TX)
Sport and Recreation Products Industry

Experiences with marketing and merchandising

  • Sports Authority (South Portland, ME)
  • Oakley (Freeport, ME)
  • Sugarloaf (Carrabassett Valley, ME)
Professional Sport Agencies

Experiences with professional representation and operations

  • Shamrock Sports and Entertainment (Portland, ME)
  • IMG Athletics (Bradenton, FL)
Sport Journalism

Experiences with sports writing

  • Burlington Free Press (Burlington, VT)
  • University of New England Sports Information Office (Biddeford, ME)
Professional Sport

Experiences with marketing, programming, administration, communication, merchandising, and venue/event management

  • Portland Red Claws Basketball (Portland, ME)
  • Portland Sea Dogs Baseball (Portland, ME)
  • Maine Mammoths Football (Portland, ME)
  • Maine Mariners Hockey (Portland, ME)
  • Atlanta Hawks (NBA) (Atlanta, GA)
  • Baltimore Ravens (NFL) (Baltimore, MD)
  • Manchester Monarchs (Manchester, NH)
  • Keene Swamp Bats (Keene, NH)
  • South Shore Baseball Club (Hingham, MA)
  • Glens Falls Golden Eagles Baseball (Glens Falls, NY)
  • Cal Ripken, Jr.’s Ripken Baseball (Massachusetts)
  • Charlotte Bobcats Basketball (Charlotte, NC)
  • Cedar Rapids Kernels Baseball (Cedar Rapids, IA)

UNE Sport and Recreation Management students have completed internships with each of the above sites.

For more information see the Academic Catalog.

Honors Program

We offer qualified students the option of graduating with Honors. This includes significant research, scholarship or creative activity under the direction of a faculty member. Interested students should consult with their advisor.

Experiential Learning

At UNE, experiential learning is critical to your professional development. Sport and Recreation Management majors participate in a robust internship program, which requires 480 hours of on-the-job, real-world learning – because success in sport and recreation management won’t happen by sitting on the sidelines.

Internships

You may find yourself in a wide range of internship experiences, including:

  • Leading outdoor adventure trips
  • Managing merchandising for a local minor league sports team
  • Coordinating travel for a college athletics team
  • Assisting an ecotourism operation

Intern near campus during the academic year or elsewhere over the summer. Our graduates have interned with many organizations, such as:

  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Portland Sea Dogs
  • New England Revolution
  • Shamrock Sports Group
  • Maine Sports Commission
  • Maine Red Claws

For more information about Sport and Recreation Management internships, contact Dr. Aimee Vlachos at (207) 602-2441.

Global Education

See the World

Sport and recreation often bring people together — and coming together means learning about our differences. Our Global Education Programs offer many brief travel courses in a wide range of locations, such as Mexico, Kenya, Italy, and Ireland, that expose you to new ways of thinking and introduce you to other cultures and customs. If you’re looking for a longer cultural immersion experience, we offer semester-long programs in SpainFranceIceland, and at our own international campus in Morocco.

Interested in studying abroad? Make a plan with your advisor.