DEGREE
Bachelor of Arts
CAREER IDEAS
Recreation & Fitness Studies Professions, Sports Agent, Sports Event Planner, Sports Information Director, Sports Lawyer, Sports Psychologist, Sports Writer/Publicist
Manhattanville College’s Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Sport Studies degree program is ideal for any student passionate about athletics or sports seeking a versatile education that opens doors to their dream role. Offering a research-based and global perspective on the educational, scientific, social, political, cultural, and psychological significance of sports, health, and wellness, our interdisciplinary sport studies major allows students to specialize their studies for their goals, intern for New York-area employers, and even get a head start on graduate programs in physical education or sport business management.
Overview: B.A. in Sport Studies
The interdisciplinary B.A. in Sport Studies degree program exposes students to a range of approaches to the study of physical activity and the culture of sport.
Sport Studies majors at Manhattanville graduate prepared to apply to graduate programs or start on their ideal career path, backed by a comprehensive curriculum that builds a groundwork in history, media, business, and exercise science essential to the sport and fitness industries.
Whether you’re excited about careers in sport marketing, journalism, coaching, management, or other aspects of this flourishing field, earning a bachelor’s degree in sport studies at Manhattanville provides you with the opportunities for hands-on learning through internships and career-oriented advanced degree pathways.
Degree Curriculum and Requirements
The curriculum of the B.A. in Sport Studies at Manhattanville is designed to establish foundational knowledge that prepares students for several career paths after graduation.
Sport studies degree requirements include:
- Two courses (6-8 credits) in scientific inquiry courses
- One course (3-4 credits) in statistics
- Four courses (12 credits) in core content courses
- Four courses (12 credits) in electives
In addition to core major courses, in-depth sport studies electives, and instruction in the scientific and psychological principles of health and wellness, sports studies majors must complete the First-Year and general education courses required for all Manhattanville undergraduate students.
Review the sport studies major requirements.
Find a complete list of undergraduate degree requirements, including general education information.
Sport Studies Courses
Our industry-informed sport studies courses cover a wide selection of topics that focus on unique aspects of the discipline, such as ethics, medicine, religion, culture, media, kinesiology, history, politics, marketing, business, law, physiology, nutrition, and psychology.
You may take sport studies courses such as:
- Introduction to Personal Health and Wellness
- Introduction to Sport Business Management
- Introduction to Sport Law
- Ethics in Sport
- Sport and Social Change
- Applied Exercise Physiology
- Sport Media and Communication
- Sports Nutrition
- The Cult of Exercise
- Equal Play: Gender & Sport
- Sports and International Politics
- Introduction to Sports Medicine
- Youth and Sports
- Theoretical Concepts of Coaching
Built on a foundation of communication and critical thinking skills, the multifaceted sport studies degree curriculum ensures graduates can effectively explore careers in many areas of the field.
Review a comprehensive list of sport studies courses, including descriptions.
Sport Studies Internship
As a sport studies major at Manhattanville, you’ll have unrivaled opportunities to gain experience outside of the classroom, working in various health, sport, media, and wellness settings.
In the greater New York City and Tri-State area, a wealth of employers in all sides of the sport, athletics, and health industries are available to students interested in earning academic credit through the built-in internship course.
Explore Manhattanville’s internship opportunities to learn how our Center for Career Development can help you apply for internships in your field.
Degree Outcomes and Careers
Graduates of the B.A. in Sport Studies degree program will have a strong understanding of the role of sport in society, as well as the influence of physical activity and organized sports on the mind and body.
Manhattanville sport studies majors earn a focused degree specialized to their personal and professional goals and often gain work experience before graduation. With credit-earning internships and a wide choice of electives including independent study, students can customize their program to build a depth of knowledge in a specific field.
Career paths that sport studies graduates might pursue include:
- Sport media journalist
- Coach
- Health and wellness educator
- Sport business and management
- Sport marketing
- Sport or recreation program director
Preparation for Graduate Programs
While our well-rounded degree curriculum provides a foundation of knowledge in exercise science, health and wellness, and the social and economic aspects of sports, some more advanced roles in the field require further graduate education and clinical experience, like:
- Athletic Training
- Occupational or physical therapist
- Sport and exercise psychologist
- Sports medicine
- Sport studies researcher or professor
Whether you enter Manhattanville’s graduate sports business program, the physical education master’s program, or pursue graduate study in sport psychology, law, or journalism at a different institution, Manhattanville’s B.A. in Sport Studies sets you up for success.
Advanced Degree Options
The B.A. in Sport Studies degree program is flexible enough for students to tailor their education toward specific career aspirations. Through additional degree concentrations and advanced program pathways, students can prepare to apply for master’s degree programs after graduation and pursue advanced careers in the field.
