
Online MBA in Hockey Management
Our online format provides working professionals more flexibility than any other program on the market, without sacrificing academic rigour or peer-to-peer interaction.
Elevating the Business of Hockey
The global entertainment industry is fast-paced, lucrative, and competitive. All professional sport franchises and entertainment businesses are looking to win fans’ time, attention and money. It’s not enough to be an exciting game with talented athletes—in today’s sports world, branding, operational efficiency, and financial savvy are as critical to team success as recruiting the best players.
Athabasca University has collaborated with the Business of Hockey Institute (BHI) to develop an elite, graduate level, online MBA in Hockey Management to elevate the business of hockey. For the first time in hockey’s history, a program is in place to develop the leaders in the boardroom, rather than on the ice.
This exclusive online program is designed for individuals working in a managerial capacity within the hockey industry and related industries. Students will have significant management experience in important functions within the business of hockey including: ticketing, marketing, communications, fan development, customer service, social media, sales, events, building operations, legal, merchandising, finance, media, analytics, and hockey operations. Students from hockey related industries will also bring rich perspectives on corporate partnerships, revenue generation, and leveraging fan involvement beyond the game.
The hockey-specific courses build on AU’s internationally acclaimed online MBA for executives program and focuses specifically on the issues, challenges, and opportunities confronting middle and senior level managers in a rapidly changing, global hockey industry.
The curriculum is challenging. It concentrates on the key management areas affecting organizational performance (strategy, accounting, analytics, human resources, finance, marketing, operations) as these disciplines impact the game of hockey and its business operations. The online MBA for executives will bring industry leaders, managers, executives, and academics together to debate, exchange ideas, conduct research, and collaborate. The curriculum requires students to exercise critical thinking and hone their decision-making skills.
The MBA CHP is making me think about other critical aspects of team success. Marketing, finance, merchandising, partnerships, facilities, and community engagement each drive the bottom line as much as what we see on the ice. I can already see how AU’s model of ‘learn it today - do it tomorrow’ is benefiting me and my future.
~ Eric Nystrom, Student, MBA for the Business of Hockey
Program Information
Learn more about our program structure, curriculum, admissions, and tuition.
Structure & Curriculum
A program as mobile as you are
Organizing your life to attend a traditional bricks-and-mortar school at set hours can be next to impossible. At Athabasca University (AU), you can schedule your school hours to fit the rest of your life, and your program travels with you, wherever you go.
All of your course activities take place in one online environment you can access on your laptop, home computer, work computer, tablet, even your smartphone if need be. Some courses do have physical textbooks, which will be sent to you, but otherwise, everything you need to read, discuss, collaborate, and submit work will be organized online in one spot.
How online courses work
All online MBA courses are paced, meaning there are scheduled start and end dates, and assignment deadlines within each course. Students in each intake progress through the program’s core courses as a cohort. Courses are also asynchronous—meaning you are never required to be online at a particular time.
Plan to spend 20 – 25 hours per week on your studies.
All online courses (core and elective) are eight weeks long.
Completion Time
Usual program completion time is two and one-half to three years; the program must be completed in five years.
What you earn
Graduates earn a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in hockey management, awarded by Athabasca University.
Graduates who have hockey management and leadership experience also are eligible to earn the Certified Hockey Professional (CHP) designation from the Business of Hockey Institute.
The MBA in Hockey Management is divided into two phases:
Phase One
The online AU MBA begins with an online orientation to ensure that you are prepared and set-up for success. Once you have completed orientation you will begin phase one core courses concentrating on the management areas that make a difference to organizational performance.
Throughout each course, students integrate theory and practice by focusing on real business problems and connecting the program to their experiences in their own organizations.
Orientation:
Foundational courses:
- Strategic Management
- Human Resource Management
- Financial and Managerial Accounting
- Marketing Management
- Managerial Economics and Quantitative Analysis
- Operations Management
- Comprehensive Exam
Award of Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM)
Phase Two
In Phase Two, students move into courses that delve deeply into hockey related issues, opportunities, and operating environments.
Advanced Foundational Courses
The first four courses are identical to those taken by all MBA for executives students. These courses may be tailored to the needs of hockey professionals through the incorporation of hockey-related cases, readings, and/or discussion questions.
Certified Hockey Professional (CHP) designation
The last six courses in the MBA for executives have been developed in collaboration with members of the Business of Hockey Institute (BHI) Advisory Council on topics unique to hockey.
Students who successfully complete these courses are eligible to receive their Certified Hockey Professional (CHP) designation from BHI.
