Sports and Tourism Studies

The Degree

Associate in Science (A.S.)

The Outlook

From youth sporting leagues to international events such as the Olympic Games, sporting events draw millions of visitors and billions of dollars each year locally, regionally, and globally. In fact, Street and Smith’s Sportsbusiness Journal reports that in the United States alone sports is a $213 billion industry.

Sports and Tourism Studies, an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree program, initiates the preparation students need to tap into this expanding, profitable industry. Graduates will be prepared to transfer to four-year institutions in pursuit of baccalaureate degrees in sports management, sports marketing or tourism-related areas. Finger Lakes Community College is one of the only community colleges in the state to offer this unique program.

The Program

The A.S. Sports and Tourism Studies program provides the preparation needed for transfer to bachelor’s degree programs. Students select an advisement area on which to focus their studies, choosing from:

>> sport studies
>> tourism studies

FLCC students will learn through classroom instruction, integrated case studies, and visits to venues and destinations. Conferences and special opportunities to learn from high profile sports professionals play a key role in our commitment to providing a field-based education.

Field Trips: In recent years, students have traveled to attend Management in Sports and Events Conferences held in Chicago and Salt Lake City, attending sessions presented by notable sports professionals such as Bob Costas of NBC, famed sports agent Scott Boras, and Vice President of Marketing for Anheuser-Busch Tony Ponturo. Additionally, students have attended the Travel Industry of America Marketing Outlook Forum (TIA) and the New York State Governor’s Conference.

For many students, these experiences bring the program to life, connecting the case studies and theories learned in the classroom to real-life examples. This experience can often help a student confirm his or her choice of advisement area and develop a broader view of these exciting and diverse career fields.

Honors Courses: Students in this program may enroll in our Honors courses, open to all qualified students, which provide enhanced educational experiences for students with outstanding ability. Successful completion of Honors courses or an Honors Certificate may increase student transfer options to four-year institutions.

Four-year institutions that offer bachelor’s degrees in sports and tourism studies and related areas include SUNY Brockport, SUNY Cortland, Niagara University, St. John Fisher College, Ithaca College, Clemson University, Medaille College, University of Massachusetts, St. John's University, and others.

The Graduates

Careers and Salary: According to sportscareers.com, career opportunities in the industry are diverse. Salary levels range from $25,000 to more than $150,000 per year and vary greatly depending on segments of the industry, geographical location, education levels, management experience, and promotional and public relations skills.

Sports Studies Advisement Area

According to Street and Smith’s Sportsbusiness Journal , sports is the sixth largest industry in the nation. Students who select the sports studies advisement area will be exposed to sports as a worldwide phenomenon.

Careers and Salary: Graduates who earn bachelor’s degrees in sports management or marketing will be prepared for positions such as sports marketing account manager, event planning and conference manager, facility manager, ticket operations director, sporting goods marketing and sales manager, and sponsorship sales manager. Annual starting salaries for bachelor’s degree holders will range from $28,000 to $35,000.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment opportunities in the field are expected to grow as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2010. Employment will grow as public participation in sports continues to increase as a form of entertainment, recreation, and physical conditioning.

Job growth will also be driven in part by the growing number of “baby boomers” approaching retirement who are expected to become more active participants of leisure time activities in the growing areas of sports and experienced-based tourism.

Tourism Studies Advisement Area

The tourism industry is one of America’s largest employers with 19 million total jobs. According to the New York Department of Labor Division of Research and Statistics, there are 57,000 tourism-related businesses in the State, employing 779,000 workers and generating $18 billion in wages. Additionally in the year 2000, domestic and international visitors to New York State spent $36.3 billion on tourism- related services, ranking the state third behind California and Florida.

With the merging of tourism, sports, and entertainment, the continued growth of this industry and career opportunities are assured. Growth has occurred in the areas of destination planning/management; event management; and adventure and experience-based tourism.

Careers and Salary: Having evolved from a travel-agent stereotype, tourism is a profession that increasingly requires preparation at the bachelor’s degree level in the areas of management, marketing, planning, and finance. Graduates who earn bachelor’s degrees can expect starting salaries ranging from $25,000 to $35,000 in positions such as convention sales manager, casino and theme park marketing manager, director of tourism, event and conference manager, meeting planner, director of conference services, and urban tourism planner.

