Curry College Adds Sport and Recreation Management Program to Robust Roster of Majors for 2019-2020

Curry College now offers students a major in Sport and Recreation Management, a program housed with the College’s Business Department offering the unique management, marketing, and strategy curriculum to succeed in the businesses of sport and recreation. The career-focused program will prepare graduates to be critical thinkers, interdisciplinary in their approach, and capable of effectively managing and marketing sport and recreation enterprises across an array of markets.

“We are a program focused on educating our students in and out of the classroom,” says Dr. Michelle Brimecombe, Assistant Professor in the Sport and Recreation Management program. “Students will engage in hands on class projects, networking events, internships, work study positions and partnerships. This well rounded student focused approach will prepare our students for an endeavor they may choose.”

The complexity, globalization, and profound impact that sport and recreation industries have on society create an increasing demand for a specialized curriculum. Employment for the collective professions related to sport management is projected to grow 12 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. Rising participation and interest in high school, college, and professional sports will only increase the demand for graduates of sport management programs in years to come.

“We are very excited to be adding Sport and Recreation Management to Curry’s stellar lineup of academic programs,” says Provost David Szczerbacki. “With this addition, the College continues to expand our programmatic offerings within the Business Department which is central to our strategic goal of offering distinctive, relevant, and rigorous academic programs of quality.”

The Sport and Recreation Management program is focused on preparing graduates for their future careers, providing them with management principles related to planning, organizing, staffing, and leading organizations. Graduates of the program will go on to careers in a diverse industry, including: professional sports, recreation departments, nonprofits, marketing agencies, and event management. Topics and courses will include, but are not limited to, administration, governance, marketing, revenue streams, sponsorship and sales, strategy and leadership.

The program is led by Dr. Michelle Brimecombe who brings to the College nearly a decade of higher education experience in the area of sport management, most recently as a leading faculty member in the Sport Management program at Newbury College and the Administrative Officer for Massachusetts Youth Rugby. She currently serves as a consultant in the professional sports industry following faculty appointments at Cazenovia College and Ball State University. Dr. Brimecombe earned her Ph.D. in Sport Management from Florida State University, an M.S. in Sport Management from Georgia Southern University, and a B.S. in Sport Management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.