Advanced Foundational courses:
- Information Technology Strategy
- Corporate Finance
- Strategy and Organizational Analysis
- Ethics and Decision Making
Certified Hockey Professional courses:
- The Business of Hockey
- Marketing Hockey Strategically
- Integrated Marketing Communications for Hockey
- Game Day Management & Marketing
- Hockey Operations
- Applied Franchise Management*
*This course includes a five day, in-residence component, which will usually take place in New York or Toronto
MBA in Hockey Management Course Schedules
August 2022 Schedule
Course | Start | End |
---|---|---|
PHASE ONE | ||
MBA Orientation | August 15, 2022 | August 19, 2022 |
Strategic Management | August 22, 2022 | October 16, 2022 |
Human Resource Management | October 24, 2022 | Decemeber 18, 2022 |
Financial and Managerial Accounting | TBA | TBA |
Marketing Management | TBA | TBA |
Managerial Economics and Quantitative Analysis | TBA | TBA |
Operations Management | TBA | TBA |
Comprehensive Exam for Phase One | TBA | TBA |
PHASE TWO | ||
Information Technology Strategy | TBA | TBA |
Corporate Finance | TBA | TBA |
Strategy and Organizational Analysis | TBA | TBA |
Ethical Decision Making | TBA | TBA |
May 2022 Schedule
Course | Start | End |
---|---|---|
PHASE ONE | ||
MBA Orientation | May 30, 2022 | June 3, 2022 |
Strategic Management | June 6, 2022 | July 31, 2022 |
Human Resource Management | August 15, 2022 | October 9, 2022 |
Financial and Managerial Accounting | October 24, 2022 | December 18, 2022 |
Marketing Management | TBA | TBA |
Managerial Economics and Quantitative Analysis | TBA | TBA |
Operations Management | TBA | TBA |
Comprehensive Exam for Phase One | TBA | TBA |
PHASE TWO | ||
Information Technology Strategy | TBA | TBA |
Corporate Finance | TBA | TBA |
Strategy and Organizational Analysis | TBA | TBA |
Ethical Decision Making | TBA | TBA |
January 2022 Schedule
Course | Start | End |
---|---|---|
PHASE ONE | ||
MBA Orientation | January 10, 2022 | January 14, 2022 |
Strategic Management | January 17, 2022 | March 13, 2022 |
Human Resource Management | March 21, 2022 | May 15, 2022 |
Financial and Managerial Accounting | May 30, 2022 | July 24, 2022 |
Marketing Management | August 15, 2022 | October 9, 2022 |
Managerial Economics and Quantitative Analysis | October 24, 2022 | December 18, 2022 |
Operations Management | TBA | TBA |
Comprehensive Exam for Phase One | TBA | TBA |
PHASE TWO | ||
Information Technology Strategy | TBA | TBA |
Corporate Finance | TBA | TBA |
Strategy and Organizational Analysis | TBA | TBA |
Ethical Decision Making | TBA | TBA |
August 2021 Schedule
Course | Start | End |
---|---|---|
PHASE ONE | ||
MBA Orientation | August 16, 2021 | August 20, 2021 |
Strategic Management | August 23, 2021 | October 17, 2021 |
Human Resource Management | October 25, 2021 | Decemeber 19, 2021 |
Financial and Managerial Accounting | January 10, 2022 | March 6, 2022 |
Marketing Management | March 21, 2022 | May 15, 2022 |
Managerial Economics and Quantitative Analysis | May 30, 2022 | July 24, 2022 |
Operations Management | August 8, 2022 | October 2, 2022 |
Comprehensive Exam for Phase One | October 12, 2022 | October 18, 2022 |
PHASE TWO | ||
Information Technology Strategy | October 24, 2022 | December 18, 2022 |
Corporate Finance | TBA | TBA |
Strategy and Organizational Analysis | TBA | TBA |
Ethical Decision Making | TBA | TBA |
May 2021 Schedule
Course | Start | End |
---|---|---|
PHASE ONE | ||
MBA Orientation | May 24, 2021 | May 28, 2021 |
Strategic Management | May 31, 2021 | July 25, 2021 |
Human Resource Management | August 9, 2021 | October 3, 2021 |
Financial and Managerial Accounting | October 18, 2021 | December 12, 2021 |
Marketing Management | January 10, 2022 | March 6, 2022 |
Managerial Economics and Quantitative Analysis | March 21, 2022 | May 15, 2022 |
Operations Management | May 30, 2022 | July 24, 2022 |
Comprehensive Exam for Phase One | August 3, 2022 | August 9, 2022 |
PHASE TWO | ||
Information Technology Strategy | October 24, 2022 | December 18, 2022 |
Corporate Finance | TBA | TBA |
Strategy and Organizational Analysis | TBA | TBA |
Ethical Decision Making | TBA | TBA |
January 2021 Schedule
Course | Start | End |
---|---|---|
PHASE ONE | ||
MBA Orientation | January 4, 2021 | January 8, 2021 |
