Sport Management Doctoral Granting Institutions: Characteristics, Programmatic Focus, and Job Placement

The examination of doctoral programs in sport management is important from both the perspective of the doctoral student and the larger field of academia. In considering sport management doctoral programs, it is essential to explore the characteristics of the program, programmatic focus and the placement of alumni. As such, surveys were sent to all 47 sport management doctoral granting institutions, worldwide. The findings indicate that there were no apparent differences in admissions requirements or programmatic outcomes as a result of programmatic focus, thus programmatic alignment should be further considered. Additional findings reveal that research programs are placing a greater percentage of alumni in Highest Doctoral (research intensive) programs. The outcomes of this research provide valuable insights regarding programmatic alignment and differentiation in a crowded marketplace. Additional findings and suggestions for future research are provided.