Commission on Sport Management Accreditation

The B.A. and M.Ed.--Sport Management degree programs received Reaffirmation of Accreditation extending until 2027. The following narrative is from the official correspondence, dated 2/11/2020. For more information on accreditation status or other related accreditation question, please contact Mark Vermillion, Chair (mark.vermillion@wichita.edu) 

The COSMA Board of Commissioners (BOC) met on February 8, 2020, to discuss your application for Reaffirmation of Accreditation and to review all supporting materials. Based on your self-study, the site visit team report and your written response, the BOC determined that the following degree programs are in compliance with all COSMA Principles:

Bachelor of Arts in Sport Management
Master of Education in Sport Management

Wichita State University’s sport management programs are awarded “Accreditation with Observations.” Accreditation is awarded for a maximum of seven years, until February 2027.

According to COSMA’s Accreditation Process Manual, reaffirmation of accreditation is granted to those programs judged by the COSMA Board of Commissioners to be substantially in compliance with the COSMA accreditation principles. The program must be current with its membership dues and the site visit expenses must have been paid to COSMA before accreditation is granted.

“Observations” are suggestions for improvement that are intended to assist the academic unit/sport management program in achieving excellence in sport management education. Action on observations is recommended, but not required.

Both “Action Items” outlined in the Site Visit Team Report were responded to adequately and require no further follow-up:

Action Item 1: Revise master’s degree SLOs to reflect the depth of learning and analysis and higher expectations of these students (utilize Bloom’s Taxonomy).

Outcome: Resolved.

Action Item 2: Require graduates to complete the exit survey in order to get accurate reporting and data on this indirect measure (see Principle 2).

Outcome: Resolved.

COSMA accreditation covers a maximum time period of seven years, through February 2027. COSMA will notify you in advance concerning the timing of reaffirmation of accreditation, so that you can apply for reaffirmation in a timely manner.

The Sport Management degree programs at Wichita State University received specialized accreditation through the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) located in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.

The following degrees are accredited by COSMA:

• Bachelor of Arts in Sport Management
• Master of Education in Sport Management  

CONTACT: If you have any questions about the student learning outcomes, operational effectiveness goals, program profile information or would like a hard copy of the data, then please contact Mark Vermillion, Chair (mark.vermillion@wichita.edu).

The following Program Institution Profile data pertains to the B.A.--Sport Management program only and is provided to not only inform key stakeholders, but also to support COSMA's accreditation. For more information or a PDF copy of the information below, please contact Mark Vermillion, Chair (mark.vermillion@wichita.edu)

COUNCIL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION ACCREDITATION (CHEA): PROGRAM INFORMATION PROFILE

This profile offers information about the performance of a program in the context of its basic purpose and key features.

Name of Institution

Institution: Wichita State University

Program/Specialized Accreditor(s): Commission on Sport Management  Accreditation

Institutional Accreditor:  Higher Learning Commission

Date of Next Comprehensive Program Accreditation Review: 2027-2028

Date of Next Comprehensive Institutional Accreditation Review: 2026-2027

Program Context & MIssion

Program Mission: Sport Management’s mission is to develop students into well-educated, ethical, competent sport management professionals. The programs’ teaching, research, and service activities will occur in a positive learning environment valuing both theory and practice.

Program Goals: The broad-based program goals for the B.A.-Sport Management and M.Ed.-Sport Management programs are as follows:

• Provide a comprehensive curriculum allowing students to develop into well-educated sport management professionals.
• Assist students in the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Assist students in the development of interpersonal and communication skills.
• Facilitate students’ understanding of highly variegated sport management environments and contexts.
• Facilitate applied learning and professional development opportunities for students.

Brief Description of Student Population: Two important descriptors for the Sport Management undergraduate population here at WSU include student competence and satisfaction and student financial resources and contexts.

According to the Office of Planning and Analysis’s 2025 Undergraduate Exit Survey, Sport Management graduates (n=45) felt competent in the content of their major (93.3%) and 91.1% were satisfied or higher with the program. The graduating Sport Management undergraduate population received financial support from a variety of sources, including from scholarships (62.2%), Federal Work Study (11.1%), Financial Aid (48.9%), personal or family resources (64.4%), and by working off campus jobs (62.2%). Upon graduation, the AY20205 Sport Management undergraduates borrowed an average of $18,409, but 100% of graduates reported that a higher education degree in their field was important tfor increasing job opportunities.