Strategic Management | January 11, 2021 | March 7, 2021 |
Human Resource Management | March 15, 2021 | May 9, 2021 |
Financial and Managerial Accounting | May 24, 2021 | July 18, 2021 |
Marketing Management | August 9, 2021 | October 3, 2021 |
Managerial Economics and Quantitative Analysis | October 18, 2021 | December 12, 2021 |
Operations Management | January 10, 2022 | March 6, 2022 |
Comprehensive Exam for Phase One | March 16, 2022 | March 22, 2022 |
PHASE TWO | ||
Information Technology Strategy | March 28, 2022 | May 22, 2022 |
Corporate Finance | June 6, 2022 | July 31, 2022 |
Strategy and Organizational Analysis | August 15, 2022 | October 9, 2022 |
Ethical Decision Making | October 24, 2022 | December 18, 2022 |
August 2020 Schedule
Course | Start | End |
---|---|---|
PHASE ONE | ||
MBA Orientation | August 17, 2020 | August 21, 2020 |
Strategic Management | August 24, 2020 | October 18, 2020 |
Human Resource Management | October 26, 2020 | Decemeber 20, 2020 |
Financial and Managerial Accounting | January 4, 2021 | February 28, 2021 |
Marketing Management | March 15, 2021 | May 9, 2021 |
Managerial Economics and Quantitative Analysis | May 24, 2021 | July 18, 2021 |
Operations Management | August 2, 2021 | September 26, 2021 |
Comprehensive Exam for Phase One | October 13, 2021 | October 19, 2021 |
PHASE TWO | ||
Information Technology Strategy | October 25, 2021 | December 19, 2021 |
Corporate Finance | January 10, 2022 | March 6, 2022 |
Strategy and Organizational Analysis | March 21, 2022 | May 15, 2022 |
Ethical Decision Making | May 30, 2022 | July 24, 2022 |
May 2020 Schedule
Course | Start | End |
---|---|---|
PHASE ONE | ||
MBA Orientation | May 25, 2020 | May 29, 2020 |
Strategic Management | June 1, 2020 | July 26, 2020 |
Human Resource Management | August 10, 2020 | October 4, 2020 |
Financial and Managerial Accounting | October 19, 2020 | December 13, 2020 |
Marketing Management | January 4, 2021 | February 28, 2021 |
Managerial Economics and Quantitative Analysis | March 15, 2021 | May 9, 2021 |
Operations Management | May 24, 2021 | July 18, 2021 |
Comprehensive Exam for Phase One | July 28, 2021 | August 3, 2021 |
PHASE TWO | ||
Information Technology Strategy | August 9, 2021 | October 3, 2021 |
Corporate Finance | October 18, 2021 | December 12, 2021 |
Strategy and Organizational Analysis | January 10, 2022 | March 6, 2022 |
Ethical Decision Making | March 21, 2022 | May 15, 2022 |
January 2020 Schedule
Course | Start | End |
---|---|---|
PHASE ONE | ||
MBA Orientation | January 6, 2020 | January 10, 2020 |
Strategic Management | January 13, 2020 | March 8, 2020 |
Human Resource Management | March 16, 2020 | May 10, 2020 |
Financial and Managerial Accounting | May 25, 2020 | July 19, 2020 |
Marketing Management | August 10, 2020 | October 4, 2020 |
Managerial Economics and Quantitative Analysis | October 19, 2020 | December 13, 2020 |
Operations Management | January 4, 2021 | February 28, 2021 |
Comprehensive Exam for Phase One | March 10, 2021 | March 16, 2021 |
PHASE TWO | ||
Information Technology Strategy | March 22, 2021 | May 16, 2021 |
Corporate Finance | May 31, 2021 | July 25, 2021 |
Strategy and Organizational Analysis | August 9, 2021 | October 3, 2021 |
Ethical Decision Making | October 18, 2021 | December 12, 2021 |
August 2019 Schedule
Course | Start | End |
---|---|---|
PHASE ONE | ||
MBA Orientation | August 12, 2019 | August 16, 2019 |
Strategic Management | August 19, 2019 | October 13, 2019 |
Human Resource Management | October 21, 2019 | December 15, 2019 |
Financial and Managerial Accounting | January 6, 2020 | March 1, 2020 |
Marketing Management | March 16, 2020 | May 10, 2020 |
Managerial Economics and Quantitative Analysis | May 25, 2020 | July 19, 2020 |
Operations Management | August 3, 2020 | September 27, 2020 |
Comprehensive Exam for Phase One | October 7, 2020 | October 13, 2020 |
PHASE TWO | ||
Information Technology Strategy | October 19, 2020 | December 13, 2020 |
Corporate Finance | January 4, 2021 | February 28, 2021 |
Strategy and Organizational Analysis | March 15, 2021 | May 9, 2021 |
Ethical Decision Making | May 24, 2021 | July 18, 2021 |
May 2019 Schedule
Course | Start | End |
---|---|---|
PHASE ONE | ||
MBA Orientation | May 27, 2019 | May 31, 2019 |
