Sports Economics (ECON20011)
Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5Not available in 2025
About this subject
Overview
| Fees | Look up fees |
|---|
This subject provides an economic perspective on professional sports in Australia and the rest of the world. It shows how economic concepts and theories can be used to understand the operation of professional sports, and can guide decision-making on sports by management and public policy makers. It also emphasises how studying sporting competitions can provide a laboratory for improving our knowledge of human behaviour and economic activity. Topics covered include: the demand for professional sports; the design of sporting competitions; measurement of player and team performance; strategy and decision-making in sports; sporting labour markets; managing and coaching sports teams; umpiring in sports; sports gambling markets; and national sporting performance. The subject will draw on examples from many major sports and sporting competitions – such as the Olympics, Australian Football League, cricket, soccer, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and National Football League (gridiron).
Intended learning outcomes
Completion of this subject should enable you to:
- Classify, and identify the main characteristics of, different types of professional sporting competitions;
- Identify and apply relevant economic concepts and theories to understand the operation of professional sports;
- Apply empirical methods and available data to analyse the operation of professional sporting competitions;
- Use your understanding of economic aspects of the operation of professional sports to guide decision-making by team and league managers in professional sporting competitions; and public policy decision-makers with responsibility for professional sports; and
- Understand how data on the operation of professional sporting competitions can be applied to test economic theories of decision-making and market outcomes.
Generic skills
High activity level: Written communication; Application of theory to practice; Interpretation and analysis; Synthesis of data and other information; Evaluation of data and other information; Team work.
Moderate activity level: Oral communication; Collaborative learning; Problem solving; Critical thinking; Accessing data and other information from a range of sources.
Last updated: 20 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
| Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECON10004 | Introductory Microeconomics |
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 20 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Team project - Written report (3-4 students per team) An outline of the final report will be due Week 6 and is worth 5% of the overall mark.
| Week 10 | 30% |
3 written tasks of 500 words each
| 15% | |
Workshop participation Hurdle requirement: This subject has a minimum hurdle requirement of 80% attendance and regular participation in workshops. | Throughout the teaching period | 15% |
Final exam
| During the examination period | 40% |
| Hurdle requirement: To pass this subject students must complete all pieces of assessment | N/A |
Last updated: 20 March 2025
Dates & times
Not available in 2025
Time commitment details
170 Hours
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 20 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Biomedicine
- Bachelor of Design
- Bachelor of Environments
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art)
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Science
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 20 March 2025