Wednesday, July 08, 2009

The Lipscomb Sports Management Fellowship Program combines a unique experience working in a NCAA Division I athletic department with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Sports Management.   The one-year fellowship provides fellows an introduction to sports administration through full-time work in intercollegiate athletics. Fellows are also provided with an educational foundation that will serve them well in sports administration or any other field through the completion of an MBA from The College of Business at Lipscomb University. The fellowship experience will provide students with an experiential and educational edge when competing for opportunities to work in sports.

The Nature of the Program

Fellows are placed in the Lipscomb University Athletics Department and required to work 30 hours per week.  Fellows are asked to perform a variety of tasks which may include making sales calls, developing marketing strategies and promotions, negotiating advertising contracts, corresponding with donors, planning events, handling team travel arrangements, managing game day operations, or analyzing compliance issues. Fellows will work directly with athletic administrators and coaches throughout the course of their fellowship.

Lipscomb MBA

Lipscomb University’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) is designed for students with an undergraduate degree in either business or in a non-related field. Leveling courses are offered for the non-business undergraduate. Business undergraduates may require fewer leveling courses, if any, before beginning the core courses.

Fellows will be placed in the newly developed Sports Management concentration. Thirty hours are required for graduation, consisting of eighteen hours in the required core courses and twelve hours of sports management classes. These classes cover topics such as marketing, fundraising and public relations; sports law and risk management; organization, planning and operations of sports leagues, franchises and teams; concessions, events and operations; management of revenue acquisition and funding; service management in sports organization and more.

Stipend & Benefits

The Lipscomb Athletics Fellowship Program is coordinated jointly by The College of Business at Lipscomb University and the Lipscomb Athletics Department.  Athletics Fellows receive a monthly stipend of $1,000.  Fellows are graduate students at Lipscomb University and therefore eligible to defer payment on students loans during the one-year fellowship.

Who Should Apply

Application to the 2009-2010 Lipscomb Athletics Fellowship Program is open to university and four-year college graduates holding an undergraduate degree by August 2009. The program welcomes applications from individuals authorized to work in the United States for the duration of the program.

Individuals from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply.  However, some leveling courses may be required for admission to the MBA program.  Applicants are expected to have a strong interest in sports management, but prior experience is not required.  Desirable characteristics for fellows include: exceptional oral and written communication skills, strong analytical and organizational skills, initiative, flexibility, and Christian commitment. Applications are reviewed for demonstrated academic and professional achievement, campus and community service involvement, interest in sports and leadership potential.

2009-2010 Application & Selection Process

Applicants must complete the Online Admission Application to Lipscomb’s MBA Program. Applicants must also complete a two page personal statement describing yourself, your aspirations and why you are applying to the Lipscomb Athletics Fellowship Program. Applications must be submitted online by 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 to be considered.

A selection committee reviews the applications and selects a group of applicants for interviews. Interviews will take place in the Athletics Department on the campus of Lipscomb University on July 31, 2009. Applicants are responsible for the cost of travel to their interview. Phone interviews are not permitted.

The selection committee selects a class of fellows after the interviews. The deliberations of the selection committee are confidential and final. All applications become the property of Lipscomb University.