Strategic Management | June 3, 2019 | July 28, 2019 |
Human Resource Management | August 12, 2019 | October 6, 2019 |
Financial and Managerial Accounting | October 21, 2019 | December 15, 2019 |
Marketing Management | January 6, 2020 | March 1, 2020 |
Managerial Economics and Quantitative Analysis | March 16, 2020 | May 10, 2020 |
Operations Management | May 25, 2020 | July 19, 2020 |
Comprehensive Exam for Phase One | July 29, 2020 | August 4, 2020 |
PHASE TWO | ||
Information Technology Strategy | August 10. 2020 | October 4, 2020 |
Corporate Finance | October 19, 2020 | December 13, 2020 |
Strategy and Organizational Analysis | January 4, 2021 | February 28, 2021 |
Ethical Decision Making | March 15, 2021 | May 9, 2021 |
Hockey Electives / CHP Courses
These courses are paced, meaning there are scheduled start and end dates, and assignment deadlines within each course. Courses are also asynchronous—meaning you are never required to be online at a particular time.
Plan to spend 20 – 25 hours per week on your studies.
All online courses are eight weeks long.
2021 Electives
Course Schedule | Start | End |
---|---|---|
CHP Orientation | One week prior to course start date | Orientation will run Monday - Friday |
HCKY 641 - The Business of Hockey | January 11, 2021 | March 7, 2021 |
HCKY 645 - Hockey Operations | March 22, 2021 | May 16, 2021 |
HCKY 644 - Game Day Management & Marketing | May 31, 2021 | July 25, 2021 |
HCKY 642 - Marketing Hockey Strategically | August 16, 2021 | October 10, 2021 |
HCKY 646 - Applied Franchise Management In-Residence (Toronto, Nov 3-7) | August 30, 2021 | November 7, 2021 |
HCKY 643 - Integrated Marketing Communications for Hockey | October 18, 2021 | December 12, 2021 |
Single course registration closes six weeks prior to start date.
Admissions
Are you the one?
Discussion, collaboration, and peer learning are at the heart of the MBA in Hockey Management and the Certified Hockey Professional (CHP) designation. To effectively contribute, students must have a solid base of education and management experience.
Admissions Overview
Admissions committees within The Business of Hockey Institute and AU will review all applications and select a small class based on a comprehensive review of the applications received. This program is designed for elite individuals working within hockey and hockey-related industries. The right candidate, with an exceptional record of management and leadership outside of hockey, will also be considered.
Students will be assessed based on their progressive background of managing people, projects or budgets within their team, league, or related industry. The Admissions Committees consider your entire application profile holistically, including managerial/professional experience, your essay, letters of reference and academic records if applicable. With a limited number of openings available; this process is highly competitive.
Athabasca University provides admission pathways at the master’s level, that go beyond recognition of undergraduate degrees: if you do not have an undergraduate degree but have significant management experience (see pathway #3 below), we encourage you to apply. Students applying to the CHP-PEP program only must have earned a degree in business from a recognized institution and meet AU’s existing MBA requirements for management level experience.
BHI also offers a variety of scholarships for students, please click here for more information.
How to Apply
You can apply to the MBA in Hockey Management through any of three pathways:
- You have an undergraduate degree from an accredited university plus at least three years of managerial experience (managerial experience must demonstrate progressive responsibility and should include managing people, projects, or budgets, or any combination of these).
or - You hold an accepted professional designation (see list) and at least five years of managerial experience.
or - You have at least eight years of progressively responsible managerial experience.*
*Students who wish to apply to the Online MBA for executives using route 3 must apply to the Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM) first. Upon successful completion of all Phase One courses and the comprehensive exam, they may apply to transfer into Phase Two of the MBA.
