Sports Administration (M.S.)
Master of Science
Program Coordinator: Jacalyn Lund, Ph.D
Faculty: Brenda Pitts, Ph.D., Beth Cianfrone, Ph.D., Natasha Brison, JD.
The Master of Science in Sports Administration degree program seeks to prepare graduates with professional skills and knowledge for careers in the $300-plus billion dollar sports business industry through an exceptional program inspired by excellence, vision, scholarship, leadership, and entrepreneurship.
Potential career paths can be found in such areas as management, marketing, legal, risk management, financial, the media, promotions, public relations, communications, sports information, design, retail, manufacturing, coaching, in the following examples of industry segments: sports media, sports facilities and arenas, sports retail business, sport product manufacturing, sport club management, entrepreneurial enterprising, amateur and community sports enterprises, professional sports, sports travel and tourism, international sport management, college sports, and athlete representation and management.
The program is currently a NASPE-NASSM approved program, one of only a few approved master's degree programs in the United States that meets the NASPE-NASSM Sport Management Program Review Council Sport Management Curriculum Standards. Visit http://www.nassm.com/InfoAbout/SportMgmtPrograms for the list of approved programs.
In addition, the program is designed to meet the forthcoming Commission on Sport Management Accreditation curriculum standards. We seek to become one of the first master's programs to be accredited. For this information, visit www.cosmaweb.org.
Regulations for the Degree:
- Prerequisites: This program is specifically designed for students with an undergraduate degree in sport management and a background in the sport business industry. Incoming students without this background may be required to take prerequisite courses. For those students, you will complete any prerequisites required by the faculty advisor prior to your third semester of work in the program.
- Research Requirement: All students will complete the university's basic certification course for human subjects research. See the university's research office website and your faculty advisor for details.
- Internship or Thesis Track Requirement: Students have the option to complete the internship requirement or they can elect to pursue the thesis track. The internship is the cornerstone and culminating experience of the program in which the student will work in an approved sport business enterprise under professional supervision. The student is required to acquire the place for the internship in consultation with a faculty advisor. The internship cannot be taken until all other courses of the program have been completed unless otherwise specified and permitted by a faculty advisor. Along with the internship requirement, the student will also be required to take the Comprehensive Exam. The thesis track requires Master's-level students in sports administration to conduct research and complete a formal thesis. It must be started two semesters prior to graduating and is overseen by a faculty advisor. The thesis track does not require taking the Comprehensive Exam.
- Course Requirements: The course requirements for the Master of Science degree in Sports Administration and the format of the program follow. Consult with a faculty advisor for any questions or concerns. Consult the Course Descriptions for a listing and description of the courses. Consult the Georgia State University Graduate Catalog for all regulations concerning graduate programs, http://www.gsu.edu/enrollment/catalogs.html
- Electives: Students may take courses of their choice in consultation with a faculty advisor from those listed here or from courses in other related such programs as business, management, marketing, hospitality, risk management, law, information technology, finance, education, international business, and research.
Program of Study
- Major (27)
- Required (18):
- KH 6380 Introduction to Sport Management (3)
- KH 6560 Budgeting and Finance in Sports and Recreation (3)
- KH 7100 Administration of Sports Programs (3)
- KH 7200 Cultural Aspects of Sport (3)
- KH 7410 Sport Marketing (3)
- KH 7610 Sport Law (3)
- Research Requirement (Select One) (3):
- EPRS 7900 Methods of Research in Education (3)
- MK 8200 Marketing Research (3)
- Internship or Thesis Track Requirement (Select One) (6):
- KH 7662 Internship in Sports Management (6)
- KH 7990 Master's Thesis (6)
- Electives (9)
- KH 6960 Seminar (3)
- KH 7150 Development and Revenue Generation in Sports (3)
- KH 7380 Sport Facility Management (3)
- KH 7440 Sport Communication and Media (3)
- KH 7690 Practicum in Sports Administration (3)
- KH 7810 Directed Readings and Research (3)
- Other 6000+ level courses upon advisor approval
Program total: minimum of 36 semester hours