Admissions Requirements: Admission requirements: Per the WSU Undergraduate Catalog, admission requirements for the B.A.—Sport Management are as follows:

• Prospective students interested in pursuing the Bachelor of Arts in sport management degree must meet all admission requirements by the WSU College of Education. In addition, they must be aware of program content embedded in SMGT 112.
• Students who have declared a major in one of the programs in the College of Education and have the required 2.000 GPA, will be admitted directly into the college upon admission to WSU. Students are required to maintain at least a 2.000 overall GPA to remain in good standing.

Per the WSU Graduate Catalog, admission requirements for the M.Ed.—Sport Management are as follows:

• Admission to the master’s degree program in sport management is considered for students who have completed an earned undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a grade point average of 2.750 (4.000 system) in their cumulative undergraduate work.
  • Candidate evaluations are based on GPA of at least 2.750 (4.000 system) in their undergraduate coursework and faculty evaluation based on resume submission.
• Minimum admission requirements for full standing include a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and a grade point average of at least 2.750 (including any postbachelor’s graduate work). The student should have no more than 9 credit hours of background deficiencies in the major field of graduate study desired. For most College of Education degree programs, admission requirements exceed these minimums.

Indicators of Effectiveness with Undergraduates (as determined by the program)

1. Graduation

• Year: AY 2025
• # of Graduates: 45
• Graduation Rate: NA

2. Completion of educational goal (other than certificate or degree-- if data collected)

• # of students surveyed: N/A
• # completing goal: N/A

3. Average time to certificate or degree

• 1-year certificate: N/A
• 2-year degree: N/A
• 4-year degree: 3.5-4.0 years

4. Annual Transfer Activity

• Year: AY 2025
• # of Transfers: 26% (39/150) of AY 2024 majors were identified as transfer students
• Transfer Rate: Unknown

5. Graduates Entering Graduate School

• Year: AY 2025
• # of Graduates: 45
• # Entering Graduate School: 11.1% reported entering graduate school when applying for graduation, which is one to two semesters before they officially graduate.  

6. Job Placement (if appropriate)

• Year: AY 2025
• # of Graduates: 45 
• # Employed: 62.2% reported current employment and 17.8% reported accepting a full-time job, when applying for graduation, which is one to two semesters before they officially graduate

7. Licensure/certification exam results: N/A

8. Additional indicators, if any: N/A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Program Mission

Sport Management’s mission is to develop students into well-educated, ethical, competent sport management professionals. The program’s teaching, research, and service activities will occur in a positive learning environment valuing both theory and practice.

Program Constituents

The primary constituents served by the B.A.-Sport Management program are students, alumni, and sport management practitioners.  

Program Broad Based Goals

The broad-based program goals for the B.A.-Sport Management program are as follows:

• Provide a comprehensive curriculum allowing students to develop into well-educated sport management professionals.
• Assist students in the development of critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Assist students in the development of interpersonal and communication skills.
• Facilitate students’ understanding of highly variegated sport management environments and contexts.
• Facilitate applied learning and professional development opportunities for students.

 Student Learning Outcomes

The approved student learning outcomes for students in the B.A.-Sport Management program are as follows:

 Upon completion of the program, students will be able to…

• Identify and describe foundational concepts relevant to effective professional practice in the sport management field, including knowledge of management, marketing, public relations, financial, psycho-social, and legal concepts.
• Apply ethical decision-making frameworks in relation to issues facing sport managers.
• Demonstrate critical thinking skills related to effective decision-making in sport organizations.
• Model the oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills necessary for effective sport management practice.
• Demonstrate skills pertaining to the use of technology in sport management.
• Apply the knowledge and skills acquired in their sport management classes in a sport management setting.

Student Learning Outcomes Measures 

The B.A.--Sport Management program uses a variety of direct and indirect measures to measure student learning outcomes. These measures include:

SMGT 447-Internship Reflection Report (direct measure)

• Students address multiple topics in the paper:
  • How well they were able to meet the learning objectives specified for their internship
  • How their experience as an intern related to the theory/concepts presented in other required coursework
  • How ethical decision-making was relevant to their internship
  • How they employed critical thinking skills during their internship
  • How well they employed communication skills during their internship
  • How well they employed technological skills during their internship
• Criterion: Evaluation of “acceptable” or better for each major section of the grading rubric
• Benchmark: Minimum of 80% at acceptable or better for each section of the report
• Results to be reported annually

SMGT 447-Resume (direct measure)

• Students submit an updated resume at the conclusion of their internship to demonstrate how their internship has enhanced their credentials as a candidate for employment
• Criteria:
  • Rating of “acceptable” or better based on grading rubric
• Benchmarks:
  • Minimum of 80% receiving at acceptable or better based on rubric
• Results to be reported every year

SMGT 475- Ethics Writing Assignment (direct measure)