Your Admissions Application
Your application must include the following:
Resume
- A list of current and past job positions (most recent first) that includes
- Company name and industry sector
- Position duration (month and year) and location
- Employment status (full-time or part-time)
- For part-time employment (less than 35 hours per week), average hours worked per week
- Description of duties and responsibilities that includes
- Managerial and supervisory experience, including project management
- Number of direct reports
- Budgetary responsibilities
- Formal education and training that includes
- Name of post-secondary institution attended
- Degree or program sought or obtained
- Start and end dates (month and year)
- Academic achievements or awards received
- Other training / educational experiences that relate to career and education goals (i.e. courses, workshops attended, etc.)
- Additional information that includes
- Informal activities or life experiences that relate to career and graduate education goals
- A list of memberships in professional organizations
- A list of volunteer and community roles and activities
References
The MBA Admissions Committee prefers two business references and one academic reference. However, if an academic reference is unavailable, the Committee will accept three business references.
References must be submitted by individuals who will be able to attest to the depth and breadth of your managerial experience and suitability for graduate level studies.
References submitted by relatives or friends will not be accepted.
Essay
To assess your managerial experience and your potential for graduate level studies, completion of a brief (1000 word) essay is required. Please respond to the following four questions in your essay:
- Why do you want to apply to the MBA program?
- How have your managerial responsibilities changed and progressed throughout your career?
- In the positions you have held, what three experiences have had the most impact on the development of your managerial skills and abilities?
- What do you expect the program to offer you in terms of personal development, career development and learning?
Transcripts
Official transcripts of your post-secondary educational achievements must be sent directly to the Faculty of Business, Graduate Studies from the respective institution(s) before the application deadline. These transcripts provide the basis for evaluating your educational history and for determining your capacity for graduate studies.
Your undergraduate (bachelor’s) degree must be a three (3) or four (4) year degree in any discipline from an accredited university.
Applicants applying with an accepted professional designation must submit either official transcripts or an official letter of program completion confirming that the professional designation has been earned and that the member is in good standing.
Please have each institution email official transcripts to: ssq@fb.athabascau.ca
NOTE: If your degree was obtained outside of Canada or the United States, your educational qualifications may require independent assessment*. International transcripts can be assessed by:
International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)
International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS)
World Education Services-Canada (WES)
*For accelerated program application, grade equivalency assessment for each course is required in addition to the overall educational credential assessment. Please note that not all of the agencies listed for transcript assessment provide detailed course level assessment. You should check with the agency before applying for assessment.
Application Form
All applicants are required to complete and submit an online application form. Once you begin the process of applying, the form will save your progress and allow you to return on multiple occasions to complete any required fields and attach required documents.
You may choose to submit the form and all required supporting documents at once or submit one at a time as they are completed.
Applicants without an undergraduate degree must apply to and successfully complete phase one of the MBA (first six courses and comprehensive exam), earning the graduate diploma in management, and then apply to transfer into the remainder of the MBA. When completing the online application form, select GDM as your program type.
Application Fee
The application fee for Athabasca University Faculty of Business graduate programs is two hundred and five dollars in Canadian currency ($205 CAD), and is non-refundable.
The application fee for the Certified Hockey Professional (CHP) designation is eight hundred dollars in Canadian currency ($800 CAD), and is non-refundable. By submitting an application to the CHP designation, applicants agree to extend the confidentiality of their application package to include the Business of Hockey Institute’s admissions committee.
You will be asked to provide payment by Visa, Mastercard, Debit Visa or Debit Mastercard when you submit your online application.
Hockey MBA Tuition and Fees
Tuition fees include e-Textbooks and our learning environment software, but do not include Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel and PowerPoint are required), Internet charges, Graduate Student Association fees ($13 per credit), and some travel and accommodation costs associated with the in-residence elective.
Fees
Application & Admission | ||
---|---|---|
MBA Application fee | $205.00 | due with your application |
BHI Application fee | $800.00 | due with your application |
MBA Admission fee | $856.00 | due upon acceptance into the program |
BHI Admission fee | $4,200.00 | due upon acceptance into the program |
MBA Courses | ||
Six MBA phase one courses | $18,816.00 | $3,136.00 per course, due upon registration |
Four MBA phase two courses | $12,544.00 | $3,136.00 per course, due upon registration |
Certified Hockey Professional courses | ||
Five CHP online courses | $34,155.00 | $6,831.00 each, payable upon registration |
One CHP in-residence course | $9,900.00 | payable upon registration |
Total | $81,476.00 |
The Application fee, admission fee, and transfer credit evaluation fee are non-refundable.
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