General Information
The sports and leisure management major within The Gary Tharaldson School of Business and Technology prepares students for employment in park districts, youth organizations, commercial recreation, park management, municipal parks, and recreation departments, intramural sports directors, sports management, and similar activities. The major integrates a number of fields, including business, communications, physical education, as well as a broad-based liberal arts curriculum. A total of 72 credits is required (42 upper-division in the major). Specific requirements for this major are listed in the Course Description section.
In conjunction with the existing mission of the university, as well as our own professional expectations and standards, we require an ethics course as one of the three required philosophy/theology courses at the competence level of 200 or above. Current offerings that would meet this requirement include: THE 207, 215, 220, 315, 363, 382; PHI 308, 312, and THE 325 Science & Religion, THE 325 Benedictine Leadership, PHI 325T.
Volunteer Requirement
Additionally, a 25-hour volunteer activity is required for the business major. The ideas of service, community involvement, and service-learning are important and integral parts of the mission of the university. The course into which this volunteer activity is officially incorporated is BUS 404 - Business, Government, and Society. This volunteer activity can be accomplished at any time, not necessarily during the regularly scheduled semester time for BUS 404. If the student has not completed the volunteer activity prior to entering BUS 404, he or she will be required to accomplish it during the semester. Registration, notification, direction, and evaluation for this activity occur through the office of the director of the Student Volunteer Program.
Outdated Course Work
Any required ACC (accounting), BUS (business administration), CIS (computer information systems) or MIS (management information systems) course will be accepted toward meeting the requirements for a major in the division if taken within the past seven academic years. Any courses taken prior to the seven-year period will be accepted only upon approval by the department chair and Business Division chair in order to ensure that the program graduate has current knowledge in his or her chosen field.
The Gary Tharaldson School of Business and Technology Admission Criteria
The criteria for acceptance into The Gary Tharaldson School of Business and Technology include the submission of the appropriate application for admission, along with a resume and a letter of application which could include:
- Personal characteristics that would contribute to your success in the field
- Personal characteristics that may hinder your success
- A list of activities you have participated in at the University of Mary or a previous college
- A description of the most influential factor(s) that led you to choose this profession
- A description of the course outside your major field that has had the greatest impact on you and why
- A description of your expectations of a career in your chosen field.
- A description of how the Benedictine values relate to your major
Students should apply during their sophomore year, or if transferring from another college or university, after completing one semester at the University of Mary.
A minimum grade point average of 2.50 within a major is required for admittance. A grade point average below 2.50 will result in being denied admittance or being provisionally admitted pending results in subsequent major courses. Additionally, a 2.00 in both your major field of study and an overall grade point average of 2.00 is required for graduation. A minimum grade of C is required in ENG 103 and COM 109 for admittance.
