What classes do you recommend to take in college that align with Sports Entertainment and Marketing?

Devin,

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  Sports marketing focuses on the application of marketing principles to the promotion of sports events and teams, or the promotion of products and services through sports – sometimes known as “marketing through sports.” In general, sports marketing follows the traditional marketing mix of the four P’s – Product, Price, Promotion, and Place – although some sports marketers add an additional four P’s: Planning, Packaging, Positioning, and Perception. Together, these elements are known as the “Sports Marketing Mix.”

  
  


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  The majority of sports marketing professionals have at least a bachelor’s degree, and many companies prefer that employees get an MBA at some point during their career. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not track data for sports marketers as a separate role, they note that that 71% of marketing specialists hold a bachelor’s degree of some kind, while 25% have a master’s degree.

  
  

Sports marketing degree programs focus on applying marketing theory to the sports industry environment, developing sports marketing strategies, using quality-tracking tools to monitor progress, understanding financial and legal issues in sports, developing sports-oriented creative content, and other topics. Practicum and internships are a popular component in such programs, and many provide valuable hands-on experience that can lead to employment opportunities after graduation.

Although sports marketing programs were once rare, they are increasing in popularity. A sample of related degree programs appears below:

Bachelor of Business Administration, Sports Business Concentration
Bachelor of Business Administration, Sports Sponsorship & Sales
Bachelor of Science in Sports Management or Administration
Bachelor of Science in Sports Marketing
Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology – Sport Marketing and Management
Master of Science in Kinesiology, Emphasis in Sport Management
Masters of Business Administration in Sports Business
Doctor of Philosophy in Human Performance, Emphasis in Sport Management

The ideal sports marketing graduate will have a solid grounding in economics, understand business, sales, and marketing issues, be able to demonstrate knowledge of the law and ethics as they apply to sports marketing, be able to manage marketing and human resources, and have some personal sales ability.

You can read more in: http://www.marketingcareeredu.org/sports-marketing/

Good Luck!

Hi, Devin -- Entering the field of marketing, any course you take will be of value. But no matter what the field, a good course in writing will be so helpful down the line. Being a good writer will distinguish you from the other candidates. Being a good writer also means being a good editor. You cannot believe how many applications for internships in the media that I and others have seen fail miserably simply because the candidate did not use spellcheck, did not write complete sentences, did not use good grammar, etc. You get the picture. So work on your writing.

My other suggestion is to take a course in a subject matter you really are interested in or passionate about that has nothing to do with sports or marketing. Maybe it's a philosophy class. Maybe it's the writings of Mark Twain. Maybe architecture. Whatever. The point is, people doing the hiring want to see you qualified in your area of expertise, yes, but they also want to see a well-rounded person who shows interest and curiosity in a whole manner of subjects.

College is the time to explore and have fun, as well as prepare for a career. Don't forget to explore and have fun!