Student Opportunities

In the final semester of the SPAD program students are provided with a capstone experience that allows them to better understand the inner workings of large sports organizations and builds important and highly-relevant skills and knowledge. This provides the student with valuable experience, setting them up for a career in the sports industry.

Beginning at the start of the semester in January, small groups of students are given an organization to work within one specific international market. The organization will describe a significant business problem with which they are faced and the students are tasked with the responsibility of working with members of the organization, researching industry best practices and trends, analyzing the market, and developing recommendations for the organization.

In the final month of the semesterMarch, all fourth year students travel to the host community and deliver their recommendations to the organization’s executives in their board rooms. Often the recommendations provided by the student-consultants are immediately adopted and job opportunities occasionally are offered to top performing students.

Past trips have included Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and many other world-class sports cities. Partner organizations have included NCAA Division I institutions, WNBA, NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL, MLS, MLL, and many minor league teams, as well as agencies, sport facilities, and apparel companies.

The SPAD Student Exchange is an optional experiential study abroad learning experience immersing students in both new language and culture as they engage students from all over the world in the study of international sport business. The Faculty of Management and School of Sports Administration is pleased to partner with leading European Education institutions like the Rennes School of Business and Kedge Business School in France and Kufstein Tirol University in Austria. Students return home with a broader international view on complex business challenges in the world of international sport. With increased confidence and new life experiences, students improve their leadership confidence as they engage in the next steps in their academic and professional careers.

Testimonials:

Studying abroad in Austria was the most rewarding component of my university experience. It allowed me to leave my comfort zone, live differently and gain an appreciation for foreign cultures. European transportation is so straightforward that it was very easy to travel to countless cities in different countries. As a business student, one comes to expect that commerce is the same worldwide, but when you find yourself in European markets, you experience first hand how differently businesses operate in other countries.

Thanks to the LUGO department, I was able to return to Laurentian with a more global perspective. I now have the privilege of having lifelong friends worldwide.  You can visit as many webpages as you like, read all the books you can find, but nothing beats travelling to faraway cities to experience a new way of life. That’s something you just can’t learn at home. Quite frankly, I’ve never had so much fun…or gelato!

- Heather F. Wilson, B.Comm in Sports Administration  -  FH Kufstein, Austria

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My semester in Kufstein, Austria was the opportunity of a lifetime and continues to pay dividends post-graduation. The opportunity to learn from people from around the world, and get out of your comfort zone not only creates personal growth, but enables a global perspective that is admired in the sports industry. During my semester abroad I made unforgettable memories and now have amazing friends around the world. Whether your goal is to learn a new language or see education from a different perspective, studying abroad is the way to do it. As Austria is such a central country in Europe, traveling to neighbouring countries on weekends quickly became a highlight. You really do have the world at your fingertips and great friends ready to share it with you. I would not change my time in the alps for anything in the world, and I encourage everyone to consider a study abroad semester.

- Mackenzie Jenkins, Kufstein, Austria 2019