Declare a Second Major or Minor
If you’re interested in careers in a specific field like sports marketing, sports law, physical therapy, or exercise physiology, adding a secondary study focus to your B.A. in Sport Studies can further your professional goals.
Sport studies majors can declare a second major or a minor to build an area-specific foundation to stand apart from other job or graduate program applicants. Programs at Manhattanville that could support a sport studies degree include:
- Psychology
- Communication Studies or Digital Media Production
- Legal Studies
- Marketing
- Biology or Pre-Health Studies
Review a complete list of Manhattanville’s major and minor degree programs.
Professional Tennis Management Degree Track
Sport studies majors can choose to follow the Professional Tennis Management (PTM) track. This option prepares students to enter the tennis management profession through specific coursework and valuable networking opportunities, including the chance to work directly with the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA).
Sport studies majors in this pathway take the following courses, open to all sport studies students:
- Orientation to Professional Tennis Management
- Beginning Teaching Techniques
- Marketing and Administration for Professional Tennis Managers
- Advanced Teaching Techniques
In this sport studies pathway, you’ll get opportunities to demonstrate your experience in tennis management through a project-driven senior evaluation course and up to three internships for credit.
Learn more about the Professional Tennis Management track.
Sport Business and Entertainment Management Track
Manhattanville also offers a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Sport Business and Entertainment Management, designed to impart professional skills and sports industry-specific knowledge at a graduate level.
Through a dual degree program option, students interested in advanced roles in professional, collegiate, amateur, and youth athletic organizations can shorten the time it takes to earn their master’s degree, earning credits for the M.S. in Sport Business and Entertainment Management alongside the B.A. in Sport Studies.
Learn more about the M.S. in Sport Business and Entertainment Management degree program.
Check out our Sport Business and Entertainment Management graduate certificate option.
Teaching in Physical Education and Sports Pedagogy Track
Through the SuperStart program, undergraduate students interested in careers in physical or sport education can get a head start on earning a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree in Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy.
In the SuperStart program option, students follow a focused bachelor’s degree curriculum and complete certain transferable prerequisite courses that prepare them to enter the M.A.T. program after graduation and for subsequent teacher certification in New York.
Find degree requirements and course descriptions for the SuperStart accelerated physical education master’s degree track.
FULL-TIME FACULTY
- Amy Bass, Chair of the Division of Social Science & Communication, Professor of Sport Studies
- Samantha White, Assistant Professor, Sport Studies
- Seth Tannenbaum, Assistant Professor, Sport Studies
AFFILIATED FULL-TIME FACULTY
- Lawson Bowling, Professor of History
- Carrie Safron, Visiting Instructor, School of Education
- Christopher Pappas, Professor of Biology
- Gregory Swedberg, Professor of History
- Jorge Cárdenas, Capoeira
PROFESSIONAL TENNIS MANAGEMENT
PART-TIME FACULTY
- Joseph Askinasi, Kinesiology
- Andres Botero, Nutrition
- David Cassuto, Exercise Science; Health & Wellness
- Julene Caufield, Athletic Director/Wellness
- Kevin Cullen, Athletic Training
- Laura Feinblum, Nutrition
- Louis Galgano, Esq. - Sport Law
- Tara Jarboe, Health & Wellness
- Martin Kessler, Sport Podcasting
- R. Scott McIver, Sport Medicine
- Daniel McCarthy, International Politics of Sport
- Marty Rotberg, Sport Business
- David Seigerman, Sports Journalism
- David Turco, Coaching
- Kate Vlahakis, Coaching
- Rabbi Scott Weiner, sport & religion
- Steve Young, Sports Governance
Please contact any of the above faculty or the Division Chair for more information.
Division Chair: Amy Bass, amy.Bass@mville.edu (914) 323-5127
Admissions and Aid
If you’re seeking a rewarding career in sport marketing, media, or management, in helping others discover the power of health and wellness, or in using sport science to change lives, learn how to get started by checking out Manhattanville admissions information.
When you apply to Manhattanville’s sport studies program, you’ll automatically be considered for a number of merit-based scholarships. Review complete financial aid and scholarship information, including types of aid and how to apply.
Apply to the B.A. in Sport Studies
In Manhattanville’s Bachelor of Arts in Sport Studies degree program, you’ll master the technical and applied skills you need to qualify for various employment opportunities and graduate degree programs in the diverse disciplines of sports, recreation, health, and wellness.
If you’re ready to apply to the sport studies program, request further information from Division Chair Amy Bass. Or, start your application.