The Faculty

Faculty members in the Tourism Management degree program hold master's degrees and are responsible for authoring and implementing this award-winning degree program. They were also responsible for the establishment of the Walt Disney World College Program at Finger Lakes. This landmark program was the first destination tourism associate degree program offered by a community college in New York State. Our faculty members are recognized by the State University of New York as Sabbatical Scholars for study of the New York State Urban Cultural Park System and Chancellor Award winners for excellence in teaching. They are active members of the local tourism industry and have extensive experience visiting and analyzing model destinations across the United States and Canada.

Sports and Tourism Studies

Curriculum Requirements

The student will be required to complete a minimum of 65 semester hours with a grade point average of not less than C (2.0).

All associate degree programs require English 101 Freshman English and ENG 102 Introduction to Literature. Students must pass skills assessment for entrance into these courses. Students who are well prepared may substitute ENG 104 English I Honors and ENG 105 English II Honors for ENG 101 and ENG 102. Students who are considering the English Honors sequence should consult the Director of Honors.

Humanities

  • ENG101 Freshman English and ENG 102 Introduction to Literature
    or
    ENG104 English I Honors and ENG105 English II Honors
  • COM 110 Public Speaking

Social Science

  • ECO 210 Principles of Macroeconomics
  • ECO 211 Principles of Microeconomics
  • 6 credit hours of social science electives

Mathematics/Science

  • MAT 121 Statistics I
  • MAT 122 Statistics II
  • 8 Credit hours of science electives

Business

  • ACC 101 Principles of Financial Accounting
  • ACC 102 Principles of Managerial Accounting

Information Management

  • CSC 100 Computing in the Info. Age or higher level CSC course

Tourism Management

  • Sports Focus
    • BUS 100 Intro to Tourism
    • BUS 126 Intro to Sports Tourism
    • BUS 232 Event Management
    • BUS 231 Sports Marketing
  • Tourism Focus
    • BUS 100 Intro to Tourism
    • BUS 205 Services Marketing
    • BUS 215 Tourism Planning and Development OR BUS 225 Destination Marketing
    • BUS 232 Event Management

Health/Physical Education

  • 4 Credit hours of health/physical education electives

General Electives

  • 3 credit hours of general electives

Students who are transferring to four-year institutions should follow the general education course requirements for transfer to SUNY and non-SUNY schools. View the general education requirements for more details.

Sports and Tourism Studies

Sample Schedule

The following recommended course sequence is for your information. Please check with your advisor or transfer college(s) regarding variations on this sequence. FLCC also has extensive articulation agreements with both private and public institutions. For more information regarding these agreements, please refer to our College catalog. The catalog also provides a comprehensive listing of the wide variety of courses offered at Finger Lakes.

First Semester (17 Credit hours)

  • ENG 101 Freshman English OR ENG 104 Freshman English I Honors (3)
  • BUS 100 Intro to Tourism (3)
  • CSC 100 Computing in the Info. Age or higher CSC elective (3)
  • MAT 121 Statistics I (3)
  • ACC 101 Principles of Financial Accounting (4)
  • Health/Physical Education Elective (1)

Second Semester (17 Credit hours)

  • ENG 102 Intro to Lit
    OR
    ENG 105 Freshman English II Honors (3)
  • BUS 126 Intro to Sports Tourism*
    OR
    BUS 205 Services Marketing* (3)
  • ACC 102 Principles of Managerial Accounting (4)
  • MAT 122 Statistics II (3)
  • COM 110 Public Speaking (3)
  • Health/Physical Education Elective (1)

Third Semester (17 Credit hours)

  • BUS 231 Sports Marketing* OR BUS 215 Tourism Planning and Development* OR BUS 225 Destination Marketing* (3)
  • ECO 210 Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
  • Science Elective (4)
  • General Elective (3)
  • Health/Physical Education Elective (1)
  • Social Science Elective (3)

Fourth Semester (14 Credit hours)

  • BUS 232 Event Management (3)
  • ECO 211 Principles of Microeconomics (3)
  • Social Science Elective (3)
  • Science Elective (4)
  • Health/Physical Education Elective (1)

* Dependent on advisement area