From profitable professional teams to collegiate programs and Little League, sports managers have the unique ability to bring communities together and inspire healthy lifestyles in all corners of the world.
Program Overview
Inspire athletes to achieve and exceed their goals.
The Sport & Fitness Management emphasis is an introduction to the business aspect of sport and fitness, including marketing, events and facility management. Through courses in Financial Accounting, Microeconomics, Program Design for Physical Activity Settings and more, you’ll acquire a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of sport management. You’ll also have the opportunity to take classes and conduct research in our state-of-the-art, High Altitude Performance Lab. To gain hands-on experience, you’ll be required to participate in an internship at a professional site in an area of exercise and sport science. The program is a perfect place to start if you have a passion for sports and want to pursue an exciting and rewarding career managing athletes of all levels.
Rewarding careers
The Sport & Fitness Management program is a perfect start for students who have a passion for sport and want to find exciting and rewarding careers beyond being an athlete.
Program Requirements
At Western, course rotations are crafted to encompass a variety of subject fields for a comprehensive education and versatile degree. For required courses and degree plans, visit the official University Catalog. Below is a general overview of courses at Western Colorado University related to this area of study.
Program Requirements
A minimum of 55 credits is required, including the 15-credit Exercise and Sport Science Nucleus:
To graduate, all exercise and sport science majors must complete ESS 181 Foundations of Exercise and Sport Science and ESS 185 Lifetime Wellness with a minimum grade of “C”:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise and Sport Science Nucleus | ||
| ESS 181 | Foundations of Exercise and Sport Science | 3 |
| ESS 185 | Lifetime Wellness | 3 |
| ESS 320 | Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity | 3 |
| ESS 490 | Sociology of Sport and Physical Activity | 3 |
| Select one of the following ESS Capstone courses: 1 | 3 | |
ESS 495 | Senior Seminar in Exercise and Sport Science | |
EDUC 410 | K-12 Student Teaching | |
ESS 498 | Internship in Exercise and Sport Science | |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
- 1
EDUC 410 K-12 Student Teaching is a capstone option for K-12 Physical Education majors seeking Colorado licensure; ESS 498 Internship in Exercise and Sport Science is a capstone option for the ESS Standard Emphasis.
First Aid/CPR competency and the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACC 201 | Introduction to Financial Accounting | 3 |
| ACC 202 | Introduction to Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| ECON 202 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| ESS 282 | Principles of Sport and Fitness Management | 3 |
| ESS 382 | Management of Sport and Fitness Facilities | 3 |
| ESS 405 | Practicum in Exercise and Sport Science | 1 |
| ESS 440 | Topics in Sport & Fitness Management (must be taken twice for credit) | 6 |
| ESS 450 | Risk Management in Physical Activity Settings | 3 |
| ESS 498 | Internship in Exercise and Sport Science | 3 |
| MATH 140 | College Algebra (GT-MA1) | 3 |
| ROE 333 | Recreation and Sport Marketing | 3 |
| One of the following: | 3 | |
BUAD 220 | Spreadsheets and Analysis | |
CS 120 | Professional Computer Skills | |
| One of the following: | 3 | |
ESS 385 | Physical Activity Programming | |
ROE 398 | Program Planning (with laboratory) | |
| Total Credits | 40 | |
| Year One | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| "C" or better required for both ESS 181 and ESS 185 to receive credit toward ESS degree. | ||
| Credits | 0 | |
| Fall | ||
| ESS 181 or ESS 185 |
Foundations of Exercise and Sport Science or Lifetime Wellness |
3 |
| ENG 102 | Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) | 3 |
| HWTR 100 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| Gen Ed | General Education Courses | 8 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ESS 181 or ESS 185 |
Foundations of Exercise and Sport Science or Lifetime Wellness |
3 |
| ENG 103 | Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) | 3 |
| MATH 140 | College Algebra (GT-MA1) "C-" or better required to move on to ACC 201 and ECON 202. | 3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education Courses | 6 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| ESS 282 | Principles of Sport and Fitness Management | 3 |
| ACC 201 | Introduction to Financial Accounting "C" or better required to move on to ACC 202. | 3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education Courses | 9 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ACC 202 | Introduction to Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| BUAD 220 or CS 120 |
Spreadsheets and Analysis or Professional Computer Skills |
3 |
| ECON 202 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education Courses | 3 |
| Elective | Elective/Minor/2nd Major | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| ESS 320 | Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity | 3 |
| ESS 450 | Risk Management in Physical Activity Settings | 3 |
| Elective | Elective (upper division) ESS/Minor/2nd Major | 9 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ESS 382 | Management of Sport and Fitness Facilities | 3 |
| ESS 440 | Topics in Sport & Fitness Management | 3 |
| ROE 333 | Recreation and Sport Marketing | 3 |
| Elective | Elective (upper division) ESS/Minor/2nd Major | 6 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| ESS 385 or ROE 398 |
Physical Activity Programming or Program Planning (with laboratory) |
3 |
| ESS 405 | Practicum in Exercise and Sport Science | 1 |
| ESS 490 | Sociology of Sport and Physical Activity | 3 |
| Elective | Elective (upper division) ESS/Minor/2nd Major | 9 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ESS 440 | Topics in Sport & Fitness Management | 3 |
| ESS 495 | Senior Seminar in Exercise and Sport Science | 3 |
| ESS 498 | Internship in Exercise and Sport Science | 3-12 |
| Elective | Elective (upper division) ESS/Minor/2nd Major | 6 |
| Credits | 15-24 | |
| Total Credits | 121-130 | |
Western is committed to doing our part to provide each student a clear path to graduation. This four‐year degree plan is a sample map for fulfilling requirements in the major and General Education. The pathway that you take to your degree may differ somewhat from this illustration, depending on where you start and the detours and side trips you may take along the way. You are responsible for ensuring your overall, upper division, and major‐specific credits as well as GPA requirements are fulfilled for graduation.