• Students summarize a sport ethics-related case study. After providing a summary of the ethical issue, students identify the impact of socio-moral values within the sport management industry by critically examining ethical dilemmas.
• Criterion: “Acceptable” or better based on rubric
• Benchmark: Minimum of 80% of students receiving score of “acceptable” or better
• Results to be reported every three years

SMGT 461- Risk Management Project (direct measure)

• Students will partner with a fellow classmate and attend an intercollegiate sporting event at an approved facility. Students will be required to address aspects of risk management by identifying potential risks (both managed and unmanaged) within both the facility and at the event. Students will develop an in-depth analysis, complete with photographic/empirical evidence, substantiating their conclusions.
• Criterion: “Acceptable” or better based on grading rubric (critical thinking)
• Benchmark: Minimum of 80% of students receiving score of “acceptable” or better
• Results to be reported every three years

SMGT 444-Organizational Reflection Paper & Presentation (direct measure)

• In groups, students will examine and assess relevant policies of a sport organization of their choosing. They will evaluate how the organization addresses employee-related issues/dysfunctions. Each group will submit a 2-3 page paper of their findings and present their evaluations to the class.
• Criterion: “Acceptable” or better based on rubric
• Benchmark: Minimum of 80% of students receiving score of “acceptable” or better
• Results to be reported every three years

SMGT 112-Instructor Interview Assignment (direct measure)

• Students research a position in the sport industry, write a job description of that position, and orally present their descriptions and findings in an interview with the course instructor.
• Criterion: “Acceptable” or better based on communication section of rubric
• Benchmark: Minimum of 80% of students receiving score of “acceptable” or better
• Results to be reported every three years

SMGT 426-Social Media Project (direct measure)

• Students will be asked to conduct an extensive online public relations campaign, employing various forms of social media, for a sporting event, organization or athlete. Students will present their projects at the end of the semester and will be graded upon several categories including the use of their selected social medium/media.
• Criterion: “Acceptable” or better based on rubric
• Benchmark: Minimum of 80% of students receiving score of “acceptable” or better
• Results to be reported every three years

SMGT 447-Internship Site Supervisor Evaluation (indirect measure)

• Site supervisors’ final written evaluation of interns which assesses students’ knowledge base, ethical decision-making abilities, critical thinking skills, technological skills, communication skills, and overall performance as an intern.
• Criteria:
  • Rating of “mostly prepared” or better in regard to knowledge base and learning outcome items
  • Rating of “agree” or better in regard to performance items
• Benchmarks:
  • Minimum of 90% receiving an overall performance rating of “agree” or better
  • Minimum of 80% of responses to knowledge base items at “prepared”
• Results to be reported every year

Student Exit Survey (indirect measure).

• Survey of undergraduate students administered at the end of SMGT 447A-Internship
• Criterion: “Mostly prepared” or better
• Benchmark: Minimum of 80% of all responses meeting criterion
• Survey is conducted and results reported every year

Employer Feedback (indirect measure).

• Focus group of graduates’ employers regarding the graduates’ preparation for effective sport management practice
• Criterion:  Vote of “mostly prepared” or better
• Benchmark: Minimum of 80% of all responses meeting criterion
• Survey is conducted and results reported every three years

Alumni Feedback (indirect measure).

• Focus group of recent graduates regarding the their preparation for effective sport management practice
• Criterion: Vote of “mostly prepared” or better
• Benchmark: Minimum of 80% of all responses meeting criterion
• Survey is conducted and results reported every three years

 

Program Mission

Sport Management’s mission is to develop students into well-educated, ethical, competent sport management professionals. The program’s teaching, research, and service activities will occur in a positive learning environment valuing both theory and practice.

Program Constituents

The primary constituents served by the M.Ed.-Sport Management program are students, alumni, and sport management practitioners.

Program Broad Based Goals

The broad-based program goals for the M.Ed.-Sport Management program are as follows:

• Provide a comprehensive curriculum allowing students to develop into well-educated sport management professionals.
• Advance students’ development of broad-based skills, including critical-thinking, problem-solving, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Facilitate applied learning and professional development opportunities for students.
• Facilitate students’ understanding of highly variegated sport management environments and contexts.
• Develop students’ understanding of the foundations and importance of research in the sport industry.

Student Learning Outcomes

The approved student learning outcomes for students in the M.Ed.-Sport Management program are listed below.

