The graduate program in recreation and sports management at Purdue focuses on developing a better understanding of management and marketing issues in the context of recreation, sport, and physical activity settings. MS and PhD degrees are offered. The Ph.D. degree is designed to take four years of full-time study to complete. The primary emphasis of the Ph.D. program is developing a program of research. Successful applicants have research interests that align closely with the expertise of their faculty mentor. Coursework requirements are determined in collaboration with the student, the faculty mentor, and committee members, and are designed to complement dissertation research and the student's development as an independent scholar. Coursework has an emphasis on advanced sport management, quantitative and qualitative methods/analysis, and supporting areas such as management, marketing, social psychology, communication, and sociology. The Ph.D. program is designed to educate and prepare students to pursue employment in academic settings.