Careers
Take the first steps toward your dream career.
Career preparation is the primary focus of every academic program at Western. Our professors and Office of Career Services will help you identify your strengths, hone your skills, define your goals, and prepare for a fulfilling role in hundreds of professional fields after graduation.
The data is automatically collected by Lightcast, a firm that sources job market data. The statistics illustrate general trends in U.S. careers, but do not precisely represent every job and salary.
Scholarships
Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.
Access to apply for scholarships through the portal is open through April 1.
Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.
Find your scholarships!Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.
Access to apply for scholarships through the portal is open through April 1.
Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.
Find your scholarships!Alumni Association Future Alumni Scholarship
The Alumni Association Scholarship is a one-time scholarship of $1,000 and is applicable for the student’s junior or senior year at Western.
Any child or grandchild of an alumni is eligible to receive the Future Alumni Scholarship.
- This is a one-time non-renewable scholarship of $1,000.
- Only one Future Alumni Scholarship will be awarded per academic year.
- GPA must be 3.2 or above (college).
Due date has been extended to April 1 for 2023. An Alumni selection committee, appointed by the Alumni Advisory Council, will review applicants and select awardee by June 1.
Alumni Legacy Scholarship
The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western (incoming freshman or new transfer students are eligible).
Do you have a son or daughter looking at college? Have they considered attending Western? As an alumni, your son, daughter and/or grandchildren are eligible for certain benefits distributed through this scholarship, as follows:
- This is a one-time scholarship of $1,000.
- Nominee must be an incoming first-year student or new transfer.
- The cost of orientation is reduced by half (a $45 value).
- The admission application fee is waived (a $30 value).
- GPA must be 2.5 or above (high school or college of transfer).
The applicant must fill out the application form found below. Application forms are accepted year-round. If the applicant meets the GPA guidelines, the scholarship will be awarded.
Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship
The Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western. This scholarship is not available to midyear transfers or students beginning in the spring semester.
Are you an alumni or employee of Western and know a prospective (or incoming) student who would be a great fit at Western? A recommendation from alumni and employees can support any new student and provide them a $500 scholarship their first year. (Western employees may not recommend a spouse or dependent receiving tuition benefits).
- Any Western alumni/employee may nominate only one student per academic year to receive the $500 scholarship (distributed $250 per semester).
- The scholarship is good for the first year only and is non-renewable.
- The recommended student must be a full-time undergraduate student, attending Western for the first time.
The applicant must fill out the application form found here. The nominating alumni/employee must fill out the application form and submit the required documents by June 1. The recommended student must meet university admissions acceptance standards and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The Presidential Promise is guaranteed to students who have received a scholarship through the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) and/or GearUp—and are eligible for a Pell Grant.
For students who meet these criteria, Western will cover the cost of tuition and fees through the combination of federal, state and institutional aid. For more information on the Presidential Promise, visit our scholarships page.
Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) or Central Plains (CP) tuition represents a substantial savings relative to normal, out-of-state tuition. Students eligible for the WUE or CP program will be charged 150% of Western’s total in-state tuition. For 2018-19, total in-state tuition was $8,934. WUE/CP tuition was $13,401. The WUE/CP discount is valued at $4,695.
For more information about the WUE and CP geography-based programs, visit Western’s Tuition Discount Programs Page.
Immediately upon acceptance at Western, every student is considered for a merit scholarship worth between $2,500-$4,500 per year for in-state students and $8,000-$10,000 for out-of-state students. The amount is based on the student’s GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Visit our Net Price Calculator at western.edu/cost to determine whether you qualify for a merit scholarship.
For more information about merit scholarships at Western, visit our scholarships page.
Get Involved
Expand your community and your network.
There are so many ways that you can maximize your educational experience at Western. Take advantage of these opportunities to advance your career.
- Graduate Research: Collaborate on research projects with students in the High Altitude Exercise Physiology master’s program.
- High Altitude Performance Lab: Take classes and conduct research in our state-of-the-art facility.
- Publish Research: Publish your work in the Center for Wellness and Human Performance Health & Fitness Journal.
- Wellness Elevated: Work with clinical populations and their exercise programming for a semester or more.
- Association for Students of Exercise Sports Science: This club is specifically tailored to ESS majors. Outings and events provide social support, professional development and networking opportunities.
The business side of sports
Learn the business side of athletics to shape that passion for competition, exercise and fitness into a fulfilling, lifelong career.
News & Research
Department Information
Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science (RESS) Department
Department Chairperson
Gary P. Van Guilder, Ph.D.Professor of Exercise & Sport Science; Chair, Recreation, Exercise & Sport Science Department
Administrative Assistant
Terri StinsonAdministrative Assistant
Campus Location
Western Colorado University
Paul Wright Gym 209
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231
