NOT JUST A SPORTS DEGREE
The sports business industry is extremely competitive. That’s why, at Finlandia, we provide you with the business classes, opportunities, and principles to gain a competitive edge in the job market.
Compete in an emerging field.
The sports business industry is extremely competitive. That’s why, at Finlandia, we provide you with the business classes, opportunities, and principles to gain a competitive edge in the job market.
In the sports world, it’s not what you know, but who you know. Luckily at FinnU, we have a lot of connections at all levels to make your internship and job search easier.
Finlandia encourages every student to find multiple internships, both locally and nationally. Internships are the best way to discover strengths and weaknesses within the sports industry. Working for multiple teams, both big and small, will help you find your niche.
Leading the Pride talks with Austrian Lukas Alberer (’08). Alberer, a Sports Management major and former hockey player for the Lions, currently works at Johnson & Johnson-Ethicon in Austria as a Business Development Manager.
Listen as host Olivia Myers and Alberer talk about his decision to move to the United States to play hockey, the struggle of losing one’s identity as an athlete after college and his journey to finding a career he’s passionate about.
Given the nature of sports, the skills learned outside of the classroom are just as important as the ones learned in the classroom. One of the most important skills needed to succeed in sports management is networking. Meeting and helping others in the field will make all the difference when the time comes to job hunt. Finlandia faculty, alumni and local business owners are all great resources to connect with and are always willing to help.
"Find a way to get involved in sports. It could be at the collegiate or even youth level, but it is important to gain some experience to add to your resume. A degree is great, but internships, or any sort of involvement, can really separate someone from other candidates competing for similar positions."
“I was swayed to attend Finlandia because of the sports management program and I had classmates in Finland that spoke very highly of their experience while at Finlandia. I loved it. I found the curriculum to be very engaging, and it aligned to my interests better than I thought possible. I also made the Finlandia University’s NCAA Division III hockey team. Even though I mainly watched the games from a press box, I made some great friends, and those guys were a big part of my experience at Finlandia.”
“Just be open. You never know where life will take you and if some things don’t work out for you, don’t crumble. Get up, do it with Finlandia pride, with Lion pride, because things will come your way.”
Finlandia is home to 12 NCAA Division III sports. Students in the sports management concentration have the chance to work with these sports throughout the year, gaining valuable knowledge and skills directly related to college athletics. Some students who want to specialize in coaching have the option to assistant coach a team.
Experiential assignments give you a learn-by-doing mentality during their time in the program. By engaging in assignments, you can learn the practical skills and industry trends that will be used not just in professional sports, but in any sports setting such as; recreation, high school, or collegiate level.
December 09, 2022
This week on Finlandia Fridays, marketing and management professor Kevin Manninen stopped by to talk about Finlandia’s International School of Business (ISB) and an upcoming internship opportunity for Finlandia students.
Following an announcement earlier this week, the Ponsse Einari Vidgrén Foundation Internship application period is now open. The internship, exclusive to Finlandia students, features two to three weeks each spent at Ponsse North America in Rhinelander, Wisconsin and Ponsse Plc headquarters in Vieremä, Finland, in May and June 2023.
With […] Read More
October 05, 2022
Copper Country’s 1 Million Cups (1MC) allows entrepreneurs to share business ideas and get feedback before, during and after launch. 1MC community organizers like Kevin Manninen, dean of Finlandia’s International School of Business (ISB) and associate professor of Management & Marketing, offer valuable advice to presenters at these one-of-a-kind networking events. In turn, Finlandia business students benefit from the context and curricula shared by Manninen through an experiential approach and quality internship opportunities.
In addition to Manninen’s work […] Read More
September 24, 2021
Joining Finlandia Fridays this week is Kevin Manninen, dean and associate professor of management and marketing with the International School of Business at Finlandia University. Manninen shares insight into what it’s like being a business student at Finlandia and what advantages there are through small class sizes and experiential learning at the institution such as internship opportunities, international collaboration and hands-on project management experience. Manninen talks about what majors and minors are offered through the International School of Business […] Read More
Upon completion of the Bachelor of Business Administration degree program, International School of Business graduates will be able to do the following:
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Dean, International School of Business Associate Professor of Management & Marketing
kevin.manninen@finlandia.eduAssistant Professor, Sports Management, ISB
Associate Director of Athletics