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to…

• Demonstrate foundational concepts relevant to effective professional practice in the sport management field, including knowledge of management, marketing, public relations, financial, psycho-social, and legal concepts.
• Evaluate and effectively apply advanced ethical decision-making frameworks in relation to issues facing sport managers.
• Display critical thinking skills related to effective managerial decision-making in sport organizations.
• Examine and model effective research skills in sport management-related settings.
• Develop advanced oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills necessary for effect sport management practice.
• Model the knowledge and skills acquired in their sport management classes in a sport management setting.

Student Learning Outcomes Measures

Student learning outcomes will be assessed at a programmatic level using the following tools. 

SMGT 847-Internship Reflection/Integration Paper (direct measure)

• Students address multiple major topics in the paper:
  • How well they were able to meet the learning objectives specified for their internship
  • How their experience as an intern related to the theory/concepts presented in three of their required courses
  • How they employed critical thinking skills during their internship
  • How they employed research skills or observed the use of research within the organization in which they served
  • How they encountered ethics-related issues during their internship
  • What types of communication skills they were required to employ and how effective they were in their communication?
• Criterion: Grade of “acceptable” or better for each of the major sections of the rubric
• Benchmark: Minimum of 90% at acceptable or better for each section major section of the report
• Results to be reported annually

SMGT 847-Resume (direct measure)

• Students submit an updated resume at the conclusion of their internship to demonstrate how their internship has enhanced their credentials as a candidate for employment/professional advancement
• Criteria:
  • Rating of “acceptable” or better based on grading rubric
• Benchmarks:
  • Minimum of 90% receiving at acceptable or better based on rubric
• Results to be reported every year

SMGT 800-Research Report (direct measure)

• Students will develop a group research report utilizing data analysis and visualization techniques. Specifically, each group will identify a research question related to a salient research question, collect data or identify a secondary database relating to the research question, and develop a technical research report, which demonstrates a quality understanding of the research process (including proper statistical analyses). Students will develop a report describing their research process, summarizing the appropriate literature, graphically representing their results, and drawing appropriate conclusions.
• Criterion: “Acceptable” based on rubric
• Benchmark: Minimum of 90% at acceptable or better based on rubric
• Results to be reported every three years

SMGT 801-Organizational Evaluation Assignment (direct measure)

• Students profile a sport organization and write a position paper regarding its effectiveness.
• Criterion: “Acceptable” based on critical analysis portion of rubric
• Benchmark: Minimum of 90% at acceptable or better based on rubric
• Results to be reported every three years

SMGT 803-Marketing Plan (direct measure)

• Students work in groups to develop a comprehensive marketing plan for a real or hypothetical sport organization. A written plan is submitted for review, and an in-class presentation is also made.
• Criterion: “Acceptable” based on communication portion of rubric
• Benchmark: Minimum of 90% at acceptable or better based on rubric
• Results to be reported every three years

SMGT 812-Ethical Dilemma Assignment (direct measure)

• Students examine ethical dilemmas within the sport management industry by developing a deductive argument based upon discussed ethical frameworks. Specifically, students will identify an ethical issue in the industry, gather evidence of the issue’s relevance, and provide a critical narrative examining the underlying value conflicts.
• Criterion: “Acceptable” based on rubric
• Benchmark: Minimum of 90% at acceptable or better based on rubric
• Results to be reported every three years

SMGT 847-Internship Site Supervisor Evaluation (indirect measure)

• Site supervisors’ final written evaluation of interns which assesses the students’ overall performance, attainment of internships objectives, knowledge base, ethical decision-making ability, critical thinking skills, research skills, and communication skills
• Criteria:
  • Rating of “agree” or better in regard to performance evaluation and professional qualities items
  • Rating of “mostly prepared” or better in regard to knowledge base and learning objectives items
• Benchmarks:
  • Minimum of 95% receiving “agree” on performance evaluation items
  • Minimum of 80% of responses to other items at either “mostly prepared” or better, or “agree”
• Results to be reported every year

Employer Feedback (indirect measure).

• Focus group of graduates’ employers regarding the graduates’ preparation for effective sport management practice
• Criterion: Vote of “mostly prepared” or better
• Benchmark: Minimum of 80% of all responses meeting criterion
• Survey is conducted and results reported every three years

Alumni Feedback (indirect measure).

• Focus group of recent graduates regarding their preparation for effective sport management practice
• Criterion: Vote of “mostly prepared” or better
• Benchmark: Minimum of 80% of all responses meeting criterion
• Survey is conducted and results reported every three years

 If you have any questions or would like a copy of the annual report, then please contact Mark Vermillion, chair of Sport and Leadership Studies (mark.vermillion@wichita.edu).  

The Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) provides accreditation for sport management educational programs. For more information on all accredited sport management programs or other COSMA-related updates, please see COSMA's website.