Thesis Portal
Thesis Guide (Effective Fall 2024)
M.S. in Sport Management Thesis Guidelines
The thesis is intended to demonstrate the student’s ability to successfully complete an original research project. Thus, a thesis is a more significant undertaking than a “research paper” that has been submitted in other courses. The thesis is often designed to solve practical problems and to answer practical research questions; it may also generally deal with underlying theoretical, philosophical and/or ethical issues of interest to scholars and professionals in the discipline.
The thesis is a significant academic undertaking, and the thesis option should not be considered a less time-consuming alternative to the internship (SMGT 699).
Following the successful completion of the seven core courses (SMGT 501, SMGT 502, SMGT 503, SMGT 504, SMGT 505, SMGT 506, and SMGT 520) students are eligible to begin the thesis process.
The thesis process includes three sequential courses.
Courses
The thesis process is divided into assignments to support you in moving through the process efficiently and effectively. While the process is presented in a linear format, there may be times when revisions to one section necessitate changes in another section.
The thesis process includes the following sequence of courses:
- SMGT 688 Thesis Proposal, 3 credit hours, A-term (Full Semester), Assignments 1-8
SMGT 688 is the first course in the three-course thesis sequence and supports students in building the foundation of the thesis project. It provides focused study on ethics in research, topic selection, introduction to the study, the literature review, and the methodology.
- SMGT 689 Thesis Research, 3 credit hours, A-term (Full Semester), Assignments 9-16
SMGT 689 is the second course in the three-course thesis sequence. The thesis is designed to demonstrate the student’s ability to complete an original research project. The thesis may be designed to answer practical research questions, theoretical, or ethical issues of interest to scholars and professionals in the sport management field. This course is designed to support students in the completing their approved thesis projects: Chapter 4 Findings, Chapter 5 Conclusion, References, Appendix/Appendices.
- SMGT 690 Thesis Defense, 0 credit hours, 8 weeks, Assignments 17-18
SMGT 690 is the third course in the three-course thesis sequence. The thesis is designed to demonstrate the student’s ability to complete an original research project. The thesis may be designed to answer practical research questions, theoretical, or ethical issues of interest to scholars and professionals in the sport management field. This course is designed to support students in defending their thesis and finalizing their manuscript.
Any student wishing admittance into a thesis course must contact the Graduate Director at smgtgraduate@liberty.edu for permission.
Writing Center
All graduates are encouraged to take full advantage of the Graduate Writing Center/Online Writing Center when composing their theses. They provide free services, links to writing aids and valuable assistance throughout the writing process.